Despite one recent vote on a new offer, workers at Magellan Aerospace Haleys remain on strike.
More than 300 members of Local 4820 United Steelworkers have been on strike for five weeks. A vote earlier this month could have ended the labour action, explained Jennifer McMaster, president of Local 4820.
Despite the union recommending the settlement, 63 per cent of those who voted opted to continue striking.
The mood on the picket line is still pretty cheerful, she said. People are anxious to get back to work, but under a good contract.
At issue are wages, and a lack of improvements to benefit and pension plans. The company indicated it was offering 12.5 per cent over the three-year contract. However, said McMaster, because the work force operates on a wage scale and the proposed increase was calculated on the base wage, the 12.5 per cent figure is not accurate. And workers lost ground keeping up with inflation and increasing costs of living following the last strike in 2021, she noted.
In terms of support from the public, reaction has certainly been mixed, said McMaster.
Preserving the value of the jobs is a factor, she said. The plant has been experiencing a high turnover rate of late.
Something that is frustrating the union, she noted, is a recent letter the company sent to workers outlining people’s rights to cross the picket line and allegedly offering increased wages for doing so.
She said there is no doubt the majority of workers would rather be at their jobs and she hopes both sides can come to a resolution soon.
A strike three years ago lasted eight weeks.
(Written by Sherry Haaima)
