Unionized workers at the Cleaver Brooks facility in Stratford are on strike.
Brad Ulch, union president of Local 7257, said 130 unionized employees were in a legal position to strike as of Midnight Wednesday.
Workers were lined up on Lorne Avenue outside of the facility on Thursday morning, responding to honking horns, waves and other signs of support.
Ulch said the union wants better wages and an increase to the company pension plan.
“The last time we bargained we didn’t come ahead, we were behind in wages, now we are trying to get ahead, that is the major sticking point with the employer.”
Welders and assemblers are the two main employee groups at the boiler assembly facility, as well as shipping and receiving employees.
Ulch said they are short skilled employees, currently having to bring people in that don’t know how to weld and train them to be welders. After learning in-house, they continue training at school.
Ulch said it is hard to know how long they will be on strike.
It is believed to be the first strike at the facility since the late 1980’s.
“We will be on strike until the employer comes back and actually wants to bargain at the table.”
