UPDATED: A frustrating start to the new year for some workers in Thorold.
47 workers at Iafrate Machine Works on Beaverdams Road at Highway 58 were locked out by company officials on Monday.
The members of Unifor 199 have been picketing outside the building.
One worker, says a strike vote was held over the weekend after the latest contract offer from the company was turned down.
The employee who did not want to be identified says before the workers could strike they were locked out Monday morning.
He says outside 'scab' workers have been brought in to unload trucks.
The employee of over 20 years at the plant says he witnessed an incident where the replacement workers dropped a load of metal weighing up to 10-thousand pounds off the truck.
He says it dangerous for those workers because they are not trained properly.
To make matters worse, the worker says the owner notified picketing employees that he in leaving on vacation this weekend for 3 weeks and if a deal isn't reached before then, nothing will be solved while he is away.
We have reached out to Iafrate for comment.
A union official tells CKTB negotiations are at a standstill currently.
On its website the company describes itself as "with more than 35 years of solid practical experience, IMW’s custom machine shop in Thorold, Ontario utilizes CNC turning and milling machines, grinding, induction bending, induction brazing and other manufacturing methods to turn out top quality machined parts and forgings for our automotive, oil and gas, aerospace, chemical, defence/military, alternative energy, forging and machinery clients – all at competitive prices."
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