The United Steelworker’s Union (USW) is confirming sporadic layoffs at Ivaco Rolling Mills in L’Orignal.
According to Richard Leblanc, USW Area Coordinator for Eastern Ontario, the steel plant is not on shutdown, but there are staggered layoffs where employees are off work for short periods of a week or two at a time.
Leblanc could not confirm how many employees have been affected by the staggered layoffs but said the amount of time off ends up being “a lot of weeks when added up,” for employees.
Ivaco was contacted by The Review for further information about the number of employees affected and the reason for the layoffs, but no response was received by press time. A spokesperson for the company said the person responsible for sharing that information was out of the country on business and would respond once available.
Leblanc suspected the reason for the layoffs could be a shortage of orders and the economic consequences of the tariffs on Canadian-made steel imposed by the Trump administration.
