(Montreal) The Steelworkers union at ArcelorMittal Long Products has just given itself very strong strike mandates in Longueuil and Contrecœur-Est.
Updated yesterday at 2:59 p.m.
800 employees are targeted in three union certifications, namely the Longueuil plant, the Contrecœur-Est plant and the offices.
At the Longueuil plant, support for the strike mandate reached 99.2%; at the Contrecoeur plant, 99.8%. In the offices, support for the strike mandate was downright unanimous.
” The message is clear. If necessary, the union members of ArcelorMittal are ready to strike,” launched the Steelworkers union, affiliated with the FTQ, during the unveiling Friday afternoon of the last of the three results.
In the case of Contrecœur, it is specified that the union meetings, which were held in virtual mode, were “very busy”, with an attendance rate of more than 90%.
The strike mandates have not yet been exercised. They will be at the time deemed appropriate by the bargaining committee, said the Steelworkers union.
The management of ArcelorMittal Long Products has indicated that “the collective agreement for our employees at the reduction, wire rod and steel mills in the east of Longueuil expires on Monday”. In fact, there are three collective agreements, but collective bargaining.
Management maintains that “negotiations are going well” – which the union, invited to react, did not want to confirm or deny. In fact, the union did not want to give an interview on the file.
“We are confident that an agreement will be reached shortly and that it will establish a balance between the competitiveness of our business and the advantageous working conditions of our employees,” added the management of the steel company.
Last summer, the Steelworkers union had indeed negotiated very advantageous working conditions, within the framework of an important negotiation that it had concluded on the North Shore, with another subsidiary of ArcelorMittal.
“For the management of ArcelorMittal Long Products, social dialogue as well as a cooperative and productive approach to ensure the continuity of our activities are greatly favored”, underlined the management, joined by email.
The Steelworkers union brings together more than 60,000 workers in several sectors of economic activity.