By David Wiwchar

Mayor 'disgusted' by workers treatment

Mayor ‘disgusted’ by workers treatment

Jul 4, 2024 | 9:21 AM

Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions is speaking out after allegations were made against the San Group yesterday.

The company is accused of mistreating foreign workers after 16 men from Vietnam were reported living in a small trailer on mill property with no running water

Minions said while San Group is a large part of the local economy, the community won’t tolerate the mistreatment of workers.

“Certainly in Port Alberni in the past there’s been an expectation that if you invest, bring money and a mill or whatever else, there’s kind of an expectation that you can do what you want and that is not the reality,” she said. “I think this is absolutely disgusting and this is not how you treat people so I’m I’m glad that people were willing to speak out on this and I hope that there are consequences as a result.”

Minions said this is not the first time the city has become involved with San Group foreign workers after a group of men were discovered living in the company’s lunchroom two years ago.

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“The city has received complaints in the past which we have forwarded to RCMP and WorkSafe and have been investigated, so this is not the first time that this has been a concern from our perspective,” she said. “I’m glad that people were willing to speak up and show the conditions that they’ve been living in because it’s absolutely unacceptable.”