Firm announces closure but Quebec union still thinks they have jobs!

The American head office of the Aleris aluminum factory said they are closing the factory in Cap-de-la-Madeleine but the union still thinks they are in a lock-out position. The firm states clearly that the final decision to close the factory is a result of the situation created by the labor dispute.

The company has nearly fifty plants throughout the entire world and this recent closure involves only five percent of their global workforce. There does not seem to be much bargaining power in Quebec. Nevertheless, the union maintains it is still in a lock-out position just because the announcement has not technically been presented to the Quebec ministry of labor yet. To which I say: “Good luck with the negotiations!” and “Add this to the list of Quebec unions that prefer unemployment.”

Just when you think things are incredibly pathetic, the union announces it has a highly imaginative Plan B to work towards the re-opening of the plant:

«Aleris, s’il décide de mourir dans le marché, il y a certainement quelqu’un qui est prêt à reprendre le marché», croit Daniel Goyette.

«On espère que le gouvernement va réagir»

If all else fails — abracadabra! — the government will step up to the plate!