Private contract negotiations, and all that they entail, are not normally something politicians speak to in any great detail.
It’s about staying neutral, they’ll say, and knowing all of the facts before offering a comment.
This trend continued last week as neither Flin Flon city council nor Creighton town council was prepared to take a public position on replacement workers.
“I’m sure you can appreciate that we don’t have a policy on replacement workers. It’s not something that we come across every day,” city councillor Tim Babcock told union officials who are concerned about the prospect of replacement workers should a strike or lockout occur at Hudbay.
“Which is exactly why we’ve put it in your hands. You didn’t have a position on mail delivery, either,” replied Blair Sapergia, one of those union officials.
Sapergia was referring to the previous city council’s stated support for home mail delivery after postal workers protested the service’s planned cancellation.
In that case, council sided with the postal union (and a public that largely favours home delivery). The Hudbay union officials who met with council were obviously hoping for a similar outcome.
It didn’t happen, though it still could. As Babcock said, “I’m sure we’ll be talking about [the request]” but “hopefully in two weeks we won’t have to.”
At the time, “in two weeks” meant April 21, the earliest date at which Sapergia’s union, IAM Local 1848, could go on strike. It’s also the earliest date, Sapergia pointed out, that Hudbay could lock out IAM members if it wants to.
‘Sympathize’
Over in Creighton, Mayor Bruce Fidler told the union officials: “I truly sympathize for the seat you are in right now. Each of us [council members] supports in which way we can.”
Fidler said he spoke only for himself and that anyone else “can speak to [it] however they wish.”
As had happened in Flin Flon, there was no immediate motion from Creighton outlining a stance on replacement workers.
The most blunt comments from a political leader came courtesy of Flin Flon MLA Clarence Pettersen.
“As a union member for over 33 years, I don’t like the idea of replacement workers,” Pettersen told The Reminder. “Hopefully both sides will reach an agreement and they won’t be brought in.”
Despite such statements, Pettersen’s NDP government – perceived as more union-friendly than it really is – doesn’t view anti-replacement worker laws as a good idea.
Not that a Manitoba law on replacement workers would apply to mining. That industry falls under federal jurisdiction, and the lack of anti-replacement worker legislation is one of the few areas of agreement between the two parties that govern this country.
Clearly the views around replacement workers can be emotional, especially when the words “strike” and “lockout” are entering the conversation.
Many residents of our area are understandably on edge over what the next steps in this process may or may not be. As of this writing, more than 60 per cent of respondents to The Reminder’s current online poll say they are worried about a strike or lockout at Hudbay.
Obviously everyone in the Flin Flon region can agree that the preferred resolution to this situation is a new contract that satisfies both sides.
How or when that may happen is out of our hands, but I’ve got to believe that a resolution is within reach.
Local Angle runs Fridays.
