A 192-day strike by Windsor Salt workers has come to an end after its Unifor members ratified a new five-year contract with their employer yesterday.
The union representing office workers and workers at the company's Windsor salt mine announced a tentative agreement had been signed between the bargaining committee and the employer in July.
There are three units of workers at the mine and according to CTV Windsor, all three units voted in favour of the new deal.
The Ojibway Mine ratified a new collective agreement with production employees voting 69 per cent voting in favour.
Members at the evaporation facility voted 97 per cent in favour and 86 per cent of skilled trades also voted in favour.
Members of Unifor Local 240, which represents office workers, voted 100 per cent in favour.
Workers belonging to the fine salt facility will report in for work on Monday, while workers at the Ojibway mine will return to work the following week.
Unifor says the new collective agreements include wage increases of up to $4.60 per hour over the term, a $3,000 ratification bonus, shift premium increases and a variety of benefits enhancements.
Unifor National President Lana Payne says determination on the picket line and support from local unions and the labour community at large helped them achieve a contract their members could support.
“We received outstanding support from Windsor residents and union members in our community. From auto workers to teachers, it really felt like people in Windsor knew what was at stake and they showed up to defend workplace rights and keep picket line morale high.”
This round of bargaining was the first since Windsor Salt was purchased by Stone Canyon Industries in 2021, a U.S-based private holding firm and the ratified deal comes after a previous tentative contract was rejected in July.