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Unifor has seized control of a factory in Milton and halted production in the midst of a bitter dispute over pensions with Northstar Aerospace, which also has a facility in Lakeshore.

The occupation began at 4 a.m. Thursday with the union demanding that the company fund a “dramatic 24 per cent pension deficit.”

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“This action sends a clear message to Northstar that the company cannot short-change workers and the pension of retirees that have made it profitable for so many years,” said Unifor national president Jerry Dias. “There is no financial reason for refusing to fund the plan. The only excuse is corporate greed.”

Unifor said the company has announced the re-location of the Milton facility’s equipment to Chicago and Windsor, but refuses to meet the pension shortfall for workers facing job loss.

Unifor and its Local 112 have tried since January to negotiate a closure agreement to protect pension provisions and benefits.