A strike is underway at Jamieson Laboratories.
300 members of Unifor Local 195 walked off the job on Thursday morning to back contract demands and are on the picket line at the facility on Rhodes Drive.
Local president Emile Nabbout says he's disappointed the company didn't come to the bargaining table with a fair offer.
"Everybody knows that those days that workers are struggling, families are struggling to make ends meet," says Nabbout. "Wages have always been at the top of the list and there are many other key issues but wages are the most important issue on the table right now."
Unifor Local 195 represents about 300 workers at Jamieson Laboratories, February 1, 2024 (Photo by AM800's Rob Hindi)
He says wages are the main sticking point.
"Our workers have been very loyal to this facility and the company is very profitable throughout the year," he says. "We have one chance every three years to be able get those workers what they deserve. This era of making small gain is no longer feasible for us so I'm not sure the stuff, I'll say they were not coming well prepared to put the best offer that would satisfy the need of the worker."
The workers last went on strike at Jamieson Labs for just over one-week back in 2017.
That three-year pact included a $0.50 an hour wage increase in each year of the contract, along with a $1,000 signing bonus.
— with files from AM800's Rob Hindi
Front sign at Jamieson Laboratories on Rhodes Drive, February 1, 2024 (Photo by AM800's Rob Hindi)