Canadian Strikers and Global Allies Protest at Crown Holdings Annual Meeting

PHILADELPHIA, April 23, 2014 /CNW/ - Striking Canadian workers will protest at the Crown Holdings annual shareholders' meeting tomorrow to demand a negotiated settlement to their eight-month labour dispute.

WHO:	Canadian workers on strike for eight months at Crown Holdings and
	representatives from the 50 million-strong IndustriALL Global Union and
	Unite, the largest union in the United Kingdom.
WHAT:	Protest at Crown Holdings shareholders' meeting
WHEN:	Thursday, April 24, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
WHERE:	1 Crown Way, Philadelphia
	(Woodhaven Road exit off Roosevelt Blvd/PA 63)

Despite huge profits, Crown Holdings provoked a strike at its Toronto factory last September by demanding deep concessions from workers. Crown is attempting to impose a two-tier wage plan that permanently cuts wages for young workers by 42%.

Over the last eight months, Crown has refused to negotiate a fair settlement to the dispute. It has recruited replacement workers to try to operate the Toronto plant, and forced a vote on a final contract offer that provided few, in any, assurances that striking workers would be recalled to the jobs even after voting to end the strike. Crown has refused to return to the bargaining table after workers voted down the offer 117 to 1.

Crown is undermining labour rights elsewhere in its global operations, including in Turkey where it recently fired activists who were leading a union organizing drive at the company's Turkish operations.

Meanwhile, Crown Holdings CEO John Conway has been paid up to $14 million in annual compensation, or $7,000 per hour.

Workers at Crown plants in several countries have joined with international labour federations to launch a global campaign targeting Crown's corporate interests and lobbying for political action to support labour rights.

The protest by the striking Toronto employees will begin at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow outside the Crown shareholders' meeting, at 1 Crown Way.

SOURCE: United Steelworkers (USW)

Joe Drexler, USW Strategic Campaigns, 416-434-7907, 416-544-6009, [email protected]; Lawrence Hay, USW Staff representative, 416-807-8792, [email protected]; Bob Gallagher, USW Communications, 416-544-5966, 416-434-2221, [email protected]; Candace Huntly, media liaison, 416-721-6858, [email protected]