Government paperwork delays leaving laid-off Cameco miners in lurch: union

The union representing Cameco Corp. employees says federal government inaction has kept more than 250 of its members from receiving “bridge” payments and employment insurance top-ups that were promised when they were temporarily laid off.

United Steelworkers Local 8914 president Denis O’Hara said between 260 and 280 workers are “disappointed and concerned” about not having been paid, apparently because Service Canada did not forward the necessary paperwork to the Saskatoon company.

“I’m certainly going to request Cameco notify Service Canada of the urgency of this and see if we can expedite it,” said O’Hara, who was among the 845 employees and contractors laid off from the McArthur River mine and Key Lake mill in northern Saskatchewan.

Postmedia News learned in November that Cameco planned to close down the mine and mill for 10 months in response to persistently low demand and prices for nuclear fuel, the market for which has been in the doldrums for several years.

The company subsequently confirmed it was developing a plan to “top up” its employees’ EI benefits to 75 per cent of their base pay rate, because it will need them to return to work when the massive production facilities are restarted later this year.

O’Hara, who was quick to praise the company ’s top-up plan following its announcement, said while between 130 and 160 employees have received cheques, holdups at the federal agency responsible for EI have kept others from receiving money.

That includes what he described as “bridge” payments from the company, money intended to cover the gap between when the workers were laid off last month and when they can begin collecting EI from the federal government, he said.

Representatives of Service Canada did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Cameco spokeswoman Carey Hyndman confirmed the company is waiting for government agencies to provide the information it needs to process the top-up payments. Hyndman said Cameco acknowledges some people are frustrated, and is “working to get it resolved as soon as possible.”

O’Hara said he met with senior officials at the company on Thursday afternoon. They shared his dismay and are doing everything they can to solve the problem, he added.

“They’re concerned about getting money to these employees, and not being able to.”

I’m certainly going to request Cameco notify Service Canada of the urgency of this and see if we can expedite it.