Windsor Salt workers on strike

Windsor Salt employees with Unifor Locals 1959 and 240 began striking at midnight, saying their contract demands have not been met. 

The unions are bargaining with Windsor Salt for the first time since the company was bought by U.S.-based holding company Stone Canyon Industries in 2021. 

Eric Brown is a member of the maintenance committee, as well as a certified health and safety representative on the bargaining committee. He said standing in solidarity on the picket line is important for the present and future of every employee.

"We don't take it lightly standing on the picket line by any means," Brown said. "But when a company is coming after job security, for a younger employee like myself and some of these guys that have 20-plus years to go here, and you're going to cut my job and outsource it to non-unionized labour and have the potential to unilaterally contract out my job, among other concessions."

A Unifor news release says Stone Canyon representatives are refusing to talk about financial requests until the union agrees to give the go-ahead for the company to contract non-union employees to fill jobs in its salt mine.

Negotiations between the company and union have come to a standstill. 

"Talks have not gone well since Jan. 16," said the president of Local 1959, Bill Wark. "These people worked through a pandemic. They were essential workers in a pandemic. They gave everything they had to continue the operations and provided an essential service. And the company came with unilateral concessions regarding job security and contracting out.And that's why we're standing on the picket line."

"We will not allow the company to weaken union protections in the workplace."

In a statement to CBC News, Windsor Salt said that it has been negotiating in good faith.

"Unfortunately, at midnight this morning, our union employees at these sites walked out on strike. We remain committed to negotiating agreements that are competitive, fair to both our employees and our company, and will help position our company for long-term growth in the Windsor community."

Unifor represents the mine's office workers, workers in the Ojibway Mine and workers at the evaporation processing fields, with a total of 250 employees. 

Unifor National President Lana Payne said, "Workers at Windsor Salt have the full backing of our union."