Amcor-CSN workers’ union strike action, they make screw caps for wines and liquor bottles

Workers at global packaging company Amcor are hitting the picket lines in Quebec, launching temporary strikes that kicked off Sunday.

The CSN union, which represents 97 Amcor employees, says the four-hour job action marks the first of several, with half-day walkouts planned for Monday and beyond.

In December, the union gave itself a 12-hour strike mandate that can be exercised at their chosen time.

Union president Stéphanie Boulay says wages remain the key issues in dispute.

She says other sticking points include personal leave, group insurance and seniority.

The date of the next general meeting of union members is unknown.

Amcor manufactures screw caps for wine and liquor bottles at a factory in the town of Saint-Césaire, which sits about 50 kilometres southeast of Montreal.

Crown corporation SAQ, the province’s alcohol distributor, says it has yet to determine whether the job actions will affect its operations.
Capsule industry targeted

“We will support the union members until they obtain conditions of employment commensurate with the work they do every day,” said Louis Bégin, President of the Fédération de l’industrie manufacturière-CSN, in a press release.

He added that the market for twist-off caps used on single-use bottles is a specialised field in Quebec.

“The employer has the means to pay his workers well, and that’s the spirit in which we’re going to pursue negotiations,” he says.

“If it wants to keep a skilled and competent workforce, Amcor will have to offer its employees working conditions worthy of the name,” says Caroline Senneville, president of the CSN.

This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews.