About 60 members of five other CEP locals at the same company in Montreal, representing mechanics, office, and warehouse workers have already signed contracts with the company. Some 1,100 production workers belonging to the Canadian Autoworkers (CAW) at the Camco plant in Hamilton, Ontario, are poised to go on strike as of April 22.

The company began phoning workers in the middle of night of March 30 to inform them they were locked out. Over the previous weeks workers on both shifts had slowed production by 50 percent and organized several marches inside the plant. These actions helped to forge unity within the union, between shifts, and between newer and veteran workers. At a union meeting April 1, workers voted 86.5 percent in favor of transforming the lockout into a strike. About 25 percent of those on strike, including many of the newer workers, are female.

Camco is majority-owned by General Electric. Workers at the Montreal plant produce dryers and dishwashers. Néré Dutil, vice president of Local 501, explained, "this is the first time since 1981 that workers have gone on strike at this plant." Dutil said that one of the main issues in the strike is a new pension plan the company wants to introduce for employees hired after March 2001. The present plan is fully funded by the company, but the new plan would incorporate employee contributions.

The company also wants to remove 30 of the most expensive items presently covered by its medical insurance plan, and is pressing to introduce 12-hour shifts in the press and plastic injection departments. Camco is only offering an average 1.5 percent wage increase over three years, with slightly more for workers classified as skilled.
 
 
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