Protesting tradespeople barred from hotel

A judge has granted an injunction against tradespeople who have been protesting outside a Saint John hotel this week against the hiring of out-of-province workers for the Canaport liquefied natural gas project.

Justice Hugh McLellan of the Court of Queen's Bench ordered the protesters to stay at least 100 metres away from Hotel Courtenay Bay, where they've been demonstrating since Monday.

He also advised them to stop trying to prevent people who are staying at the hotel from going to work.

The injunction, which McLellan granted to the hotel on Thursday, lasts until January.

Despite a previous, 24-hour injunction issued Wednesday, about 350 protesters showed up at the hotel Thursday morning.

Police didn't intervene for fear of provoking a riot, according to court documents.

The protesters are angry thatworkers have been brought in from outside by SNC-Lavalin, the company contracted to build the new Canaport LNG terminal, whenNew Brunswicktradespeople need jobs. The imported workers are staying at Hotel Courtenay Bay.

Second injunction

The judge also granted a temporary injunction to SNC-Lavalin, ordering protesters to stay away from the entrance to Canaport LNG, as well as hotelsand motels in Saint John, Moncton and Fredericton.

Company officials expect to be back in court Monday to try to get the injunction extended. They want the order to cover every place of lodging in the province.

Meanwhile, the Atlantic representative of the Canadian Building and Construction Trades Association questioned why SNC-Lavalin continues to give jobs to non-New Brunswickers.

"There are few things that are as personal, as intensely personal, as your ability to provide for your family," Andrew Dawson said.

"And we've got unionized and non-unionized people out there, who are qualified to do these jobs and are saying, 'Look, I pay taxes here. I'm the one subsidizing this project. Give me a chance at these jobs.'"

Dawson is part of a team trying to find solutions to the protests. He met with company officials Wednesday to discuss ideas but as of Thursday afternoon hadn't heard anything back.

Company statement

In a statement, SNC-Lavalinsaid it is disappointedby the protests.

The company said labour unions signed an agreement at the outset of the Canaport LNG construction project that allowed 25 per cent of the force to be non-unionized.

"SNC-Lavalin is well within the terms of this agreement," the company said.

"To date, over 90 per cent of the labour force at Canaport LNG has been unionized."

The company is committed to finishing the job on time and on budget, it added.