The publication's management wanted to cut wages and lower working conditions for no good reason (other than waging war on workers).
The Teamsters Canada press release explains,
Me Jean Barrette, the arbitrator appointed in this case, rejected a good number of the many concessions demanded by the employer such as adopting a 12-hour work schedule over three or four days, changing the status of certain permanent employees to replacement workers, and substantially reducing wages and benefits.The workers will get a $1,200 lump sum payment and a 1.2 percent increase in hourly pay. Those above pay scale will instead get another lump sum.
The new contract came about because our Teamsters brothers and sisters stopped work in June 2011. That set in motion a unique automatic negotiation mechanism that is part of their contract. The employer tried to eliminate that provision, but failed.
Teamsters Canada President Robert Bouvier said the solidarity of the Journal de Montreal's workers was an example for all unionized workers in Canada.
And the rest of the world, we might add!
