Steelworkers, Salit Steel Negotiate Four-Year Deal

NIAGARA FALLS, ON, Sept. 4 2015 /CNW/ - Employees of Salit Steel in Niagara Falls have ratified a four-year collective agreement with the company.

Then new contract takes effect retroactively to Sept. 1 and covers approximately 100 members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 14241 employed by Salit, a structural steel manufacturer. Union members ratified the agreement by a 74% margin.

The contract provides a $250 signing bonus and total wage increases of 7.5% over the contract's term. It also provides 1.5% pension increases each year, stronger protection of seniority rights and improvements in benefits and terms and conditions of employment.

"I couldn't be more proud of our members for standing strong and supporting us as we bargained to the final minute of the expiry of our previous agreement," said USW Local 14241 President Dylan Shannon.

"Our mandate from the membership was clear – no concessions or freezes – and we met that mandate. That's not an easy task given the state of manufacturing and unemployment in Niagara, the state of the steel industry and the current recession.

"This agreement keeps the company viable and secures four more years of work for our members. The entire Niagara community will benefit from the hard work the United Steelworkers put into bargaining this agreement," Shannon said.

"I congratulate these hard-working USW members for sticking together and once again demonstrating the benefits that free and fair collective bargaining provides for families, communities and our economy," said USW Ontario Director Marty Warren.

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)

Marty Warren, USW District 6 Director, 416-243-8792, [email protected]; Frank Arcuri, USW Staff Representative, 905-545-3008, ext. 225, [email protected]; Bob Gallagher, USW Communications, 416-544-5966, 416-434-2221, [email protected]