Weeks later, workers remain on picket lines at Windsor Salt, Highbury Canco

Fri, March 3, 2023 

Workers at Windsor Salt have been on strike since Feb. 17. (Jason Viau/CBC - image credit)

More than 650 workers at two Windsor-Essex area employers say they're tired of watching other workers do their jobs while they remain on the picket lines fighting for contracts they believe are fair.

Around 405 employees of Highbury Canco walked off the job on Feb. 13 after rejecting the final offer from their employer because they said their wages aren't keeping up with the cost of living.

"We're entering our fourth week of labour dispute starting on Sunday," said Sam Caetano, the director for United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 175 Region Six.

"So it's almost three, four weeks, and we haven't heard anything from the employer. So we're really at a standstill."

As trucks crossed the picket line at the company's facility in Leamington, Ont., Thursday, a sign out front read, "Scab City."

'I might have to look at going somewhere else'

Workers on the line told CBC they were concerned about their financial situations as the strike ground on."

"Our benefits were cut off as soon as our strike started," said Rick Olah. "So that's the biggest thing, because my wife is on a lot of medication and stuff."

Eddie Noster said workers such as himself tried to prepare for the strike by working overtime to set aside cash, but paying bills would get tough if the strike continued for a long time.

"I might have to look into going somewhere else, honestly, depending on if it's going to be a long, long strike," he said. "But I have hope that we'll be back in soon."

Over at Windsor Salt, where approximately 250 employees have been on strike since Feb. 17, a court injunction filed by the company came into effect Wednesday that prevents workers from blocking non-unionized workers crossing the picket line.

Jason Viau/CBC

"That's a little bit more upsetting now than in the past," said Mario Fiorito, "because we see the trucks the last couple of days are going in and loading product out and shipping the product to our warehouses, which hasn't been happening up until yesterday."

The union told CBC News at the start of the strike that the company was refusing to talk about financial requests unless the union would allow the company to contract work in its salt mine to non-union employees.

Unifor Locals 1959 and 240 are bargaining with Windsor Salt for the first time since the company was bought by U.S.-based holding company Stone Canyon Industries in 2021.

CBC reached out to both Windsor Salt and Highbury Canco for comment but did not receive responses from either.

Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky grilled Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton at Queens Park about the strikes, calling on the government to pass what she called anti-scab legislation.

The minister replied that the government is proud of its labour relations, saying that 99 per cent of deals are reached at the bargaining table.