Wildcat Strike at Merrit Mill
May 12, 2004
Lumber mill workers returned to their jobs at Aspen Planers Ltd. on May 12th, after skipping two morning and two afternoon shifts in a wildcat strike against management's addition of a third work shift to the schedule.
The RCMP have charged mill manager Paul Ghog with assault and mischief for allegedly dumping a load of wood chips and a log on the pickup truck of a worker who was blocking an entrance to the mill with his vehicle. The worker was slightly injured.
The BC Labour Relations Board ruled that the job action was illegal. The IWA union said that it wouldn’t discipline its workers, but the lost production time would be made up on Saturdays.