If Ontario goes ahead with a proposed wage freeze for public sector workers, there could be huge consequences.

The head of the Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW) warns that strikes are likely if Premier Dalton McGuinty sticks to his plan, which would maintain wages at their current rate for two years.

But CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn says it’s too early to tell if a job action is imminent.

Approximately one million workers would be affected.

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BOWMANVILLE — The strike at Bowmanville’s St. Marys Cement has entered its 18th week, and talks between the two sides have broken off.

Approximately 100 Canadian Auto Workers Local 222 workers hit the bricks March 12, with pensions as the major issue.

Talks broke off last Friday, CAW local president Chris Buckley said.

“We’re waiting to get a signal the company’s ready to go back to the table,” he said, noting the union’s willingness to bargain to end the “terrible dispute.”

But, “St. Marys has no desire to end the strike, because they’re running the plant with scabs,” Mr. Buckley said.

Replacement workers are bused in and out, past the picket line on Waverley Road, south of Hwy. 401, each day, and the plant is said to be running at 60 to 80 per cent capacity, Mr. Buckley said, calling on the Province for anti-scab legislation.

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Navistar workers have made a significant impact and should play a role in the future, said a labour delegation to Chatham- Kent council on Monday.

More than 150 people took part in a march from Canadian Auto Workers headquarters to the Civic Centre to raise awareness on the idled truck-making facility.

Aaron Neaves, CAW Local 127 president, said a grassroots effort is needed to lobby senior levels of government to get involved.

“The Navistar plant is important,” he said. “Too important to let slip away.”

He said the economy is on the upswing with a higher demand projected for heavy-duty trucks.

“We need to ensure our plant and our community take part in this recovery,” he said.

In the 1990s, the Richmond Street facility employed more than 2,000 workers. The plant was idled at the end of June last year when the last contract expired.

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The option of a strike against VIA Rail Canada has been approved by more than 94% of Canadian Auto Workers members working for the railroad, CAW says. CAW represents more than 2,000 workers at VIA in on-train and clerical services, including ticket vendors and maintenance.

Members in Local 100 and National Council 4000 have voted to support the VIA Master Bargaining Committee as the committee ponders a strike deadline of 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) Sunday, June 27. CAW says negotiations with VIA Rail management continue, with the next meeting scheduled for June 21 in Montreal, and running until the near-midnight deadline June 27, unless an agreement is reached.

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BOWMANVILLE — A strike at St. Marys Cement’s Bowmanville plant continues, but a deal has been hammered out to allow trucks faster access to the site.

The approximately 100 Canadian Auto Workers Local 222 workers hit the bricks March 12. Pensions are the major issue.

Wednesday, though, the two sides did come to an agreement with regard to allowing trucks to cross the picket line. Each truck had been held up 15 minutes, beginning when it arrived at the picket line, meaning each one could be held up for several 15-minute periods, depending on how many trucks were ahead of it in line.

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BOWMANVILLE, Ont. — Dozens of workers set up picket lines outside the St. Marys Cement plant in this eastern Ontario town on Sunday over proposed changes to their pension plan.

The walkout follows two months of intensive negotiations between the Canadian Auto Workers and the Toronto-based company.

Currently, the workers have a defined-benefit plan, meaning the amount of their pensions is fixed.

Similar plans across Canada have found themselves deeply in the red in recent years, mostly due to low interest rates, leaving companies which sponsor the plans scrambling to make up the shortfall.

CAW national representative Keith Osborne said the company wants to change the plan structure to a defined-contribution plan, which could mean lower benefits on retirement.

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