Ont. Sterling plant workers go back to work
ST. THOMAS, Ont. -- The two-week strike at Sterling's truck assembly plant in St. Thomas, Ont. is over. The Canadian Auto Workers union, representing about 2,000 workers, announced that members voted this weekend to ratify a new three-year contract agreement with the truckmaker. The new three-year contract offer includes a wage increase of eight percent over three years, improvements to pensions, and key job security language, Richard Laverty of CAW Local 1001, told the London Free Press. Ninety-two percent of production workers and 95 per cent of skilled trade workers voted to accept the offer. The workers went on strike March 9. In the first few days, the strike got off to a rough start as the two sides refused to even meet until the middle of last week. Tires on cars belonging to management as well as police cars were slashed, although the union condemned such actions. With an expected industry downturn in 2007, the union wanted to ensure that the St. Thomas plant would remain the only facility that would produce the Sterling HX heavy-duty truck and the Acterra medium-duty vehicle. Union officials feared the company would attempt to shift production to Mexico after the current pre-buy sales boom fizzles out. -- with files from the London Free Press