Close to 600 workers in the tubular division at Evraz Steel in Regina will be laid off by December 17th.

The union that represents the workers confirmed the layoffs on their website this week.

USW Local 5890 President Mike Day says the tubular division is a huge part of the facility.

Day says it’s also the area where the company invested 200-million dollars in Regina recently.

The layoffs are because of current economic conditions, but COVID-19 may have also played a role, something Day says is to early to speak on.

In October Evraz issued a displacement memo citing possible layoffs.

Day says yesterday’s notice was issued to about 551 union members for a total of 591 since the layoffs began, by far the largest mass layoff seen in his time with the industry.

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