Unifor members at Dajcor Aluminum go on strike

Unifor announced that its Local 127 members at Dajcor Aluminum were beginning strike action after learning that the company was planning to remove equipment and bring temporary replacement staff into the Chatham, Ontario facility.

“Any attempt to remove equipment from a Unifor facility or bring in scabs will always be met with the swiftest possible response from our union,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “This is a clear case of escalation that calls for action. Our members have every right to defend their jobs, their plant, and their community from these deceitful tactics.”

A Unifor press statement reported that workers voted to reject a tentative agreement on July 29. Unifor said it extended the strike deadline and requested Dajcor return to the table with an improved wage package. Instead, the company “escalated tensions by preparing to move equipment and bring in scabs”.

“This strike is necessary to protect the integrity of our work and the future of this facility,” said Unifor Local 127 President Jeff McFadden. “Our members work hard and take great pride in producing high‑quality parts. The company’s plan to remove equipment and bring in scabs is a slap in the face to the very workers who help generate its profits.”

Through the union’s Protect Canadian Jobs campaign, Unifor is responding to a surge of threats to domestic manufacturing, including efforts to move work out of the country, the union said.

Unifor explained that Dajcor Aluminum has received public funding in the past, including a CA$2.48 million repayable contribution from FedDev Ontario and more than CA$1 million from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund to support production expansion and job creation in Chatham. More recently, the company invested CA$19.6 million to establish a sister facility in Chavies, Kentucky.

“Dajcor has received a great deal of support from the community of Chatham that has stood by this plant for years, from the provincial and federal governments that have invested in it, and from the loyal workforce who built its success,” added Payne. “You can’t accept public subsidies, rely on a skilled workforce for years, and then treat them like they’re disposable.”