Miners' strike settled but questions remain about Vic Drilling CEO
SUSSEX, ON, July 25, 2018 /CNW/ - A long and bitter miners' strike in Ontario is settled, but questions still remain about the role of Laura Araneda's company in prolonging the labour dispute, says Unifor.
"Laura Araneda made a tidy profit helping an American mining giant fight a small Ontario community, but she's never been held to account," said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. "It's never been disclosed how lucrative her scab contract was."
Araneda's company Vic Drilling flew replacement workers from the Sussex area to Ontario to cross the picket line for weeks until the Goderich-area miners barricaded the picket line, preventing Araneda's workers from crossing.
"New Brunswickers would be outraged, and rightfully so, if the tables were turned. When workers are fighting for good local jobs, you don't side with the mining giant," said Lana Payne, Unifor Atlantic Regional Director. "Just how much money did Laura Araneda make off the backs of the struggling families in Goderich?"
The strike began April 27, when workers rejected a company proposal that included mandatory overtime, 16-hour shifts, and 72-hour work weeks. The employer only returned to the table after the barricade was erected.
Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
SOURCE Unifor
Unifor Communications Representative Ian Boyko at [email protected] or 778-903-6549 (cell)
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