Washington, D.C. - As MMNA, Mitsubishi’s automobile production plant in Normal, announces the termination of one of its two shifts, and lay offs of one-third of its entire workforce, U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson (IL-15) is exhausting all resources to make sure that the displaced employees get maximum state and federal assistance. 

“I have been in communication with Mitsubishi’s Washington, D.C. office and we are exploring ways to keep the massive number of lay-offs at the Normal plant to an absolute minimum,” said Rep. Johnson.  “It is critical that we retain as many jobs as possible at Mitsubishi, and find a means by which we can reopen the manufacturer’s second shift in the very near future, if not immediately.”

Fellow Illinois Congressmen echoed Johnson’s remarks, and had this to add:  “We are collectively working on Capitol Hill to find and secure retraining dollars to send back to McLean County and the surrounding area, so the working families are able to easily get vocational training in other fields, should that be necessary,” said U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood (IL-18).  “The loss of twelve hundred jobs can devastate this entire region.”

“This will be a united effort at the local, state and federal levels, to ensure that displaced workers have future options,” noted Rep. Jerry Weller (IL-11).  “Our top priority, however, will be finding a solution that will lead to the reinstatement of the Mitsubishi employees back to their capacity at the manufacturing facility.”

Rep. Johnson added that much of the Central Illinois delegation to Springfield is on board to help find assistance programs for displaced workers at the state level.  State Senators Bill Brady and Dan Rutherford, as well as State Representatives Dan Brady, Shane Cultra, Bill Mitchell and Keith Sommer have joined with the Congressmen to do whatever it takes to protect and retrain those workers who are facing unemployment.

“This is very unfortunate news for the hundreds of individuals and their families who are facing lay-offs, and it is and economic blow to Central Illinois.  I am working very hard on Capitol Hill to find whatever support is available to send to McLean County,” said Johnson.

###