HBC management announced today
that they are closing their Lachine distribution centre. The
warehouse employs more than 150 workers, members of Teamsters Local
Union 931. The reasons for the closing have not been made public.
The workers and HBC had not yet begun to re-negotiate their work
contract, which was due to be renewed in 2010. Up to the
announcement, relations between the union and the board had been
considered excellent.
"The announcement was a total surprise, says Gerry Boutin, president
of Teamsters Local Union 931. On top of that, it’s getting to be the
holidays, and the workers feel pretty bad about this, of course."
The Teamsters Union has been in communication with HBC management in
Toronto, and meetings are being scheduled over the next few days in
an attempt to save the jobs at the distribution centre.
"We will be fighting to keep the warehouse open. We’re not going to
bargain with HBC management with a view to getting better severance
packages."
History appears to be repeating itself, since the telephone
operators at the same distribution centre were made redundant under
similar circumstances in the fall of 2008.
Most of the workers at Lachine have between 20-25 years of seniority
and they earn an average of $17 per hour.
The warehouse supplies the The Bay stores in the Maritime Provinces
and Québec.
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