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Indefinite life after closure
■ Rustad Mill
Permanent shutdown decree would allow employees access to severance
DeLynda Pilon newsroom@pgfreepress.com
There’s more than geography that separates a family living in a five-bedroom home on the Hart and a family surviving by using the food bank. There’s pride. Losing her pride and feeling embarrassed and ashamed while standing in line at a food bank is one memory that can still bring tears to Shonna O’Donnell’s eyes. The O’Donnell family discovered the hard way that the loss of a long-held job can quickly bridge the gap between middle class and the bread line. “Most people are one pay cheque from poverty. Everybody lives on their pay cheque,” Gerald O’Donnell said. Gerald was one of the employees at the Canfor Rustad sawmill which was closed indefinitely two years, five months ago. “On May 30, 2009 they told these guys they were doing an indefinite shutdown,” Shonna said. The news came the same day their youngest was celebrating his graduation. Shonna remembers Gerald coming home and laying the paper on the kitchen table, face down, as he put on a brave smile. She saw through it immediately, however. “He spent 30 years at the mill,” she said. “This guy was so devoted. He left one of my birthday parties once to go work for them.” And the thing that really gets to Shonna is the way they did it. By calling the shutdown indefinite, she says they were able to get away from paying any severance packages. “They used the word indefinite because they could get away with a lot of things, like not paying severance,” she said. “We lost everything we owned. We went bankrupt.” “I thought it would be easy, getting another job. I ran heavy equipment all of my life,” Gerald said. But it wasn’t easy. Because Gerald was in his 50s, no one wanted to hire him, according to Shonna.
“Even with retraining no one wanted to hire him because, at 50, he had no experience,” she said. Eventually, Gerald was able to get back to work, but in the meantime his family was suffering. Shonna remembers taking her teenager to the food bank, and the shame she felt at that moment. “You can lose things, but you can get them back. But when you lose your pride?” she shakes her head, eyes full of tears. The five-bedroom family home went. Her new car went. The family moved into one of the toughest areas of town. Her son took on a job and shared the money he earned with his folks. Talking about that hurts Shonna. “He was using his pay cheques to buy food. Food. Can you imagine?” A lot of hard work has started De Ly nd a PILON/ Fre e Pre s s to turn things around again An indefinite shutdown at the Canfor Rustad mill, continuing now over two years, has for the family, but as for their left Gerald and Shonna O’Donnell in limbo and devastated the family financially. struggle with Canfor, there is he said, Canfor intended to re-open it at 10 a.m. at 10th Ave. and the bypass. no closure yet. For example, the as soon as they could, but the market She’s hoping that enough people will O’Donnells can’t pull out their pension dropped, stayed stagnant with a few come out to get the attention of the powmoney. In order to do that, you have to peaks that gave some false hope along ers that be. A second rally is planned for quit, and if you quit you never get your Dec. 14 at the old Rustad mill and a third, the way. severance. Because of the intention to re-open, he if necessary, will take place Dec. 21 at “Quit?” Gerald asked. “Quit what? said, in the beginning calling an indefiCanfor. They got us by the balls.” nite shutdown was appropriate. Frank Everitt, United Steel Workers The couple said they haven’t heard However, nearly two-and-a-half years local 1-424 president, said the O’Donnells anything from anyone at Canfor for a have come and gone, and not only have been instrumental in spearheading long time. Union arbitrators are working has the mill not re-opened but Canfor action on the issue and should be comon the issue, but the O’Donnell’s don’t recently purchased two new mills. mended for their efforts. know if they are making any progress. “That frustrates the hell out of every“We’ve been trying to work with the Meanwhile they heard that Canfor is body. If you’ve got the money to buy, company,” he said. “We have submitted buying two more mills – while the one why not pay out your workers? Though their case for arbitration. The indefinite Gerald worked for remains closed indefiI’m sure Canfor would argue they’re shutdown has lasted too long already. nitely. making the purchases with borrowed We don’t believe the language was ever She said the remaining equipment at money,” he said. intended for a mill to sit closed that long, the mill is out-of-date and deteriorating. Nevertheless, Everitt said he is looking so we’re challenging that language.” In her opinion, the mill will never reforward to settling the issue. Short of arbitration, Everitt said, if a open, the company will stall for as long “I look forward to a quick resolution of resolution can be found which is fair for as it can, and the public has forgotten the the employees, allowing them to get their it to the employees’ satisfaction,” he said. employees and their plight. A Canfor spokesperson could not be That is why she is organizing a rally for severance pay, he will be pleased. reached for comment at press time. Initially, when the mill first closed, former Canfor Rustad employees Dec. 7
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