New layoffs at Evraz steel plant in Regina as oil price glut digs deep
by The Canadian Press
Regina isn't the only Evraz mill struggling—the company's pipe plant in Portland was idled April 9 and a plant in Calgary is slated to close next week
REGINA—The oil slump is continuing to take its toll in Saskatchewan, where officials with the Evraz steel plant in Regina say they will be laying off 90 people by this weekend.
The United Steelworkers local 5890 says that’s on top of about 70 people that have been laid off in recent weeks.
Union president Mike Day says there just isn’t much work to be had.
He says without new pipelines being built, there’s not as many orders coming into the plant.
Evraz North America says the layoffs are a necessary production adjustment due to “market demand and unfairly traded and subsidized steel pipe imports.”
Regina isn’t the only Evraz mill having problems—the company’s pipe plant in Portland was put into idle as of April 9, and Day says more than 230 people will lose their jobs in Calgary when that plant is closed down next week.
“There’s always some rumours of pipelines, they’ve got to do some approval, do this, do that, and hopefully the work comes our way,” says Day.
