FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From:
Leo Parascondola <leoparas@earthlink.net>
From another list comes news that Accu-Fax Investigations, Inc., a private security firm, has been collecting information and spying during the MUSA strike. It has come to our attention that an
organization (Accu-Fax
This company's web sites are at: http://www.accufax.on.ca/
According to the Private Investigator
Directory, Accu-Fax is a member of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
For your information, we forward, with
permission of the author, the following article which appeared in today's
EYE ON THE LINE:
VIEW Magazine What do Sudbury miners and striking
University staff have in common? They are both on surveillance tape taken
by agents of Accu-Fax -- what many have called "union-busters.".
MUSA Vice-President Diana Parker says
that while no incidents have come up between the watchers and the watched
she
"What bother's me is the University is using a company whose web site happily proclaims that it will supply replacement workers and will cheerfully engage in strikebreaking." Parker says that the administration's
choice of security along with their "unfortunate strike history" sends
"a very
The month old MUSA strike was preceded by 3 other labour disruptions on campus within the last school year. Pickets are video-taped at the University
entrances by Accu-Fax
McMaster University Director of Security
Ron Thorn won't confirm or deny that Accu-Fax has been hired. "I'm not
sure
Thorn admits to hiring a surveillance
team to do "video work." The current spy team was hired for a number of
Both Andrea Farquhar and Gillian Howard
of McMaster's public relations department were "unable to answer" queries
Renee Jarvis, Labour Relations Coordinator
with the Hamilton police is the first to confirm that Accu-Fax is the
Accu-Fax advertises that many of their
security and private
They also claim references are their
"best sales tool" but Darrell Parsons, President of the Mississauga based
"Yeah, see, I apologize, I really gotta run" is all he says before hanging up. What Parsons won't say, the Accu-Fax
web site offers; transportation services with "drivers experienced in crossing
They have "on numerous occasions supplied
replacement workers" and they have relocated manufacturing facilities
The University is already using replacement
labour by moving part-time employees to full-time, increasing the hours
"This causes the strike to go longer,
it draws the pain out for
Rick Grylls, acting president of Mine,
Mill and Smelters Union local 598 of the Canadian Auto Workers says Accu-Fax
Grylls was the union's strike coordinator
during a six and a half month strike last year in Sudbury where, Grylls
The use of scab labour was made legal
by the Mike Harris Tories, when they killed a law brought in under the
NDP
Besides labour dispute services Accu-Fax
will provide "crisis/emergency management, electronic sweeping and
Accu-Fax has been hired by Hamilton's
Slater Steels for a potential strike involving members of United Steelworkers
USWA Local 4752 Union President Jim
Howe says that the hiring of Accu-Fax is "a complete turnaround" for Slater,
"We've never had any major problems,"
he says. A strike at Slater 4 years ago was a four-day affair and didn't
"This reeks of American style tactics," says Howe, "It's intimidation and it's rubbing the wrong way with our guys." During last year's five and a half-week
long McMaster Teaching
CUPE 3906 Business Manager Mike Skinner
says that while surveillance is ostensibly there for the "protection" of
MUSA has been on strike for 32 days as of Monday, April 02, 2001.
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