Algoma Steel union agrees to let members vote on last offer from company

Workers at Algoma Steel were sent to hospital after a workplace incident exposed them to hydrogen cyanide. Feb. 29/2020 (Jairus Patterson)

Algoma Steel announced Friday that United Steelworkers Local 2251 have agreed to take the company’s last offer to a vote by employees in the affected bargaining unit.

Operations will continue in the ordinary course during the voting process, the company said Friday in a news release.

"The union has agreed to provide advance notice to the company to allow for a safe and orderly shutdown of operations in the event the union instructs employees to go on strike," the release said.

Michael Garcia, Algoma president and CEO, said he was pleased workers would have their say on the offer.

"The company has offered a non-concessionary, top-of-market wage and benefit package which includes a 5.5 per cent wage increase, continuation of COLA, significant improvements in pensions and benefits for employees, and enhanced retiree benefits over a four-year term that delivers the stability needed to ensure a successful transition to electric arc steelmaking," Garcia is quoted as saying in the release.

"A signing bonus is also included contingent upon no disruption to operations and uninterrupted shipments to our customers … If ratified, this agreement will help to secure our collective future, provide for sustained profitability even at the bottom of the steel cycle, and allow us to maintain the phenomenal momentum we have generated together since emerging from CCAA.”