July 17, 2000
Volume 30, No. 19
CONTACT RESUMES
The office and clerical staff strike by OPEIU members who work at CAW National offices is over. Their membership accepted a tentative agreement on June 30 and with the ratification the distribution of the CAW's CONTACT newsletter has resumed. The newsletter will be sent out once every two weeks during the summer.
CAW Faces CLC Sanctions
In an unprecedented move, full sanctions were expedited and imposed on the CAW July 1, 2000, by the Canadian Labour Congress. "There is still the desire on our part to find a resolve," said CAW president Buzz Hargrove. "We want to be part of the Canadian Labour Congress. If you take us out of the Canadian Labour Congress, Labour Councils and Federations of Labour you have a much different labour central at the national and local level." "But if the price of remaining in the CLC is that we have to ignore the democratic wishes of organized working people in this country, then I believe we have to accept we are going to be outside the Canadian Labour Congress. There comes a time when we have to defend the principle of democracy over bureaucracy and tradition." Hargrove has indicated that the CAW is open to further talks, but the sanctions have made the union more determined than ever to canvas support for a new alternative central labour body. "I'm going to be talking to a lot more people about whether or not there's a mood out there to have another central labour body in Canada that's more progressive or militant, more democratic," Hargrove said. On Thursday, July 13, three more displacement application votes were held. The results are as follows: Versa Care Place, Tecumseh, 91.6% in favour of CAW; Strathmere Lodge Home for the Aged, 89.3% in favour of CAW and Burnbrae Gardens Nursing Home, 95.7% in favour of the CAW.
CAW Members Vote In Favour Of New Contract With de Havilland/Bombardier
More than 2,000 members of CAW Local 112, production and skilled trades workers, voted 88% and 87% respectively in favour of a new contract with aircraft maker de Havilland/ Bombardier on June 27. In the office, close to 500 CAW Local 673 clerical and technical workers voted 92% and 83% in favor. Support for the contract meant the end of a short strike. CAW president Buzz Hargrove described it as an "excellent agreement that keeps the faith with the retirees and provides a package for senior people to retire with dignity while helping secure jobs for young people." The new three-year contract provides wage increases of 2 per cent in each year of the agreement, plus Cost of Living Allowance. Pensions, one of the key issues which provoked the strike, will improve for both current and future retirees. Current retirees will receive an increase in their basic benefit of $2.45 a month, times years of service. This represents an increase of $882 a year for a retiree with 30 years credited service. For future retirees there will be a $7 increase in the formula for the base rate bringing the basic pension to $47 a month, times years of service. In a major breakthrough in this round of bargaining, the union established indexing for current and future retirees. Bob Hamilton, Local 112 plant chairperson commended the membership, many of whom are younger members, for standing in solidarity with the retirees. "It is the tradition of this Local to bargain for retirees and it took a strike this time to get the company to recognize that principle." Job security concerns are addressed in the new agreement with an incentive program to encourage senior workers to retire, making possible the offsetting of job loss for younger workers in the event of restructuring. As well, the difficult issue of bargaining unit work in the office has been settled with a formula for the transfer of non-bargaining unit work to the bargaining unit. Kim Sedore, Local 673 office chairperson said, "It was a tough round of bargaining but in the end we made real gains in job security, pensions and benefits." A number of gains were made in the area of health care and other non-monetary issues.
Marine Workers Demonstrate
The marine workers walked from Marystown to St. John's, Newfoundland, arriving on Friday, July 14, where 500 family members and shipyard workers from Marystown all gathered to demonstrate on the need for work at the Marystown Shipyard and action on the national shipbuilding policy. Speakers at the rally included Les Holloway, MWF/CAW Executive Director; Earle McCurdy, FFAW/CAW president and Jerome Walsh, Local 20. From that demonstration, which got huge support from across Newfoundland and Labrador, Premier Brian Tobin requested to meet with a delegation of the demonstrators. At that meeting issues were discussed on the short term concerns of the Marystown Shipyard and as well the long term issue of a shipbuilding policy for the country. "The demonstration was well organized and very effective in bringing awareness to the problems in the shipbuilding industry and without question furthered the issue of the need for a national shipbuilding policy in this country" said Holloway.
Marine Workers Support Shipbuilding Forum
The CAW/Marine Workers Federation applaud the July 18 announcement by Premiers in Atlantic Canada to host a national forum on the shipbuilding industry, early this fall in St. John's, Newfoundland. "We are obviously pleased with this announcement and we look forward to participating in the forum," said Les Holloway, executive director of the CAW/MWF. "The problems facing the shipbuilding industry are fixable and solutions exist, and we look forward to working with all parties and interests to develop a Canadian answer to the problems facing the industry," Holloway said.
New Owner at Winnipeg's Versatile Tractor Plant
After months of intense campaigning to save the Versatile tractor plant a new owner has been announced. Buhler Industries takes over Winnipeg's Versatile tractor plant on July 29 after a ruling by the U.S. justice department ordered the facility divested from the parent company Case/New Holland. CAW Local 2224 has 586 members at the plant, with 240 currently working and the remainder on indefinite layoff. The Winnipeg plant makes three tractors including the TV-140 bi-directional tractor. "The union is optimistic about a new owner for the facility and looks forward to working with them to ensure the long term viability of the plant," said Scott McLaren, chairperson of the Versatile unit of CAW Local 2224. It's important to remember this Winnipeg plant is up and running and a viable facility that continues to make money. "This is clearly great news after a long campaign with a new owner coming forward," said Bob Chernecki, assistant to CAW president Buzz Hargrove. "We are hopeful the plant will continue to be viable well into the future. The NDP government in Manitoba played an incredible role in ensuring the workers' pensions and future employment are protected," Chernecki said.
CAW Occupation In Woodstock Over
CAW Local 636 members at Advanced Metal Products in Woodstock, ON, occupied their plant for two days earlier this month in an effort to win the vacation and severance pay owing to them. They were also fighting to stop the company from moving tooling and manufactured product out of the plant after it changed locks on the plant's doors just one week before vacation shut down. AMP, which fabricates machinery, farm equipment and GM diesel products, was organized four years ago by the CAW and just prior to the occupation the membership had ratified a second agreement. Employment at the plant had dropped from 150 to 68 prior to the occupation. Average seniority at the plant was about 20 years. "There was absolutely no indication at the bargaining table earlier this year that the company was in trouble," said Bob Summers, CAW plant chairperson. CAW London area director Ron Joyal said "these workers received tremendous support and solidarity from many CAW locals and members who deserve praise for helping them fight back." Despite the fight back the company announced a voluntary bankruptcy during the occupation and has since moved some tooling to other plants. The company received financial support from Working Ventures about 15 months ago. "The workers at AMP showed incredible courage in their attempts to protect their wages, pensions, benefits and severance against this employer," said Bob Chernecki, assistant to CAW president Buzz Hargrove. "It's an absolute disgrace that Working Ventures walked away from these workers leaving them without severance, vacation pay and back wages."
CAW Ends Boycott Of Molson's And Labatt's In Alberta
Members of CAW Local 285 at BDL in Edmonton ratified a closure agreement earlier this month that ends the dispute with the company, a distributor for Molson's and Labatt's. As part of the agreement the CAW is withdrawing the boycott in Alberta against Molson's and Labatt's. The agreement was ratified 64 to 18.
Welland Pipe, CAW Local 523
On June 28 at Welland Pipe, Tony Melani, a member of CAW Local 523, a millright aged 59 years old with 29 years of service, died following an on-the-job accident while inspecting crane rails. Melani leaves behind his wife and two grown children. His son also worked in the plant. The police, the coroner's office, the Ministry of Labour, the joint health and safety committee and the CAW health and safety department are investigating the accident.
Bulletins
Reminder: CAW Women's Conference The CAW Women's Conference will be held at the CAW Family Education Centre in Port Elgin, ON, August 27 to 30. CAW women will join with women around the globe as they come together for the World Women's March 2000. Workshops at the conference deal with two key themes of the world march - women and poverty and violence against women. Deadline for reservations is August 4, 2000.
Big Three COLA
There will be a COLA increase at General Motors, Ford and DaimlerChrysler for the first pay period on or after June 1, 2000, of 21¢ to add to the current .22 COLA float. Total straight time earnings for an assembler at GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler will be as follows:
