On November 8, 2006 , Superior Machine and Tool filed for voluntary bankruptcy.  The employees were notified of this at a workplace meeting on November 9, 2006 and told that their services were no longer required, leaving these employees out of work immediately.

 The Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, which is Federally regulated, categorizes the workers as unsecured creditors.  Unsecured creditors get what is owing to them after the secured creditors get what is owing to the secured creditors.  In all likelihood, this will result in the workers receiving nothing in the form of severance pay or in the form of termination pay.

 The law has categorized workers as unsecured creditors for some time. If you feel that this is unfair to workers and should be remedied by changing the law, please inform your Member of Parliament of your thoughts on this matter.

 One person mentioned to me that the workers have some protection to recover these losses under the Wage Protection provisions of the Employment Standards Act which is governed by the Provincial Government.  This person was unaware that the Provincial Government scrapped the Wage Protection legislation provisions a number of years ago.  There needs to be wage protection for workers to protect their wages, vacation pay, pensions, severance pay and termination pay. If you are of a like opinion, please inform your local MPP on this matter.

Governments are to protect and serve the best interests of people.  As citizens, our elected government officials need to hear our concerns in order for them to, first understand our issues and secondly to take the necessary steps to remedy our concerns.

Change is possible.

 From UAW by Bill Pollock