Officials from Unifor will be in a Windsor courtroom Tuesday appealing a ruling from the Ontario Labour Relations Board to end the blockade at Nemak's plant in Windsor.
The blockade started a week ago when the union accused Nemak of breaking its contract with 170 workers at the plant. The workers agreed to a pay freeze in 2016 in a bid to keep the facility open until 2022, but earlier this year the company said it was shutting down the plant in Windsor and moving the work to Mexico.
Unifor Local 200 President John D'Agnolo said that would be the gist of his argument before the judge.
"We had an agreement. We shook hands. That plant was supposed to be open until 2022, and I don't want to lose focus of that. That's why we're out there," he said.
The Ontario Labour Relations Board made its ruling Wednesday. When Unifor defied it, a Windsor judge made a similar ruling to end the blockade. The union ignored that ruling too.
Unifor Local 200 president John D'Agnolo, third from right, Local 444 president Dave Cassidy, second right, and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, far right, join union members outside the Nemak plant in Windsor, September 3, 2019. Photo courtesy Unifor Local 444/Twitter.
D'Agnolo said since then, the workers have had a lot of support from the community.
"There's been a lot of people coming in that don't work at Nemak, that have come over to drop off food, drop off drinks. Restaurants have come in to drop off food," he said.
There is no indication when the blockade will end. D'Agnolo said it would be up to the court when it comes back with its decision, but he was not sure when to expect the ruling.
The company did issue a media release Monday morning saying it was open to discussing Unifor's grievance.
"The company is prepared to extend the time limits already expired, until further notice. In the event the union elects to meet and a resolution is not obtained, a referral to arbitration would be the appropriate and lawful next step. Nemak remains available and accessible to meet," read the release sent by Communications Leader Lucy Wildman.
BlackburnNews.com has reached out to Wildman to find out if company officials will be in court Tuesday.
The release also defended the company's decision to close the plant in mid-2020.
"The union is well informed as to the sharp decline in customer demand and the fact that declining customer volumes dictated the closure. The union filed a grievance on August 29th, as is permitted by the agreement, and the company replied to the grievance on September 3, also in accordance with the collective agreement.
"Unfortunately, the union elected to promote and engage in an ongoing unlawful strike commencing on September 2, rather than avail itself of the additional discussion and meeting steps permitted under the grievance process."
The statement runs counter to what Unifor officials told BlackburnNews.com at the beginning of the blockade.
Meanwhile, Unifor is planning a rally for Thursday to show solidarity with the workers at Nemak. It will be at the plant's location at 4600 G.N. Booth Drive in Windsor, starting at 11 a.m.
