Workers 'not prepared' for temporary layoffs at Vale's Coleman Mine

Hundreds of Sudbury mine workers are still reeling from the news that they're out of work temporarily.

They've been laid-off from Vale's Coleman Mine in Levack, while the company makes repairs.

The mine was shut down Nov. 10, with Valeciting safety concerns over a ventilation compartment in the shaft that goes underground.

This week, the company announced that repair work wouldtake longer thaninitially expected.

• Sudbury Coleman Mine in short-term shutdown until December due to repairs

More than 480 workers will be laid-offinto December.

Production miner Billy Ostrowalker saidhe's still in shockdays after getting the news.

"The guys I talk to, everybody was feeling pretty hopeless," he said.

Ostrowalkersaidhe and his family of six will now make some difficult decisionsas the holiday season approaches.

"I got todecide, do they need that $100 remote control car, or do they need $100 worth of food?"

Snowball effect?

Ostrowalkersaid he predicts the sting of the lost income will be felt throughout the community.

"That's 400 families that won't be spending as much money on food for big Christmas dinners... That's 400 families that won't be buying as many Christmas gifts."

Productionminer Al Sauvesaidhe was also taken by surprise by the layoff notice.

He's concerned about his finances during this time because he is a single-income household.

"Money is going to be tight. A lot of young workers haven't had a chance to build up a nest egg."

• Vale suspends operations at Sudbury-based mine over safety concerns

Sauvesaid he's also disappointedthat it seems the safety problem with the shaft existed at the mine, and yet Vale didn't do anything until now.

"People are concernedbecause they brought their families there, in this shaft for tours and whatnot. A lot of the guys... we're worried about trust," Sauve says.

"I'm hoping that the union will keep after [Vale] to make sure they're doing everything they can."

Shut downs normally planned in advance

Laurentian University Labour Studies professor John Peters saidthese kinds of maintenance closures are usually planned in advance.

"The shut-down would take place over the holidays, and then people could take vacation, or they could use their banked overtime days, or they could get other kinds of routine maintenance jobs."

• Listen to the interview with John Peters on CBC's Up North

Given current health and safety legislation, as well as regular maintenance and monitoring within mines, Peters saidit's rare for a major problem to be unexpected.

"So the question arises, at least from an outsider's perspective, whether or not Vale was doing its due diligence and was responsible. Certainly it looks like it could have perhaps done more, and at least from an outsider's perspective now, it looks like it should be doing more now, as well," Peters said.

The laid off workers can apply for employment insurance over the short term. Others have said they will lookfortemporary employment or will relocate for jobs elsewhere.