82.5% strike vote sends 'powerful message' By Andy Marshall Local 115A President The 82.5-per-cent strike vote by Calgary Herald editorial employees sends a powerful message of solidarity that already shows small signs of paying off. After our challenge to the company to return to the bargaining table, the company has given us dates when they will be available. They are Oct. 26, 27 and 29, with the possibility of going into the weekend.
The Canadian Museum of Civilization, criticized for ignoring some of Canada's unpleasant historic events, has opened an exhibit dealing with one of the ugliest confrontations in the country's history. With the help of $50,000 from the Canadian Labour Congress, the museum launched two "social progress" exhibits yesterday -- a recreation of Meeting Room No. 10, used by unions during the bloody Winnipeg general strike of 1919, and a companion Web site devoted to Canadian labour history.
The President of the Power Workers' Union today said that a paper issued by the Ontario Clean Air Alliance (OCAA) criticizing a provincial emissions trading program was unfair to Ontario Power Generation (OPG), one of the successor companies to Ontario Hydro. John D. Murphy, whose Union represents most workers in the province's generation sector, said that OPG has done more to combat air pollution over the last decade than any other electricity generator in North America.
`Two years ago, teachers in Ontario took to the streets to protest an unprecedented attack on public education levelled by the Harris government through Bill 160. Two years later, students, teachers, educational workers, parents and trustees are seeing the effects of reduced funding on public education in this province,'' said Earl Manners, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation. ``As teachers, educational workers, and many others in the educational community predicted in 1997, the real reason for Bill 160 was to reduce funding for public education and to remove free collective bargaining from teachers and educational workers.''
The Canadian Association of Communicators in Education (CACE) has awarded a prestigious BRAVO! Award of Distinction to the Nova Scotia Teachers Union for a series of programs, dating from 1992, which led to the establishment of the new Sheonoroil Foundation for Research into School Violence last May. The 1999 BRAVO! award was presented to NSTU director of public relations Les Walker last week at the CACE annual conference and business meeting in Victoria, B.C. It was given for ``demonstrated excellence in research, planning, execution and evaluation.''
As UTU leaders continue their feeble attempts to publicly embarrass the BLE over the Canadian Industrial Relations Board case concerning VIA Rail, one important fact remains undisputed -- UTU admitted, on the record, that it is in favor of dovetailed seniority rosters. In a UTU website article released today, UTU Assistant President Byron Boyd babbles on about the CIRB decision, which the BLE is appealing. He quotes extensively from an October 28 BLE press release regarding the case.
In an incredible ruling, the Canadian Industrial Relations Board compounded the error it made in 1997 when it allowed VIA Rail to combine the crafts of locomotive engineer and conductor on Canada's national passenger rail system. "The government in Canada created a very difficult situation for all parties involved when it allowed VIA Rail to combine crafts and eliminate jobs," BLE International President Edward Dubroski said. "While we disagree with the ruling and are in the process of appealing it, we maintain that VIA Rail and the Canadian government are the real culprits here." The CIRB decision concerns BLE's alleged failure to provide adequate representation to certain operating employees negatively impacted by the combination of crafts on VIA Rail.
More than 150 Union of National Defence Employees (UNDE) members attending their triennial convention in Victoria, delivered a clear message for Prime Minister Jean Chr�tien to Senior B.C. Federal Cabinet Minister David Anderson at a demonstration outside his office today: Stop contracting-out our jobs to private-for-profit contractors. The demonstration was not only the kick-off to their campaign to fight the creation of a "WarMart" within National Defence but it was also held as federal cabinet ministers were arriving in Victoria to meet with the B.C. Liberal Party. "Selling off the Supply Chain to the lowest bidder will not improve service or save money. It is merely a job cutting exercise," said John MacLennan, national president of UNDE, a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. "The Supply Chain is not broken and there is no need for the government to fix it," he added.
``The decision to permanently close the Abitibi-Consolidated plant in Chandler is unspeakably low,'' said Cl�ment L'Heureux, CEP-Qu�bec Executive Vice-president, and Elmo Whittom, Atlantic Region CEP Vice-president, when the announcement was made yesterday afternoon. The announcement came as a shock to officers of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP). ``For several weeks, we have been negotiating - getting the train back on track, so-to-speak. Today, Abitibi-Consolidated decided to sabotage all the efforts made for the recovery of the plant'', adds L'Heureux.
Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. announced today that, as a result of an in-depth re-examination of the long term newsprint market, it must permanently close its Gaspesia paper mill at Chandler. The Company has concluded that excess production capacity, both in its own network and in the entire industry, requires urgent measures to re-establish a balance between supply and demand. ``It is essential to permanently shut down production capacity, and the Chandler mill, which has been idled since June 20,1999 has among the highest production costs in North America,'' said Mr. Claude Janelle, Executive Vice-President, Operations - North America. The announcement was made this afternoon to the executives of the Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP)and to employees.
The refusal by the primary union at the Skeena Cellulose Inc. pulp mill to sign over its ownership stake threatens the B.C. government's efforts to sell the company, a lawyer for the government said Thursday.
By a vote of 81%, Booksellers at the Langley Chapters bookstore have rejected the Canadian Auto Workers union. ``Last spring, at the time of the union certification, our Booksellers expressed concerns about union pressure and intimidation and they asked for a democratic vote to express their views on union membership,'' said Mary-Alice Schmidt, Director of Human Resources for Chapters.
Celanese AG announced today that it will be closing its acetate filament yarn manufacturing facility in Drummondville on March 31, 2000. Company executives cited excess production capacity and persistent weak market conditions as the drivers behind the decision. ``We want to acknowledge the commitment and dedication of all the employees at Drummondville who worked so hard to make the site a success over the years,'' said David McKinnon, vice-president of the global acetate operations, who, along with site manager Marc Ducharme, announced the news today to the employees and their unions. ''It is indeed regrettable that, from a purely business perspective, we can no longer sustain their efforts.''
B.C. nurses want to stop handling meal trays and counting mice and get on with the job of helping patients. Their union has began a campaign aimed at cutting back the non-health-care work they do. The union says nurses are spending too much time on paperwork, answering phones and delivering meal trays.
The message to the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board from the overflow crowd at yesterday�s public forum on the proposed closure of the G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre and the future of rehabilitation services was loud and clear�start again and do it right. �People want the current proposal shelved because the focus is buildings and land rather than rehab services and programs. It�s a cart-before-the-horse approach,� says HEU secretary-business manager Chris Allnutt. �The consensus was put services first and produce a sound plan that will enhance rehab and guarantee concrete improvements in this critical area of health care.�
A Quebec labour organization wants a special labour investigator to look into possible interference at a union drive at Bombardier's plant in Valcourt, Que. The Confederation des Syndicats Nationaux is trying to sign up workers and form a union. But it's not going smoothly. Henri van Meerbeck claims Bombardier is interfering in his effort to organize 1,700 workers at the Valcourt plant.
Jimmy Pattison, the billionaire firebrand free enterpriser who established his first car dealership in 1961, will now have to deal with a union in his British Columbia shop. The B.C. Labour Relations Board granted Industrial Wood and Allied Workers (IWA)-Canada certification at the Jim Pattison Toyota dealership in Surrey after ruling that a majority of Mr. Pattison's 35 service and parts employees wanted unionization. The certification does not include showroom sales staff. "I think in his dealerships it's a breakthrough in the fact that it opens that door for us, and he has a lot of dealerships in the Lower Mainland and we're going to target more of them," said Dave Haggard, IWA-Canada president. "We're going to get a collective agreement as soon as possible, and take it from there."
Canada's largest union has sent a strong message to employers and governments at its national convention - ``don't mess with CUPE''. Delegates to the convention of the Canadian Union of Public Employees demonstrated they're determined to fight privatization, step-up organizing efforts and make real progress at the bargaining table. The 1,600 delegates adopted an action plan that takes on the right-wing attack on workers' rights and living standards by debunking tax cut myths, resisting concessions, rejecting privatization and mobilizing against funding cuts. As well, they adopted policies to protect public control of our municipal water systems and reject so-called ``public private partnerships'' that have led to higher costs, buck-passing and job loss. Delegates also approved plans to fight racism in the workplace and to promote opportunities for youth, creating jobs and improving services for young people. Delegates unanimously adopted resolutions calling for a national child care program and federal action to promote a viable Canadian airline industry, in which 9,000 CUPE members are employed as flight attendants.
The B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) is calling on the Capital Health Region (CHR) to immediately restore home support services, saying the recently announced cutbacks will leave elderly and disabled clients without home care and force them into hospitals and long term care facilities.
HEU members in the Capital Health Region are hopping mad � and it has nothing to do with Victoria General Hospital's rabbit problem. The health region has decided to raise the price of staff parking at all the region's health care facilities by up to four times. For instance, the charge for HEU members and other staff at Victoria General is 38� per day. Now they will have to pay $1.75 per day.
CUPE NATIONAL CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS OCTOBER 18 - 22 1999 - PALAIS DES CONGRES DE MONTREAL
For a lot of people who fly, just being in the air is worry enough. But these days, there's also concern about what's in the air inside the planes themselves. Many flight attendants are complaining about headaches, dizziness and other symptoms. The flight attendants say the air on board planes is not just stuffy and dry; it's unhealthy. "We're talking about something that's attacking the nervous system," says France Pelltier of Canadian Union of Public Employees. "We're talking something very serious in the sense that some of these flight attendants could be permanently impaired."
CUPE NATIONAL CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS OCTOBER 18 - 22 1999
- PALAIS DES CONGRES DE MONTREAL
For a lot of people who fly, just being in the air
is worry enough. But these days, there's also concern about
what's in the air inside the planes themselves. Many flight
attendants are complaining about headaches, dizziness and
other symptoms.
The flight attendants say the air on board planes is not just
stuffy and dry; it's unhealthy.
"We're talking about something
that's attacking the nervous
system," says France Pelltier of
Canadian Union of Public
Employees. "We're talking
something very serious in the
sense that some of these flight
attendants could be
permanently impaired."
The situation facing the people of Labrador will
become critical if government does not immediately implement measures to
retain nurses in Labrador. The Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses' Union is
issuing a plea to government to immediately respond to the proposals submitted
by the community-based Ad Hoc Committee from Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
On Monday, October 18, 1999, Debbie Forward, President, and John Vivian,
Executive Director, of the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses' Union met with
the Ad Hoc Committee, created to address nursing shortages in Labrador. The Ad
Hoc Committee is made up of community leaders, nurses, and employers in Goose
Bay, who are pressuring government to immediately address the issues of
recruitment and retention of nurses in Labrador.
New talks at the World Trade Organization (WTO)
could end up handcuffing democratic governments even more severely than last
year's proposed Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI), say members of the
Council of Canadians, the Canadian Labour Congress, the Sierra Club of Canada
and the Polaris Institute, who today announced a national campaign aimed at
halting the upcoming talks.
The Canadian campaign is part of an international effort to convince WTO
countries to assess the damage already caused by trade liberalization.
Officials from the 134 member countries of the WTO are scheduled to meet in
Seattle, November 30 - December 3, 1999 for the so-called Millennium Round of
trade talks.
ALSO SEE NO TO THE WTO FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF
PROTEST EVENTS AND CANADIAN NEWS ON OPPOSITION TO THE WTO.
CLC, Council of Canadians, Sierra Club and others hold press conference in Ottawa Today, Wed. October 20.
Canadian organizations opposed to the
launching of a new round of global trade talks plan to kick off their
campaign today in Ottawa.
The Council of Canadians and the Canadian Labour Congress will
be among 40 Canadian non-government agencies that want to stall
the new talks to be launched late next month in Seattle by the World
Trade Organization.
Earlier, the Canadian groups joined about 1,100 organizations in 87
countries that signed a declaration calling for the postponement of
talks because of concerns they may undermine national sovereignty.
A plan to hold a "Customer Appreciation Day" at the Ottawa courthouse has
raised the ire of some employees who wonder what message it sends to the
many criminals who frequent the building.
"This isn't a business that's trying to attract new customers," said Paul
Sharkey, president of the union for courthouse workers.
"A lot of people who come here don't want to be here. Who wants to come
to court?" Mr. Sharkey added.
Workers at the former K-Mart stores are a step
closer to getting more compensation for their lost jobs after
the Hudson's Bay Company dropped its court appeal in the
two-year-old case.
Two years ago the Bay's Zellers division merged with K-Mart
causing thousands of K-Mart employees to lose their jobs.
A class action suit was started on behalf of all those
employees and this summer a court ruled in favour of the
workers.
Shoemaker Bata Industries Ltd. said Monday it would reshuffle its North American operations and
close its historic Batawa plant in southern Ontario, cutting 209 jobs.
The Toronto-based firm said the closure was part of a continent-wide reorganization aimed at improving its market position and
margins. Bata will maintain a distribution center in Batawa, near Trenton, but phase out production at the site by March next
year.Bata, which employs 4,500 people in North America, said it would begin discussions on severance and other related issues with
the union representing the Batawa employees, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.
The company has also built factories in developing countries and employs 52,000 people around the world.
Tony Machala was one of the original "Bata Pioneers." He has his
own plaque in Batawa. Of the 80 names listed, only five are left. He
came over on the Ascani in 1939, escaping the war and heading off
to Canada to join young Thomas Bata, then just 24, in an attempt to
revive the family business in a safer land.
They started up in an old mill in Frankford, not far from where Tony
Machala watches for leaves, and they soon built a new factory
down the road on the banks of the Trent River. They put up war
housing, moved the workers and their families in and repeated
exactly what Tony Machala still calls, "The System."
The System is much like an old-style mill town. The company owns
the houses and rents to the the workers. The company puts up
stores and recreation facilities. The company runs the buses and sets
the rules. Tony Machala still remembers one Czech colleague
getting "kicked out" for smoking.
The inauguration of the new president of the
Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) and the official kick-off of
National Dental Hygiene Week(TM) yesterday were the forum for new president,
Lynda McKeown, to place an urgent call to all Canadians for more emphasis on
the oral health care of the elderly and to work with dental hygienists to
provide such care.
The startling findings released in a recent Canadian Medical Association
Journal study prompted Ms. McKeown to call attention to the cause in this year
the United Nations has designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Grant Obst says he's tired of going to funerals.
From police comrades murdered with their own weapons to
bystanders killed in high-speed pursuits, the Saskatoon policeman
says he has seen too many deaths. As head of the Canadian Police
Association, Obst began lobbying the federal government Monday
to make the streets safer.
Union workers at Prince Rupert's Skeena Cellulose pulp mill are taking the B.C. government to court, a move that could derail talks to sell the money-losing government-owned mill to an American company. The lawsuit could stand in the way of the sale of Skeena Cellulose to Enron Corp., a Houston, Texas-based energy giant, a spokesman for Premier Dan Miller said Friday.
AUPE RESPONSE TO GOVERNMENT CUTS
Alberta Government Announces privatization of over 20% of Government Services
Wealthy Albertans Get Huge New Year's Present Ordinary taxpayers get lumps of coal - Barrett
CUPE Local 500 to begin Bargaining with city of Winnipeg
Hydro-Qu�bec - Estimated electricity bills: adjustment process well under way
The labour dispute at Hydro-Qu�bec, which began on May 5, finally ended on September 27. Billings were particularly affected by the dispute and, consequently, electricity bills for residential customers have had to be estimated for the last few months. Residential meter-reading recommenced on October 4 and the process of making adjustments to estimated bills is well under way. Every customer should receive a bill based on an actual reading before the end of the year.
Ottawa unsettled as WTO strikes down Auto Pact
Why wait until the next century?
``Increased maternity/parental leave sounds great and I welcome the principle of extended benefits'' says Canadian Labour Congress Secretary-Treasurer Nancy Riche. ``This announcement is long overdue - but waiting until January 2001 to implement it makes no sense whatsoever.'' Riche adds that the federal government can and should implement the program immediately.
SOFTWOOD LUMBER DEAL AND RAW LOG EXPORTS BAD FOR CANADA SAYS IWA
BCGEU challenges BC Business Summit Summit agenda would hurt families, cripple communities
PSAC: Privatizing the Supply Chain: The Triumph Of Ideology Over Common Sense
The Supply Chain Project (SCP) team in National Defence (DND) has written a two-part business case to convince the federal government and the Canadian public that contracting out the department�s supply function will provide significant cost savings, improved levels of service and more meaningful jobs for DND employees. The SCP business case, however, is long on assumptions and short on facts, and fails to leave a convincing impression that the contracting-out will achieve those stated objectives.
Canadian Miners To Appeal Cominco Pension Case
Representatives of 4,000 Canadian miners and their surviving relatives said Tuesday they would appeal a court decision that failed to force Cominco Ltd. to pay a financial penalty for a breach of trust involving the management of employee pension funds. The retired miners and their supporters had asked the B.C. Supreme Court to order the Vancouver-based miner to return C$25 million worth of funds which they said were wrongly transferred by the managers of the company's Pension Fund Society (PFS). The funds, which were transferred between 1983 and 1989, were valued at C$90 million as recently as 1998.
New SFU/BCTF Study of Violence Against Teachers Provides Foundation for Building Safer Schools
OPSEU: Crown agency playing Russian Roulette with law enforcement
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario is playing Russian Roulette with the enforcement of the laws around licensed establishments and gambling, according to the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. Union members who work for the AGCO could be on strike as early as Nov. 1 in an effort to get a fair first contract. The AGCO was formed in 1998 to take over the work of the Liquor Licensing Board of Ontario and the Ontario Gaming Control Commission.
With only three million out of eight million sockeye salmon returning to the Fraser River this summer three hunger strikers succeeded in drawing attention to the crisis in the B.C. fisheries. The federal government, late Friday afternoon, agreed to meet Tuesday October 12, 1999, with representatives of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union / CAW, the Coastal Community Network and the B.C. government. The meeting, to be held in Vancouver, is in response to the call by the hunger strikers for the situation to be declared a natural disaster and the demand that relief funds be allocated immediately to communities, workers and their families hard hit by the crisis.
La CSN presse le gouvernement d'agir
CSN:Coalition pour le maintien de la d�mocratie et de la coop�ration au sein du Mouvement Desjardins
CAW launches national child care campaign; will release DaimlerChrysler letter
Canadian Auto Workers union president Buzz Hargrove launched his union's campaign for a national child care program today, explaining that while he is proud of the CAW's child care record at the bargaining table, the private sector cannot fill the need. ``Furthermore,'' he said, ``child care should not be tied to whether or not your employer is willing or able to pay. Child care should be a right, for every child and every parent who needs it.''
CAW will do ``everything in its power'' to keep Molson's plant open
``We are going to do everything within our power to see if we can find a way to keep this facility open,'' said Canadian Auto Workers union president Buzz Hargrove of the announced closing of the Molson's brewery plant in Barrie, Ontario, about 50 miles north of Toronto.
CANADIAN POLICE ASSOCIATION ALARMED ABOUT PRIVATE SECURITY
The Canadian Police Association has growing concerns over the encroachment of private security on areas of police responsibility. The private security industry is growing rapidly and uniformed security guards seem to be everywhere. A misplaced corporate practice has led managers and legislators to explore and experiment with alternate means of providing police services. The CPA's first and foremost concern is the protection of the public, the public interest and accountability to the public but also the protection of the office of police officer.
I.W.A. ENCOURAGES USE OF UNION PRINT SHOP IN WILLIAMS LAKE
he Industrial, Wood and Allied Workers of Canada (I.W.A. Canada) is pleased to announce that it has signed a collective agreement with the Image House print shop in Williams Lake, BC. "This is now the only I.W.A. certified print and graphic design shop in BC and we are encouraging unions in the Williams Lake area and throughout the province to check out what Image House has to offer," said I.W.A. Local 1-425 President Wade Fisher.
TURNING KIDS INTO VENTURE CAPITAL & SCHOOLS INTO BILLBOARDS
OFL 5 Oct 99 Education investors meeting in Toronto tomorrow hit pay dirt every time the provincial government cuts money out of Ontario's schools.
CANADIAN HEALTH CARE GUILD VOTES TO JOIN AUPE
ROYAL AIRLINE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS VOTE TO JOIN CUPE
The president of the United Steelworkers Local 9392 says fines of $405,000 for practices that have led to one fatality and a serious injury to another worker are no deterrent to Dominion Castings Ltd. ``For a company that regularly puts workers at risk, this is just a cost of doing business,'' said Muhammad Al-Amin, reacting to fines handed down Thursday to Dominion Castings for violations of the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act.
``Inward to the Bones,'' by Kate Braid, wins 1999 VanCity Book Prize
Inward to the Bones: Georgia O'Keeffe's Journey with Emily Carr, a book of poetry about a fictional friendship between two famous women artists by Burnaby writer Kate Braid, has won the 1999 VanCity Book Prize. Braid, a former carpenter, clerical worker and lumber piler, was the Director of Labour Studies Program at Simon Fraser University before gaining a master's degree in creative writing from the University of BC. She has taught creative writing at UBC and Capilano College and currently teaches in SFU's Women's Studies Department.
IWA CONVENTION WEB SITE SEPTEMBER 20-23, SAULT STE MARIE, ONTARIO
"Student Power in the age of neo-liberalism"
The Concordia Student Union Orientation Conference: '99:
Friday September 24th to Sunday September 26th.
Campus Centre, Loyola Campus, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec
Oakham House Campus Centre Ryerson Polytechnic University September 24 - 26, 1999 The Ontario Federation of Labour will be holding a three-day conference for gay, lesbian and bisexual and our allies. Labour Behind the Rainbow is scheduled for September 24 - 26, 1999 at Oakham House Campus Centre, Ryerson Polytechnic University, 63 Gould Street, Toronto, Ontario.
Human rights commission drops complaint against grocery store giant
The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission has withdrawn a complaint of pay inequity against Canada Safeway for nearly 3,000 of its cashiers. The commission, in a press release Thursday, said changes in Safeway's collective agreement, reached in June with the grocer's two unions, have resolved the long-standing issue. A complaint was originally filed in 1989 over the wage disparity between cashiers, who are predominantly female, and food clerks, who are mostly male. It was lodged by a Regina Safeway cashier who argued cashiers were being discriminated against on the basis of sex.
U.S. bosses ought to trash plans to eliminate 120 Canadian jobs, says Steelworkers
PRESCOTT, ON, Sept. 23 /CNW/ - Members of the United Steelworkers' Local 4210, local politicians, and members of the surrounding communities will rally outside the Newell Window Furnishings plant at 606 Hyde Street, on Sunday (Sept. 26) at 12 p.m., to save Canadian jobs. Newell, a U.S.-based company,recently announced its decision to phase out local production by March 2000.
Workers with disability must constantly reaffirm their place in the workplace
Accord will bring stability to the maintenance of B.C.'s highways says BCGEU
BLE shut out of UP/UTU "pep-rally"
Wheelchair bound Joannie Cowie's cross country fundraising tour to meet CAW's Buzz Hargrove
OPSEU protests closure of Northcrest Youth Centre
OPSEU: Funding mess cancels school for "forgotten kids"
Customs officers hope to win lottery -- for body armour
Faced with up to a five-year wait for bulletproof vests, Canada Customs inspectors at U.S. border crossings have begun to hold lotteries to determine who gets to strap on the body armour first. "It's a national problem," Ron Moran, national president of the Custom Excise Union, said yesterday. "Our work sites are becoming more and more dangerous."
Commentary by Bill Tielman
CLC President will open national labour educators conference
Canadian Labour Congress President Ken Georgetti will give the keynote address to more than 400 trade unionists attending the CLC Education Conference taking place in Winnipeg from September 16-19th. Under the theme of ``Making A difference with Union Education'', participants to the conference will have more than 21 workshops to choose from including: Anti-Racism as an education organizing strategy; Video activism; Union-based literacy; and Women's Education for Bargaining and Organizing for Equality;
UTU insurance option could give everyone the blues
Peace Journalism Forum analyzes Kosovo coverage - calls for change
Unrelated Bone Marrow Donor Registry Announces Partnership with Air Canada Pilots
UFCW Local 1518 News - Chuvalo Tours BC
Workers need to have input on Heath-Steele Task Force, say Steelworkers
Salaire minimum - Appel pressant de la CSN au premier ministre
CUPE - Lower Mainland municipal locals serve notice with a new approach to contract negotiations
Eighteen locals of the Canadian Union of Public Employees today served municipal, library, and museum employers with notice to bargain the latest round of collective agreements, and will be pushing for a new, more efficient approach to bargaining. The eighteen CUPE locals, operating under the banner ``Bargaining 2000'' are proposing a more centralized and efficient approach to the bargaining process. CUPE National Representative and Bargaining 2000 Chief Negotiator Neil Bradbury says that the union is looking to move towards a more coordinated approach to collective bargaining.
Union calls for moratorium on `big box' store construction
Brooke Sundin, President of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 1518, has called on the provincial government to set in place a province wide moratorium on the construction of so-called `big box' stores. In a brief submitted to Municipal Affairs Minister James Doyle, Sundin asks that the province place the moratorium on the construction of these stores until a comprehensive study can be done on the economic and social impact they have on communities.
Canadians to have say on human rights
-- Powerful unions will kick off public consultations later this week as the Canadian Human Rights Act gets a sweeping review. Leaders of some of the largest labour groups will gather Thursday to swap ideas with a four-member review panel. "The Canadian Human Rights Commission should be a little more proactive -- particularly around issues of systemic discrimination," said David Onyalo, national director of anti-racism and human rights for the Canadian Labour Congress. He and leaders for the Canadian Auto Workers, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, Canadian Union of Public Employees and other groups will spend a day with the panel. They'll suggest a new provision in the act mandating workplace human rights committees to help enforce related laws, Onyalo said.
Shoplifting acquittal to be appealed
Montreal prosecutors decided Friday to appeal former union leader Lorraine Page's shoplifting acquittal to a higher court. However, the high-profile case over a $50 pair of gloves won't necessarily be heard by the Quebec Court of Appeal.
SEPTEMBER 8 IS INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY
Literacy is power, says UFCW leader
International Literacy Day is both a celebration and a time for reflection, says the Canadian Director of one of the country's largest private-sector unions. ``Setting aside a day to raise awareness on literacy issues is cause in itself for celebration,'' says UFCW Canadian Director Tom Kukovica. ``But while we celebrate the empowerment most of us enjoy through the good fortune of having foundation skills such as literacy and numeracy, we should at the same time reflect on the many thousands of Canadians who are victimized needlessly because they haven't had the opportunity to gain or refine those skills.''
Trade unions move forward on literacy
"Literacy is a key issue in Canada and the trade union movement is moving forward on it," says Canadian Labour Congress Executive Vice-President Jean-Claude Parrot in announcing the release of "Making it Clear", the first-ever guide on clear language to be published by the trade union movement. The publication, to be released on International Literacy Day, September 8th, is evidence of the growing importance of literacy and life-long learning as a union issue. The 70-page text provides practical tips to trade unionists on how to improve written communications in their workplaces.
Government of Canada Celebrates International Literacy Day
Promoting literacy through strong partnerships
New Canadian Director to lead UFCW
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) has named a new Canadian Director to lead the 205,000-plus member union into the new millennium. Michael J. Fraser, currently President of UFCW Local 175, will become Canadian Director of the union on October 3, 1999.
Union worried about program review
A collective shudder went through Nova Scotia's public service Tuesday with word that the new Tory government is implementing a review of all departments and programs. The Nova Scotia Government Employees Union is worried that could mean job cuts among its 21,000 members as the government tries to deal with a mounting deficit. "We're prepared to fight," said union president Joan Jessome.
Employees bid for bankrupt mill
Former employees of bankrupt Gallaher Thorold Papers said Friday they have filed a letter of intent to buy the paper mill. Details of the bid were not immediately available. "We have developed employee ownership as a viable alternative in several other locations," Cec Makowski, vice-president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, said in a release. The union said it has led successful employee ownership bids at Ontario paper mills in Kapuskasing, Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie.
Nurse suspended for telling the truth
Nurses are outraged that the Health Care Corporation of St. John's has suspended a nurse for two days as a result of an article published in the Telegram on August 27, 1999. The nurse wrote a column publicly warning of an unsafe practice that was jeopardizing patient safety.
Royal Oak mine closures delayed
An Ontario court has given the union representing 200 miners two weeks to come up with a plan to save Royal Oak's Pamour and Nighthawk gold mines from closing. The reprieve gives the union time to either put together a new proposal or an offer to buy the Timmins, Ont. operations from insolvent Royal Oak. The United Steelworkers told Justice James Farley of Ontario Superior Court that it was taking this step so late in the process because it learned only last week there are no buyers interested in operating the mines as a going concern.
Steelworkers fight U.S. decision to close local window furnishings plant
Starved of money and staff, the Canadian Coast Guard is "poised on the brink of an abyss," says an internal report by a senior manager. The document - leaked by union leaders Tuesday - reviews the coast guard's response to the Swissair Flight 111 disaster last September when hundreds of employees were pressed into the search for human remains and debris in St. Margaret's Bay.
United Steelworkers get consent from Royal Oak receiver: mines get reprieve till Sept. 20
OPSEU signs agreement on inmate escorts
CAW HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT NEWSLETTER - August '99
Steelworkers go to court to fight Royal Oak Mine closures
Steelworkers return to work at Highland Valley Copper
CAW'S HARGROVE ANNOUNCES UNION DONATING $100,000 FOR EARTHQUAKE RAVAGED TURKEY
CAW president Buzz Hargrove announced today that on behalf of 215,000 CAW members coast to coast, the union is donating $100,000 to the Red Cross for humanitarian relief in earthquake ravaged Turkey.
Steelworkers sends $10,000 for earthquake relief in Turkey
Lawrence McBrearty, the United Steelworkers' National Director, announced today that the union has signed a partnership agreement with the Canadian Co-operative of Independent Truck Owner-Operators. The agreement involves 3,000 members of the Co-op, which represents independent owner-operators in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. For the truckers, it will mean access to a variety of Steelworker services, from servicing, to research and negotiations, legal assistance and education. ``For the Steelworkers, this agreement adds more strength to our representation in the transportation sector,'' McBrearty said, adding that the union has negotiated a number of services, discounts, protections and other benefits for workers it represents in the sector. As well, the Steelworkers' Transportation/Communications local represents about 2,000 truckers
Wabush Mines agreement improved after Steelworkers reject first settlement attempt
Two weeks after soundly rejecting a first tentative settlement, members of the United Steelworkers Local 6285 have ratified an agreement with Wabush Mines, a deal which makes improvements to all areas of the contract. ``The membership was clear on what was important and the improvements were absolutely necessary for us to finally agree with the package,'' said Jim Skinner, president of Local 6285. ``Now we have an agreement that everybody can live with.'' Retroactive to March 1, the five-year agreement improves workers' incomes (wage increases the same as those negociated earlier this year at Iron Ore Company of Canada) and benefits, along with boosting pensions for the survivors of deceased union members.
Five star Inter-Continental now a Steelworker hotel
Employees at Toronto's Hotel Inter-Continental have been certified as members of the United Steelworkers, joining workers in four other Toronto area hotels who are also part of the 190,000-member union in Canada. After challenges by the hotel over the definition of the bargaining unit, the Ontario Labour Relations Board ordered that ballots from a vote held in April be counted. The result is that 71 per cent of the 135 workers voted in favour of the Steelworkers to represent them. The Inter-Continental, a five-star hotel on Bloor Street near Avenue Road, is owned by Bass Hotels and Resorts, a global hotel company which owns the Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, and Crowne Plaza, among others. ``Employees at the Inter-Continental knew that Steelworkers at another downtown hotel - the Sutton Place - were happy with the union, and with their excellent contract. Intercontinental workers were determined to have the same kind of workplace representation,'' said Organizer Brando Paris. Harry Hynd, the Steelworkers' Ontario/Atlantic Director, said organizing in the hospitality sector is another example of how much the union has diversified over the last decade.
Newfoundland security guards get their union
Security officers employed by Shanahan's Investigation and Security Ltd. have voted overwhelmingly in favour of becoming members of the United Steelworkers. The vote brings 130 new members into the union and boosts the Steelworkers' presence in the security industry. ``The United Steelworkers already represents more security officers in Canada than any other union,'' said Ontario/Atlantic Director Harry Hynd. ``It is an expanding industry in which working conditions are in real need of improvement.'' Union Organizer Alvin Banfield said ``the main issues that prompted Shanahan employees to seek union representation are wages and working conditions, including benefits.'' ``The company tried a variety of tactics to thwart the effort to unionize, but in the end the workers stood their ground and held on to their commitment to have the Steelworkers represent them,'' said Banfield, adding that the union also represents guards from Asic Security, which is owned by the same employer as Shanahan. Shanahan and Asic guards work all over Newfoundland. The Steelworkers represents 180,000 workers in Canada, about 20,000 of whom are security guards. Union station workers oppose mass firing threat
Building and track maintenance workers at Toronto's Union railway station meet today at 4:00 pm to denounce a leaked report suggesting they all be fired after the city purchases the station. City council will meet tomorrow to consider the purchase.``Just because a property changes hands, you can't throw out unionized workers who have worked there for decades and replace them with new people,'' said Canadian Auto Workers national representative Abe Rosner. ``It's illegal and immoral, and we are calling on Mayor Lastman and city council to reject this so-called confidential proposal.'' Rosner pointed by contrast to GO Transit, which will be purchasing the rail corridor surrounding the station, where current workers will continue to do the work.
"Stemming the Violence in the Workplace"
International Congress on Creating Healthy Workplaces Starts Today
Leaders from 23 countries discuss best science and practices to create healthy workplaces
Construction injuries, journalists with RSI, and the health problems of an aging workforce will be part of a wide range of issues to be discussed June 6-9 when experts in workplace health from 23 countries meet in Toronto at the 4th International Congress on the Medical-Legal Aspects of Work Injuries.
Creating healthy workplaces: International leaders share best research and results
- ``What works best'' to create healthy workplaces and prevent injuries will be the topic for 350 international delegates gathering in Toronto June 6-9 to discuss the changes in work and health brought on by the competitive pressure of a global economy. The 4th International Congress on Medical-Legal Aspects of Work Injuries, previously held in Jerusalem and Munich, will focus on the prevention, rehabilitation and compensation of workplace injuries. The conference co-hosts are the Institute for Work & Health and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario. ``Privatization, outsourcing of work and the increasing flexibility of labour markets have led to more non-standard employment - part-time, contract, contingent, and home work,'' says Terrence Sullivan, President of the Institute for Work & Health. ``Now is the time to consider the best research results on the health consequences of these new employment situations and what they mean for the prevention, rehabilitation and compensation of work-related health problems.'' Participants from 18 countries will discuss topics such as repetitive strain injury, trade liberalization and occupational health standards, industrial disease adjudication, and the rehabilitation of disabilities.
ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT RATIFIED
ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT RATIFIED Athabasca University employees, members of ALBERTA UNION OF PROVINCIAL EMPLOYEES, Local 069, have overwhelmingly ratified a new collective agreement that will give them some of the best terms and conditions in post secondary education. Employees of the University in Edmonton, Calgary, Athabasca, Fort McMurray and St. Albert, packed meeting rooms to endorse the agreement which provides major gains in the area of increased pay rates and improved benefits.
Forest Alliance of British Columbia; Munro says it's time for change
Forest Alliance Chairman Jack Munro says it's time for some change at the Alliance and for him. Munro told the Alliance's membership today at the organization's annual general meeting in Vancouver that he is scaling back to work as chairman part time.
APRIL 28 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING
In the US it is known as Workers Memorial Day
CLC History of the Day of The International Day of Mourning
CAW Day of Mourning Page, with Real Video and Audio
Day of Mourning Saskatoon District Labour Council
``The loss of a loved one'' WCB-Alberta recognizes Day of Mourning
The Workers' Compensation Board-Alberta will fly flags at half mast April 28 and recognize a moment of silence in memory of individuals killed or seriously injured in work-related accidents. In 1998, the WCB-Alberta accepted claims for 105 fatalities and 37,600 individuals lost time from work because of a work-related injury or illness. ``On April 28 we will partner with workers, labour organizations, employers, communities and government to express our condolences to the loved ones of individuals killed or injured,'' says Mary Cameron, WCB-Alberta president and chief executive officer.
Workplace Safety & Insurance Board - Unique Display Opens at Trade Show
A unique display was unveiled Monday at the Health and Safety '99 Conference and Trade Show (April 26-28) at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. For the first time ever, the organizations that make up Ontario's public-sector workplace injury and illness prevention system united in a single display. The objective is to demonstrate their common resolve to improve occupational health and safety across the province.
Want to kill somebody and get away with a slap on the wrist? You'd be hard pressed to find a better way than being a employer who endangers his or her employees. Under the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act, violations of health and safety rules that pose a substantial probability of death or serious physical harm to workers are considered "serious" violations. This is roughly the standard needed to convict for criminal manslaughter in some states. The average penalty for a serious violation is $709, according to "Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect," a new report by the AFL-CIO.
On the eve of Environment Week, BC government cuts environmental protection
Job cuts in the Ministry of Environment are affecting some of the ministry's most senior and knowledgeable employees, the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union said today. "Senior biologists, with 25 to 30 years of experience, have been advised that their positions are redundant," says John Shields, President of the BCGEU.
BCGEU warns of consequences to environment if job cuts proceed
The union that represents employees in the Ministry of Environment today warned the public that proposed job cuts in the Penticton area will threaten wildlife, air and water quality, and water management. "It is irresponsible for these proposed cuts to proceed," said B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union President John Shields. "These cuts will mean we are less able to protect the habitat of our fish and wildlife and prevent damage to the ecosystem. The expertise of people who monitor our air and water quality, to ensure a safe environment for all of us, will be lost as a result of these cuts."
Steelworkers at David Bell Mine ratify new contract with Teck-Corona
About 180 Northern Ontario gold miners got some good news recently when the members of the United Steelworkers' Local 9165 ratified a new, three-year collective agreement with the Teck-Corona-owned David Bell Mine, near Marathon. With wage increases of two per cent retroactive to last November, the agreement adds another two per cent on Nov. 1, 1999, and another two per cent on Nov. 1, 2000. The agreement increases the employees' pensions, to $45 per month per year of service, up from $40. Group life insurance and accidental-death-and-dismemberment insurance are increased by $10,000 to $80,000.
Steelworkers make solid gains in contract with Barrick Gold
Members of the United Steelworkers' Local 6409 have ratified a solid new contract with the Holt-McDermott Mine, owned by Barrick Gold Corporation. The three-year package includes such changes as triple time for workers who are called to work on a statutory holiday and double call-out pay for being asked to a second job while already on a call-out. Workers' wages will increase by six per cent and vacations are increased for workers with over 12 years' service. The tool allowance has been boosted to $500 a year, and life insurance and dental benefits have been improved. Employer contributions to the employees' RRSP have been increased to six per cent (employees contribute four per cent).
The 335 security officers who work for Initial Security in the Winnipeg area have voted 85 per cent in favour of accepting a new union contract. The agreement provides for wage increases of up to 75 cents per hour between now and the end of next year, depending on a person's classification and length of service with the company. There is also a $150 signing bonus for full-time officers, pro-rated for part-time employees. "By the end of next year," says Bernard Christophe, President and Chief Executive Officer of United Food and Commercial Workers , Local 832, "all Initial Security officers with over 27 months experience will receive a minimum of $6.80 per hour. Many who work on special sites will receive more. There have also been increases in a number of the premiums our members receive. The meal allowance paid to people working overtime has increased $1.50, the premiums paid for relieving a person in a higher classification or being at home 'on call' have both doubled to$1.00 per hour, while the 'hazard pay' premium has increased 25 cents per hour.
Revenue Canada - Minister Proposes November Launch of Canada Customs and Revenue Agency
he Honourable Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of National Revenue and M.P. (Vancouver South-Burnaby), hailed the successful passage of Bill C-43, the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency Act, on April 29, 1999. Minister Dhaliwal will be proposing to the Government that the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency begin operations on November 1, 1999. Royal assent marks a major milestone for the legislation and comes after 10 months of scrutiny and debate in the House of Commons and the Senate. The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency is being established by the Government to give Canadians better service and to streamline tax, customs, and trade administration in Canada.
TDSB caretakers recognized for highest in quality standards, service delivery
For the first time in Canada, a division of caretakers at the Toronto District School Board are being recommended for certification for the highest standard in efficiency, quality, and service delivery from an international standards organization. The work and standards of the division of TDSB caretakers that serve the former North York area is being recommended for certification to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). This is a prestigious honour and marks the first time in Canada that a school board caretaking department is being recognized for achieving the international standard of ISO 9002.
The Holmes facilities in Sarnia are once again the target of an industrial disease tragedy. The Canadian Auto Workers union will release tomorrow a damning report on Holmes Foundry, a factory which produced engine casting blocks and was filled with a host of chemical hazards. The report is based on inches of documents obtained by the CAW under The Freedom of Information Act.
Steelworkers negotiate breakthrough agreement with IOC
Over 1,400 members of United Steelworkers' Locals 5795 and 6731 at the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) were presented with the terms of a five-year contract that includes breakthrough improvements in wages, benefits, pensions, contracting out protection and a maintenance training program done in partnership with a college in the Labrador West area. A ratification vote will be held on Friday (23/04/99). In addition to negotiated wage increases and a $400 signing bonus, cost-of-living-adjustments will be rolled into wages (worth an estimated $1.25 an hour over five years). The average hourly wage for a labourer was $19.24 and will be $21.59 in 2003; for an electronic repairman, the average hourly wage was $25.04 and will be $27.75 in 2003. Improvements were negotiated for life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability, weekly indemnity, major medical, prescription drug coverage and vision care.
UNITE STRIKE -- ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY RALLY.
On March 23, the women of UNITE 1764 will be having a rally. Take
401 east to Trenton exit Glen Miller, the UNITE strikers are on the right
just a few minutes down the road. There are two shift changes, one at
6:00am the other at 2:00pm. More info on the strike is available at:
Friends of UNITE 1764
United Steelworkers' District 6 Conference
March 22 - 24
Westin Nova Scotian, Commonwealth Room
1181 Hollis Street
Halifax
Go To LABOUR NET CANADA
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