The Leader of the provincial NDP is calling on the provincial and federal governments to protect Saskatchewan’s steel-manufacturing industry following the layoff of roughly 500 workers in Regina. In 2022, workers at EVRAZ PLC, a Russian steel and mining company, were told all North American assets of the company would be sold off, including its Regina plant.

Now, two years later, laid-off workers are left guessing about the future of their career, and Carla Beck attributes that to government inaction. She says both Premier Scott Moe and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have been silent on the issue and have not made any effort to protect the plant or the jobs it provides. She says this isn’t the first time Moe has let steelworkers down.

“When Scott Moe took that million-dollar trip to Dubai, not only was nearly half of that so-called Saskatchewan delegation from Saskatchewan, but he also didn’t include a single steel manufacturer.”

President of United Steelworkers Local 5890 Mike Day says union members are frustrated about the lack of details being provided about the sale however, they are happy the federal government implemented 25 per cent tariffs on Chinese steel.