The Local 1000 strike against Dryden Telephone has been settled with gains for the 10 employees involved. The employees also won a guarantee that wage issues will go to binding arbitration if not settled by next March. The strike ended October 6.
CUPE rep Dave Shier calls the settlement encouraging, given the extreme position taken by the company and the harsh bargaining climate of the 1990s.
Besides demanding major rollbacks, the Northern Ontario company hired a private security firm (Innerforce of Toronto) at a cost of $28,000 to $30,000 a week to escalate tensions and cast employees in a bad light.
Twelve private guards patrolled company premises for weeks even though no threats were made by employees and no property damage occurred.
Shier said it was a costly strike for the company and a relatively good settlement for employees.