A total of 420 unionized workers at the Molson Coors (TAP) brewery in Montreal have gone on strike, shutting down the plant’s operations.
Teamsters Canada says 99% of its members voted against the company's last contract offer and gave the union a strike mandate.
The union says the two parties do not agree on salary increases and on the establishment of a new layoff system that would not take seniority into account.
Union President Eric Picotte says working conditions have been deteriorating since Molson's merger with U.S.-based Coors in 2005 and worsened following a second merger with Miller a few years ago.
Molson Coors said in a statement that it is disappointed that employees walked off the job before it made a final offer because it is offering a “more than competitive wage and has a history of providing well-paying jobs” in Quebec.
The company added that it is working on a unspecified contingency plan as it works to keep meeting consumer demand.
