Unifor advances Titan Tool & Die bad faith bargaining complaint

Titan Tool is getting ready for a bad faith bargaining complaint after being locked out for 305 days.

A lengthy labour dispute involving Titan Tool and Die is taking another turn.

Unifor Local 195 President Emile Nabbout says it’s ending mediation efforts and is now pushing ahead with its bad faith bargaining complaint against the company through the Ministry of Labour.

The union first filed the application with the Ontario Labour Relations Board earlier this year, alleging that Titan failed to bargain in good faith following the lockout of unionized workers in August of 2025.

Last month, the union and the company took part in a virtual hearing, which resumed again earlier this week.

Nabbout says the union will now ask the Ministry of Labour to appoint another officer to proceed with the bad-faith bargaining allegations before proceeding with charges against Titan.

He says the latest mediation only reinforced the union’s concerns.

“What we found again is not a surprise to the union that the company continues to be unethical and the company is not trusted through the process. So we find as a union there is no useful time for us to continue with the mediation.”

He says the company has failed to meet its obligations after shutting the workers out.

“We’ve been notified by the company in writing that this company no longer wants to be in business as of January 13, 2026. There is a legal obligation for the company within 14 days to pay the severance and termination. But the company continues to cry that they don’t have the money and the assets.”

Nabbout says it’s unclear how long this next step will take.

“We are hoping that will go quick. But again, this is one option we are going to utilize, but we have multiple other options. Unifor are here to represent the members and the workers. And we are not going to let Titan Tool get away with it. And we’re going to fight until the end.”

Titan Tool & Die locked out its unionized workers on Aug. 11, 2025.

Last October, the workers rejected 15 pages of concessions from the employer, which included a wage freeze, elimination of cost-of-living language, elimination of retiree benefits, mandatory overtime, and concessions around pensions, among many others.

The union represents 60 members at the plant on Howard Avenue, including 27 active employees and 33 laid-off workers.