Thousands of USW members across Canada recently negotiated strong collective agreements that protect health and safety, improve wages, benefits and working conditions, and ensure more respectful workplaces. These settlements include:
Local 9490 • Aluminum workers won’t be foiled, wrap up shiny new contract With pension and wage issues previously settled, members at Rio Tinto’s aluminum smelter in Alma, Que., negotiated a “historic” array of contract gains on vacations, paid leave, shift premiums, on-call pay, benefits, more day-time jobs, trades workers’ pay, holiday pay, a letter of intent to hire more women in the workplace and much more.
Local 6166 • Hardrock miners get a little boulder, ore-chestrate monetary gains
Members at Vale’s mining operations in Thompson, Man., negotiated a four-year agreement providing general wage increases totalling 10.5%, additional cost-of-living allowances and ratification bonuses of $4,000. The contract improves pensions and benefits and adds the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Sept. 30) as a paid holiday.
Local 2918 • Defence contractor’s workforce wins battle for uniform pay rates
A nine-week strike by members at IMT Defence in Ingersoll, Ont., led to a major victory – eliminating a two-tier wage system. The four-year deal raises wages by 9%, with adjustments of several thousand dollars for many members. A new weekend work provision includes a full week’s pay for two 12-hour shifts, while benefits, shift premiums and safety boot allowances are improved.
Local 2004 • Railway workers choo-choose a-track-tive contract
Some 3,000 workers who inspect, maintain and repair CN Rail’s track, bridges and infrastructure across Canada ratified a three-year agreement with general wage increases totalling 9% and adjustments of up to 7.5% for some classifications. Members also made gains on travel expense coverage, benefits, and various allowances and shift premiums.
Local 2894 • Automotive workers drive a hard bargain
The 680 members at auto parts maker Tenneco Automotive in Cambridge, Ont., reached a three-year agreement featuring total wage hikes of 10.5%, increased contributions to their Steelworkers Pension Plan, higher shift premiums, and improved benefits and vacation entitlements.
Local 7065 • Hotel workers hit the suite spot to win better conditions
Members at the hotel Le Manoir in Baie-Comeau, Que., negotiated total wage increases of 23% over five years as well as cost-of-living protections. The new contract improves provisions on overtime and the phased retirement program, increases job trainers’ premiums, adds a stat holiday and raises the employer’s pension contributions.
Local 8914 • Uranium workers’ new deal radiates positive elements
General wage hikes of 12%, including 18 months of retroactive pay, as well as additional increases in several classifications highlight a three-year deal for members at the Cameco uranium mining and milling operations at McArthur River and Key Lake, Sask. Numerous improvements were achieved on benefits, premiums and language, including a 100% wage top-up for up to 21 weeks of parental leave.
Local 12691 • Chemical workers find ingredients to new contract formula
A three-year deal for workers at Lanxess, an industrial chemicals manufacturing plant in Elmira, Ont., provides wage increases of 12%, increased shift and weekend premiums, and improvements to vacations, pensions and vision care, paramedical, orthodontics and life insurance benefits.
Local 6254 • No pier pressure, port workers seas the day
A five-year deal for seaport workers at the Société ferroviaire et portuaire de Pointe-Noire in Sept-Îles, Que., provides total wage hikes of 32%, not including additional raises made possible with an improved cost-of-living formula. The contract improves pensions, vacation entitlement and paid sick days and introduces a new stat holiday.
Local 4297 • Producers of engine silencers make some noise at bargaining table
Members at Miratech, a Winnipeg manufacturer of noise-reducing silencers for stationary industrial engines, ratified a three-year agreement with total wage hikes of 10% and new language to facilitate progression to top pay rates. The contract features improvements to pensions, benefits and safety boot allowances and new language to support the Steelworkers Humanity Fund.
Local 9597-34 • Security guards lock down fair deal
A two-week strike for better pay, waged by Logixx Security employees at the world’s largest salt mine in Goderich, Ont., achieved a 9.9% wage increase over two years. They also won improved sick leave, reimbursement for licensing-related costs, new leave provisions for traditional Indigenous practices and language to commemorate Dec. 6, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
Locals 7106 and 9338 • Manitoba mining members make multiple meliorations
Workers at Hudbay Minerals operations in Snow Lake and Flin Flon, Man., reached a three-year deal with total wage increases of 13%, a $1,600 ratification bonus, improvements to pensions, benefits, travel allowances and contract language, as well as the creation of two new union safety positions.
Local 9224 • Wage gains crystalize a gem of a contract for quartz miners
An immediate 8% wage hike set the stage for total increases of up to 27% over five years for workers at the Sitec quartz mine in Saint-Urbain, Que. Expanding the wage grid provides an additional 5% increase for many employees, and the agreement calls for a significant increase in the employer’s contribution to the pension plan.
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