UPDATE: Second tentative agreement between Integram Seating (Magna) and Unifor Local 444 members.
ORIGINAL (Sun. Nov. 6, 2016):
Employees at Integram Seating are officially on strike.
More than 700 workers voted 58% against the new four year contract proposal.
Unifor Local 444 President, Dino Chiodo says the new contract had wage increases over a four year period, a $1,000 signing bonus and improvements in benefits, but it wasn't enough for the workers.
Chiodo says workers turned down a good deal.
"We've made some significant improvements to be able to get up to bat again, potentially in four years and improve upon that again -- but our membership felt otherwise. In saying that, democratically, we believe in our members and we understand what they are saying, and we're going to do what we can to try to come back with something. I'm just not sure that's going to be forthright."
Photo of strike signs from employees at Integram Seating. (Photo courtesy of Unifor Local 444 Facebook.)
Employees hit the picket lines immediately Sunday afternoon.
" A number of people got up to microphone and were critical of what we seen as a good rate," Chiodo says. "They feel frustrated, and again, we need to do our best to go back to the table and figure out how we make necessary improvements."
Chiodo says the strike shouldn't effect the FCA Windsor Assembly Plant, but will affect operations in the General Motors facility by temporarily shutting down the CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll.