A senior Unifor executive is among four union men charged with assault and other offences after a violent cabbie protest at the Ottawa taxi dispatch office in November.

When contacted by the Sun, Unifor assistant to the president Bob Orr said he cannot comment because the case is before the courts, but said he won’t cease in his union’s goal.

“My main focus is on negotiations and solving and getting the collective agreement,” he told the Sun.

Surveillance footage from the incident on Nov. 13 shows a group of disgruntled taxi drivers and supporters entering the offices of Coventry Connections, pacing around attempting to convince office workers to support the locked-out Ottawa Airport drivers.

The protesters wanted the dispatch staff to leave their work stations to shut down dispatch operations in Ottawa.

Phone lines and cables were yanked out of the wall and the company reported 818 calls abandoned that day.

Orr, 55, is charged with assault, break and enter and mischief, according to a press release.

Also charged is Unifor’s director of political action, Roland Kiehne, from Whitby.

“Talk to my lawyers,” said the 56-year-old Kiehne.

He’s facing two counts of assault, a charge for break and enter and mischief.

Cary MacMillan, 56, from Brantford, is charged with assault and mischief.

His name is listed as a financial secretary of Unifor Local 252 two years ago but when asked if that was his title, he deferred to his lawyer, Richard Auger.

Also charged was 56-year-old John Harte, from Meaford.

He’s charged with two counts of assault, break and enter, and mischief. His name is similarly listed as a financial secretary at the Canadian Auto Workers Union, which is now affiliated with Unifor.

The protest in November saw many in attendance, drawing comments from Unifor national president Jerry Dias.

On that day Dias had said the union’s goal was to “basically shut down the taxi service here in Ottawa,” adding that he didn’t condone violence of any sort.

Contract negotiation talks for the airport drivers resume on Monday, according to Coventry spokesman Daniel Coates.

The current idea floated by the dispatcher, in which the union has expressed interest this week, pertains to absorbing the airport fleet and other fleets into an all-encompassing brand, according to Unifor East Region representative Harry Ghadban.

Dias was unable to be reached for comment on allegations of violence by his assistant and numerous managers.

Ottawa Police said Friday more charges are pending.

Twitter: @samcooley