[Sydney, NS]—A Cape Breton (Nova Scotia) trucking company is raising the eyebrow of a union representing dairy workers involved in a labour dispute.
Kim Power, a national representative of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, which represents about 250 full-time and part-time Farmers Dairy employees in Nova Scotia, says several trucking companies are now fulfilling the duties of their workers, including Tom MacDonald Trucking services in Sydney.
“They are actively participating in the strike, they have taken over the duties of the unionized workers in Bedford,” said Power. “The bargaining unit in Bedford entails everybody from production to shipping to merchandising the stores. And so, because it’s a trucking company they are now trucking product from the plant to the stores, to the depot centres, whichever the case may be, in place of the unionized workers.”
The union and employer started bargaining last October around the same time an employee contract was set to expire.
After two days of conciliation in June, a report was filed with the Minister of Labour Marilyn More, triggering a mandatory 14-day countdown period before a strike or lockout could commence.
A final meeting was held on July 7, resulting in the union serving notice of a strike and the employer serving notice of a lockout. Both claim the other followed through at midnight Friday, June 9.
The Cape Breton Post tried unsuccessfully to contact Tom MacDonald Trucking Ltd. president Tom MacDonald on Monday (July 19). A secretary at his office said MacDonald was out for the day. A communication sent to his email address was also not returned.
No workers in Cape Breton are affected by the lockout as they are not part of the same bargaining unit.
A press release on the Farmers Dairy website says during the strike, products will be produced by trained, qualified and experienced non-union plant employees in accordance with stringent Canada Food Inspection Agency standards.
But Power said she believes that is untrue.
“There are very many scabs crossing the picket line, most of it initially is through the trucking,” she said.
At least two other companies from mainland Nova Scotia are operating trucking services for Farmers Dairy, said Power.
She said workers were willing to accept reductions to their pensions, but wanted assurance the company would make restoring them a priority.
Farmers Dairy has said it is committed to reaching a settlement with its employees that is fair and reasonable for them, while keeping our organization commercially strong and competitive.
Cape Breton Post
