BÉCANCOUR and VICTORIAVILLE, Que. – Sural Canada and Sural Québec Inc. have announced that production at the Bécancour and Victoriaville plants will cease.
The United Steelworkers (USW) and Sural employees were told Feb. 12 that there has been a filing for bankruptcy protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). The workers produce aluminum rod for electrical and mechanical applications.
USW Quebec Director Alain Croteau says the union will be closely monitoring the process of bankruptcy protection and possible restructuring. The union will do everything in its power to ensure workers receive all payments and benefits they are owed, including accumulated vacation pay, outstanding wages and any other amounts due.
“We will accompany our members through this ordeal so that they can claim what the company owes them,” said Croteau.
The Steelworkers will also work with Emploi-Québec to set up an adjustment committee to support workers who could lose their jobs, which is required by government rules for a company with more than 50 workers.
Audits will be conducted in the coming days on the funded status of the pension plan.
The USW is campaigning for legislative reforms to better protect workers and retirees affected by corporate bankruptcies and restructuring. Under current laws, claims by workers and retirees in connection with pensions and benefits are not considered to be a priority in bankruptcy and insolvency cases.
“So, if we discover there is a shortage of money in the pension plan, workers and retirees will once again find themselves behind the claims of banks, other financial institutions and even municipalities that have outstanding tax bills,” said Croteau.
“The Liberal government has opened the door to legislative reforms in recent months and it is high time it delivered, before the federal election,” he added.
The United Steelworkers/Syndicat des Métallos is the largest private-sector union in Quebec, representing 60,000 workers in all sectors of the economy.
Clairandrée Cauchy, USW/Syndicat des Métallos Communications, 514-774-4001, ccauchy@metallos.ca
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