The National President of Unifor is standing in solidarity with striking workers at Clear Medical Imaging.
Lana Payne was in Windsor on Thursday afternoon, where she stopped in to speak with workers picketing outside of the Clear Medical Imaging headquarters on Ouellette Avenue.
Clear Medical Imaging had requested the Ontario Ministry of Labour to conduct a final offer vote on the company's latest proposal. However, Unifor Local 2458 President, Ken Durocher, told AM800 News that the offer put forward aimed to try to divide the membership.
According to Durocher, talks are expected to resume Friday between the company and the union where they will discuss the union's latest counter proposal.
Payne says the workers are standing together.
"They have gone from voting to have a union, to voting to defend that union in this workplace, and to make sure that they get a collective agreement that is fair to everybody. And what was being proposed was very divisive for the workplace, and they said no, we're going to stick together because everyone deserves to be treated fairly, and we don't want anyone in this workplace to be left behind."
She says she believes the employer should take this as a strong message.
"This is a cohesive, solid group, they are supporting each other and come to the table, and bargain a fair collective agreement. I can't predict what's going to happen obviously, but what I would say is that the workers have sent a very clear message that they're together."
Payne says Windsor is a union town who always stands behind workers,
"Folks are facing affordability issues, everyone is fighting to make sure that they're not getting left behind, that they can support their families, that they have fair working conditions. And I believe we've turned a corner in Canada where there's a lot of support for workers trying to fight for equality, and to have decent work. And this is a reflection of that."
130 workers from across 11 locations in Windsor, LaSalle, Tecumseh. Essex and Chatham have been off the job since October 25 to back contract demands.
Wages, benefits, mandatory overtime, job security, and the contracting out of services remain key sticking issues in the labour dispute.