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“It gives a person below me an opportunity to have whatever’s here, some kind of employment for a person that would replace me going forward. That’s my goal … But for some of these guys it’s life-changing, right?” Moore said.

“An unexpected life change. Some guys were coming into retirement mode anyway but some of the other people, they’re in decision mode with the economy the way it is,” he said, adding that older workers may struggle to find other jobs.

Mosaic did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Photo by Owen Woytowich / Saskatoon StarPhoenix

Saskatchewan potash mining companies have worked to move production to their lower-cost mines in recent years. Mosaic has said previously that producing a tonne of potash at Colonsay costs around US$100, compared to US$69 at Esterhazy, where its new K3 shaft is in development.

The initial decision to close the mine resulted in about 350 unionized workers being handed pink slips; at the time, USW Local 7656 leaders advised their members to think about getting another job, as they did not foresee a quick restart.

In January, the company laid off around 80 salaried out-of-scope workers from the site, a decision it reported would result in severance payments totalling between US$15 million and US$20 million. Around 45 workers were to remain at the site.

Moore said the company told the union that number has been further reduced, to 32, through 2020. Restarting the mine would likely take a significant amount of time as some equipment has been decommissioned, Moore added.