MONTREAL — Rogers Sugar Inc., Canada’s largest sugar refiner, said operation and maintenance workers at its Montreal cane refinery had ratified a new five-year collective agreement on June 6. The plant reopened a few hours later, allowing all production activities to resume, the company said.
There are about 200 unionized workers at the plant, which has production capacity of about 440,000 tonnes of refined cane sugar annually. The refinery is operated by Lantic Inc.
Contract details were not available.
“We are extremely pleased that, together, we were able to find a compromise to reach a satisfactory outcome for both parties,” said John Holliday, president and c.e.o. of Lantic. “Over the next few months, we will be working hard at strengthening our relationship with the union and its members.
“We would like to extend our gratitude to our customers for their understanding. We would also like to thank all of our employees for their continued support.”
Workers had been on strike and plant operations suspended since May 31 when negotiations broke down. Collective bargaining talks began in March after a three-year contract expired Feb. 28.