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100 Kennecott employees laid off following landslide

Posted at 3:52 PM, May 23, 2013
and last updated 2013-05-24 01:30:46-04

WEST JORDAN, Utah - Kennecott announced Thursday that 100 salaried employees have been laid off.

The announcement follows a massive landslide that forced parts of the mine to reduce operating costs. The slide happened April 10 at the Bingham Canyon Mine.

The company said the layoffs are from all divisions and are permanent. Kennecott says the workers will be given a severance package. They will also receive employee assistance and access to services with the Department of Workforce Services.

Kennecott says they're doing what they can do reduce the impacts to its workforce. They are offering vacation time, unpaid leave, and a one-time $20,000 resignation incentive for those eligible for retirement. The deadline for those employees is May 31.

Additional reductions in other parts of the company will take place later this month. The company is still trying to determine how many hourly employees will be laid off.

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