A deadline of 4:30 on Saturday afternoon came and went without incident on the picket line at the Sifto Salt Mine in Goderich.
Parent company Compass Minerals had won a court order on Friday stipulating that striking workers had to remove a blockade of pallets and vehicles by that time. Unifor Executive Assistant, Scott Doherty says they believe they've complied with the order in that they have removed the pallets and vehicles. He adds the farm tractors that are now blocking the entrance to the mine are not conventional vehicles as outlined in the order, but the courts will decide that on Monday.
Doherty also points out that the workers have been clear since Tuesday that they are not going to let replacement workers back into the work place. He says their goal is to get back to the bargaining table and they've asked to company to come to the bargaining table since Tuesday and until that happens he says they're not going to allow replacement workers back into the work place.
“We believe we've complied with the order from the judge, we'll find out I guess on Monday is they decide to go back to the courts if we have complied or not but we believe we have complied entirely with the order from Justice Rabey and we'll see what the courts say next week.”
“We have been clear since Tuesday that we're not gonna let the scabs get into the work place and we wanna get to the bargaining table, we've asked the company since Tuesday to come to the bargaining table and bargain a new collective agreement and as long as there isn't us at the table getting that new deal, we're not gonna allow the scabs to get into work any longer.”