The outlook for around 80 non-union workers at a Tillsonburg auto parts facility is uncertain after a large fire caused significant damage to the plant this week.
The fire broke out at Marwood International’s Plant 3 on Townline Road on Tuesday around 8:30 p. m., stopping production and leading to initial damage estimates of $10 million, according to fire officials. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The facility remains closed as various agencies, including the building department, Electrical Safety Authority, public works, and the company’s insurance provider assess the extent of the damage, stated Tillsonburg fire prevention officer Geoff Hayman.
<p Approximately 80 employees across two shifts are impacted by the shutdown of the 930-square-metre (10,000-square-foot) plant, Hayman noted.
Luis Domingues, a Unifor director representing local auto workers, mentioned that these non-union employees are “at the mercy of the employer” while operations remain halted.
“There’s no union there, so they’re at the mercy of the employer and whatever the Employment Standards Act says. There’s no other obligation because they don’t have a collective agreement … If they (Marwood) don’t do what’s right by them (workers), they have no recourse,” Domingues said.
He also expressed hope that Marwood would support its workforce and that they could return to their jobs quickly.
In an update on Friday, Tillsonburg Mayor Deb Gilvesy indicated that “from the town’s perspective,” safety was their primary concern.
“As far as operational matters within Marwood go, I can’t comment since it’s a private company,” she stated. “The town feels for Marwood and all affected employees.”
Workers at the plant had tried using fire extinguishers to contain the blaze but were unsuccessful before calling for help from firefighters. By then, Hayman explained that it had spread rapidly due to flammable materials present in the facility.
“They called for assistance from us. So when we arrived on scene, it was unsafe for firefighters to enter due to how fast it escalated,” he said. “(Firefighters) attacked it from outside to manage and limit it to central areas.”
About 45 firefighters from Tillsonburg as well as Norfolk County’s Courtland station and Ingersoll worked tirelessly for nearly five hours using aerial trucks and pumpers after part of the roof collapsed during efforts to control the flames.
The fire was brought under control by Wednesday at 1:30 a. m., with crews leaving by 7:45 a. m. They returned Thursday to deal with any remaining hot spots trapped within walls, Hayman added.
“It’s not unusual for structures like this one to have lingering hot spots.. so it’s not like we had 50-foot flames right off,” Hayman told The Free Press on Friday.
Marwood International Inc., which is a Tier 1 original equipment manufacturer providing automotive structural components and modular assembly services operates six facilities in total in this region; four are located in Tillsonburg while one is in Woodstock and another in Ingersoll according to information available on their website.
No comments were received from Marwood International when contacted. Oxford OPP Const. Matthew Foster informed The Free Press on Wednesday that police aren’t investigating this fire incident.
bbaleeiro
@Bea Baleeiro Source link
@Bea Baleeiro Source link
