Before McLean Foundry closed in February, the province had issued numerous stop-work orders to the Colborne Street West plant’s new owner, Canerector.
The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills said it conducted an investigation after receiving a complaint about air quality at the foundry in October 2020.
“To date, the ministry has issued a total of 14 orders, including five stop-work orders to the employer,” said ministry spokesperson Ciara Nardelli.
“As the ministry’s investigation is ongoing, no further details can be provided at this time.”
A spokesperson for the union representing McLean employees said air quality was tested repeatedly in the foundry and some employees were asked to wear monitors.
Unifor regional representative Cary MacMillan said he saw test results that showed carbon monoxide levels in the plant were “right off the scale.” Because of the possibility of long-term health issues, all workers were given paperwork for claims with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, which provides loss of earnings benefits and health-care coverage for workers, he said.
Started in 1902 as Hartley Foundry, the operation came under new management in 1970s and became known as McLean Foundry Ltd. In February 2019, owner Dave McLean sold the business to Canerector, a Toronto-area acquisition firm that owns more than 50 companies involved in making industrial products.
McMillan said the union file no grievances while the foundry was owned by McLean but that change when Canerector took over.
In February, the foundry’s 25 to 30 workers and office staff, many of whom had been employed for decades, were notified the plant was closed. They received termination pay of eight weeks rather than severance pay, which for some could have resulted in 30-plus weeks of pay.
The Employment Standards Act says severance must be paid if a company has more than 50 employees or a payroll of more than $2.5 million.
MacMillan said an email from the foundry’s president and general manager, Wendell Kauffman, who is based in Michigan, said “our employees are not eligible for severance pay under the ESA.”
He said the union is fighting to get more compensation for employees, saying that, since the foundry is owned by Canerector, it is not a small firm protected by the ESA.
A spokesperson for Canerector said the firm “regrets the closing” of McLean Foundry because such a move isn’t in line with its business goals.
No decision has been made as to what will happen with the Colborne Street West property, the spokesperson said.
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