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November 2017

Construction Gap Could Bring Shipyard Layoffs

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Tradespeople at Seaspan’s North Vancouver shipyard are facing the possibility of major layoffs after the company announced that a gap in construction of new federal non-combat vessels is coming next year.

Butch Sidey, business agent for the Marine Shipbuilders Union local 506, which represents unionized workers at Seaspan, said a worst-case scenario would see “big layoffs [in] a year or a year and a half when there’s not going to be any work between ships.”

There are currently 600 tradespeople working at the yard.

Laid-off workers would be hunting for new jobs at a time of high demand for trades workers in B.C.’s construction sector.

If layoffs materialize, “it’s going to be… (continue reading)