Vol. 73/No. 2      January 19, 2009

Petro-Canada had locked out the unionists on Nov. 17, 2007. On December 23, 94.6 percent of the workers voted to accept the three-year contract. Management had sought to impose a six-year contract.

Spirits were high at the meeting, and workers were proud of what they had accomplished. “We won,” many workers commented to Militant reporters on their way in and out of the meeting. “We’re very proud of ourselves to have rejected Petro-Canada’s offer after 10 months of lockout,” CEP member Gino, who wanted to give only his first name, told the Militant. On September 24, Local 175 members were forced by the Quebec Labor Relations Board to vote at Petro-Canada’s request on its latest offer—one that refused to grant workers in Quebec wage parity with refinery workers across Canada.

Richard Ingram, with 30 years seniority at Petro-Canada, told the Militant “I’ve never seen the union so strong. We united younger and older workers who didn’t know each other before. We fought hard and worked hard.” Alessandro Ranalletta, a field operator with three years in the plant agreed, “I have never experienced a strike. I learned a lot in 13 months. I didn’t think about the union before. I learned why the union is important. We all stuck together. You need the union in emergencies. The younger people need it.”

In addition to maintaining around-the-clock picket lines throughout the course of the long lockout, CEP Local 175 also reached out to the labor movement and other groups for solidarity. Union members publicized the CEP campaign to boycott Petro-Canada and sought donations and messages of support. Hundreds of union locals and labor federations sent solidarity messages and contributed funds to the foundation set up by Local 175 for the lockout.

Jim Upton, a member of the International Association of Machinists (IAM) Lodge 869 at Rolls-Royce Canada in Montreal, told the Militant that two locked out Petro-Canada workers attended their December 15 union meeting. They explained how the bosses got a court injunction limiting picketing to two of the 11 entrances to the refinery with no more than five workers allowed on the picket line at any one time. They also described constant harassment on the line by company-hired security guards and local cops.

“We’re fighting for our dignity,” one explained, “and we’re prepared to continue that fight. But we need your financial help to be able to do that.” In response, the IAM workers voted to donate $500.

After members voted to accept the contract, Local 175 expressed its gratitude on its Web site. “Thank you to the CEP and the CLC [Canadian Labor Congress] and all our brothers and sisters, affiliated or not, for your solidarity. Thank you for your support.” The unionists return to work on January 12.

John Steele and Jim Upton contributed to this article.  
 
 
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