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Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2017
Rio Tinto
workers
vote to strike
KITIMAT, B.C. — On July 14,
members of Unifor Local 2301
in Kitimat, B.C., voted 99.5 per
cent in favour of a strike at the
aluminium smelter if a fair deal
cannot be reached at the bar-
gaining table.
"Rio Tinto has created a cli-
mate of extreme disrespect in
the workplace, and it should
be no surprise that these work-
ers are fed up," said Jerry Dias,
Unifor national president. "Rio
Tinto has work to do if it wants
to reach a fair deal without dis-
ruption at the smelter."
Over the term of the last col-
lective agreement, Rio Tinto
has pushed workers aggres-
sively — including violating the
collective agreement with man-
datory overtime — failing to
provide adequate washroom fa-
cilities and accruing more than
500 outstanding grievances for
a workplace of 900, according to
the union.
Unifor Local 2301 said the
current contract negotiations
have been extremely difficult.
"If the company doesn't
change its behaviour fast, there
should be no doubt that our
members are prepared to exer-
cise their legal right to strike,"
said Sean O'Driscoll, Local 2301
president.
Sisley Honda
strike avoided
THORNHILL, Ont. — The 55
newest members of the Interna-
tional Association of Machin-
ists and Aerospace Workers
(IAM) Local Lodge 235 ratified
their first collective agreement
with Sisley Honda on July 11,
which provides significant wage
increases over the life of the
contract.
"If we hadn't ratified this deal
last night, we would have been
on the street with picket signs
this morning," said Jim Snider,
IAM District Lodge 78 business
representative.
Other agreement highlights
include:
• inclusion in the IAM pension
plan
• introduction of the Honda
Training Program Bonus,
which amounts to increases of
$1 to $2 per hour depending
upon qualifications in addi-
tion to regular hourly wages.
• introduction of a grievance
procedure
The 55 members include
mechanics, service techni-
cians, service advisors, service
cashiers, hostesses, detailers,
carwashers, valets, lube techni-
cians and custodians.
The IAM represents more
than 1,500 workers in the auto-
motive sector across Canada.
Conciliation
for Ontario
college faculty
TORONTO — The Ontario
Public Service Employees
Union (OPSEU) has asked the
Ministry of Labour to appoint
a conciliator in its contract ne-
gotiations with the College Em-
ployer Council.
"While the management team
claims in their public commu-
nications to be seeking integrity
in negotiations and a positive
relationship between the union
and management, their ac-
tions say the opposite," said JP
Hornick, chair of the bargaining
team.
The 12,000 college faculty
represented by OPSEU are us-
ing the context of the college
system's 50th anniversary to
propose a better plan for col-
leges, according to the union.
The agreement expires on
Sept. 30, 2017.
Photo:
Rupak
De
Chowdhuri
(Reuters)
LABOUR LENS
A man gets a shave from a roadside barber in front of closed clothes shops during a strike to protest against
goods and services tax on textiles in Kolkata, India, on July 13.
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