For the first time since the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) went on strike six weeks ago, the labour dispute caused a disruption in Sudbury court proceedings Thursday.
About 80 OPSEU members gathered inside the main lobby at the Sudbury courthouse at 155 Elm St. Thursday around 9:15 am and started chanting union slogans and singing protest songs.
Members of the Greater Sudbury Police Service arrived on the scene and calmly asked the gathering to disperse and they did so in an orderly fashion, while continuing to chant and sing.
Ironically, the rally took place outside of Courtroom A, by far the largest courtroom at the courthouse, but the protest didn?t stop any proceedings in that particular courtroom as all judges from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice are away at seminars from Wednesday through to the end of the work week today.
However, while the protest was taking place in the courtroom corridor, OPSEU members considered essential workers during court proceedings, including court reporters and court clerks, were whisked away until things settled down.
So when court was supposed to start at 10 am sharp in the Ontario Court of Justice, there were Crown attorneys and defence lawyers present, but no court clerks or reporters.
Senior Justice Andre Guay gathered lawyers, accused persons, witnesses and members of the public at around 10:20 am and told them that because of the OPSEU strike, certain employees were needed for court to proceed and there had been a delay in them showing up to conduct their duties.
Those workers were expected to be in the courtroom to conduct their duties in 15 to 20 minutes and within 15 minutes, proceedings had commenced in both Courtrooms A and B.
Court reporters and court clerks have been in court performing their normal duties during the entire six-week strike.
OPSEU members who work in setting up court dates, court security officers and many other members have hit the picket line in between performing essential duties while court in progress.
During a normal court day, one can access information about criminal and civil charges, where to pay fines and other information from court staff between 8:30 and 4:30 pm, but during the strike those services have been reduced to between 10 am and noon and 1 and 3 pm.
