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Dec 25, 2009, 4:02am

Caper Corner :: Community Office :: Port Hawkesbury :: Stora Update

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Poll Question: Should Stora employees accept the latest offer?

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Topic: Stora Update (Read 256 times)

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Stora Update
« Thread Started on Jan 20, 2006, 9:11am »

Point Tupper - After negotiations that stretched late into the night Wednesday, Stora Enso has tabled a proposal to its union which will be reviewed at a meeting in Port Hawkesbury, Saturday.

The offer comes after eight straight days of meetings between the company and Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Local 972 at a Truro motel.

A union spokesperson contacted Thursday said it hasn’t been decided whether the 600-member union should accept or reject the offer.

“We haven’t determined that issue,” said chief union negotiator Don MacKenzie, adding the union will make its recommendation just prior to revealing the proposal to union members.

He said the meeting, which will be held at the Port Hawkesbury fire hall, will give members a chance to review the proposal, however he couldn’t gage whether a vote will be held during the meeting, or at a later date.

“It’s my feeling there will be a vote. It could happen on Saturday or Sunday or Monday. That hasn’t been decided.”

The last company offer presented to the union membership Dec. 28 was rejected unanimously by a show of hands. At the time, it was called the company’s “last, best and final offer.”

Two days later Stora filed its 48-hour lockout notice. The company has agreed to not lock out its workers pending the outcome of the current round of discussions.

This was the fourth time in three months the two sides have met with a provincially appointed conciliator.

Stora Enso spokesperson Tim Laatsch said this proposal is a “revised final offer.”

“Both of the parties have worked hard at trying to come to some form of a settlement. It’s taken a long time,” Laatsch said from the company’s North American headquarters in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., Thursday.

“The parties have gone through this contract line by line, word for word. They’ve attempted to come together relative to generating some common ground that both can live with over the term of the contract.”

Neither the company nor the union will disclose details of the proposal until it is reviewed by the union membership.

While contracting out has been called a linchpin issue, the union and company also remain at odds over items including seniority and proposed changes to bumping procedures. Financial items have been settled.

Stora Enso has indicated the mill’s profitability has been affected by spiralling energy costs, an unfavourable currency exchange and a soft newsprint market that have made it increasingly difficult to turn a profit.

In light of the negotiations, the mill has been shutdown since Dec. 24 — resulting in the layoff of all but essential employees.

More than 400 unionized workers who filed for EI benefits learned last week they weren’t considered eligible, despite being issued records of employment from the company indicating they are on layoff due to a work shortage.

Because the union is neither locked out nor on strike members hadn’t been receiving strike pay. As a result Local 972 began writing $200 strike assistance cheques Tuesday as the workers await word on whether their EI claims will be processed.

The mill and clerical workers have been without a contract for more than 18 months.

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