Creighton Mayor Bruce Fidler says he sympathizes with Hudbay employees, but his council was non-committal when asked to oppose replacement workers.
Appearing before town council last week, Blair Sapergia, vice-president of the IAM Local 1848 union, asked for support against out-of-town replacement workers at the company.
“I appreciate you coming in,” said Fidler. “Thank you for the update. I truly sympathize for the seat you are in right now. Each of us [council members] supports in which way we can.”
But just as Flin Flon city council had the previous night, town council did not take an immediate position on Hudbay’s potential use of replacement workers.
Having voiced his sympathy for the workers’ position, Fidler said he spoke only for himself and that anyone else “can speak to [it] however they wish.”
During the delegation portion of the April 8 meeting, Sapergia presented IAM’s take on negotiations for a new contract thus far.
“We’ve settled absolutely nothing,” Sapergia said. “There’s not one issue on our table that we’ve settled. Nothing. We’ve agreed to nothing. It’s absolutely the strangest thing we’ve ever seen.”
Sapergia told council the union is unsure of what is coming next.
“I don’t know what [Hudbay’s] plan is,” he said. “Maybe they’ll just lock us out on [April] 21st and bring in their high-paid help. I don’t know.”
“Hopefully that’s not where it goes,” Fidler offered.
Rene Beauchamp, president of IAM, and Tom Davie, president of USW 7106, Hudbay’s largest union, agreed with the mayor.
“A work stoppage in general would be hard on the communities, but to bring replacement workers in, it’s a whole new game,” said Beauchamp. “Then angry people will show up and that’s not going to help anybody.”
Following the delegation portion of the meeting, Sapergia was pleased with the discussion.
“I think we got a pretty good reaction,” he said.
Tuesday, April 21 is the earliest date at which IAM, which represents 190 mechanics, machinists, pipefitters and workers in other trades, can strike.
As Sapergia has pointed out, it is also the date at which Hudbay could lock out IAM members if it so chose.
Hudbay unions became concerned over the company’s potential use of replacement workers when online ads recently surfaced seeking underground heavy-duty mechanics “for a potential temporary work stoppage in northern Manitoba.”
The ads did not mention Hudbay, Flin Flon or Snow Lake, but there do not appear to be other mining companies in northern Manitoba that need mechanics in the event of a work stoppage.
Hudbay has said it remains focused on achieving fair deals with its unions and that it has no “demands on the table and is offering enhancements to wages, pension and benefits.”
Until new deals are struck, Hudbay unions are working under terms that expired on January 1, 2015.
IAM members voted in favour of potential job action on March 17. No other unions have held strike votes.
IAM and Hudbay were scheduled to enter another round of concilliation talks tomorrow.
Hudbay, which is federally regulated, would not break any labour laws by using replacement workers in the event of a strike.
Any vote by a municipal council against replacement workers would therefore be symbolic with no legal meaning.
Highlights
Other highlights from the April 8 Creighton town council meeting:
• Council agreed to spend $1,300 to support the operation of the Municipal Capacity Development Program through SUMA (Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association), resulting in six educational courses.
“And education is worthwhile,” said Ald. Lorene Bonnett, agreeing with Mayor Bruce Fidler.
• Council agreed to donate $250 to Creighton Community School’s graduation class and its chemical-free graduation celebration.
• Council approved motions to notify two residents that a homeowner is responsible for the water and sewer lines up to the main. The motion went on to explain that for those experiencing frozen lines, there is an Aqua-flo unit available for purchase through the Town of Creighton that can be installed at no additional cost.
• Council agreed to allow the search for a summer student to begin to assist the public works crew with a culvert replacement project.
