CEP union at Norampac's Trenton, Ontario, corrugating medium mill has talked with the company and seeks more 'dialogue,' but no further meetings have been set; 40 union members sign letter demanding third vote of Norampac's final offer

Sandy Yang

LOS ANGELES , May 7, 2012 (Industry Intelligence) – With a June 1 deadline for closing Norampac’s corrugating medium mill in Trenton, Ontario, fast approaching, tensions are mounting; but no further meetings with the company have been set, reported The Intelligencer on May 5.

There has been “some” dialogue between Norampac and the union, said Dave Moffat, Ontario region VP for the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP).

Moffat declined to elaborate on recent talks between the CEP and Norampac but did say that the union was seeking “opportunities for more dialogue with the company,” The Intelligencer reported.

A letter from one CEP member to QMI Agency indicated that 40 union members signed a letter demanding a third vote of Norampac’s final offer, which has been rejected twice by the CEP.

However, union leaders did not respond to the letter, wrote the CEP member, reported The Intelligencer.

Also, the CEP Local 1470 executive has refused to meet with the local membership after repeated phone calls, although the executive did threaten to call the police, according to the anonymous letter writer.

Moffat said he was not aware of any demand for a third vote, but did acknowledge that a national representative of the CEP received a harassing phone call from a union member, The Intelligencer reported.

Mayor John Williams said he’s heard that there had been “behind-the-scenes discussions.” Williams and City Councilor Bob Wannamaker, a former Norampac worker, are attempting to broker a meeting between the two sides.

A conciliator from the Ministry of Labor is also trying to get the two sides to resume talks, after Quebec-based parent company Cascades Inc. issued its ultimatum last month, reported The Intelligencer.

The company is not commenting on the situation “at this point,” said Norampac spokesperson Geneviève Boyer.

Norampac president and CEO Marc André Depin said he would reconsider closing the mill if the union accepts the company’s terms, but he will not budge from the final offer, The Intelligencer reported.

The primary source of this article is The Intelligencer, Belleville, Ontario, on May 5, 2012.

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