Mike Da Prat, president of United Steelworkers Local 2251, announced late Monday night that members had voted 99 percent in favor of the strike authorization. The vote was taken by secret ballot on Monday at the GFL Memorial Gardens. Local 2251 represents about 2,000 hourly workers. The strike authorization vote is not a vote for an immediate strike, but places the Steelworkers in a legal position to strike. The current collective agreement expires at the end of this month. The Sault steelmaker recently reported net income of $243 million for the fourth quarter, up from $100 million in the same period last year. It also announced the largest payout per employee in its 121-year history: $151 million in total profit-sharing payments for the 2022 fiscal year. Da Prat argues that Algoma’s current fiscal prowess shows that the company needs to distribute some of that wealth with workers who over the years have repeatedly made concessions to ensure Algoma’s survival.
