May Day rally supports Hamilton steelworkers

Around 100 people gatheredunder a Hamilton overpasson a wetSunday afternoon to stand in solidarity with a group of steelworkers who have been locked out of their jobsfor the pastthree years.

The rally,organized bySteelworkers' Union Local 1005,was heldat noon,across the street from the Max Aicher North America (MANA) plant at 855 Industrial Drive.Union presidentGaryHowesaidthe event was held partially in celebration of International Workers' Day, or May Day,and partially to keep the public aware of what's going on with the locked-out steelworkers.

"We're just saying what's going on here is wrong and the company should start to negotiate with the workers," Howe said in a phone interview on Sunday. Thelast time the company met with the union was in 2013, and there are no meetings scheduled in the future.

MANApurchased bar and bloom mills from U.S. Steel in November 2010 and at the time, new jobs were promised for the city's struggling steel industry. The company began laying off workers in 2011 and 2012, and in June 2013union members voted against the companies latest offer.

In July 2013, theworkers began picketing in front of the plant, demanding a better agreement. Howe said they've been picketing daily ever since.

"The workers haven't asked for any gains.The company is actually going for huge concessions," Howe said.

At its peak, there were 118 people in the bargaining unit. Now, most have retired or found other work. If a deal was struck today and the plant brought workers back, Howe saidroughly25 people would take their jobs back.

'Now it's revenge'

Following the event, some of those who attended the rally also went to the May Day celebration at the Workers' Arts Heritage Centre on Stuart Street.

RolfGerstenberger,former president of Local 1005, was one of the people in attendance.Gerstenbergersaid the situation with thesteelworkers is just another example of multinational corporations or governmentsdictating theirdemands rather than negotiatinga fairsettlement with union workers. Canada Post dealt with it, he said,and so did Air Canada.

"This is what workers are facing all across Canada," Gerstenbergersaid. "Companies don't want to negotiate."

As long asthe former MANA workerscontinue to picket and holdup the new workers at thegate, they'll continue toreceive strike pay of$200 per week from the union, said Gerstenberger.

Itdoesn't look like eitherparty in the conflictwill come to the bargaining tableany time soon.

"My view is, now it's revenge," Gerstenberger said. He believes the company is getting back at the workers for rejecting thesecond contract theyoffered back in 2013.

Paul Miller, New Democrat MPP for Hamilton East and Stoney Creek, also attended the rally and thegathering at the Stuart Street centre afterwards.

"I admire the people that formerly worked there for their ongoing attendance at the gate and their commitment to bringing this terrible situation to the public's realm," Millersaid.

Miller said it was unfair for MANA to treat their employees as they did. To keep this type of situation from happening again, Miller said the province needs to reintroduce legislation to stop corporations from hiring replacementworkers from outside of a union.

Company officials from MANA could notbe reached for commenton Sunday afternoon.