Strike by Hamilton United Steelworkers Union in seventh day

It’s the seventh day of a strike at National Steel Car in Hamilton and United Steelworkers Local 7135 says it has yet to hear back from the employer.

The union says that the railroad freight car manufacturer walked out on contract renegotiations last week.

The legal strike comes after a vote by members last Tuesday that saw a 91 per cent voter turnout — almost 80 percent of whom voted against the latest offers.

“The company’s not even meeting inflation, the price of everything is going up, and they’re not meeting that … how do we pay for groceries, rent? If other companies are making lots of money, National Steel Car … I’m sure they’ve raised the price of their rail cars, that would pay us fairly,” says USW Local 7135 president Frank Crowder.

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Another topic of discussion is the employee incentive program in which workers accept a lower wage under the condition that there is a 25 per cent increase beyond a certain output threshold.

The union says the program makes for dangerous working conditions, as workers compromise personal safety to meet the ever-increasing threshold set by the employer.

The union also says its doors are open to resume negotiation talks.

The local community, councillors and Members of Provincial Parliament have come by the picket line on Kenilworth Avenue North to show support.

As of last week, the provincial Ministry of Labour had said it is actively engaging with both parties.

CHCH News contacted the Ministry for updates on Monday and has not heard back as of Tuesday morning.