Members of the sales staff at Hickman Chrysler Jeep at the corner of Peet Street and Kenmount Road have been locked out by their employer since 5:00 yesterday evening. The 9 employees who are members of the Teamsters Local 855 were expecting their contract to roll over, but they say their employer is looking for cutbacks and concessions.
Union spokesperson Roger Spracklin tells VOCM News that the cutbacks don’t make sense as vehicle sales in Newfoundland and Labrador have been better in comparison to the rest of the country, despite the ongoing pandemic.
He says they’ve been through the process, but they were not able to come to an agreement. He says the workers can not afford the proposed cuts.
Spracklin says the workers are always willing to go back to the table, but they need to see some good faith from the employer.