Canadian Porcelain Company

Workers returning at porcelain plant

Workers at Canadian Porcelain have ended their month-long strike and are headed back to work.

The employees, members of Local 249 of the United Glass and Ceramic Works of North America, have accepted a new two-year contract.

The contract, which was accepted by a 86-to-28 vote, provides for a 60-cent hourly increase in the first year and 50 cents in the second year.

It also provides for increased fringe benefits estimated to be worth 15 cents an hour.

The contract is estimated to provide increases of 11.8 per cent in the first year and 8.8 per cent in the second year will have to approved [sic] be approved by the anti-inflation board.

"It appears to be right on the line or a little over," said Local president Mits Shimoda.

The workers, who averaged $4.99 an hour under the old contract, had rejected wage increases of 50 cents in the first year and 45 cents in the second year before going on strike.