More than 70 employees of a corrugated box manufacturing plant in New Westminster who were laid off are claiming that the owner has hired replacement workers.
Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers’ Union local 16 and RockTenn (NYSE:RKT) had a long-simmering labour dispute that came to a head in early May when workers went on strike.
Union executive Melinda Torgerson said the workers’ contract expired in July 2012 and the strike was the first in 58 years. Workers sought a five-year agreement, but RockTenn only offered 17 months.
RockTenn opted to close down its 351 Gifford Street facility in Queensborough on June 30, according to company spokesperson Robin Keegan.
Keegan said, “The location is owned by the company and plans for the location are under evaluation. RockTenn will comply with all provincial employment requirements related to this closure.”
Torgerson said that workers left the picket line on July 6 at 10 p.m., but that activity has continued at the plant.
She added, “They claimed [the strike] had put their huge billion-dollar corporation under so far after one month that they had to shut the doors, they’re telling us it’s our fault they lost customers.”
Keegan said the continued activity is being carried out by non-union workers who are decommissioning the site.
“There have been no replacement workers hired. The ongoing activities at the facility, which are related to preparing for closure, are being handled by salaried employees along with some corporate employees,” said Keegan.
Keegan would not comment on the details of both sides’ proposals. He said, “We do not discuss details of negotiations in the media.”
RockTenn is based in Norcross, Georgia, and has 240 facilities with 26,000 workers in U.S., Canada, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and China.
For the three months ended March 31, RockTenn reported $325.6 million profit on $2.325 billion in sales. RockTenn is set to release its third-quarter financial results on July 23.
