Some 800 workers at ArcelorMittal's steel plants in Contrecoeur-Est and Longueuil are on strike as of Wednesday.
According to the union representing the workers, the conflict is mainly about salary.
"We are well aware of the current period of inflation, as well as the issue of labour shortages," said union representative Michel Courcy. "It is important for members to have wages and working conditions that maintain purchasing power and attract employees."
The collective agreements for members at the Contrecoeur East plant (6586), the Longueuil plant (8897) and the offices (8060) expired on Jan. 31 with members voting for a strike mandate.
At the Longueuil plant, support for the strike mandate was 99.2 per cent, while at the Contrecoeur-Est plant, 99.8 per cent of workers voted in favour.
In the offices, support was at 100 per cent.
"We have been trying to reach a settlement with a blitz of negotiations over the past few weeks, sometimes late into the evening, in order to avoid conflict," said Courcy. "Obviously, the company was not prepared to put what was needed on the table to avoid a dispute."
Last week, ArcelorMittal management insisted it was confident an agreement would be reached soon, balancing the company's competitiveness with favourable working conditions for employees.
The United Steelworkers, affiliated with the FTQ, is the largest private-sector union in Quebec.
It represents more than 60,000 workers in all economic sectors.
