POINT TUPPER: Workers at the Cabot Gypsum plant here have voted to become part of Unifor.
On Sept. 10, Patrick Murray, Atlantic Organizer for Unifor, confirmed that 41 employees at the Point Tupper gypsum plant voted to join the national union, with nine voting against, and one spoiled ballot. He said the certification order from the Nova Scotia Labour Board is expected this week.
“The union is officially in,” he told The Reporter. “The message was crystal clear. It was nice to see workers come together. It was nice to see the workers united. It was nice to see the results of over 80 per cent of the members that voted, voted in favour of the union. I think people and workers saw the value in Unifor.”
Under the Trade Union Act, unions are required to have at least 40 per cent of workers sign cards in order to hold a vote, and in this case, Murray reported that it was “well over 50 per cent.”
“Once we have the certification order from the Nova Scotia Labour Board, we’ll elect our bargaining committee from our newest members from the inside, and then at that point in time, a notice to bargain will be served to the employer,” he noted. “Then we’re off to the races in an attempt to get the best collective agreement for these newest Unifor members.”
Although there were unsuccessful unionization attempts at Cabot Gypsum in the past, Murray said the union has been speaking with workers at Cabot Gypsum for around three years.
“We’ve been talking, off and on, with this group of workers for the last number of years,” he said. “Things really started to take off once the pandemic hit and COVID-19 became present. This group of workers really started reaching out to us, showing more and more interest, as things transpired.”
Murray confirmed that workers want a healthy, safe, and respectful work environment, and he expects they will see better working conditions. Specific health and safety concerns included improper equipment and broken exit doors, he confirmed.
“Workers thought they could deal with their issues on their own, however, those issues weren’t being dealt with and were being swept under the rug. When workers brought the same problems to the management of the company, over and over again, they felt they were falling on deaf ears because nothing was changing,” he said. “Some of the issues that were brought to our attention were some maintenance issues in regards to the machinery that they were operating, some of the doors were not operational, which is certainly not a good sign in a manufacturing plant. There were a few different issues that the group brought to our attention. In a unionized environment, it’s more of a level playing field, in regards to health and safety in the workplace.”
The discussions between Cabot Gypsum and its employees did not involve financial compensation, Murray said.
“A majority of the talking that took place between the workers and the union really didn’t have to do with dollars and cents. Do the workers want a wage increase, I would certainly think so but at the end of the day, that wasn’t the be-all,” he noted. “It was about respect and dignity in the work place, it was about treatment levels in the work place.”
Unifor is the largest private sector union in Canada which represents over 315,000 members in every sector of the economy, Murray said, noting that Unifor’s presence at Port Hawkesbury Paper also played a valuable role.
“I think that it held some value that Unifor Local 972 at the paper mill is there, so I think that held some value in regards to workers seeing the way they’re treated, and the collective agreements which they’ve been able to establish over the years,” he said. “We were ecstatic with the results of the vote and we’re looking forward to representing these members to the best of our ability.”
Cabot Gypsum is a 20,000 square foot drywall plant in Point Tupper which operates under Cabot Manufacturing ULC.
Cabot Gypsum said it produces and ships regular and fire rated products, and they also manufacture mold and moisture resistant products, abuse resistant products, vinyl ceiling tiles, and exterior sheathing products.
When contacted last June, owner and operator Marcel Girouard, told The Reporter about potential employment opportunities at the local plant.
“We have some new equipment in the near future and we need some more employees,” he said at the time.