Gerdau recycling workers on strike

Workers behind recycling operations for Selkirk’s steel mill walked off the job last week, calling for higher wages.

Unionized members voted to strike July 23, with a 92 per cent mandate. Months of bargaining hasn’t produced a new deal, said United Steelworkers Local 8740. The union represents 78 members striking at Gerdau AmeriSteel Manitoba Metals recycling plant.

“We’re not being recognized for the amount of work we’ve been doing,” Andrew Sealey, acting president of the local, said Thursday. “The mill is a sensational beast … We’ve got to feed her all the time, and she’s always hungry.”

The scrap metal inspected and unloaded at the recycling facility is used in steel mill operations.

Longtime recycling plant workers might make $9 less than a new steel mill labourer, according to the union.

Gerdau offered an $1,800 signing bonus last month during conciliation, the union said. That doesn’t solve the “main issue of fair annual wage increases,” it wrote in a news release.

Gerdau declined to comment on proposals, citing the ongoing bargaining process. It’s implemented contingency plans to minimize disruptions, spokesman Adam Parr wrote in a statement.

“Throughout the bargaining process, our objective has been to reach an agreement that provides fair compensation and benefits while ensuring the economic competitiveness and sustainability of the facility,” Parr wrote.

He noted the “particularly challenging economic environment” for Canadian steel producers. The United States has placed a 50 per cent tariff on some steel products.

In Winnipeg, six Peterbilt Manitoba technicians began a strike on Tuesday.

The crew is from the truck manufacturer’s east Winnipeg site. Teamsters Local 979 said the workers receive $3.50 per hour less than peers at the company’s Brookside Boulevard location. The two groups have different contracts.

“Both shops have the same posted door rate, which is an hourly wage rate for charging customers,” said Les Kauk, vice-president and business agent of the Teamsters chapter.

Peterbilt didn’t answer questions by end of day Thursday.

The collective agreement expired in May, and a final offer from the company was rejected, Kauk said. The parties are at a standstill, he added.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com