Support locked out Steelworkers!

On July 2nd at 12.01am members of United Steelworkers Local 3950 were locked out by NRI Industries in Toronto. At 8am the members gathered at the gates and set up picket lines. Concrete barriers had been put in place blocking the parking areas. The company was entirely shut down today. 

 

The union was prepared to continue bargaining after the members rejected NRI's final offer but there was no response. The company was founded in 1927 and is North America's largest fully integrated manufacturer of industrial and automotive rubber products.

 

Lightbourne Hunter, the local union president, said that the key issues are mandatory overtime, severance‎ language, wages, including incentives for perfect attendance which is discriminatory, and vacation pay paid out weekly.

 

This is one of a number of strikes by members of the United Steelworkers‎ in Ontario. 2500 members of USW local 6500 have been on strike in Sudbury at Valle since May and members of USW local ‎7949 have been locked out in Bracebridge since February. Employers are coming down hard on workers as the pandemic is slowly easing. Workers at Rexplas, members of USW 8300 just won a two month strike with strong solidarity from other unions and the community. This morning a NRI striker told me that a teacher already stopped at the line to say he would bring it to his union to build support.‎

 

"One day longer. One day stronger!"

 

Join the picket line at 35 Cawthra near Davenport + Old Weston Rd. They will be back on the picket line @ 8am Monday