United Steelworkers, Crown Holdings reach deal to end strike
Ratification vote to take place July 18-19 following 22-month dispute
After a 22-month strike left members of the United Steelworkers union pounding the pavement, officials said Thursday they had finally reached a tentative agreement with can maker Crown Holdings.
"I commend the members of Steelworkers Local 9176 and their negotiating committee for the incredible solidarity and character they exhibited throughout this prolonged struggle," said Marty Warren, the union's Ontario director.
About 125 workers at Crown Holdings' Toronto location have been on strike since September 2013, when they walked off the job due primarily to disagreements over a two-tier wage system the company wanted to introduce, according to the USW and workers at the plant.
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Last fall the union urged the public to boycott cans in favour of bottles.
The agreement is subject to a ratification vote that will take place from July 18 to 19. No details of the agreement have been released to the public.
Crown Holdings' Toronto plant produces about 5.5 million aluminum beer cans every day for companies like Molson Coors and Labatt. The cans are used mainly in the U.S. and in the Maritimes.
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