Striking workers at Windsor Salt are marking six weeks on the picket lines, but Unifor insists their resolve is just as solid now as it was on February 17, the day they walked off the job.
Unifor is holding a rally on Monday to bolster morale on the picket line and send important messages to the employer and the public.
"This is a work location that has been there for 100 years," said Ontario Regional Director Naureen Rizvi. "Windsor is a union town -- they built their community on good jobs, and we think that the public is interested. We want the employer to know that we're going to talk directly with the public on how this strike is going."
Talks to end the strike resumed Monday. The two sides, Unifor Locals 240 and 1959 and Stone Canyon, plan to meet four days this week.
Central to the dispute are plans to outsource union work.
Rizvi explained why rally when it appeared hopeful last week that a deal was in the offing.
"So that they don't think that this is divide and conquer, which, my understanding is, they're trying to do at the bargaining table," she said.
Rizvi said workplaces have been dealing with the threat of outsourcing for some time.
"More and more employers are testing the will of the union and testing the will of the workers to see whether they can break through and find a cheaper way of paying labour," she said.
Six weeks on strike would be enough to test anyone, but Rizvi was absolute the workers haven't budged in their commitment.
"Even though being out in the elements is always a difficult thing. I think, what I can say is, their perseverance and their resilience hasn't moved one bit," said Rizvi.