Federal government served with contempt of court application

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Things are heating up as unions attempt to get a judicial review of HD Mining‘s permit for Chinese foreign workers.

BC’s Building Trades unions are filing a contempt of court application against the federal government after the coal company refused to produce court documents.

Charles Gordon, lawyer for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115 and the Construction and Specialized Workers Union Local 1611, says federal Human Resources and Skills Development Canada Minister Diane Finley is being served with the order.

A government lawyer says they don’t have the power to force HD Mining to produce the documents.

HD Mining has a permit for 200 Temporary Foreign Workers from China to work on developing a coal mine near Tumbler Ridge. The unions are arguing that qualified Canadian workers were never considered.

“We say the minister clearly has the ability to enforce this order – she must – or the integrity of the Temporary Foreign Workers program is at risk,” Gordon says.

A court hearing is scheduled for January 9 to determine if the contempt motion will be heard.  If so, Finley would have to testify.

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