St. Lawrence Zinc Closes Operations Today

As workers left the St. Lawrence Zinc mine for one last time, local businesses were again left to wonder how the economic hit of the mine’s closure will affect the community.

Bob’s Market and Diner cashier Kristin Phillips says her father is losing his job at the mine for a second time as many of the 200 miners are.

HudBay closed the mine today blaming low zinc prices and continued high operating costs due to the mine’s geology.

For many of the miners it was history repeating itself as many of the miner’s lost their jobs in 2001 when the former owner Zinc Corporation of America terminated operations.

HudBay reopened the mine in 2005 with high expectations.

Tripp’s Fuel Office Manager Don Fuller says news of the mine’s closure, coupled with Gouverneur Talc’s planned shutdown, is a devastating blow to the area.

Management met with workers during a 7 a.m. meeting this moring before sending them home and shutting the mine down.

HudBay officials tell me they will provide transition support to the 200 workers losing thier jobs.

One miner said included among a severance package being offered to the workers is one week’s salary for every year on the job.

John Friot reports:

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Comments

One Response to “St. Lawrence Zinc Closes Operations Today”

Jim on August 25th, 2008 8:33 am

I was one of the employees of ZCA that was let go in 2001. Any of the current miners that were laid off this time and were aslo laid off in 2001 knew the risk of going back to work there. That work depends on the price of Zinc and it is low right now. As far as being told in advance you have to see the comanies view on that as well. There are people that would retaliate and intentionally damage equipment or fake injuries for compensation etc if they were told in advance.