Six mechanics at Taylor Chrysler in Hamilton, Ontario, have drawn a line in the sand. Exhausted from days of unsuccessful back-and-forth bargaining and left with no other choice, they walked off the job yesterday morning to demand better from their employer.
The workers are members of Teamsters Local Union 879.
Wages and hours lie at the core of the strike. Mechanics at Taylor Chrysler are paid $3.30 less per hour than their counterparts elsewhere in the city. The gap is unjust, and actively devalues their hard work and expertise. Further exacerbating the situation is the lack of guaranteed hours. The mechanics are asking for a fair guarantee of eight hours a day to accommodate the variable nature of warranty work.
“These six mechanics have the backing of all 125,000 members of our union. Their fight is our fight,” commented the national president of Teamsters Canada, François Laporte.
“We remain hopeful that Taylor Chrysler will come to terms with the concerns of their hardworking mechanics. They deserve a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work, and a stable, guaranteed work schedule,” said the president of Teamsters Local Union 879, John McCann.
