{"id":11506,"date":"2024-06-05T09:33:05","date_gmt":"2024-06-05T14:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unesen.ca\/press\/?p=11506"},"modified":"2024-06-05T09:33:06","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T14:33:06","slug":"best-theratronics-use-of-unqualified-scab-labour-raises-nuclear-safety-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unesen.ca\/press\/?p=11506","title":{"rendered":"Best Theratronics use of unqualified scab labour raises nuclear safety concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Unifor and the Public Service Alliance of Canada sent a joint letter to the Canadian Safety Nuclear Commission (CNSC) today, expressing their concerns about Best Theratronics using unqualified managers and non-union workers as scab labour to handle safety-sensitive equipment at its Kanata, Ont. facility, including those containing radioactive material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s clear that Best Theratronics is willing to cut corners by using unqualified scabs and creating a dangerous work environment,\u201d said Unifor National President Lana Payne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is why we need anti-scab legislation to be put in place in every jurisdiction in Canada \u2013 to stop employers from engaging in these kinds of unsafe tactics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 50 members of Unifor Local 1541 and PSAC-UNE Local 70369 are on strike at Best Theratronics. Unifor members went on strike May 1, 2024, after the company proposed a two-year contract with zero wage increases, while PSAC members followed shortly after on May 10 with no monetary offer from the employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe idea that scab labour could be receiving, offloading and handling radioactive material is alarming,\u201d said Alex Silas, National Executive Vice-President of PSAC. \u201cThe use of replacement workers when it comes to hazardous materials sounds like a lesson I thought we learned in the 20th<\/sup> century.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Theratronics develops and manufactures external beam therapy units, self-contained blood irradiators, and cyclotrons for hospitals, medical and research facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company\u2019s owner Krishnan Suthanthiran recently emailed workers, saying the company will use contractors to complete work<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is especially concerning that the company is using mangers and non-union personnel at the facility during the strike as scab labour who may be untrained and uncertified to do the work safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On May 22, a truck was observed delivering live material to the facility at approximately 8:30 p.m. There was one car in the parking lot at the time, raising questions about how the receiving and offloading of live material is being done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unifor recommends a new inspection be scheduled to ensure Best Theratronics \u2013 whose facility near Ottawa operates under a Class 1B license for the use of Cobalt 60, Cesium 137, and cyclotrons \u2013 is fulfilling its obligations under the CNSC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSeeing the lengths this company will go to skirt around a fair deal is mind-boggling,\u201d said Unifor Local 1541 President Steve LaBelle. \u201cWe\u2019re talking about unqualified scabs handling hazardous materials like it\u2019s no big deal. We need to keep jobs in Canada being done by workers who are properly qualified and trained.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well, the facility is licensed under Class II Nuclear Facilities, Prescribed Equipment License and Nuclear Substances and Radiation Devices for conducting work on medical equipment sold in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unifor members work in the Skilled Trades as certified machinists, welders, sheet metal workers, machining process specialists, calibrators, electronic technicians, electrical and mechanical inspectors at the facility while PSAC members work as design specialists, production planners and production controllers, expert technicians and many other key positions which are crucial to the drafting, manufacturing and delivery of Atomic Energy-based machines produced by Best Theratronics Limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe like the work we do, and that\u2019s why we\u2019re concerned that the owner may be putting the company and the non-unionized workers inside at risk,\u201d said PSAC Local 70369 President Jeff Gulis. \u201cDuring the pandemic last time we accepted concessions because we wanted the company to get through difficult times, but now it\u2019s time for us to catch up to similar jobs in our sector, where people down the street are making 24-26% more than we are. We just want a fair deal and to get back to work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unifor is Canada\u2019s largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad and strives to create progressive change for a better future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Public Service Alliance of Canada is one of Canada\u2019s largest unions, representing nearly 245,000 workers in every province and territory in Canada. UNE is a component union of PSAC representing more than 27,000 members working in 73 different workplaces in the public, private and non-profit sectors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unifor and the Public Service Alliance of Canada sent a joint letter to the Canadian Safety Nuclear Commission (CNSC) today, expressing their concerns about Best Theratronics using unqualified managers and non-union workers as scab labour to handle safety-sensitive equipment at its Kanata, Ont. facility, including those containing radioactive material. \u201cIt\u2019s clear that Best Theratronics is … <\/p>\n

>> “Best Theratronics use of unqualified scab labour raises nuclear safety concerns”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2,12,19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unesen.ca\/press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11506"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unesen.ca\/press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unesen.ca\/press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unesen.ca\/press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unesen.ca\/press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11506"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unesen.ca\/press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11506\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11508,"href":"https:\/\/www.unesen.ca\/press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11506\/revisions\/11508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unesen.ca\/press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unesen.ca\/press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unesen.ca\/press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}