KITCHENER, ONT. — More than 1,000 members of the Steelworkers union are on strike against Michelin-owned BFGoodrich Tires in Kitchener, Ontario.

United Steelworkers’ Ontario/Atlantic Director Wayne Fraser said the local union’s negotiators worked over the weekend with a Ministry of Labor mediator to try to reach a settlement.

BFGoodrich had asked workers to pay a portion of their benefits – the annual amount of which the company wants to limit. A lifetime cap on health care benefits for future retirees was also part of BFGoodrich’s proposal.

“Our members contribute to the overall health of a company that produces a number of high-quality passenger, light-truck and high-performance tires,” Fraser said. “They are not prepared to accept deep cuts to their contract, including contracting out of jobs and the slashing of health benefits.”

Michelin Canada is headquartered in Laval, Quebec, and operates four plants in the country.

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