Salt mine employees in Goderich on strike for fair contract

TORONTO, Aug. 21, 2012 /CNW/ - About 400 employees of the Sifto salt mine in Goderich, Ontario went on strike yesterday in a bid to renew a collective agreement that expired in March 2012. The employees went on strike after the employer, Compass Minerals, came back on previously agreed-upon language.

"After 54 days of bargaining, it is completely unfair for the Company to backtrack on some items that were agreed upon," said Dave Moffat, Administrative Vice-President for the Ontario region for the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP). "The mine workers are looking to conserve the legitimacy of their collective voice by being represented by a union and to maintain the due processes that have been in place for years."

The mine is an important employer in the town of Goderich and has been employing workers there since the 1950's. The workers, members of CEP local 16-O, have been bargaining since February 2012 to renew their collective agreement.

"These workers have waited long enough for the security of having a contract in place," added Moffat. "It is time for Compass Minerals to respect the collective bargaining processes in place, to get back to the table and to make sure the workers can get back to work as soon as possible."

The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada is the largest union in several key sectors of Canada's economy, including forestry, energy, telecommunications and media. The union's 110,000 members work at a wide variety of jobs in hundreds of different workplaces across the country.

SOURCE: COMMUNICATIONS, ENERGY AND PAPERWORKERS UNION OF CANADA

Joe Free, National Representative, [phone], [email protected]
Dave Moffat, Administrative Vice-President, Ontario Region, [phone], [email protected]