Workers at the Compass Minerals mine in Goderich remain on strike.
According to a release from Compass Minerals, 341 hourly workers are on strike. The company says it has put contingency operating procedures in place to keep the mine running.
“While we are disappointed Unifor has chosen to strike, it remains Compass Minerals’ goal to negotiate a collective agreement that focuses on the safety of our employees and represents the current operational environment of the Goderich Mine,” said Compass Minerals’ Anthony Sepich, senior vice president, salt. “Our employees are essential for the success of our organization and the company plays an important role in the Goderich community. We are committed to work with the union to negotiate an agreement that achieves this goal.”
The workers are represented by Unifor Local 16-0.
The contract that had expired was signed in early 2015.
Unifor national representative Glenn Sonier says the current proposal by the company is asking for too many concessions. That includes mandatory overtime, 12-hour shifts and a reduction in long-term benefits.
"There is a whole list of key issues that the union is saying, look, this is not going to fly. We've built a collective agreement over the years that we thinks works. And we are not about to water it down."
There is no time frame at this point on when negotiations will continue.