2012 Atlantic Journalism Awards Finalists
Attachments
| Slug/Label | Ocean Choice International Locks Out FFAW Trawlermen |
|---|---|
| Date Aired or Published | February 7-9, 2012 |
| Media outlet where first aired or published: | VOCM News |
| Name of Program: | VOCM News |
| If co-produced, list partner: | |
| Location: | Bay Roberts, Newfoundland |
| List awards, grants: | |
| Running time (TV/Radio): | 7.38...7 minutes and 38 seconds |
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Short explanation of the story and how it developed: Ocean Choice International Locks Out Trawlermen Feb 7-9, 2012 In the first part of 2012, a new collective agreement between fish processor, Ocean Choice International (OCI), and it’s trawlermen, represented by the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW) could not be reached. OCI locked out its workers and sent the Newfoundland Lynx to the port in Bay Roberts. A protest by the union followed and then they learned OCI was going to bring in replacement workers on the night of February 7. I learned of this development and went to Water Street in Bay Roberts to find the picketing workers and union spokesmen. It was a tense situation as workers were ready to stop the bus if it attempted to cross their picket line. This story was breaking around the clock and was changing by the hour. I went live with updates that evening throughout VOCM News and an extended edition of VOCM Nightline, an open line call-in program. I learned that the bus with replacement workers had approached Bay Roberts, and was holding on a parking lot on the outskirts of the community on the access road off the highway. The situation stretched late into the night and into the early hours of February 8. Around 4:00 a.m. the vehicle left Bay Roberts and went back to St. John’s. On February 8, it was a quiet evening on Water Street in Bay Roberts compared to the night before. There were no rumours of a bus coming back with replacement workers. At midnight, the call came in to my phone from a source on Water Street that the bus was on its way to Bay Roberts, and it would be there within the hour. I arrived at the scene and again spoke with the union and workers to gauge the situation and gather as much information as possible. They had received a call as well that the bus was coming. The RCMP presence had increased exponentially so it was evident the bus was on its way. Around 1:50 a.m., the bus came down Water Street; workers met the vehicle and lined themselves across the road. Police lined up in front of the bus. We began breaking in live with reports. All parties stayed there for over an hour and a half, when finally the bus was coming through. Police started arresting the workers because they refused to move as the bus moved forward. They were handcuffed and placed in police vehicles. Workers ran off the bus and boarded the Newfoundland Lynx. Shortly after 4:30 a.m., the Newfoundland Lynx sailed out of Bay Roberts harbour. I was the only reporter on scene during most of the protest including the final night. I was the lone journalist there when the bus arrived early in the morning on February 9. **The fourth section of audio in the piece submitted is from one of our online logging sources so the quality isn't the same. We had the original audio but it was lost due to unforeseen circumstances. |
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Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: An iPhone and my personal Macbook Pro and my vehicle. This story was covered about 100 kilometres from St. John's. |
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