Evraz expected to lay off 120 workers at Regina steel mill

About 120 workers are expected to be laid off at Regina’s Evraz steel 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,” Ryan McKenzie, president of the United Steelworkers Union Local 5890, said Friday.

“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 plant in north Regina. There are about 150 people employed in those two facilities, according to McKenzie.

McKenzie said that was all the information he was given.

“As far as I know, it’s not going to affect any of the other operations (like Calgary and Red Deer),” McKenzie said.

980 CJME reached out to Evraz for comment, but hadn’t heard back by the time of publication.

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.