Richmond Hill
September 25, 2008 12:16 AM
Keely Grasser
The issue of pesticides, once again, had employees at Elgin Mills Cemetery off the job yesterday.
About 12 grounds employees refused to work because the cemetery was being sprayed with pesticides.
This comes two months after a four-day strike where the use and safety of pesticides was a major issue with employees, who are represented by the Canadian Service Workers Union.
Employees brought up concerns about health and safety to the management but didn’t feel their concerns were addressed, Union president Willie Wham said.
That’s when the workers called in the Ministry of Labour to investigate, Mr. Wham said.
Employees in Ontario have the right to refuse work they believe is unsafe, however, workers and employers should try their best to work things out first, Ministry of Labour spokesperson Bruce Skeaff.
However, if no resolution is reached, the ministry will send inspectors to assess the situation and were to
tour the cemetery grounds late yesterday afternoon.
Response time, as well as investigations into the situation, can vary in length of time, Mr. Skeaff said.
A handful of employees remained at the cemetery waiting for the investigator to arrive, Mr. Wham said, while others went home.
Management told workers they could go home for the day, but employees became concerned if they would be safe upon their return to work tomorrow, Mr. Wham said, adding management didn’t give employees advanced notice the cemetery would be sprayed.
“The management didn’t say anything until the weed trucks arrived,” he said.
Pesticide use was one of the most contentious issues during the July strike that affected cemeteries managed by Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries.
“It’s something that’s entirely unnecessary. What they’re doing is spraying toxins all on our workplace,” Mr. Wham said at the time.
However, Rick Cowan, Mount Pleasant’s assistant vice-president of marketing and communications, has said pesticide concentration is “well below permissible levels” and that the company is in compliance.
It was been agreed the company will provide employees with more information about its pesticide use.
Mr. Cowan was not available for comment yesterday.