City of Greater Sudbury announces hundreds of temporary layoffs

A Greater Sudbury sign is pictured in this undated photo. (File)

SUDBURY — The City of Greater Sudbury is temporarily suspending the employment of 322 seasonal and part-time staff.

This news comes following the suspension of non-essential services, due to the current COVID-19 health crisis.

"Like so many other municipalities, we are facing complex and unprecedented decisions on how to continue to deliver essential and critical services to the community," said Ed Archer, Chief Administrative Officer City of Greater Sudbury.

Most of the affected staff provide services in recreation programs, parks, libraries, and as school crossing guards.

"Dedicated City staff are the backbone of our municipal operations, and this is not a decision we took lightly. We are taking every step possible to redeploy employees where we need them, and very much look forward to welcoming them back to work," said Archer.

In addition to the temporary layoffs, the city will also be reassigning full-time and regular part-time staff from non-essential areas.

"This is a difficult situation, but these temporary layoffs are just that – temporary. In consultation with union leadership, we are working to protect the health and safety of our employees, keep as many people employed as possible, and continue to provide essential and critical services to the community," said Archer.