Enbridge Announces 500 Layoffs, Including Some In Twin Ports

Around 500 Enbridge Energy workers in Canada and the United States have been let go, including employees in Duluth-Superior, after the Canadian firm announced this week that it’s cutting 5 percent of its workforce.

Spokeswoman Lorraine Little said Enbridge is making cuts across all its companies due to dropping oil prices.

“Because we’re an energy transportation company, we still get paid to provide transportation regardless of what the price of a barrel of oil is,” Little said. “It doesn’t make us immune, though, to what’s going on in the marketplace.”

Little said Enbridge is connecting workers with services to find new jobs and transition packages. She said the cuts won’t affect the company’s ability to safely transport oil in its pipelines.

The company said the move is necessary to stay competitive and that it remains strong financially. Earlier this month, the Canadian firm reported earnings of $399 million in the third quarter of this year — up about 14 percent from the same time last year.