A month-long strike at Xstrata Copper Kidd Metallurgical site has spun off into temporary layoffs to rail workers at the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC).
The North Bay-based rail and bus carrier announced 29 employees were being laid off as part of a cost-cutting measure to offset reduce freight volume at one of its biggest shippers.
ONTC spokeswoman Tricia Marshall says the layoffs are spread throughout the corporation including clerical positions, rail service workers and apprentices.
"When you're don't have the same volume of work from that size of customer, it's going to effect all departments."
Six hundred and seventy-five workers walked off the job Oct. 1 costing ONTC about a million dollars a month in lost revenue.
Overtime has been eliminated as well as other non-essential spending. Hiring and training programs are deferred and 13 employees have been shifting into other projects.
"The work week is about a 10 per cent decrease," says Marshall. "This is the second step and I hope that's the end of it and there's going to be a quick resolution between management and union of Kidd Creek."
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