United Steelworkers (USW) members working at TMS International Canada in L’Orignal have negotiated a new collective agreement with the company providing improvements in benefits, wages, and pensions. TMS International and its employees provide industrial services to the Ivaco Rolling Mills steelmaking operations also located in the eastern Ontario community of L’Orignal.
The workers voted to ratify a three-year collective agreement that will be in effect until December 31, 2022. The new collective agreement provides hourly wage increases of CAD $1.50 as well as cost-of-living increases, over the life of the contract. By the final year of the agreement, wage rates will range from CAD $33 to CAD $36 an hour.
The contract also includes improvements to the workers’ defined-benefit pension plan and to health and welfare benefits such as vision care, dental care, paramedical services, life insurance and short-term and long-term disability coverage. Early-retirement provisions also are provided in the contract.
“Our members and the employer have built a mature relationship which fostered respectful and productive negotiations and produced a fair deal for both parties,” says Marty Warren, USW Ontario Director.