Some Cape Breton residents are expressing their disappointment over news that the Donkin Mine has brought in some temporary foreign workers from the United States.

The company had promised to hire almost entirely from Cape Breton, and while it insists the three electricians from Virginia are only temporary, some see it as a promise broken.

“When I have people here in my union hall that are unemployed, some of them coming on 24 to 28 months, that’s a pretty hard day, when we have temporary foreign workers in there,” says Brian Tobin, business agent for IBEW Local 1852, which represents unionized electrical workers.

A spokesperson for Kameron Coal – the U.S. company developing the coal mine – told CTV News the three American workers are in the area on temporary foreign work permits and were brought in to provide maintenance expertise related to safety.

Coun. Kevin Saccary says he called the company’s CAO and was assured the workers are temporary and will be replaced by locals once training is complete.

“That they are working on equipment that it’s the first time it’s been in Nova Scotia, and that they in fact were training local electricians on site,” says Saccary.

Meanwhile, Liberal MP Rodger Cuzner is consulting with the federal Department of Labour.

“This situation here, we’ll get the full details on it from the minister’s office, and currently from the formal process that IBEW pursues,” says Cuzner.

While the temporary foreign workers may help the mine open on schedule, many in the area say they will keeping a watchful eye, holding the company to its promise that the workforce will be almost entirely local.

“I’ll always maintain that we want our residents employed first,” says Saccary.

“Just tell us. That’s all we’re asking,” says Tobin. “We’re not trying to make your time here hard. We’re just making sure that our Cape Breton people are employed.”

Kameron Coal says it will provide a full update to the community once it starts producing coal, which it hopes will happen in the fall.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Ryan MacDonald