Union representing laid off Vanscoy potash workers sees bleak outlook in 2020

The union representing laid off potash workers at Nutrien’s Vanscoy potash mine isn’t holding out much hope for improvement in the new year.

Darrin Kruger, representative for the United Steel Workers, the union representing roughly 265 workers laid off in November, said Nutrien’s extension of the shutdown is part of bleak news that’s been coming from Nutrien’s head office in recent years.

“Obviously concerning to our workforce and their families,” Kruger said. “It’s an indefinite extension and quite troubling since they’ve been downsizing that workforce at that particular site since the merger created the new giant company, Nutrien.”

Agrium and Potash Corp. merged in 2018 to form Nutrien.

Company spokesperson Will Tigley confirmed the shutdown’s extension on Wednesday.

“The shutdown is the extension of the announcement we made in September to manage inventory in the current global potash market conditions,” Tigley said.

Tigley didn’t rule out any further extensions of the shutdown – only saying the company will monitor market conditions through January, 2020.

Kruger called the shutdown indefinite, citing no positive signs that production will ramp up in the near future.

“When does the bleeding stop? These are workers that have given their all to this company. Now we’re in a care and maintenance mode with no sign of starting up,” Kruger said.

Kruger also lamented the announcement taking place so close to Christmas.

“Timing is one thing,” he said. “It’s terrible news a week before Christmas – they’re shutting it down and they’re not sure if they’re going to start up.”

Kruger would not speculate if the site will operate in the near future, but he fears the facility could be shutdown permanently.

“None of us can predict the future, but I’m certainly concerned about what it means about the longevity of this work site.