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United Steelworkers warn council the newly sold Matthew Warren plant may close; union urges city intervention
Summary
United Steelworkers representatives told council they were briefed after Rosebank Industries bought Matthew Warren and said bargaining suggested the new owner views the Logansport operation as not profitable; the union said company bargaining proposals were severe and that management indicated it was 'not interested' in city assistance. Union leaders asked the city to engage and preserve jobs.
Representatives of the United Steelworkers spoke during public comment and described urgent concerns after a sale of the Matthew Warren operations. Brian Fanny, representing United Steelworkers District 7 Sub‑District 4, said Rosebank Industries closed on Matthew Warren on May 28 and that union bargaining with the new owners in the days that followed suggested the buyer may not intend to operate the Logansport plant as it exists.
Fanny and Tim Duncan, president of Local 3261, said the union offered concessions in bargaining but that the company presented proposals the union described as large concessions — Fanny said the company suggested a 27% wage decrease and substantial increases to employee health costs — and that, in their meeting, company representatives told the union they had not spoken to the mayor or council and were ‘‘not interested’’ in local assistance. The union estimated the bargaining‑unit workforce at the facility at about 97 members and said the wider campus supports about 20 management positions as well.
City staff and council members told the union representatives they had attempted outreach and that staff would continue to try to contact company decision‑makers; staff reiterated that if a plant closed, existing vacant‑property rules, code enforcement and redevelopment tools would apply and that the city could help coordinate job fairs and placement efforts. Council and staff stressed they wanted company contact information and said they would pursue whatever local options were available.
Why it matters: Matthew Warren has been in the community for decades; a closure would affect dozens of unionized workers, their families, and local suppliers and could leave large industrial buildings vacant. The union’s public comment names a new owner and describes proposed concessions, and the city’s next steps will be to continue outreach and monitor the situation.
Attributions: The assertions about the sale and bargaining stance come from United Steelworkers representatives (Brian Fanny, District 7; Tim Duncan, Local 3261 president); the city’s statements about outreach and vacant-property tools came from staff and council during the subsequent discussion.
