Windsor Salt strike enters third week with no new talks planned
By Rob Hindi
Close to 250 unionized workers at Windsor Salt remain on the picket line.
They've been off the job for two weeks to back contract demands.
The workers are represented by Unifor Local 1959 and Local 240.
Local 1959 president Bill Wark says morale remains high but there is also a level of frustration with the company not heading back to the bargaining table to negotiate.
"The frustration is with the company there's been no attempt by the company to get back to the bargaining table to reach a fair and equitable collective agreement," says Wark. "That's probably the big consensus now."
He says no new talks are planned.
"People want the company to spend as much energy and getting back reaching a fair equitable collective agreement as they do avoiding any negotiations," he says.
Wark adds the membership remains in good spirits.
"I am tremendously proud of the entire membership of all three units and their show of solidarity and support for this particular labour dispute unparallel, supportive of not only the bargaining committees but the community as well," says Wark.
Last month, the union said negotiations are at a standstill as the company's representatives refuse to discuss any monetary items without agreements from the union to allow widespread contracting out of union jobs.
Workers impacted by the strike are in the office, the Ojibway Mine and the evaporation processing fields.
This round of bargaining is the first since Windsor Salt was purchased by U.S. based Stone Canyon Industries.