Canadian Offshore Workers Reject Hibernia Contract

Canadian offshore oil workers at Hibernia, members of Communications, Energy and Paperworkers (CEP), rejected a proposed first contract in voting that was tabulated in early August. Because of the vast distances offshore workers must travel between work and home, and the fact that Hibernia’s managing company ExxonMobil refused to allow voting to occur on the rig, CEP had to conduct a mail ballot along with information meetings and voting in St. John, Newfoundland, during June and July. CEP did not recommend a vote for acceptance or rejection on the proposed first collective agreement. Some 450 workers organised with CEP in 2001, but efforts to win certification and a first contract were hampered by ExxonMobil’s continuous legal challenges.