CEP's collective agreements have all expired in Eastern Canada

All the Collective Agreements for the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP) workers in Eastern Canada's paper mills have now expired and new agreements aren't expected soon.

One of the biggest stumbling factors in negotations is the fact that 60% of the CEP members in the east are currently employed by companies under bankruptcy protection, including AbitibiBowater, Fraser Papers, and Smurfit-Stone.

The contract for the more than 500 unionized employees at the NewPage paper mill in Point Tupper, Nova Scotia expired in June.

AbitibiBowater workers in Brooklyn, Nova Scotia were informed this week that they are heading into their 4th shutdown since Christmas.

The paper industry, like the automative industry, uses pattern bargaining to negotiate new contracts. One company will be used as the model, and when their contract negotiations are settled, the contract agreement will repeated by other employers in the area.

In Eastern Canada, the pattern company is AbitibiBowater, a company that is currently under creditor proction.

Dave Coles, CEP President said “It would just make common sense that you wouldn’t want to go to the table with this many companies under CCAA (Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act) protection, you want to see how that shakes out.”

Read more:

Paper mill contracts expired - Uncertain future makes negotiations difficult (Cape Breton Post)