News & Events Archived Newsletters CONTACT 2007 June 8, 2007New Agreement at CAMI Assembly Plant
CAW Local 88 members at the CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario have voted in favour of a new three-year agreement that provides improved wages, benefits and pensions.
Production workers voted 78.3 per cent in favour at a June 3 ratification meeting, while skilled trades voted 73.8 per cent.
Wage increases including projected cost of living for production are $2.71 over the three years, and for skilled trades, $3.12. Child care, legal services and vacations were all improved.
The two sides entered into early bargaining in order to position the plant for new investment and a future product commitment.
"This agreement provides a solid foundation for new product allocations that will support continued employment of Local 88 members. The new contract brings some stability to the CAMI plant at a time of massive restructuring and change within the North American auto industry," said Mike Van Boekel, CAMI plant chairperson.
The CAMI plant employs 2,300 CAW members who produce the Chevrolet Equinox, the Pontiac Torrent and the Suzuki XL7.
CAW Members Ratify New Agreement with Extendicare
CAW members at 10 Extendicare long term care homes across Ontario have ratified a significant new collective agreement by 88 per cent. The three-year agreement will affect 1100 members working in facilities in Sault Ste. Marie, the London area, Kingston, Windsor, Oakville and Ottawa.
"It was one of our most challenging rounds of negotiations, but with the solidarity and commitment of our bargaining committee, we were able to negotiate an agreement we were proud to take back to our members," said Nancy McMurphy, CAW Local 302 President and member of the CAW National Executive Board.
"This agreement sets a pattern for two other large groups of nursing home contracts to be bargained this year, significantly improving the standard within the industry," said Bob Chernecki, Assistant to CAW President Buzz Hargrove.
The agreement includes an 8.6 per cent general wage increase and 14.2 per cent for Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) over three years. Also included are improved benefits such as dental care and vision coverage, increased union representation, improved protection for workers during viral outbreaks and strengthened language around short staffing.
"This contract reflects the issues that our members deal with on a regular basis such as short staffing, outbreaks and management attitudes," said Robert Buchanan, CAW National Representative assigned to Extendicare bargaining. "The members' high rate of approval demonstrates the strength of an agreement negotiated by the workers, instead of an arbitrated one."
Ford Casting Plant Closes: Sad Day for Windsor
After 73 years of production, Ford's Windsor, Ontario casting plant has closed - another victim of the manufacturing jobs crisis in Canada.
On May 29 the plant, which at its peak employed more than 1000 workers, poured its last grey iron cast block. At the time of its closure the plant employed 450 workers, who were offered buyout or early-retirement incentive packages that had been bargained by the CAW.
"This is a sad day for Windsor - a plant with decades of steady production and the hundreds of jobs it provided for workers and the community is gone for good," said Mike Vince, President of CAW Local 200.
The 500,000 square foot plant made engine block castings and crankshafts for Ford engines.
"Our members worked hard to ensure the casting plant was at the top in terms of quality and production, but the company has decided to move this work to offshore producers," said Paul Durocher, CAW Local 200 unit chair.
CAW President Buzz Hargrove said the federal government needs to take immediate steps to deal with loss of manufacturing jobs in Canada. More than 250,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in the last five years.
"The closure of the Windsor casting plant and the loss of those good jobs that supported hundreds of families throughout the community is another manufacturing casualty that should be a major concern to the federal government," Hargrove said. He blasted the federal government for allowing the value of the Canadian dollar to soar and for negotiating unfair, one-way trade deals.
Strong Gaming Gains - Brantford, Sudbury & Toronto
CAW members at the Brantford Casino, the Slots at Sudbury Downs and the Slots at Woodbine Racetrack have overwhelmingly voted in favour of new collective agreements that provide wage, benefit and vacation gains.
"These are significant agreements for this sector, which include major breakthroughs for these new CAW members," said Hemi Mitic, Assistant to CAW President Buzz Hargrove.
The CAW represents 750 workers at the Brantford Casino who are part of Local 397. They voted 85 per cent in support and in Sudbury the CAW represents 85 workers who voted 96 per cent in favour. At the Slots at Woodbine Racetrack the CAW represents 105 members who are security officers. They voted 79 per cent in favour.
Wage increases are 40 cents in 2006 and 40 cents in 2007 with a signing bonus of $1000 for full time and a pro-rated signing bonus for part time workers.
In addition there is improved dental, vision and drug plans as well as improvements to paid union representation. All three are first agreements, expiring in June 2008.
Agreement At Toronto Terminal Railway
CAW Council 4000 members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new three-year collective agreement with the Toronto Terminal Railway (TTR).
"The bargaining committee stayed true to the needs of the membership and true to the pattern set at other railways such as CN despite numerous company demands for concessions," said Bob Fitzgerald, President of CAW National Council 4000.
The membership voted 85 per cent in favour of the new agreement which provides an average wage increase of three per cent each year, although in some cases there are first year increases of six and eight per cent.
The agreement also puts an end to step rates (reduced wages) for new employees over the first 21 months. This means immediate increases for more than 30 workers.
Other improvements were made in extended health care, short term disability, dental, life insurance and other areas.
TTR is owned and operated by CN and CP jointly. There are about 100 CAW members who look after the Toronto Union Station as well as repair and replace track within a short distance of the Toronto Union Station.
Injured Worker Activists Rally Across Ontario
Hundreds of injured workers, supporters and union activists protested across Ontario, demanding reform of the workers' compensation system as part of the annual Injured Workers Day on June 1, 2007. Calling for an end to systemic poverty for injured workers, activists made their voices heard to local politicians and media.
Organized through affiliates of the Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups, rallies took place in Toronto, Windsor, Thunder Bay, North Bay, St. Catharines and Peterborough.
CAW Health & Safety Director Sari Sairanen spoke to a group of 300 activists gathered in front of Queen's Park in Toronto about the need to bring dignity and due compensation to injured workers. "None of us go to work to get injured or to die -this should not be considered normal," said Sairanen. "Instead of meeting with politicians to demand action, we should be able to come together to celebrate zero injuries."
Injured Workers Day began in 1983 when 3,000 injured workers, family members and supporters came out to a meeting with provincial politicians responsible for the new compensation act and was proclaimed an annual event in 1985.
CAW On Strike at Molson Brewery
More than 100 CAW Local 284 members at the Molson Coors Brewery in Edmonton, Alberta walked off the job on May 30. Molson is attempting to force a defined contribution pension plan for new hires, instead of the existing defined benefit plan. With 44 workers set to retire over the next few years, this could create a two-tier pension system among members.
"There was a lot of hard work done by the bargaining committee to bring a reasonable, responsible proposal to the table but the company refused to budge and is intent on rolling back the clock on wages and pensions to 1980 levels for any new employees,' said CAW National Representative Todd Romanow. Wages would be frozen at $22 an hour for full-time new workers and $14 an hour for part-time.
Romanow indicated it could potentially be a long, hot and dry summer without their production, which supplies bottled beer for Western Canada. "The company's proposals to cut strong wages and pension payments are wrong at the best of times; but when costs are sky rocketing in Alberta along with an economy that is setting the pace for the country, it really is a slap in the face to our members and working Albertans.' The CAW has set the standard in all categories for production and safety for the Molson Coors plants worldwide.
The union was hopeful a deal could have been reached prior to the imposed deadline, but time ran out on Molson Coors. 'There's absolutely no reason for this corporation to be seeking concessions when they are meeting all of their monetary projections and handing out big bonuses and stock options to senior personnel,' said Garth Sanderson, CAW Local 284 President.
The Alberta Federation of Labour is calling for a boycott of all Molson products.
CAW Women 'Step it Up' to End Violence Against Women
CAW women have joined with the Ontario-based Step it Up campaign to end violence against women. The campaign is made up of a coalition of provincial networks, women's and community groups that have been promoting 10 Steps to End Violence Against Women for the October Ontario provincial election.
"We need both awareness and accountability mechanisms within workplace legislation to stop all kinds of harassment," said Julie White, CAW Director of Women's Programs and a member of the Step it Up Campaign.
In 2005, NDP-MPP Andrea Horwath introduced Bill 45, proposing to amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act by holding workplace harassers accountable and providing support for victims of harassment at work. The bill has passed through the first reading.
The Ontario Liberals have recently declared the first week of June 'Sexual Harassment Awareness Week '. This action is the result of pressure by women across Ontario working to end sexual harassment.
'This is a victory for women, but only the first step," White said. "We need concrete legislated mechanisms to support women who experience harassment at work all over the province."
For more information, visit the Step it Up Campaign website at: www.stepitupontario.ca.
More New Members Join CAW
At Bowdens/Cision Media in Edmonton, 10 employees voted to join the CAW. They join their counterparts in Ottawa and the East Coast as part of the CAW.
173 workers at the Woodbine Entertainment Group at Woodbine, Greenwood and Mohawk raceways in Ontario joined the CAW family on June 1.
Did You Know?
| Did you know that you can watch video coverage of many CAW events on the CAW National website?
You can find Video News at: http://www.caw.ca/news/videonews/index.asp |
