The day after Sudbury People’s Party of Canada candidate Nicholas Bonderoff’s campaign was made public, his employment with BESTECH was terminated.
Bonderoff had worked at the engineering company for three years, most recently as mine engineering services manager.
His LinkedIn profile describes this role as leading “a dynamic team of mining engineers and geotechnical experts, collaborating across disciplines to provide tailored solutions for mining challenges.”
Bonderoff told Sudbury.com about his sudden firing during an interview on Sunday to update readers on his campaign.
His dismissal took place on March 12, he said, the day after Sudbury.com published a story introducing him as Sudbury’s People’s Party of Canada candidate in what is now known to be an April 28 federal election.
Bonderoff said he told his employer the day prior to his interview with Sudbury.com that he was seeking public office and that he would be granting a media interview about his aspirations.
“He said he’s got to seek legal counsel and talk to HR because he’s not sure he’s OK with this because it could reflect badly on Bestech,” Bonderoff told Sudbury.com.
A day after the story about him was published, he said, “I was walked out by HR, I never even talked to the president or the supervisor.”
“I can’t say they terminated me because of that, all I can say is that I have reason to believe that I was terminated because of that, until it’s proven in a court of law.”
There will be a legal challenge, he said.
Sudbury.com reached out to Bestech, whose representative declined to comment.
“As a matter of policy, Bestech cannot discuss the HR matters of current or former employees,” they said.
Although a reason for his termination wasn’t provided, Bonderoff pointed to the company’s commitment to “Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility” as a potential factor.
The People’s Party describes diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies as a “hateful ideology” which is “fundamentally racist, sexist, and discriminatory.”
Harvard Business School describes DEI as:
- Diversity: The presence and participation of individuals with varying backgrounds and perspectives, including those who have been traditionally underrepresented
- Equity: Equal access to opportunities and fair, just, and impartial treatment
- Inclusion: A sense of belonging in an environment where all feel welcomed, accepted, and respected
Merriam-Webster defines diversity, equity and inclusion as “a set of values and related policies and practices focused on establishing a group culture of equitable and inclusive treatment and on attracting and retaining a diverse group of participants, including people who have historically been excluded or discriminated against.”
“They’re a great company, but I believe that they were concerned from strictly a business perspective that having me associated with the PPC and working for the company could impact them negatively,” Bonderoff said of Bestech.
"I don't know that that’s the case, all I can say is that the day after the article was published, out of nowhere, I was terminated and walked out.”
Bonderoff said that he was asked to sign a release agreement with Bestech to severance him out, but he refused due to a confidentiality clause which would have prohibited him from talking about his dismissal.
“I think they expected that … they’d give me a whole bunch of money and I wouldn’t speak about it again, but I’m too principled for that,” he said.
Strengthened in his resolve, Bonderoff said that he’d stand up to the ability for people “to speak freely and stand up for what a lot of people are thinking but are very hesitant to say publicly.”
There are more people out there who agree with the People’s Party platform, Bonderoff said, but are hesitant to speak freely due to concerns around their job security.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
