Michelin Contract

Flowercart celebrates 10 years of work with Michelin Waterville.

Our Community Employment Services team creates employment opportunities in the community for clients. In addition to helping employers with their choice to hire our clients, we accept work contracts through which we hire our own clients to complete work.

Since July 1998 we’ve provided contract labour to Michelin at their Waterville facility.  The number of positions has grown steadily and currently stands at over 45.  The type of work done includes preparation of single use items, like knives, recycling of reusable items, inventory control and stocking, and cleaning required to prevent contamination.

Clients complete piecework for Michelin at Hodge Podge Arts and Crafts Studio (a supported worksite within the Community Employment Services offices), inclusive of cutting and sewing industrial elastic, pre-assembling “tire mops” (an item used in the building of tires) , and producing tire tags.

Participants of Developmental Services Area and the Vocational Program also complete work for Michelin – preparing components for tire tags and cutting rubber "leaders". This work is done at the building most people think of as Flowercart, i.e., 9412 Commercial Street in New Minas.

A job means different things to different people. For some it is simply a way to earn money. For many of us, our jobs bring us personal satisfaction, a social position, connection to others who have similar values and work ethics, and so on. 

One of the first Michelin Contract Workers to be hired was Craig. Craig says he enjoys his job and will be happy if he stays at Michelin until he retires. “One thing this job means to me is better wages. But even more is that I feel like I really fit in this place. I am treated as an equal, not as an inferior. In my past couple of jobs I was treated as a member of the under class. People put me down; here they don’t.” Craig says he has “read the Michelin rules about not tolerating discrimination” and smiles “Here I feel safe. Anyone who judges others on what type of jobs they do or what school they went to, they’re losers.”

Jason likes the people he works with, noting “If you treat them good, they treat you good.” Jason has seen a few of his fellow contract workers leave their Flowercart positions at Michelin to be employed at other local production plants.  To Jason, his Flowercart job at Michelin is “a stepping stone”. He hopes it will lead to another, better paying job.

David reflects back on the job he had before coming to work at Michelin; he really appreciates the improvement in his work environment. “This job is easier on the body. This job has better air, it’s cleaner, the hours aren’t so long.” He also has been enjoying the social connections he makes on the job, laughing “I get to meet people I haven’t seen in years.”

Jason has found satisfaction in the variety of work he does. “I feel important. People count on me to do my job. That makes me feel good. And I like working around machinery and trying all the new things I can.”

Many of the most enduring and satisfying aspects of a job have little to do with acquiring power, wealth, or fame.  Better wages, personal health, safety and security, feeling valued, having fun and achieving career goals are offered to Community Employment Services clients that work at Michelin Waterville (CA3).