- 05.24.2019
Tester Slams Trump Administration Decision to Close Anaconda Job Corps, Vows to Fight Reckless Action
Senator: Closing the Anaconda Job Corps will weaken Montana’s economy
(Big Sandy, Mont.) – U.S. Senator Jon Tester today slammed the Trump Administration’s decision to close the job corps facility in Anaconda.
In a conversation with officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Tester slammed the decision to close the job training center that prepares about 70 skilled workers for local jobs each year. Tester vowed to fight the Administration’s reckless action by introducing legislation to defend Anaconda from this costly decision.
“Make no mistake, this decision will lead to an immediate loss of jobs in rural America and undermine economic development in communities like Anaconda moving forward,” Tester said. “The magnitude of this decision on a community like Anaconda and the people of Montana is hard to overstate. I urge you to reconsider this irresponsible decision and instead work to create jobs and provide services to the rural west.”
Tester will be introducing legislation to block this decision.
Tester last year secured $1.7 billion for job corps facilities across the country-including Anaconda.
Tester has repeatedly visited the Anaconda Job Corps as Montana’s senior Senator and strengthening the partnerships between local businesses and the Anaconda Job Corps is a primary component of Tester’s #EmployMT initiative.
During Tester’s statewide Blue Collar Jobs Tour last year, he met with countless employers, labor unions, and contractors who urged him to support Montana’s job corps facilities and ensure they continue to meet the high-demand for skilled labor in nearly every corner of Montana.
Tester’s letter to the Trump Administration is available HERE.
Workers and employers can submit their Job Corps stories HERE.