MONTREAL — Striking workers at the giant Metro supermarket chain here continue to win support for their fight for a better contract. The Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN), their union, has condemned Metro bosses for using contract drivers as strikebreakers making deliveries to 670 supermarkets throughout Quebec.
The 550 strikers include drivers, warehouse and head office workers. They’re represented by the Grocery Workers Union, part of the CSN, one of Quebec’s main labor federations. They have been on strike since March 30.
Workers are demanding a 20% wage increase in the first year of a three-year contract and 5% in each of the next two. Under the last six-year contract, which expired in September, workers received an 11% increase, less than 2% a year, well below the rate of inflation.
Safety is also an issue with workers facing a lot of shoulder and lower back injuries due to lifting heavy boxes.
“In addition to using every possible tactic to circumvent the law, Metro violated it by hiring strikebreakers to do the work of its employees,” said CSN President Caroline Senneville.
Metro denies using strikebreakers.
Meanwhile, morale is high on the picket line at the massive Metro warehouse in Laval, north of Montreal. Working people driving by honk their horns in support. A delegation from Division 89 of the Teamsters union who work as rail conductors at Canadian National came to the line April 15 to express their solidarity.
“The Metro workers are waging an important fight and deserve our support,” CN rail conductor Christopher Giroux told the Militant. Messages of solidarity can be called in to the union at (514) 714-0878 or email Info@stteumr.ca.