While it’s been cold across much of the United States this week, it’s been even colder in Canada (as low as -15) where members of the United Food & Commercial Workers rejected a company’s offer because it, according to the union, did not contain “job security.”
Paul Hardwick from United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) 175, which represents 160 workers at the Northam Industrial Park business, said the two sides had been negotiating since employees were notified Sunday afternoon that they were locked out.
[snip]
Management locked out the workers at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 5 after they failed to ratify a tentative settlement in contract negotiations, Mr. Hardwick said.
“There are no further talks planned at this moment.” Paul Hardwick
At that time, Mr. Hardwick said the contract vote “was close” but he won’t speak to the voting numbers, citing policy.
“We want to make it clear though, we are not on strike, we were locked out,” he said.
The main issue of contention, Mr. Hardwick said, is “full-time job security.
“That was the main hurdle preventing a deal from happening,” he said.
While the labor dispute is, indeed, a lock out, it should be noted, the UFCW members had already authorized the union to call a strike.
If the temperatures stay as low as they have been, and the union members stay on the picket lines, they’ll need to worry more about frostbite than job security.
Read the rest here.
