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Evraz says “unfairly traded imports” are behind its decision to lay off employees, including about 120 workers at the company’s steel mill in Regina.
In a two-paragraph statement emailed to 980 CJME on Monday, an Evraz spokesperson claimed that those imports have hurt the company’s Canadian operations.
“High volumes of cheap imports are flooding the Canadian market, making it difficult to compete for business,” the statement said. “Due to these imports, and starting next month, (Evraz North America) will make production adjustments that will regrettably result in layoffs at its Canadian facilities.”
On Friday, 980 CJME reported the pending layoffs at Regina’s mill.
“The company indicated probably a week or so ago that there might be some changes in crewing levels due to what they saw as rising interest rates, and inventory on their customers, and dropping steel prices,” said Ryan McKenzie, president of the United Steelworkers Union Local 5890. “So I think it caught up to them a little faster than they expected.”
McKenzie said the layoffs will affect the two-inch and 24-inch mills at the mill located in north Regina.
The Russian-based steelmaker announced plans in August to sell its North American subsidiaries. That would include the mill in Regina.
The news of the potential sale followed the layoffs in June of 250 workers in the large-diameter tubular division at the Regina plant.
