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Antonishyn and Swidrovich filed a wrongful dismissal suit that went to trial at Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench in late 2017. This month, more than seven years after the men were terminated, Justice Richard Elson issued a 70-page written decision in which he found that Credit Union Centre did not have cause to fire the men.

He ordered Credit Union Centre — now SaskTel Centre — to pay Antonishyn damages equal to 24 months of income and benefits he would have received during the corresponding period of time following his dismissal and to pay Swidrovich 20 months worth of damages.

In 2011, the year before they were fired, Antonishyn and Swidrovich each earned $102,222.

Their lawyer, Larry Seiferling, said he and his clients still need to do the math, but he expects each of them will receive between $250,000 and $300,000.

Elson did not award moral or punitive damages to the former Credit Union Centre employees. Seiferling said he and his clients are talking about whether to appeal that decision.

“I’ve just got to take a look at whether the amount for the years that these people have suffered and waited, if the amount is what I think is correct,” Seiferling said.

“At the end of the day they’re happy that they finally got a court to say that they didn’t do anything wrong, but there’s still some sense of frustration with the process, with the length of time and the fact that your life can be ruined by something like this.”

Medical evidence submitted to Elson and referenced in his decision said that, since being fired, Antonishyn has experienced mood instability, tearfulness, poor concentration and insomnia while Swidrovich has suffered physical symptoms including high blood pressure, chest pain, difficulty sleeping and “a degree of social isolation.”