Candu engineers enlisting customers in union battle with SNC-Lavalin

http://www.spea.ca/media/news-media/spea-news-stories/175-may-7-2012-winnipeg-free-press-candu-engineers-enlisting-customers-in-union-battle-with-snc-lavalin-subsidiary.html    "If we roll over and accept all the concessions we'll be finished in two years anyway because all the good people will leave because there's places for them to go," union vice-president Michael Ivanco added in an interview.

The Society of Professional Engineers and Associates said it's meeting with clients, stakeholders and SNC-Lavalin shareholders who fear projects could be delayed by a strike or lockout.

"We have to be very strategic about how we proceed," Peter White, president of the 870-member union, said Monday.

The union won a mandate last week to launch a strike as early as Sunday, but has not served 72-hours notice as required by the Canada Labour Code.

It fears the potential loss of expertise at Candu as a result of a contract it says includes concessions. The union hopes the customers will then express their own concerns about the threats of a loss of expertise to Candu Energy and SNC-Lavalin.

Proposed changes include a shift to a defined contribution pension plan, wage increases below the industry average and reduced travel compensation when overseeing reactor work.

"If we roll over and accept all the concessions we'l be finished in two years anyway because all the good people will leave because there's places for them to go," union vice-president Michael Ivanco added in an interview.

"Since SNC took over all we're doing is losing good people and no one's coming here from anywhere else.""

"The union said the hiring of recent graduates and use of SNC-Lavalin (TSX:SNC) engineers can't replace engineers with nuclear expertise." couldn't agree more, nothing replaces years of experience and build up of the knowledge and if there is no succession planning, then all that will go to waste...