Victory at last for workers at RTI Claro Inc.

Nearly two years ago, Quebec’s District 11 of the IAM filed a petition for certification with the administrative tribunal to represent a group of workers at RTI Claro Inc., a division of Howmet Aerospace.

Following the filing, the employer challenged the description of the bargaining unit all the way to the Superior Court to prevent the workers from unionising.

After much legal wrangling, an agreement was reached on the targeted unit and a vote was held.

RTI Claro workers voted in favour of the IAM by a large majority, finally succeeding in thwarting the employer’s attempts. They will now be able to elect their representative to negotiate a fair contract.

We congratulate our new IAM members on their resilience and determination and welcome them to the IAM family.

Éric Gagné, District 11 Organiser, said, “This group of workers never gave up hope and had full confidence in the IAM. We kept them aware of the developments throughout the process and they banded together to tell the employer that they had enough, even though the employer delayed for 2 years and attempted to divide them by delaying the unionisation process. The complete opposite happened and they are united more than ever!”