KANATA, Ontario — More than 40 Unifor Local 1541 members at Best Theratronics, a nuclear facility that manufactures medical equipment here, have been on strike since May 1. A key issue is higher wages. Union members rejected an offer by owner Krishnan Suthanthiran for a two-year contract with no wage increase. On May 10, members of a second union there, Public Service Alliance of Canada Local 70369, also went on strike when the company made no offer of higher wages to them either.
Angered by the bosses’ refusal to negotiate, Unifor organized a week of solidarity Sept. 23-27, encouraging union members across Ontario to come to Kanata and reinforce the picket lines. Striking workers on the line Sept. 24 told the Militant that they came from many cities, including Toronto, London, and as far as Windsor, to help them to keep the plant closed.
“Corporations are worldwide, maybe it’s about time unions look at doing the same thing,” said Mike Armstrong, a staff representative for Unifor Local 414 from Ottawa, explaining why they mobilized union members from all over.
“Our boss wants us to crawl back to work. He tells us, ‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,’” said Erica Leduc, a production controller and the PSAC local vice president. “He doesn’t even show up to negotiate,” added Steve Labelle, an electronic technician and Unifor Local 1541 president. Both said that Unifor and Public Service Alliance of Canada working together has been crucial to their fight.