Direct Coil employees join the Union
May 2, 2018
A difficult three-month campaign for workers at Direct Coil Inc ended with a victory for the newest members of UFCW Local 175.
Approximately 100 full-time employees work at the Direct Coil plant located in the small, close-knit community of Millhaven.
The Keys at the workplace were particularly solid. They took great pride in their efforts to bring the benefits of belonging to a Union to their co-workers. Even when the employer fired one of the Keys, it didn’t stop him from continuing to help with the campaign. In fact, co-workers took up a collection out of their own pockets to help that worker when he was fired.
Despite a number of challenges and a lot of misinformation that circulated during the campaign, the employees stood strong and won.
“This group of workers is a real community that looks out for each other,” said Local 175 Organizer Ricardo Bocanegra. “Most importantly, they stayed united throughout the campaign and really demonstrated what solidarity looks like in action. It took everyone working together to achieve this victory, so I’m very proud of their achievements.”
Employees listed a number of concerns that drove them to seek Union membership. The workers want to achieve fairer wages, better job security, respect and dignity at work, benefits, and improved workplace health, plus put an end to favourtism and harassment.
Jobs at the facility include:
- Copper Fabricators
- Leak Testers
- Brazers
- Large Coil Builders
- Sheet Metal Operators
- Coil Expanders
- Drill Set-up Operators
- Fin Press Operators
- Shipping & Receiving
The employees voted to join UFCW Local 175 at a meeting on April 18, 2018.
So, do you want to meet more Workers who voted Union Yes!? Check out their victories here.
Or, are you a Non-Union employee who wants to make your workplace better? Find out why our Union would be a great solution.