Search Articles:

 

Breaking News......... Missoula man accused of drugging, raping teenager......... Trophy mounts from around world burn in Billings fire......... Trap shooters flock to state tourney in Billings......... Osprey win third in a row......... Local News......... Jury acquits ex-Griz Wilson in second murder trial........Lincoln County sheriff recall petitions approved........Warrants suggest evidence tampering in Seeley Lake hit-and-run........Defendant pleads guilty to embezzling $800,000 from Missoula bank........Pearly white fight - Burtello Salon owner, state board face off over teeth-whitening procedure........BNSF comes clean in Whitefish, but residents skeptical about contamination........

BILLINGS - A New Yorker who moved to Montana for work with Stillwater Mining Co. found Monday was his first and last day on the job with the company, which has given layoff notices to hundreds of employees.

Sam Gallup, 24, had just finished his initial Stillwater mine shift when he got a recorded telephone message saying he was laid off. Platinum and palladium producer Stillwater, which mines at two sites in southern Montana and has a work force of 1,770, gave 60-day notices to 526 employees. But for newcomer Gallup, the last check will be on Dec. 1.

"I spent more than $2,000 and drove 2,048 miles to get here," he said. "Now I'm probably going to lose everything; my car, everything I own financially."

In August, Stillwater executives traveled to Gouverneur, N.Y., to hire miners after St. Lawrence Zinc closed its mine and laid off about 200 people. Stillwater lost some personnel last year after the company changed a popular work schedule that called for seven days on the job and seven off.

Gallup said that before he came to Montana, a company official who called him asked if he was aware of declining prices for platinum and palladium. Gallup said the official told him "there is (employment) risk, but I didn't ever expect to come to work the first day and get told, 'bye.'"

Gallup said he is living in Billings with a friend, and wants to remain in Montana because of its beauty. Eventually, he said, he plans to invite his girlfriend and her daughter to move here.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer has said that Signal Peak Energy, the owner and operator of a coal mine near Roundup, will host one or more job fairs for Stillwater workers facing job loss. Schweitzer said he requested help from Signal Peak, which expects to add 100 jobs for underground miners next year.

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry said its "rapid-response team" is working to smooth the transition of laid-off workers. Personnel from Job Service offices planned to attend information sessions that Stillwater scheduled in Big Timber and Laurel.

On the Net: Stillwater Mining Co.: http://www.stillwatermining.com

---

---

Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)

---