Hourly workers at Compass Minerals International Inc.’s mine in Goderich, Ont. have voted in favour of a new collective agreement that allows them to maintain their previous pension and benefits.
The vote, by members of Unifor Local 16-O, has put an end to a 12-week strike at the salt mine. The three-year deal also includes a 2.5 per cent wage increase in 2018 and 2019, and a three per cent increase in 2020.
The strike began on April 27, when workers rejected a company proposal that included a number of changes, such as the removal of the deferred profit-sharing portion of the pension plan and the elimination of its early retirement provision, Glenn Sonier, the national representative for the local, told Benefits Canada in June.
Read: Pension cuts part of latest contract offer for Ontario mine workers
The company and Unifor returned to the table last week after the union barricaded the mine and refused to allow scabs to cross the picket line. ”These members stood up to an American employer that was using scabs to undermine their power,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor’s national president, in a press release.
“I am so proud of the incredible solidarity we have seen in Goderich to send a clear message that scabs will not be tolerated by our union.”