The Stel Salaried
Pensioners Organization wishes to thank The Hamilton Spectator for permission
to post the following article by Reporter Tara Perkins published in the May 22,
2004 edition
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May. 22, 2004. 01:41 AM |
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MPP STARTS EARLY |
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Horwath seeks help for Stelco workers |
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By Tara Perkins |
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Andrea Horwath, MPP-elect for Hamilton East, held her first press conference at Queen's Park yesterday, demanding provincial action to help the steelworkers. She's not officially allowed to hold press conferences yet, before being sworn in later this month. To get around that, her fellow NDP MPP Peter Kormos sponsored it. Horwath wandered into Queen's Park about an hour before the 11 a.m. conference, not sure how to find the press room. Half an hour later, NDP press secretary Gil Hardy showed the novice MPP the way to the first-floor media studio and gave her a crash course. Even if the room looks empty, the video camera is beaming your comments to journalists' offices on the third-floor, Hardy told her. Then the pair went to an NDP office to dash off a press release for reporters, minutes before the conference began. "Stelco is abusing its court-ordered bankruptcy protection and violating the basic human rights of Hamilton steelworkers," Horwath said, singling out the 93 injured workers who were permanently laid off earlier this month. While Stelco is in protection, workers can not bring grievances, as they normally could under provincial labour laws. "I call on Labour Minister Chris Bentley and Premier Dalton McGuinty to enforce the law," Horwath said. Stelco President and CEO Courtney Pratt said in an interview yesterday that the notion of a "ploy" to lay off injured workers is completely wrong. "The workers were laid off two months before we filed for CCAA (Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act) protection. "What we want to do is ensure that all measures are taken to ensure that the best possible outcome is achieved for these people." Stelco has offered to review each of the injured workers' cases with the United Steelworkers of America, Pratt said. "That may be a beginning to fixing it, but it's not fixed," said Rolf Gerstenberger, president of Local 1005. Stelco's union, however, is getting new support from the provincial government. Yesterday, the Labour Ministry filed a request to the judge overseeing Stelco's case for a conciliation officer to work with management and union. That person would help negotiate a contract for Stelco's Lake Erie workers, which expires July 31. "This is a complex situation ... On the one hand, we have the application of the Labour Relations Act under the CCAA context," said Belinda Sutton, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour. "On the other hand, we have the immediate issue of Stelco's economic viability and its impact on the whole Ontario economy." Stelco has not decided how it will respond to the Ministry of Labour's request for conciliation, Pratt said yesterday. He reiterated that focusing on Lake Erie's contract is not productive. Stelco wants to negotiate with all of the groups involved in restructuring, not just the union, he said. Also yesterday, Pratt sent a letter to Stelco employees stating that former CEO James Alfano was "entitled" to his retirement payout package, which was "in accordance with company policy." Horwath said she'd like to arrange a meeting with Stelco executives soon. Next week a holiday for the legislature so Horwath won't get a chance to show her stuff in the House until May 31. tperkins@thespec.com 905-526-4620 |