USW congratulates Ken Neumann on new role as International President of Steelworkers retirees
USW International President David McCall swears in Ken Neumann as International President of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR).
SOREL, Que. – Years of lost ground on wages and employer demands for concessions are key issues in a strike launched Thursday night by members of the Syndicat des Métallos/United Steelworkers union at the Rio Tinto Fer et Titane metallurgical complex in Sorel.
The 181 members of Steelworkers Local 7493 voted by a 98% majority last week to reject the company’s “final” contract offer. They also voted by a 99% majority in favour or strike action to back up their contract demands.
After years of losing ground on wages, particularly during the pandemic, the workers have had enough with being taken for granted, said Steelworkers’ union representative Yves Rolland.
“From crisis to crisis, our members always find themselves being considered as an ‘adjustment variable’ on which the employer relies to maximize its profits,” Rolland said. “These workers are demanding to be paid according to their real contributions to this company, and they expect their fair share of the profits.”
In addition to refusing to resolve the wage issue, the employer is also demanding concessions, most notably with respect to workers’ vacation time, said Patrick Sarrazin, Steelworkers Local 7493 President.
“We came to the bargaining table yesterday and there was no movement at all from the employer, so it was time to strike,” Sarrazin said.
“We’re on the picket line at the plant gate and we’re united in solidarity. The employer tried to sow division in our membership by trying to favour one group of workers over the others. Our answer is clear: they will have to pay all workers what they’re worth,” he added.
The workers at Rio Tinto Fer et Titane’s metallurgical complex in Sorel produce high-quality titanium dioxide, pig iron, steel and metal powders.
The Syndicat des Métallos/United Steelworkers, affiliated with the Quebec Federation of Labour FTQ, is the largest private-sector union in Quebec, representing more than 60,000 workers in all sectors of the economy.
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