Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based US Steel Corporation has locked out approximately 900 of its 2,200 workers at its Hamilton Works plant in Ontario.
US Steel had told the United Steelworkers Union of Canada Sunday that workers would be locked out if the steelmaker and union failed to reach an agreement on pension plans and retiree benefits-US Steel wants all new employees to move to a specific contribution retirement savings plan. Union leaders have rejected the demands, and are not allowing the plan to be voted upon by unionized workers.
The union and US Steel have been in negotiations since May of this year and employees have been working without an official contract since July 31.
Local union president Rolf Gerstenberger stated publicly that the plan is unjust, and that US Steel is demanding unfair concessions to workers' pension plan.
US Steel is currently being sued by the Canadian government for failing to maintain the employment levels at the Hamilton Works facility it agreed to when acquiring the plant in its acquisition of Stelco Inc. in 2007.