October 20, 2017 - Today, the USW Local 1944 became aware of the settlement that has been signed between International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 213 and Shaw on Wednesday, October 18, 2017.

This settlement closes a grievance filed earlier this year by Shaw against IBEW Local 213 for an alleged ‘illegal strike’ last year. In addition to this, a settlement was also reached to settle their grievance for the laid off TFRs.

USW Local 1944 would like to acknowledge the hard work by the IBEW in fighting for their members during this challenging time and in achieving this settlement for their membership.

The settlement reached for the IBEW 213 members does not affect USW Local 1944 members or the grievances we currently have regarding similar issues.

USW Local 1944 stands our ground. It remains our opinion that our 54 members were laid off out of seniority, a direct violation of the collective agreement.

“Most probably, this is going to be another challenging year for our members”, stated Lee Riggs, National President of USW Local 1944. “Though Shaw is a very profitable company, it has proved many times that it does not grant its employees the benefits they deserve. Now is the time for Shaw to realize that its workers are its most valuable asset, and to be fair and respectful towards their rights. I want to thank our members for their patience and solidarity. We need to stay united to stay strong.”

Our union remains committed to fighting Shaw’s attack on our members through the arbitration process. We will communicate with our members as developments occur.

In Solidarity,

United Steelworkers Local 1944