As the 70 workers of Samuel & Fils begin their 21st day of strike, USW District 5 (Quebec) Director Alain Croteau walked the picket line with strikers and appealed to all Steelworkers locals to support their struggle against two-tier pensions and benefits.
“What is happening here is a profound injustice for the future workers of Quebec and it is our duty to fight against it,” said Croteau. “I am proud that our members at Samuel & Fils reject this injustice, as did our members at Resco Canada and Lafarge Cement. Future employees are entitled to the same pensions and benefits as older workers, without discrimination. It is good to see this solidarity among workers of all generations.”
The USW Director reiterated the urgent need for Quebec to amend its labour laws to ban two-tier pensions and benefits.
“We are repeatedly seeing labour dipsutes in which workers are sacrificing wages to prevent discrimination against future employees,” Croteau said. “A ban on two-tier pensions and benefits must be enshrined in law. The Liberal Party’s own policies support such a ban, so it’s time for the government to act and pass a law.”
Croteau praised Steelworkers locals that already have financially supported the strikers at Samuel & Fils.
“You are not alone,” he told the strikers. “Quebec Steelworkers are opposed to two-tier pensions. This is just the beginning of the support you will receive from fellow Steelworkers!”
Workers at Samuel & Fils, a metal plate-cutting plant, have been on strike since February 4th. Last year, Steelworkers at Lafarge Cement in Saint-Constant and Resco Canada in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge were on strike for months before successfully defeating employer demands for two-tier pensions for young workers.
Send all donations to: Bureau des Métallos de Sainte-Thérèse, 96, rue Turgeon, Suite 202, Sainte Thérèse, Quebec, J7E 3H9. Make cheques payable to: Section locale 9441 Fonds de grève.
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