Workers at the Mondor apparel plant in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., have voted in favour of strike action, citing frustration with stalled wage negotiations and a lack of financial transparency from their employer.
The 25 workers, represented by the Syndicat des Métallos/United Steelworkers union (USW), voted 84 per cent in favour of a strike mandate as bargaining over wage adjustments continues. The group includes seamstresses and assemblers who produce tights and apparel for dance, gymnastics and figure skating.
The dispute centres on a wage reopener clause in the five-year collective agreement signed in 2022, which allows for compensation talks after three years. While workers exercised that right, the employer has refused to offer wage increases for the next two years, the union said Wednesday.
“If the company isn’t making money, it can just show us the books,” said Chantal Lalancette, president of USW Local 9414. “But at every bargaining session, it’s the same story — the employer brings out the violins to justify impoverishing these seamstresses.”
Many of the workers are paid by piecework and earn around $23 an hour. The company has cited financial challenges but declined to provide documentation to support its position, prompting the union to seek the involvement of a government-appointed conciliator. The next round of talks is scheduled for April 29.
Martin Courville, a USW representative, said the employer has increasingly relied on subcontractors and limited hiring, despite the dedication and skill of its longtime workforce.
“There are limits to how far you can exploit skilled workers who have been so dedicated to producing quality products,” Courville said.
He added that the workers have the full backing of the broader union should they choose to walk off the job.
