WE Soda Announces Transition Plans for Wyoming Operations

November 4, 2026 | United Steelworkers Local 13214

A Difficult Day for Our Union and Sweetwater County

Brothers and Sisters,

Today, November 4, 2026, WE Soda management informed United Steelworkers Local 13214 of its decision to begin phasing out conventional underground dry mining at the Westvaco facility and transition toward solution mining over approximately the next two years.

This announcement will have devastating consequences for hundreds of hardworking men and women, their families, and the communities of Rock Springs, Green River, and the surrounding areas.

For generations, union workers have helped build the soda ash industry into one of the economic foundations of southwest Wyoming. Today, those workers and their families are facing an uncertain future.

Our members deserve answers, transparency, and a union that will stand beside them throughout this process.

What We Know Right Now

According to WE Soda’s official announcement, the company intends to reduce its Wyoming workforce from more than 850 positions to approximately 500 over the next two years.

The union has received notice identifying the following planned workforce reductions:

• January 4–17, 2027: 223 positions
• March 2027: 79 positions
• During 2028: 63 positions

Total planned reductions: 365 positions.

The initial January notice identifies positions across Mine Production, Mine Services, Mine Stores, Mine Maintenance, Surface Production, and Surface Maintenance.

These are the company’s announced plans. The union will continue working to understand how these changes will affect individual members and what protections and alternatives are available under our collective bargaining agreement.

What Will Happen to Our Operations?

WE Soda has stated that it intends to continue solution mining and surface processing at Westvaco and Granger.

The company also announced that:

• The Westvaco Monohydrate Plant will transition from processing mined ore to operating on brine.
• A reduced underground mining operation will temporarily continue supplying the Sesquicarbonate Plant.
• Conventional dry ore mining will eventually end once the Sesqui Plant can operate entirely on brine.
• Sodium bicarbonate and specialty product operations will continue.
• The company intends to focus Wyoming soda ash sales primarily on the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

While the company has outlined its intended direction, significant questions remain regarding future staffing levels, job classifications, transfers, and the long-term impact on our membership.

Our Union’s Commitment

United Steelworkers Local 13214 was informed of this decision by management on November 4.

We understand the fear, frustration, anger, and uncertainty that this announcement has created.

Our International Union has been notified and will be involved as we work through the challenges ahead.

Our priority is protecting as many jobs as possible and ensuring that every affected member receives the representation and protections they are entitled to.

We will work to hold the company accountable to its contractual obligations and seek answers regarding the decisions that led to this announcement.

No member should have to navigate this uncertainty alone.

Important Membership Meetings

Thursday, November 12, 2026

Meeting times: 8:30 AM and 7:00 PM

Location: USW Local 13214 Union Hall

Members are strongly encouraged to attend one of these meetings.

Union leadership will share available information, address questions, and discuss the challenges ahead.

As additional information becomes available, updates will be provided through our union’s official communication channels.

More Than Just Numbers

When a company announces hundreds of job reductions, it’s easy for the conversation to become focused on production costs, export markets, and financial projections.

But behind every one of these positions is a person.

A parent providing for their children. A family paying a mortgage. A worker who has spent years, sometimes decades, building a career in this industry.

The impact of these decisions will extend beyond our workplace and into businesses, neighborhoods, schools, and families throughout Sweetwater County.

Our members are not disposable, and the contributions they have made to this company and community cannot be measured on a balance sheet.

Stronger Together

The coming months will not be easy. There will be difficult conversations, unanswered questions, and decisions that affect the lives of our brothers and sisters.

But this is exactly why solidarity matters.

We encourage every member to stay informed, attend union meetings, support affected coworkers, and avoid spreading unverified information.

We will continue advocating for our members and working to protect the jobs and livelihoods that support our community.

We stand together. We fight together. And we will face what comes next together.

In Solidarity,

United Steelworkers Local 13214