NICKEL: Vale to lay off 169 in Thompson

MANITOBA – As the summer shut down of its Manitoba smelting and refining operations looms, Vale has announced the layoff of 169 employees in Thompson, 650 km north of Winnipeg. The public has known of plans to cease operations on July 31 for several years. [caption id="attachment_1003722969" align="alignleft" width="300"] Mining will continue at Thompson, Man. (Image: Katie Nicholson, CBC)[/caption] The actual number of laid off workers may be fewer as the company is offering incentive packages for retirement. By next year, Vale’s Manitoba operations will have only 850 full-time employees. And further cuts are expected to reduce that number to approximately 600. Mining will continue at the underground Thompson mine. The Birchtree mine was closed in May 2017. Information about Vale’s operations in Canada are available at www.Vale.com/Canada.