Nuclear engineers and scientists promised to picket facilities across Canada as the Society of Professional Engineers and Associates went on strike Monday.
SNC-Lavalin acquired the rights to Canada's Candu heavy water reactor designs and purchased Candu's marketing business from state-controlled Atomic Energy of Canada Limited last fall. Since then, SNC-Lavalin announced it planned between 800 and 900 layoffs. It also sought concessions and pension changes from the union representing about 900 engineers and scientists, as well as 300 tradesmen. Reuters reported that 144 workers had already been on strike for five weeks.
According to a statement from SPEA, union members planned to picket at nuclear sites in Quebec, New Brunswick and Ontario, including Chalk River. The union said the strike will affect a refurbishment at the Darlington nuclear plant, as well as projects in Argentina, Romania and China.
"Our senior engineers, who have years of experience and expertise, are choosing to leave Candu Energy," SPEA President Peter White said in the release. "This will have dire consequences for Canada's nuclear industry."
The union's membership voted to approve the strike in early May, and the SPEA reported the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada and the Canadian Auto Workers union both pledged $1 million to the strikers.
Speaking to Agence France Presse, a union spokeswoman said power plant operations would not be affected as a result of the strike. SPEA represents workers who design, service and engineer nuclear facilities, not reactor operators.