Protestors block Arbec

About a hundred men lined up across the entrance to the Arbec OSB mill in Miramichi this morning, upset that the company was utilizing workers from Quebec for its two week shut down that began yesterday.  (It is unconfirmed that the company has hired a Quebec firm and that they are bringing their own employees).  Protesters carried signs that read "Hire Local".

Steve Foran, one of the protesters, says that he didn't think it was fair that so much ACOA money went into the purchase of the mill, and to have no work available during the shutdown for local tradesmen.  He said men from all trades - scaffolding, carpenters, millwrights, pipefitters, electricians - are available to work, and some rely on short shutdown like these to get enough hours to qualify for unemployment.

The parking lot of the mill was empty, and workers who were scheduled to work today waited across the street, and some waited in a parking lot up the street.  Some of the vehicles waiting to get in were contractors vehicles, others were cars with Quebec License plates.

MLAs Bill Fraser and Jake Stewart were also on hand.  Fraser said he put a call into the company spokeswoman Dawn MacDonald, and was still waiting for her to call him back.  Fraser and the protesters were waiting for an explanation on why a company from Quebec was awarded work and was bringing it's workers.

By 9:30 am some of the contractors were getting anxious to get on the site, and began driving through the information picket.  Protesters yelled at their trucks asking for his support  in their efforts to find out what was going on.

In November 2012 at the mill's grand opening, it was announced that the Province of New Brunswick was investing $15.3 million and wood allocation towards the project. The Government of Canada, through ACOA, provided a $2 million business loan to the project under its Business Development Program (BDP).

The Shutdown is taking place between October 27 and November 9, 2013.  The planned  shutdown is needed to repair some major components at the mill.

Company spokesman, Claude Pinard , says "The shutdown costs will be in excess of 1 million dollars. 19 different contractors are hired to conduct work during the shutdown. Contractors are hired according to the specific expertise and work required during the shutdown."

Pinard says all of the employees at the mill will remain working during the shutdown.  The mill injects $60 million annually into the local economy.

During the two weeks of the shutdown, local businesses such as rental companies, restaurants and hotels will see an increase in business.