Final shift for laid-off workers at Algoma Steel

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Monday was the final day on the job site for many Algoma Steel employees in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

Hundreds of Algoma employees worked their final shift in the last four days, part of the 1,000 job cuts related to the company’s early switch to electric steelmaking.

Punishing tariffs imposed by the United States on steel exports forced the company to accelerate the layoffs, which were announced late last year.

Monday, dozens of people affected by the layoffs took part in sessions to learn more about employment insurance.

“I don’t know if I’m going to get called back,” said Jason Prevost, who worked at the steel plant for the last seven years.

“I don’t know if I (should) go back to school … I mean, if I stay on unemployment (insurance) for a couple months, maybe I get something sooner than that. I just kind of got the ball rolling — at least set myself up for what’s coming next and then go from there.”

Competition for jobs

Workers like Prevost are also stressed about the fact that their former colleagues are now competitors in the job market.

“That’s a lot of people you’re competing against,” he said.

“There are only so many mines out there that are only going to hire so many people. And some people aren’t going to get them.”

Developing plans for the $200 million Port of Sault Ste. Marie proposal is one way that city council hopes to bring back jobs to the community.

If all goes well and the project receives funding from upper levels of government, it could create more than 2,400 jobs in a few years’ time.

“The construction jobs would be 1,400-1,800, depending on when the work was being undertaken,” said Mayor Matthew Shoemaker.

“And so that would be a good bridge for those 1,000 workers that are being laid off in the short term, if they were interested in construction … jobs for the port.”

Having already invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the switch to electric arc steelmaking at Algoma, Showmaker said upper levels of government should also be part of the solution to help affected workers find a suitable job and be part of a project that he said will contribute to the region and country.

“The federal government and provincial government can’t simply allow that transition to see those jobs evaporate,” he said.

“It will not have been a success if that happens.”

The city has already submitted funding applications for the port project — and hopes to get a response shortly after the April deadline.

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