News & Events Archived Newsletters CONTACT 2007 April 6, 2007Scarborough Plant Occupation Ends
CAW Local 303 members at the Scarborough Collins & Aikman auto parts facility on the east side of Toronto went back to work April 2 after taking over their plant for two days because of severance the company had refused to pay.
The CAW recognizes that Collins & Aikman is the first payer of the severance owing, however the union reached an agreement with DaimlerChrysler (DCX) on April 1 which DCX has guaranteed to pay $1.8 million toward the outstanding severance - an amount in proportion to the production they have received from the plant over the past three years.
On the following day, Ford agreed to pay its share of $1.45 million and on April 4 General Motors agreed to contribute its proportional share. Collins & Aikman will be responsible to re-pay DCX, Ford & GM the severance money that will be paid to the workers.
Collins & Aikman supplies plastic dashboard parts to Chrysler, Ford and GM. CAW Local 303 represents more than 400 workers at the Scarborough plant, which is slated to close in late spring. There are currently just over 100 workers remaining on the job - with the remainder on layoff. Collins & Aikman is operating under bankruptcy court protection in the U.S. and the company is winding down or attempting to sell its Canadian operations.
Bob Chernecki, assistant to the CAW president, said 'this is a hell of a victory for the workers at Collins & Aikman, but we really need to highlight the lack of responsibility shown by this employer."
"This is another example of the lack of clear government policy on ensuring severance pay for workers facing plant closures," Chernecki said. "The manufacturing industry is in crisis and no one is listening. There needs to be an overall strategy to keep our auto parts plants open and to secure jobs for workers.'
Brian Stevens, National Representative for the CAW Local 303 members, said the membership demonstrated great resolve and solidarity.
'While this struggle for fairness began in the quiet darkness Friday night, the success of our fight-back came about because of the solidarity among our members at the Scarborough facility, quickly spreading to Collins & Aikman's Guelph and Ingersoll plants," Stevens said.
'Those CAW members took supportive actions, forcing DaimlerChrysler - and now Ford & GM - to accept a guarantor position in relation to the severance payments that are rightly owed to the Scarborough workers.'
The company owes a total of about $6 million in severance and other benefits to the Local 303 members.
The Scarborough plant makes plastic parts that are used by the Guelph plant, which in turn are largely used in DaimlerChrysler's Brampton assembly operations. The Scarborough dispute affected Brampton assembly operations for about four hours.
Settlement at Sault Area Hospital
CAW Local 1120 members in the service unit at the Sault Area Hospital in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario have voted 77 per cent in favour of a new three year collective agreement that provides wage and benefit increases as well as gains for Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) and skilled trades members.
The new contract covers 300 RPNs, maintenance and housekeeping workers at the hospital.
Wage increases are 2.75 per cent in the first year, three per cent and 2.6 per cent in the final year.
RPNs working with the highest level of training will receive $24.01 per hour at the end of the contract. Full-time RPNs receive a $400 signing bonus, part-time RPNs $200 and casuals $80. In addition there is agreement on the full utilization of RPNs.
There are gains in benefits, vacation and shift differential as well as severance pay.
For the first time there are skilled trades job descriptions, a special increase for trades and an agreement to address inequities between the trades. There are also language improvements on apprentices.
Tim Thibault, CAW Local 1120 president, said it is strong agreement from which members can move forward.
"This contract not only provides strong wage gains it also addresses the concerns of our members and provides solid improvements for RPNs and a number of firsts for skilled trades members," Thibault said.
Harper Takes 10 With Local CAW Activist
Rarely do activists get the ear of the Prime Minister. During a demonstration in front of the Royal Canadian Legion in Kitchener on April 3, CAW Local 1451 President Mike Devine was granted a 10-minute meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
CAW's 'Manufacturing Matters' campaign got an important boost when Devine highlighted the national manufacturing crisis. He told Harper about the thousands of people in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Brantford, Guelph and Stratford who have lost their jobs to plant closures and lay-offs. He told the story of a woman who had three times lost her job and may now have very little pension, despite having worked hard for many decades.
Devine also explained that foreign manufacturers are destroying the once vibrant auto parts sector since they use their own Japanese or Korean suppliers. These suppliers may also set up camp here, offering only low wage jobs to skilled workers, a poor replacement to the good paying jobs in established facilities that have been lost. As a solution, Harper suggested that Alberta is looking for skilled trades people.
According to Harper's officials, it was the first time the Prime Minister had taken time to meet with a protester, yet he remained non-committal - citing World Trade Organization regulations preventing the government from helping the manufacturing sector.
Extendicare Talks Break Off
After six days of intense bargaining, contract talks between the CAW bargaining committee and Extendicare Nursing homes in Ontario broke off April 2.
Five CAW Locals - 302, 2458, 1120, 504 and 830 - represent 1,200 members at 10 Extendicare Nursing homes in the Sault Ste. Marie, Oakville, London, Windsor, Ottawa and Kingston areas.
The two sides remain far apart on key items including staffing and workplace issues such as health & safety and equity provisions for workers. The CAW held an information picket outside Extendicare headquarters in Toronto April 4.
Staff Appointments
CAW president Buzz Hargrove has made the following appointments:
JULIE HERRON, president of CAW Local 1859 and national executive board member as national representative in the CAW organizing department, effective Sunday, April 8, 2007. Julie will be working out of the Kitchener office.
In addition, Hargrove appointed the following temporary national representatives:
MURRAY GORE, Local 114, working out of the New Westminster office, effective Sunday, April 1.
BOB VAN CLEEF, Local 707, working out of the Toronto National office, effective April 8.
VINAY SHARMA, Local 112, working out of the Toronto National office, effective April 8.
LOUIS DOMINGUES, Local 27, working out of the London office, effective April 8.
CAROLINE LAVOIE, Local 2002, working out of the Toronto National office, effective Sunday, April 8.
ROBIN CLENNELL, has been upgraded as temporary national representative in our organizing department, working out of the Toronto National office effective April 8.
