Eight employees of Glencore's Brunswick Smelter in Belledune currently on long-term disability received letters of termination April 18, explaining they would be losing pension credits, health benefits, and their dental plan after a six-month grace period.

The smelter employs over 400 workers from across the North Shore.

"When I worked at the smelter, I thought I had won the 6/49 because the salary and the condition to work there," said Pierre Nadeau, one of the affected employees.

Pierre Nadeau worries his quality of life will be diminished if he loses his health benefits and pension credits later this year. (Bridget Yard/CBC News) After eight years working various jobs at the plant, Nadeau, who suffers from muscular dystrophy and chronic pain, was granted long-term disability by a company doctor in Montreal.

He was shocked when he opened the letter from his employer last week.

"They told me, Pierre you're not part of the company anymore, and you're gonna lose your medication and plus your pension," said Nadeau.

"The pain, to tell you the truth, it's from head to toe. With no medication, I wouldn't even be able to do a little bit because sometimes I got the shakes and I got all kind of pain. To get up in the morning, it's not like a normal person."

Union to file grievance

Glencore general manager Marc Duchesne says in a written statement the closure of Brunswick Mines in 2013 has forced the smelter to source concentrate from as far away as South America.

Raymond Godin, USW Local 7085 president, says the union plans to grieve the terminations: 'We expect to win this.' (Bridget Yard/CBC News) "These changes have placed significant financial and technical challenges on the plant," he explains.

The union representing the terminated employees plans to grieve the action, which president Ray Godin describes as "a ruthless approach to profit."

"We want to extend the life expectancy of that plant of course, but before the government hands out taxpayer dollars, we'd like them to think twice to have a serious discussion with Glencore and ensure they treat their employees with respect and dignity" said Godin.

Godin said the eight former employees will continue to receive monthly payments for their disability until age 66 through the insurer, Great-West Life.

However, pension credits, prescription drug plans, dental and eye coverage are all being terminated.

United Steelworkers 7085 staff are attempting to contact both federal and provincial governments for support.

"We expect to win this," said Godin.

"To us, this is a negotiated protection we have for all our workers. The reason we feel it's important to have this protection, is because we work in a toxic work environment."

Employees at the smelter work with chemicals such as cadmium, thallium, arsenic, and lead.

The union expects to grieve Glencore's move quickly, to save its members from a lapse in benefits.