National Steel Car Workers on Strike

Striking United Steelworkers Local 7135 members picket in front of National Steel Car’s plant entrance. Stephen C. Host photo.

Railcar production at National Steel Car, Hamilton, Ont., has been shut down since June 29 when 1,450 employees belonging to United Steelworkers Local 7135 walked off the job when contract negotiations stalled. The strike as of late July 6 was still in force.

Workers are demanding higher wages and improved safety, Local 7135 President Frank Crowder told the CBC. He said union negotiators “worked late into the night last Wednesday (June 28) to try and reach a tentative agreement but were unable to do so.” Negotiations had not resumed as of July 4, but Crowder expressed optimism the situation would change soon. 

“Their railcars aren’t being built and we know there’s a full order book that’s not getting filled,” he told CBC reporter Samantha Beattie. “The company feels the pressure and we do too in lost wages. We’re hoping the company will agree something has to be done here and let’s get back to work.”

National Steel Car did not respond to CBC Hamilton’s requests for comment. Railway Age has reached out to NSC for a statement and will update this story when and if the company responds.

The union said that wages need to keep up with inflation, according to the CBC report, adding, “These Hamilton union members are among a growing number of workers across Canada this year who’ve threatened job action or gone on strike, including West Jet pilots and federal public servants. Currently, more than 7,000 workers who load and unload cargo at more than 30 ports in British Columbia are on strike, as retailers warn it will disrupt supply chains and increase costs across North America.”

“We’re looking for a fair deal,” Crowder told the CBC. “The economy has gone crazy and inflation is up. We have a lot of workers coming from Niagara and Welland, and with the amount they have to spend on gas, they might as well find a minimum-wage job closer to where they live.”

According to Crowder, National Steel Car has offered workers 10% wage increases over three years, but he told the CBC that “steelworkers with other union locals have been promised more.”

Safety is also an issue. According to the CBC, three National Steel Car workers have died on the job in recent years. Crowder told the news outlet that conditions have improved, with Canada’s Ministry of Labour issuing two orders and 26 requirements to National Steel Car. However, he added, Local 7135 shares an office with the company’s human resources department, which he claims “intimidates workers who want to discuss safety concerns.” The union wants its own office space “and more full-time reps to do the work.”