SNOLAB says Sudbury MPP Jamie West should apologize for comments about ongoing strike

The executive director of SNOLAB is asking Sudbury MPP Jamie West to apologize for West's statement alleging the organization was hiring replacement workers, or "scabs," during an ongoing labour dispute.

Fifty-two workers at the underground laboratory in the northern Ontario city have been on strike since May 8.

"These workers need a cost-of-living increase and paid family responsibility leave," West said in the Ontario Legislature earlier this week.

"SNOLAB says they don't have any money, but somehow, they found the money to pay for scab workers, buses and  security services." 

SNOLAB executive director Jodi Cooley has taken issue with the second part of the statement by the New Democrat member.

"I want to be very clear with you, and to anyone else who levies this allegation, that SNOLAB is not using replacement workers during this dispute and has no plans to use replacement workers," she said in an open letter to West.

"One hundred per cent of work at SNOLAB normally done by unionized employees is being done by SNOLAB's non-union employees."

Cooley added the organization is "disheartened to see Sudbury's elected officials going public with such an obviously false and defamatory allegation and using SNOLAB to promote a political agenda."

Information from United Steelworkers

West told CBC News he got information that SNOLAB was allegedly using replacement workers from a news release issued by United Steelworkers Local 2020-59, which represents the 52 workers on strike.

"So I've been trying to reach out to the Steelworkers to find out if the information is correct or not, and haven't been able to speak with them yet," he said, adding he saw Cooley's open letter Friday morning. 

"Obviously, if it turns out the information is incorrect, I don't mind correcting it and giving an apology."

But West added the issue speaks to the NDP's calls for the provincial government to pass "anti-scab" legislation, as the federal government has done.

"If we had anti-scab legislation and Doug Ford hadn't voted against it at the provincial level, this wouldn't even be a question," he said.

West said he's not trying to pick sides in the dispute, but was using the strike to argue in favour of the proposed legislation.