Steelworkers, Bedrock Reach Agreement on Pointe-Noire Pellet Plant

SEPT-ÎLES, QC, March 18, 2019 /CNW/ - United Steelworkers (Syndicat des Métallos) Local 6254 and Bedrock Industries have reached an agreement-in-principle on a collective agreement renewal related to the restart of the Pointe-Noire pellet plant in Sept-Îles.

"We are very pleased to have reached an agreement-in-principle that will determine the working conditions that will be in place once the plant reopens," said Nicolas Lapierre, Steelworkers Co-ordinator for Quebec's North Shore region.

"The negotiations went well, with both parties demonstrating they were serious about the process," Lapierre said.

The agreement-in-principle calls for the collective agreement to be ratified by workers at the Pointe-Noire pellet plant once it is back in operation.

The Pointe-Noire plant employed Steelworkers members before its shutdown in June 2013. A few months later in 2014, Cliffs Natural Resources filed for protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act. It is now owned by the Société ferroviaire et portuaire de Pointe-Noire (SFPPN) and should be officially taken over by Bedrock Industries soon, once a commercial agreement between the two groups is finalized.

"This agreement-in-principle is one more step towards restarting the plant," said Steelworkers Local 6254 President Robert Roy.

"The collective agreement features competitive provisions that are in line with what exists in this sector. It will also allow some flexibility in the organization of work to facilitate the restart of production," Roy said.

The United Steelworkers/Syndicat des Métallos is the largest private-sector union in Quebec, representing 60,000 workers in all sectors of the economy.

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)