Canada: Striking employees at a Labatt brewery in St. John's are calling for a boycott of the company over its use of security guards on picket lines, The London Free Press communicated. Union negotiator Chris Henley said on April 12 security personnel have been aggressive and confrontational when video taping brewery workers and moving them out of the way of moving trucks.
"This is part of their strategy to break the strike," said the spokesperson for the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees. He said the boycott also is the result of the company's demand seven employees involved in confrontations between strikers and police be placed on probation.
The scuffles occurred in the early days of the strike that began March 23. One worker has been charged with mischief. "That (confrontation) forced us to go out and hire a professional security firm to help protect our employees and to protect the picketers," Jean Lepine, director of corporate affairs for Labatt in Atlantic Canada, said.
Lepine said videotaping is standard for companies and for unions during a strike. He also said security is protecting striking workers by moving them out of the way of delivery trucks.
Union spokesperson Judy Snow said the use of security workers -- whom the union has dubbed "Brazilian bullies" -- is a form of intimidation.
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