Northern Ontario union merges with machinists’ union

200 employees vote to join IAM

Members of the Northern Independent Union have voted 77 per cent in favour of joining the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) union.

The 200 employees of P.G.I Fabrene Incorporated, located near North Bay, Ont., will now elect an executive board and shop stewards.

“This merger agreement was a lengthy process that began last April,” said IAM representative Colin Cherry. “They liked our democracy, they liked the resources we can bring to the table in regards to negotiations and arbitration and they liked the fact that we were not going to overhaul how they operate.”

In the past year, IAM was able to win a grievance concerning a long term disability case and a reinstatement for one of the workers there, Cherry said.

“We really sold ourselves simply by providing representation to these people just like we do for all of our members,” said Cherry.

The new members are mechanics, millwrights, electricians and production operators who manufacture tarpaulins, bags and covers for the farming, transportation and construction industry.

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