During the strike, IAMAW union member Leonard Loza packed his tools and donned his picket sign outside Finning's Edmonton headquarters.

Sixty-eight per cent of 801 participating union members approved a three-year collective agreement with Finning's Canadian division during voting over five days (Forkliftaction.com News #237).

On December 5, workers began returning to their jobs, which include servicing forklifts for Finning in the Alberta and Northwest Territories provinces.

The agreement, ending a strike that began on October 20, provides for wage increases of 4.5 per cent in year one, retroactive to May 1, 2005, and 4 per cent in each of years two and three.

Finning management retained the right to contract out work but accepted a stipulation calling for "no contracting out for the purposes of eroding the bargaining unit". The stipulation would prevent Finning from using contracting out to undermine the workers' union, the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAMAW).

The agreement created principles for contracting out decisions and the rights of those directly affected, the company said. Workers gained some protection, including 120-days notice of a layoff, an extra week's severance pay and an education allowance for affected employees, said Jason Rockwell, organiser and communications director for Local Lodge 99 of the IAMAW.

Vancouver-based Finning International Inc said the agreement applied to 1,070 hourly workers, but Rockwell said some workers left during the strike for other employment.
"We are not positive how many people quit," he said.

The new agreement expires on April 30, 2008.