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MONCTON—Three Unifor members from Local 4501 were struck by a vehicle while on a picket line in front of Acadia Toyota in Moncton, N.B.
“Our members have the right to picket for fair wages without experiencing violence,” says Linda MacNeil, Unifor Atlantic Regional Director. “Thankfully, the members only sustained bumps and bruises, but this could have ended in a tragic situation.”
The incident took place around 9 a.m. Friday, April 8, 2022 when members said they saw a woman in a Toyota car quickly approach the picket line and hit three members, while others jumped out of the way. The driver left the scene and Unifor members called the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, filed a report and gave officers the driver’s plate number.
The 18 Acadia Toyota workers – technicians, parts and detailers – have been strike since Thursday, April 7 when their employer would not budge on major issues such as higher wages that take inflation rates into account and more paid sick days.
The Toyota dealership workers held a vote on Monday, March 14 and delivered an overwhelming strike mandate to their bargaining committee.
The employer was quick to return to the table following the vote but did not fundamentally change their offer.
They joined alongside 25 Moncton Honda workers from the same Unifor Local 4501, whose employer followed a similar pattern. Moncton Honda workers, however, served strike notice Wednesday morning, but were able to get a tentative deal later that same day. That group ratified the four-year agreement the evening of April 7.
Honda’s new agreement is retroactive to January 1, 2022 and will include roughly 3% pay bumps each year, along with more paid sick days and allowances for more safety tools.
“Toyota is stalling because they don’t want to follow in their competitor’s footsteps,” said Norbert Levesque, President of Local 4501, representing workers at both dealerships. “On the picket line, a customer pulled up and said he needed his tires torqued. Our members helped the man along and he went on his way. That’s how much pride our members take in their work.”
MacNeil is hoping for a short strike and wants Toyota to come back to the table with a reasonable offer.
“The workers at Toyota have the lowest wages of all the unionized dealerships in Moncton,” said MacNeil. “They’ve been out of a collective agreement for 14 months. Theirs expired at the end of February 2021. Enough is enough.”
Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector and represents 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
For media inquiries, or to arrange interviews via phone, Skype or FaceTime, contact: Unifor Communications Representative David Molenhuis: David.Molenhuis@unifor.org or (416) 575-7453.
