No blockade of shuttered wallboard plant, laid-off workers say

Tag : Wallboard

Laid-off workers at the Federal Gypsum plant in Cape Breton saythey've agreed to hold off on a blockade in order to get the wagesthey're owed.
A group of workers met Tuesday with a representative from CenturyServices, the Toronto firm handling finances for the plant outsidePort Hawkesbury.
The plant has been shut down since mid-June, but shipments ofwallboard have continued.
Dozens of workers haven't been paid for four weeks and they don'texpect to receive employment insurance for another two weeks.They've been threatening to blockade the plant until they're paidback wages.
But the workers say they were told that if they let wallboardcontinue to leave the plant, they'll get any profits left afterCentury Services is paid.
"I voted to blockade the plant because I don't really think we'llbe seeing any money," said Hughie Beaton. "But we took a vote andit went against my wishes. I really can't blame anyone for takingthat position because you don't like to lose the money that you'veworked for."
Dave Stewart said he feels squeezed between a rock and a hardplace.
"That's all I want is the money and they're just jerking us around,so if we block it I guess there's no way of any of us getting ourmoney because no board is going to get shipped out," Stewart said.
Federal Gypsum vice-president Michael Simpson, contacted in Texas,suggested the employees need to co-operate if they ever want to getpaid.
"If the employees make it difficult and they have to get a bunch oflegal costs, then they could eat up the entire $200,000 that'savailable to pay the employees," Simpson said.
A spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Department of Labour andWorkforce Development said it wants to ensure that any deal workedout for sales of existing product includes money for the employees.
Federal Gypsum said last month that high energy costs and aslumping U.S. housing market were behind the decision totemporarily shut down the plant.