Workers at Jamieson Laboratories are officially on strike.
Employees hit the picket lines yesterday after rejecting a tentative three year agreement by a margin of 57%.
Unifor Local 195 represents the roughly 200 workers at the facility.
Union President, Garry Farnham, says at this point there's no indication how long the strike could last.
"Your guess is as good as mine of whether we get another agreement or not. That's up to the employer. The union is prepared to sit down at the bargaining table if necessary if they wish to do that. If not, that's fine, we're going to stay out there and we stand behind the membership."
Jamieson Laboratories employees on the picket line (Photo by AM800's Zander Broeckel)
He says employees liked the majority of the agreement, but were not happy with wages.
"We actually end up with ovations at the end of it. They liked the concept of the collective agreement. The employer wasn't there at the amount of money that the membership felt they ought to be. So therefore, that's what's taken us out on strike."
Jamieson Laboratories workers rally after going on strike Sunday, February 26, 2017 (Photo by AM800's Zander Broeckel)
Farnham adds employees feel like they deserve more.
"There's a lot of disgruntled membership with the management team. They work their butts off inside that place, productivity has been increased over the last year or so and they feel they deserve more. So we stand behind them."
The tentative deal was reached last Tuesday just moments before a midnight strike deadline.
No word yet when the union and employer will get back to the bargaining table.