Workers losing money over fire
Posted Sep 1, 2010 05:34:59 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
As investigators continue the long process of looking into a suspicious fire at a major construction project in Waterloo, construction workers are paying the price.
The construction site at the new Lowe’s building centre store on Ira Needles Blvd. near University Ave. remains closed following a $100,000 roof fire early Tuesday morning.
Ken Gerber came down from the Owen Sound area to work on a nine-member crew doing masonry work.
He spoke with 570 News while waiting in his truck at the construction site gate, hoping to get some word on whether he’ll be working anytime soon, or should just go home.
Gerber says if he’s off work for four of five days, that will mean about $1,000 in lost wages.
Some specialty tradesmen came from as far away as Pennsylvania and Kentucky, but they’re not getting any wages either.
Owner of Manocore Construction Inc., Leonard Papineau tells 570 News there are a couple hundred workers who can’t come to work, including the sub-contractors.
Papineau says he still hasn’t been told if the fire was caused by negligence or was an act of arson.
He expects the work site will be shut down for the rest of this week while inspectors continue their work.
And if it turns out to be arson, they’ll be closed that much longer, he says.
