May 18, 2000
Volume 30, No. 18
EI Changes Needed To Help East Coast Fishing Industry Workers
Changes are required to the Employment Insurance program to ease the burden on fishing communities and fishing industry workers and their families in Newfoundland. Reg Anstey, secretary-treasurer of the FFAW/CAW, recently outlined concerns to federal human resources and development Minister Jane Stewart. Anstey said difficulties will be experienced this year because of the cuts in crab and cod quotas and urged the minister to give special consideration to changes needed to help people this season. In addition, Anstey outlined the serious impact of current regulations, such as the intensity rule which has reduced fishing industry workers and harvesters to 50 per cent, while other Canadians get 55 per cent of their income while on EI. "These regulations are unfair and create a second class of Canadians," Anstey said. "This reflects a Central Canada view and shows no understanding of life in the fishing industry in Atlantic Canada and especially Newfoundland and Labrador." Stewart was also advised of some outstanding TAGS cases where individuals for various reasons had fallen through the cracks.
Workers Shouldn't Face Triple Jeopardy, Hargrove Says
CAW president Buzz Hargrove is urging Ontario Labour Minister Chris Stockwell to put a stop to proposals that would allow government to impose fines or prosecutions on workers for failure to comply with lockout or machine guarding requirements. "In the strongest possible terms, I want to make our position perfectly clear on this matter," Hargrove states in a May 10 letter to Stockwell. "We are completely opposed to prosecutions or fines against workers by the government." Workers shouldn't be subject to triple jeopardy, he said. "It is workers who risk injuries and sometimes death. It is workers who risk discipline from employers up to and including termination. Workers should not also risk prosecution or fines from the government." Hargrove said such a move only lets employers off the hook. He said employers neglect their responsibilities to enforce health and safety rules in the workplace if they know that the Ministry of Labour will impose sanctions on workers. "This has been the experience in the construction industry and we do not want to see this repeated in industrial establishments," Hargrove said. The CAW launched a machine guarding and lock out campaign at its December 1999 CAW Council meeting.
Rally In Support of Striking Toromont CAT Workers
CAW members from Toronto area locals rallied in support of 200 striking CAW Local 112 members at Toromont CAT, just north of Toronto, on May 15. The company is demanding concessions from workers and is inviting union members to cross the picket line and go back to work. At the same time it's also advertising in newspapers to hire scabs. Rally participants heard from Hemi Mitic, assistant to CAW president Buzz Hargrove, that the company is attempting to use satellite operations in communities across Ontario to handle overflow work. CAW locals in Toronto and across Ontario were urged to help out on the picket line and to also send letters of support. Also speaking at the rally were John Kennedy, president of CAW Local 112; Joel Harden, from the Canadian Federation of Students; and David Christopherson, Ontario NDP MPP and labour critic. No talks were scheduled at the time CONTACT went to press.
CAW/FFAW Member Wins Award
CAW/FFAW member and activist George Feltham was recently honoured as the first recipient of the Romeo LeBlanc Medal for Responsible Fishing. Feltham received the medal for spearheading a grass roots lobster conservation program in his area. The program meant fish harvesters developed and implemented conservation measures which cost earnings in the short term, but that also provided long term conservation benefits. Feltham was the award recipient for the Atlantic Region and he also won the national medal, under the new awards program. CAW president Buzz Hargrove congratulated Feltham for being the first recipient of the award. "This award confirms to me that on conservation issues in the fishing industry, no one knows better than the people who make their livelihood from the sea, how to conserve the resource for the future," Hargrove said in a letter.
Parental Benefits To Be Extended
Upcoming changes to unemployment insurance parental benefits reflect some improvements advocated by labour, women's groups and others who look to European countries for inspiration instead of the state-by-state approach of the United States. Bill C-32 also amends the Canada Labour Code so that workers under federal jurisdiction (banks, rail, etc.) maintain job protections while on extended EI parental benefits that become available at year-end. Peggy Nash, assistant to CAW president Buzz Hargrove, said "The CAW is joining with the women's movement and others to hold governments' feet to the fire on this issue. In particular, we want to make sure provinces have amendments to their employment standards in place by the end of the year so all workers can take advantage of the new UI parental benefits." New provisions, which apply to a child born or adopted on or after December 31, 2000, include: - 35 weeks of parental benefits for birth and adoptive parents (instead of the current 10 weeks). The 35 weeks can be claimed by one parent or divided between both. This is in addition to the current 15 week pregnancy benefit; - 600 insurable work hours to qualify for EI pregnancy, parental and sick benefits (instead of the current 700 hours); The CAW will continue to be active in fighting for improved UI benefits. Delegates to the CAW Constitutional Convention in August will review and discuss a new Family Policy paper.
New Members Join CAW
The following are some of the workers who have recently decided to join the CAW: - in Delta, BC, 45 drivers at Strait Express Ltd. are now part of the CAW; - at Terex Bartell Ltd. in Brampton, ON, a new unit of 57 members become part of CAW Local 252; - also in Brampton 49 workers at Debro Steel, become part of CAW Local 252.
