Sherritt Coal has laid off 23 unionized employees from Estevan and Bienfait mines.
Word of the layoffs went public last week although the United Mine Workers of America had received notice earlier in March that layoffs were forthcoming.
President Rick Dowhaniuk said the UMWA was called to a meeting on March 11 where they learned Sherritt had plans to reduce 28 positions. Through early retirements that number was pared down to 23.
"It's been a brutal couple weeks," Dowhaniuk said in an interview with The Mercury Thursday. "People are losing their livelihoods and with road bans on in the area it's tougher for people to find work."
Dowhaniuk said the UMWA was told the layoffs were due to company reorganizing and a reduction of coal sales to SaskPower. He added that Sherritt did not indicate whether or not those employees would be rehired if sales pick up but did tell them further layoffs are not expected in the near future.
However, the local situation remains cloudy as Sherritt recently sold all of its coal operations to Westmoreland Coal, which will be taking over control of the local mines later this year.
"Everything is kind of up in the air right now," Dowhaniuk said. "There's a lot of uncertainty for sure. We are hoping that Westmoreland comes in and says 'no, we need these people.'
"We don't know that. We haven't had any recent contact with Westmoreland. We talked to them a month ago and at that time they said they were fine with the amount of people we had. We'll see."
Dowhaniuk said it was primarily equipment operators that were laid off. He added one dragline has been shut down. Contrary to reports, no jobs were eliminated at the Activated Carbon Plant in Bienfait, as Dowhaniuk noted that workers shifting due to seniority will bump a couple of newer employees from their jobs.
"It's been a pretty stressful couple of weeks."
There have also been reports that as many as eight non-unionized employees have been laid off in the past month.
