Conflict of work at the ABI: the union and management will meet

Photo screen Capture / TVA News

Louis Cloutier

Wednesday, 28 February 2018 22:01

UPDATE
Wednesday, 28 February 2018 22:04

Look at this article

BÉCANCOUR | The union representing the approximately 1000 employees of the Bécancour Smelter (ABI) is locked out since January and the management of the company will meet on 8 march, a first since the 22nd of last December.

The meeting was convened by the mediator who was assigned to the case. It will allow the management to focus on the conflict after eight weeks” with the union, explained the president of the section 9700 of the united Steelworkers union, the compassionate, the Mass, VAT New. However, it is impossible to know if the parties will discuss points of dispute on which the negotiations are unsuccessful from the beginning of the labour dispute.

The president-general director of the factory, Nicole Coutu, and its director of human resources will represent the company at this meeting. For its part, the union will send two representatives, including its president.

Pending the resumption of the dialogue, the workers ‘ lock-out continue to hold the fort on the picket line. They have received the visit of the retired Rio Tinto Alcan, who came along to support on Wednesday.

“It is not lucky! It is standing because the employer is insatiable. He always wants more!”, has launched the president of the Association of retired union members at Rio Tinto Alcan, Alain Proulx, during this visit.

The union, which has been open since the beginning of the lock-out to a resumption of the negotiations, argued that progress had been made on critical issues such as the pension plan and the compliance of the service with which the parties continue to talk.

The Labour minister, Dominique Vien, had convinced the union and management to resume the dialogue during the meetings held on 9 February.

– With the collaboration of Amélie Marcoux