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Workers locked out more than 600 days in Gander, N.L. were honoured for their resolve and solidarity Friday at Unifor’s Canadian Council in Halifax.
“The premier of my home province has been utterly and completely missing in action” said Lana Payne, Atlantic Regional Director in a speech to delegates from across Canada on the 607th day of the lock out.
“We need governments who don’t shy away from standing with workers when the going gets tough.”
Payne has been trying to get Ball to meet with the union to talk about the province’s weak labour laws that have allowed a U.S. employer to trample on the rights of workers without consequence.
D-J Composites, owned by a U.S. company, locked out Unifor Local 597 workers in December of 2016.
Payne put Ball on notice that Unifor is intensifying its campaign to modernize labour laws so that long-standing disputes such as this one can be resolved with binding arbitration.
“We need governments who don’t shy away from standing with workers when the going gets tough.”
Payne is also pushing Ball to implement paid protected leave for victims of domestic violence.
“The Dwight Ball government is not just lagging the country, but it has sent a pretty strong message that workers’ rights are not important to them,” said Payne.
Payne urged delegates to get more involved in politics, especially in New Brunswick where a provincial election will be held September 24, 2018.
Payne is on a joint labour government committee in that province that has been successful in getting several pieces of progressive legislation enacted, including Paid Domestic Violence and first contract language.
“It shows what is possible when we come together as workers, we are much bigger than the sum of our parts. We can advance equality, we can make important change for people including victims of domestic violence.”
