by Officials with the United Mine Workers of America used yesterday’s Davis Day ceremonies to issue a warning to the new owners of the Donkin Mine.
Union leaders made the remarks as they spoke to a crowd of about 200 gathered in New Waterford to mark the 90th anniversary of the fatal shooting of William Davis by mining company police.
UMWA Canadian rep Bobby Burchell told the crowd that Chris Cline, the owner of the Cline Group working to open Donkin is about as anti-union as you will find.
Burchell says none of Cline’s mines are unionized and adds Cline will do everything in his power to bring some of his non-union people to work at Donkin.
Burchell went on to say the UMWA is going to go into the Donkin and unionize it to ensure it’s a safe mine with long-term jobs.
The Cline Group has been quoted in the past as saying the workers at Donkin will decide if they want a union or not.
Also at yesterday’s Davis Day ceremonies, the road from Dominion to New Waterford was ceremonially renamed the William Davis Memorial Trail.
A new sign marking the trail was unveiled at the event.