Twelve employees at a copper refinery were disciplined after refusing to tap a furnace with a patched roof leak, citing safety concerns.
They filed a complaint under The Employees' Health and Safety Act, alleging unlawful reprisal.
The Ontario Labour Relations Board found that the employees had reasonable cause to believe the workplace was unsafe, given the visible flames, the previous shift's refusal, and the safety inspector's order.
The Board held that the group refusal was protected under the Act and ordered the employer to compensate the employees for lost wages and remove the disciplinary notations.
