POINT TUPPER, N.S. - Workers who worked at an idled paper mill in Cape Breton have started receiving calls informing them if they can expect to be recalled. Pacific West Commercial Corp. is only planning on restarting the NewPage mill's supercalendered machine - not the newsprint line - and is slashing the workforce to 229 unionized employees from more than 500.
The union representing 100 workers at Trenton’s Norampac mill is close
to voting on a tentative agreement, QMI Agency has learned.
But, while both sides in the on-going labour dispute met Monday morning,
company officials declined to say anything about the labour talks.
The morning meeting was confirmed by Dave Moffat, Ontario region vice
president of the Communications, Energy and Papermakers Union (CEP).
CORNER BROOK - "Even kids know when it is wrong to hold out on somebody."
That is the quote Bruce Randell, president Local 242 of the
Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union, used Monday to describe
how mill workers were feeling about the latest development to come from
the eight-week process of determining whether to grant Kruger a
five-year extension to make up for a deficit in pension plans.
Workers and retirees at the shuttered NewPage Port Hawkesbury paper mill
in Cape Breton are asking the Nova Scotia government for some
legislative changes to help soften the blow from their underfunded
pension plans.
Gathering recalls long time contributions by injured workers advocate
Ernie Craik
The Kenora District Labour Council hosted the Annual Day of Mourning
memorial service to honour workers suffering injuries, illness or killed
on the job at Lake of the Woods Cemetery, April 28.
The ceremony was attended by a gathering of labour council and union
representatives, city and provincial officials and supporters.
PORT HAWKESBURY, N.S. - More than 85 per cent of union members at an idled Nova Scotia paper mill voted Tuesday to accept a contract deal from the operation's prospective buyer. Archie MacLachlan of the Communications Energy and Paperworkers union said that 85.6 per cent of those who voted accepted the offer from Pacific West Commercial Corp. "We asked for them to vote for it and 85 per cent is a good endorsement of the recommendation," he said following the late vote, adding that not all will be working at the mill if it reopens.
The British Columbia firm offering to buy the shuttered NewPage Port
Hawkesbury mill in Cape Breton wants to cut the unionized workforce in half.
Pacific West Commercial Corp. sent mill employees an ultimatum via the
internet on Thursday and said if a new collective agreement cannot be
reached, the company will withdraw its bid to buy the mill.
TRENTON, ON -- Canada’s largest forestry union is calling on Norampac to stop “job blackmail and work with the union to save jobs and protect the local economy.”
The reaction comes after Cascades issued a news release today announcing the planned closure of it Norampac-Trenton mill, while in the middle of contract negotiations with the union.
RE: EX MLA Pension Cuts:
As president of the CEP Local 29 located in Edmundston, I simply had to
send in my two cents and represent my views and the views of my members.
I am quite perplexed to see Mr. Jeannot Volpé coming out of the woodwork
and crying out injustice because his pension got cut by one third.
CORNER BROOK -- Bruce Randell knows there are concerns out there over the pension plan
for workers and retirees of Corner Brook Pulp and Paper.
"Obviously, we're worried about the pensions," said the president of
Local 242 of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union.
"There's more pensioners out there now than there are people working in
the mill."
