Former Nackawic workers sue the CAW - their former union

Former workers from the St. Anne's Nackawic Pulp Co. Ltd. pulp mill in New Brunswick are suing their former union, Canadian Auto Workers Local 219 and the national CAW body for failing in their duties to represent their interests.

Eight former workers testified Monday that local and national union leaders misrepresented a deal and promised that members would be hired back based only on seniority and qualifications.

The mill was purchased in 2005, renamed AV Nackawic, and the majority of former employees were re-hired. However, long-time employees and union members Thomas Burns, Henry Grant, Lawrence Graham, Victor Greer, Mike Hawkes, Glen Mills, Byron Murphy and the late Arnold Pike weren't hired by AV Nackawic, though all had seniority over those who were hired.

The men argue that when a tentative labour agreement was presented to the union members in December 2004, they were told that the clause in the agreement that stated the new owners (Tembec Inc. and the Aditya Birla Group) has a right to hire anyone they want, did not apply to them and that the workers would be hired on the basis of their seniority and qualifications.

The workers say they wouldn't have voted in favour of the labour agreement if they knew their jobs would be at risk.

A trial is underway to look into the allegations and is expected to run for two weeks.

More details:

Ex-union workers sue for misrepresentation, broken promises (New Brunswick Business Journal)