"It's just a damn shame."
That's how Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens is describing the 200-plus-day lockout at Titan Tool & Die on Howard Ave.
Dilkens says he tends not to get involved in labour disputes but says some of the unionized workers reached out to him to meet.
He told AM800's Mornings with Mike and Meg, he met with some of the workers; they had a conversation, and he understands their perspective.
"The employer won't negotiate now; they're locked out, and they're at the point where they're saying, 'Just give us a closure agreement because we apply for other jobs with other employers, and they say we really don't want to hire you because we know as soon as your situation is resolved, you're going to bail and go back to Titan Tool," he says.
Dilkens says he gives the locked out workers a lot of credit.
"These people can't get unemployment benefits, they can't really find other jobs at this point in time, and the employer won't negotiate a closure agreement," says Dilkens. "They're kind of stuck in this purgatory, and the best thing that can happen, like the union said, is 'just negotiate a closure agreement' and 'let us all move on and move forward.'"
The mayor is calling on the company to negotiate a closure agreement.
He says the workers can then move on with their lives.
"They've been out there in the winter that we've had; those folks have been out there each and every day to maintain their position," he says.
The company locked out the workers on August 11, 2025, after contract talks failed.
In October 2025, the workers rejected 15 pages of concessions from the employer, which included a wage freeze, elimination of cost-of-living language, elimination of retiree benefits, mandatory overtime, and concessions around pensions, among many others.
The union represents 60 members. 27 are considered active members, and 33 are considered laid-off workers.
Last week, Unifor Local 195 beefed up the picket line after claiming workers from Futura Tool were going inside Titan Tool to run the press.
The company has since said, in the interest of public safety, it allowed certain Unifor members to inspect the plant.
Following their inspection, the company said the members confirmed that no production activities were taking place.