An indefinite general strike was launched Saturday morning by the approximately 300 workers at ArcelorMittal’s western plant in Contrecœur, in the Montérégie region. A demand for back pay, along with disputes over the pension plan and group insurance, have reportedly been at the heart of the conflict with the multinational company for several months.
When contacted by La Presse Canadienne, Yves Rolland, the steelworkers union representative responsible for the steel sector, explained that the requested wage catch-up represents “a lot of money,” as the last wage negotiation took place in 2020. The figure in question is reportedly an average of five additional dollars per hour for each employee.
Dissatisfied with the employer’s new proposals, unionized employees voted last Monday, with 97.2 per cent in favor, to grant themselves a mandate for an indefinite general strike.
Éric Piette, president of Local 6951 of the United Steelworkers at ArcelorMittal’s West Plant in Contrecœur, stated in a press release on Saturday that his members are demanding “a pay adjustment commensurate with the accumulated backlog.”
The 300 employees at ArcelorMittal’s West Plant in Contrecœur manufacture rebar, billets, and steel rods.
“We tried until the very last minute to see if there was any possibility of reaching an agreement,” said Rolland. “They’re angry with the employer, but otherwise they’re currently very united behind their bargaining committee, and that’s evident in the results of the conciliator’s proposals.”
He noted, however, that the employer has always recognized the legitimacy of a wage catch-up, but the one proposed to them still “didn’t measure up” to their expectations.
ArcelorMittal management had not responded to requests for comment from La Presse Canadienne at the time of this writing.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
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