City is stockpiling salt ahead of potential strike

CTV Windsor: Stockpiling salt The City of Windsor is stockpiling salt in lieu of a potential work stoppage at Windsor Salt. Stefanie Masotti has more.

The City of Windsor is stockpiling salt in lieu of a potential work stoppage at the Windsor salt mine.

Three locations across the city, including Windsor Arena, have been filled to the brim with salt as contract negotiations continue with Unifor Local 1959 and Windsor Salt. It's taken three days to move roughly 3400 tonnes or 95 truck loads into the Barn.

“If there is a work stoppage, we’re going to be up against it to provide services,” says Mark Winterton, road maintenance manger. “So we’re stockpiling salt as insurance.”

Winterton says there wouldn’t be enough salt for an extended period, but would buy the city some time. If a prolonged strike were to happen, the city does have a few options.

The city could look outside the region for sodium, including the Sifto salt mine in Goderich. However, it would be a costly investment for the city, with waterways all but shut down because of ice. Any salt coming from out of town would be trucked in.

Winterton says the more likely option would involve a salt/sand mixture.

The union says they will be in contract talks through the weekend. Workers will be in a strike position as of 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.

In a statement to CTV News, parent company Morton Salt says they are working closely with the union to reach a tentative deal.