Unifor and PSAC to hold solidarity rally after 75-day standoff

Unifor Local 1541 members at Best Theratronics hold the picket line as strike hits 75 days. (CNW Group/Unifor)

KANATA — On July 15, Unifor and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) will hold a solidarity rally at the Best Theratronics Kanata facility. Unifor members have been on the picket line for 75 days without reaching a resolution.

“This employer has refused to bargain, has threatened our members with the loss of their jobs, and in doing so has violated their constitutional rights to free and fair collective bargaining. This is union busting. Plain and simple so we’re bringing the fight right to their front door,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

Unifor Local 1541 members initiated strike action on May 1 due to prolonged contract negotiations with Best Theratronics owner Krishnan Suthanthiran, who the union says “repeatedly offered zero per cent wage increases.” Suthanthiran criticized Canadian workers in an email during the Victoria Day long weekend.

Members from the Public Service Alliance of Canada also began strike action on May 10 at Best Theratronics, citing the company’s use of unqualified managers and non-union workers as strikebreakers. The company manufactures medical equipment used in cancer treatments.