Lock-Out of 18 Mine Workers at Coal Port in Canada Continues

A bitter and pronounced lock-out by a big Canadian stevedoring company against 18 members of the ICEM North American affiliate, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), continues following failed mediation last week. The mediation session, by province of Nova Scotia labour ministry officials, was held on 15 October.

Montreal-based Logistec Stevedoring locked the 18 union members off their jobs on 15 September, nine months after a previous collective agreement expired. UMWA Local 2268 was in a position to strike in June, but continued working in hopes that a new labour agreement could be negotiated.

Three days after last month’s lock-out, the company sought and gained an injunction from the Nova Scotia provincial Supreme Court restricting UMWA picket-line activity. Since, Logistec has been unloading thermal coal and hauling it to Nova Scotia Power’s generating facilities using replacement workers.

The lock-out is over workers’ refusal to accept concessionary contract language, as well as dockworkers’ refusal to accept an inferior company’s pay offer. UMWA members employed by Logistec in Nova Scotia earn about 45% less than the company pays for similar port-handling work in Halifax and Saint John, Newfoundland.

Logistec operates a coal-handling import facility at Sydney, Nova Scotia, a facility that is leased from the Cape Breton Development Corp. (Devco). At one time, Devco operated a large coal mine in the maritime province, but closed it some ten years ago. Hundreds of UMWA Local 2268 members lost their jobs then, with only a small workforce remaining at the port-handling facility of Sydney.