THUNDER BAY – “Members of Local 39 have said enough is enough.” states Marvin Pupeza the National Representative for the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada. CEP Local 39 members have voted down a proposal from Resolute Forest Products to eliminate jobs through contracting out. “The employer has identified 42 jobs across the mill which they have decided to contract out, including newsprint shipping, kraft shipping, garage maintenance and bark inventory and handling,” comments Pupeza.
In a statement the CEP says, “Resolute Forest Products were under CCAA protection until 2010, and the plan of arrangement to exit this protection contained a new collective agreement which reduced wages by 10%, required employees to pay the premium costs for their short term disability plan, and a reduction in vacation pay”.
“With what was done through the CCAA process, and 5 previous mill restructures, the members of Local 39 have said enough is enough,” continued Pupeza. “With all previous agreements to meet the needs of this mill, it is puzzling why this employer is insisting that contracting out is the only solution, and are not prepared to look at any other options to control costs.”
Local 39 has filed grievances concerning this issue, and once the process is completed, will be asking an arbitrator to rule on the current language of the collective agreement.
