Faced with the apparent possibility of contractors temporarily filling some jobs, Hudbay unions are asking Flin Flon city council to take a position on replacement workers.
Officials from several company unions made the request Tuesday, days after learning of ads seeking underground heavy-duty mechanics “for a potential temporary work stoppage in northern Manitoba.”
“We came here tonight to find out what council’s position was on replacement workers and knowing the detriment that that’s going to bring to this community,” said Blair Sapergia, vice-president of IAM Local 1848, which represents Hudbay mechanics, machinists, pipefitters and some other trades.
Council was non-committal.
“I’m sure you can appreciate that we don’t have a policy on replacement workers,” Coun. Tim Babcock told the union delegates. “It’s not something that we come across every day.”
“Which is exactly why we’ve put it in your hands,” replied Sapergia. “You didn’t have a position on mail delivery, either.”
Sapergia was referring to the previous council’s stated support for home mail delivery after postal workers protested the service’s planned cancellation.
Just as council’s mail vote was essentially symbolic – the city has no authority over Canada Post – a motion on replacement workers would carry no legal value since mining is federally regulated.
Nonetheless, Sapergia put forth the request on behalf of his and the other Hudbay unions.
“I’m sure we’ll be talking about it,” Babcock later said. “Hopefully in two weeks we won’t have to.”
The two-week timeframe referred to April 21, the earliest date at which Sapergia said IAM can either go on strike or be locked out by Hudbay, provided a 72-hour notice is given.
“That’s not very far away,” said Coun. Leslie Beck.
Beck told the delegates she appreciates their decision to update council on the situation given the potential implications.
“Whatever’s coming affects everybody,” she said. “It’s a city-wide thing and I recognize that for sure, so coming forward and letting us know where you guys are at is important for us to know so we have some heads-up on where it’s heading to.”
To that, Sapergia replied: “It’s already affected the community – already – because of how long it’s been drawn out.”
Sapergia was not optimistic that the contractual situation would resolve in the near future.
“Try as we might, it appears to not be something that can be concluded quickly,” said Sapergia, adding that IAM gave Hudbay its full contractual proposal in December but has yet to receive a monetary proposal from the company.
Hudbay has not publicly confirmed it is behind online ads, since taken down, that called for underground heavy-duty mechanics in northern Manitoba. The company does say it has contingency plans to prepare for different possibilities.
There do not appear to be other mining companies in northern Manitoba that need underground mechanics ahead of a possible work stoppage.
In addressing council, Sapergia was unequivocal in saying Hudbay is “in fact seeking replacement workers to do our job in case there is a strike or a lockout.”
Strategy
He said he doesn’t know why Hudbay is using “this kind of strategy to bargain as opposed to just sitting down and getting a deal.”
“We have been bargaining now for several months, as I’ve said, and we have settled absolutely nothing. Nothing,” added Sapergia. “So I don’t know if their plan is to bust the union or to lock us out on [April] 21st or what they plan to do, but we’ll have to wait and see ’cause you can’t call this one. In all my years of doing this, and I believe I have sat through seven bargainings now, I’ve never seen a strategy like this before, ever. Absolutely unbelievable.”
Beck sought clarification as to why April 21 is the earliest date for a strike or lockout.
Sapergia said the process begins with an application for federal concilliation. Following a 60-day period to meet with a concilliator and a 21-day “cooling off” phase, a strike or a lockout becomes possible.
Babcock, who sat as mayor in Cal Huntley’s absence, thanked the half-dozen union officials for attending.
As city council ponders its next move, Sapergia said the unions would be approaching other municipal councils in the area to ask for their position on replacement workers.
Rob Winton, head of Hudbay’s Manitoba operations, has said “all energies” are focused on achieving a deal with unions that is fair to employees and ensures the company “has the flexibility to operate in a challenging economy.”
Winton has also said Hudbay has no “demands on the table and is offering enhancements to wages, pension and benefits.”
Hudbay, which is federally regulated, would not break any labour laws by using replacement workers in the event of a strike.
Xpera Recruiting, a human resources company, had been advertising for the underground heavy-duty mechanics. The ads did not mention which company needs the mechanics or where in northern Manitoba the mechanics would work.
The Xpera ad appeared on Kijiji, the popular classifieds website, and reached job-seekers in several different cities, including Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Moncton, New Brunswick, and the Ontario mining communities of Thunder Bay and Sudbury.
The ad promised a salary of $60 an hour plus overtime. Mechanics would work 12-hour shifts with 20 days on and 20 days off.
IAM members voted 97 per cent in favour of potential job action on March 17.
All Hudbay unions require new contracts after their last deals expired on January 1.
