The union representing workers of a local sawmill who were all sent home without pay Tuesday calls the whole situation bizarre.
Resolute Forest Products sawmill, located at Fort William First Nation, sent its 200 employees home Tuesday morning after a health and safety incident Monday, the third this year.
According to Unifor, the union that represents those workers, an employee had his nose broken by a falling wrench.
The company says it tries to operate a zero incident, zero injury workplace. Spokesman Xavier Van Chau aid the number shows a pattern of health and safety issues.
It wants to stop the operation and focus on its health and safety plan.
"It's certainly too high for us," Van Chau said.
But Marvin Pupeza, national representative for Unifor, said it looks like a disciplinary action against employees.
He wonders how the unusual shutdown will help make employees safer.
"It's absolutely bizarre. I've never heard of it happening before," he said.
"As you can imagine there are a lot of upset people right now."
Van Chau said he doesn't know how long the shutdown will continue but the company should have a more precise timeline in the coming days.
Pupeza added that the employees were sent home without pay. The union is now planning on filing a grievance.
Van Chau said they only lost this afternoon's pay and the company will make a decision on payment in the future.
According to the company website, the mill received an award in 2011 for 500,000 hours of operation without a recordable injury.
