Unifor Canada announced on Friday that it had won a historic arbitration award of around $15 million dollars for former employees of Wescast Industries after they were terminated in 2023 when the Wingham casting facility was shut down.
The Unifor Local 4207 members were employed at the plant which primarily cast vehicle engine manifolds for customers including Ford, GM, Volvo and others.
The arbitrator ruled that Wescast clearly violated its obligation to pay workers enhanced severance and termination play as outlined in their collective agreement as well as under Ontario’s Employment standards act.
Unifor Local 4207 Plant Chair Joel Sutton says he is proud of that the legacy as Wescast workers is that they stood up for themselves, took the fight head-on, and won a significant victory that not only benefits them, but all workers across Canada.
