120 Toromont workers hit the picket lines in Bradford as 1st collective agreement talks stall

Workers at Toromont Industries in Bradford strike over their first ever collective agreement.

More than 100 employees with a remanufacturing company in Bradford hit the picket lines Tuesday after contract talks stalled.

Unifor members are bargaining their first collective agreement and say the Toromont Industries has failed to address issues surrounding wages and benefits to secure a deal.

In a statement, Toromont CFO John Doolittle said the company respects employees rights to collectively bargain and their prerogative to strike.

Doolittle said the company has been working for months to align with the union for an equitable collective agreement, adding an offer, which he described as “fair,” was presented to the union.

“The union decided not to present the offer to union members and proceeded with a strike,” the statement reads. “It is our hope that this matter can be resolved as soon as possible. We remain ready to resume negotiations.”

The Bradford remanufacturing plant helps refurbish old Caterpillar machine parts for future use. Unifor is the largest private sector union in Canada, with more than 320,000 members across the country.