Quebec Steelworkers Send Support to Windsor Salt Workers
Rio Tinto workers in Alma, Quebec represented by United Steelworkers Local 9490 sent a letter and $5,000 donation to Windsor Salt Workers expressing the profound solidarity that marks the workers’ movement in this country. The letter that accompanied the donation from the Alma workers reads:
Brothers and Sisters,
We are writing to express our support for you during the current strike. We believe strongly that we must stand together to see this struggle through to the end. Indeed, we remember that in 2012 we were in a similar situation with our employer, Rio Tinto. Our struggle was also against subcontracting and we won, after six months, with the support of dozens of unions.
Our solidarity is crucial because we know that subcontracting weakens us all. It is therefore important that we fight together against these global giants.
Today we took a decision to support you in this fight for your working conditions and the preservation of union protections in the workplace.
We are enclosing a cheque to assist you to continue the struggle until victory.
In solidarity,
Sylvain Maltais
President
Syndicat des travailleurs de l’aluminium d’Alma, United Steelworkers Local 9490