Province calls commission to solve dispute at Toronto beer can plant

Mar. 17, 2015 – Ontario’s labour minister has ordered an inquiry to help end a long-standing dispute at a beer can manufacturing plant in Toronto.

Kevin Flynn has appointed Morton Mitchnick to conduct an inquiry into an 18-month-old strike by workers at the Crown Metal Packaging Canada plant.

The dispute began on Sept. 6, 2013 when 133 workers, who are part of the United Steelworkers union, went on strike.

They say they were provoked to strike by Crown Metal, a large, multi-national corporation, by demanding massive concessions from workers.

The province says Mitchnick will “identify key issues” and investigate the dispute’s underlying causes to assess the “prospects of settlement.”

Flynn says the government is concerned because the workers have been off the job for 18 months and a resolution is not close.