Windsor Titan Tool Workers Escalate Protest by Blocking Transport Trucks
Locked-out workers at Titan Tool & Die in Windsor have taken dramatic action by blocking multiple transport trucks along Howard Avenue, intensifying a labor dispute that has now stretched beyond 200 days. The workers, represented by Unifor Local 195, allege the company is attempting to secretly move manufactured product from the facility despite previously indicating it would cease all Windsor operations.
Transport Trucks Idle as Workers Maintain Blockade
On Thursday afternoon, six tractor-trailers sat immobilized in the middle of busy Howard Avenue as dozens of locked-out workers and union supporters maintained a blockade at both entrances to the Titan Tool facility. The workers believe these trucks were dispatched by the company to collect product manufactured inside the plant, contradicting Titan's stated intention to wind down Windsor operations.
"The company is not being truthful," declared Unifor Local 195 president Emile Nabbout, who represents the Titan workers. "They are very unethical. They have been lying to us all along." Nabbout confirmed that as of Thursday, workers have been locked out of the Howard Avenue facility for 201 days by their employer.
Contradictory Actions Following Closure Announcement
The current escalation follows a written email sent to the union by Titan CEO Dominic Chimienti on February 12, in which the company stated it no longer intended to produce product at the Windsor facility. According to Nabbout, the union immediately requested a meeting to negotiate a closure agreement and severance packages for workers after receiving this communication.
"The company had notified us a few weeks ago that they no longer want to produce a product in this facility and they want to cease their operation completely in the City of Windsor," Nabbout explained.
However, just days after the union initiated legal proceedings regarding the closure, workers began observing suspicious activity at the Howard Avenue facility. Nabbout reported seeing die equipment being moved across the street to the company's sister facility, Futura Tool & Die, for repairs before being transferred back to Titan Tool.
Evidence of Continued Production Emerges
Union representatives documented increasing signs of ongoing production at the supposedly closing facility. Workers reported hearing machinery noises coming from inside the plant, observing more die equipment arriving, and witnessing the delivery of coil materials and additional machinery. Most significantly, Nabbout claims the employer brought replacement workers through the Futura Tool & Die facility to operate the presses at Titan Tool.
"That's when the union said, 'OK, now you're producing product, you bring in scabs, you lock us out, and you expect us to sit and do nothing,'" said Nabbout. "So, we initiated this activity starting on Monday."
Blockade Strategy Implemented
According to Nabbout, union members began blocking trucks attempting to enter and exit the facility on Monday evening. He noted that transport vehicles continue to arrive daily, but typically depart voluntarily after workers explain the ongoing lockout situation to the drivers. The union had previously rejected a company proposal that workers say included 15 pages of concessions, further complicating negotiations.
The blockade represents a significant escalation in the protracted labor dispute, which has now entered its seventh month. Workers remain determined to prevent what they view as contradictory actions by management while continuing their fight for fair treatment and appropriate severance packages should the facility truly close.
