There was a dramatic scene Friday at the entrance to Base Gagetown in Oromoct, New Brunswick, where a New Brunswick power truck came face-to-face with a picketer on the road.
“I was a little shocked,” said Dino Bernard, picket line captain for Canada’s Fredericton Public Service Alliance (PSAC).
A video of the incident appears to show the truck hitting a picketer who was in the middle of the road.
“I had heard that a lot was going on in the Oromokuto area, and it must happen because there are so many people, but yes, I was a little shocked about it.” said Bernard.
Base Gagetown employs many PSAC members in the Department of Defense.
More than 100,000 PSAC members resigned 10 days ago and negotiations have been ongoing since then, but there is still no sign of an impending deal.
“I was surprised because it’s a famous company! [NB Power] Certainly,” said Andrew Lewis, PSAC strike coordinator for the Fredericton area.
“When you have a logo on your car, it means something,” Lewis said.
New Brunswick Power said in a statement that the vehicle was driven by a contracted truck driver trainer who was neither an NB Power employee nor a union member.
“Public safety is a top priority for NB Power and this will be addressed promptly and appropriately,” the statement said.
“Going forward, we hope this is a sign of finding an agreement sooner,” Lewis said.
According to Lewis, PSAC members cannot picket at the gates to the base for the time being.
The RCMP said it was investigating the incident and said no serious injuries were reported.
According to Cpl. Utility vehicle driver Hans Ouelet was stopped by police at the scene.
Using files from CTVNews.ca
