Thornhill is one of the employees of Ocean Choice International (OCI) in Fortune.
He says the deal reached between the province and OCI last week should guarantee him a job at the plant for at least the next four years, getting him to retirement.
“At my age now, if I can get the four years it be perfect for retirement for me,” he said noting that he plans to work until the age of 62.
“But I still want the plant to work because there’s a lot of people down there younger than me, so I wouldn’t wanna (see) it close cause I’m going to retire.”
Details of the new agreement between the OCI and the provincial government were released last week.
The deal grants an exemption to OCI on processing of yellow tail flounder.
The key point in the deal, according to the June 22 press release from the province, was an employment guarantee for the workers in exchange for an exemption under the minimum processing regulations for yellowtail flounder.
“The new agreement recognizes there were challenges with respect to processing the smaller-sized fish and provides the flexibility to ensure OCI’s operations are more economical,” the release states.
In exchange for the exemption on yellowtail flounder, the company had to make some promises on employment at the Fortune plant; specifically a four-year commitment to operate the plant for at least 15 weeks per year.
Fortune Mayor Charles Pinwell says the deal welcomed news for the town.
“The people in town are very favorable of the agreement,” he told The Southern Gazette on Friday.
“It guarantees the future of the plant for the next four years and for all the employees who are presently working there. In this period of uncertainty when things are sort of up in the air everywhere, for Fortune we have some certainty.”
Pinwell said that although the minimum number of weeks right now is 15, he hopes to see that increased over time.
For people like Thornhill, who has worked at the plant for much of his life, it means he can continue to work at home.
Thornhill said the announcement is not just good news for the town of Fortune, but others around the peninsula.
“A lot of the other plants (around the province are) not getting full weeks…so all around it is going to be good for everybody.”
Thornhill said workers will be going in on Wednesday, June 28, to start preparing the plant for processing.
“We start moving equipment, taking equipment out and making room for new equipment…we could be (processing) some yellowtail, some cod, and red fish.”
Thornhill said that there are many people who are in the same position as him, who are happy to have found employment locally.
“When you get up to our age, you really don’t want to move away.”
The Southern Gazette contacted Karen Caines, president of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) union at the facility, but she declined to comment.
