January 29, 2010

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2010

January 29, 2010

Volume 40, No. 4

Local 598 Xstrata Membership Vote in Favour of Strike Action

CAW Mine/Mill Local 598 members who work at Xstrata Nickel in Sudbury, Ontario have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action, if needed.

Local 598 members at the Sudbury mine voted 96 per cent in favour of strike action if necessary and 99 per cent in favour of opening the strike fund, if the current round of talks fails to produce a fair and equitable agreement by the January 31 deadline.

"We are unwilling to accept a contract that includes concessions to our current language and does not offer better job security," said CAW Local 598 President Richard Paquin. "Given the enormous profits that Xstrata Nickel stands to make during the life of the next collective agreement, our jobs, wages and benefits are not up for grabs," Paquin said in a news release.

Amendments to Ontario Workplace Violence Bill

Ontario's labour movement has won amendments to a bill that if properly enforced will begin to protect workers against workplace violence and harassment.

Government Bill 168, which amends the Occupational Health and Safety Act with respect to violence and harassment in the workplace, was approved December 15 last year. These amendments come into force June 15, 2010.

At committee hearings, unions including the CAW, individual workers and affected families made submissions in support of the bill and recommendations for its improvement.

The committee heard more than 40 submissions and made two amendments to Bill 168: an expanded definition of workplace violence to include threats of physical violence; and, giving authority to Ministry of Labour (MOL) inspectors to order employers to produce a written risk assessment.

Although labour advocates requested additional changes, the amendments put significant legal requirements on employers to develop and implement workplace violence prevention policies and programs.

"This victory belongs to CAW Women's Advocates, local union leadership, along with members of many coalition groups, who formed after the workplace murders of Theresa Vince and Lori Dupont, who were killed in their workplaces in 1996 and 2005 respectively," said Julie White, CAW director of women's programs. "The families of Theresa and Lori worked hard to ensure the issue of workplace violence remained on the political agenda, pushing our elected leaders to make the changes."

"It now becomes our challenge to ensure employers develop and enforce the new workplace violence and prevention policies and programs to create safe and healthy workplaces for the future," said Sari Sairanen, CAW health, safety and environment director.

Settlement at Aradco, Aramco Plants in Windsor

Former workers at Aradco and Aramco, two auto parts suppliers in Windsor that closed last year, will share a further $225,000 under a settlement announced January 22.

CAW Local 195 President Gerry Farnham outlined terms of the settlement reached between CAW Local 195, company owners Catalina Inc., and Comerica Bank to 80 former employees.

Farnham said it was the best agreement possible under the circumstances. The workers could also receive potential proceeds from an upcoming court case after Catalina filed a complaint against Chrysler Corp. for termination of its parts supplier contract.

"Fighting back does make a difference," said Farnham. "These workers started out with nothing on the day the plants closed and they launched a fightback that resulted in $625,000 coming to them. In addition, if they are successful in court they will receive further funds," he said.

When the plants abruptly shut down last March, workers were owed about $2.4 million in severance, termination and vacation pay. Workers occupied the Aradco plant and left after receiving some funding from Chrysler. They also later blockaded both plants to stop equipment from being moved and to delay an auction of company equipment.

Trade Talks with Europe an Attack on Democracy

As the second round of Canada-European Union free trade talks wrapped up in Brussels, Belgium on January 22, Canadian civil society organizations issued a joint call demanding full transparency from the Harper government, and a halt to negotiations so countrywide public consultations can be held.

The scope of the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) jeopardizes public services, sustainability, social policy and local democracy, say the organizations. The group includes the Council of Canadians, Canadian Auto Workers union, Sierra Club Canada, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Canadian Union of Public Employees and National Union of Public and General Employees.

The proposed deal also threatens to extend the scope of power and privilege granted to private corporations, mirroring terms established in the North American Free Trade Agreement, said CAW President Ken Lewenza.

"We've seen firsthand how NAFTA has destroyed jobs, depressed working conditions and made governments nearly powerless to corporate interests. Canadians can't afford to go down that path again," said Lewenza.

One of the more contentious issues being negotiated is the removal of government powers to establish local content and other provisions when they purchase goods and services. Under this deal, private corporations would be given the power to legally challenge Buy-Canadian policies at the provincial and municipal levels.

Canada-EU trade negotiations are the latest in a series of trade deals being negotiated by the Harper government, including proposed deals with South Korea and Colombia.

The third round of talks is scheduled to take place in Ottawa this April.

For more information, please read:

Open For Business: Privatization, not higher standards, the main goal of Canada-EU free trade talks - Council of Canadians fact sheet (http://canadians.org/trade/documents/CA-EU-trade-talks.pdf)

Air Canada Unions Appoint Roy Romanow Board Representative

The Council of Unions representing organized Air Canada employees have chosen the Honourable Roy Romanow to be their representative on the airline's Board of Directors.

Romanow is a former Premier of Saskatchewan and led the Royal Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada. He is a member of the Privy Council and an Officer of the Order of Canada. Romanow is currently Senior Fellow in Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan.

Romanow has long promoted labour representation on corporate boards and has served as a director for other private sector companies. He is currently a director on the board of Torstar Inc.

Romanow's designation by the Air Canada unions is subject to the airline's normal corporate governance procedures, including his appointment as a director at its next Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

Labour representation on the airline's board was negotiated by the unions in June 2009, when Air Canada asked its employee groups for cost-neutral collective agreements and support for a revised pension payment schedule.

The Council of Unions is composed of the Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA), the Canadian Airline Dispatchers Association (CALDA), the Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW).

CAW Calls for Full-Time Job Commitments at Casino Niagara

The Ontario Government's January 22 announcement that it will extend the lease of Casino Niagara for 15 years is good news for workers and their families, CAW President Ken Lewenza says.

However, the Liberal government must take immediate steps to ensure Casino Niagara and the Fallsview Casino create more full-time employment within this hard hit community.

"It's critical that a commitment is made to creating full-time jobs for casino workers, their families and the Niagara community, especially at a time when there is so much uncertainty in the economy," said Lewenza. "The creation of low paying, part-time and contract employment simply means greater uncertainty for workers."

"The government has given the operator more stability with this lease agreement. In turn the CAW is asking for employment stability for workers as part of that agreement," said Lewenza.

According to company records in January 2009 there were 3,439 workers at Casino Niagara and Fallsview Casinos. A total of 43 per cent were part-time or contract. By comparison, company records show that 84.5 per cent were full-time at the two locations in 2003.

The CAW is currently conducting an organizing campaign at both Niagara casinos.

The CAW is the largest gaming union in the country, representing 7,000 workers at Caesars Windsor Casino, Brantford Casino, Slots at Sudbury Downs, Great Blue Heron Casino, Edgewater Casino, the Woodbine Racetrack as well as other locations.

Study Shows Health Care Workers Suffer High Workplace Stress

An in-depth study of four Ottawa area hospitals has found that hospital workers are suffering from high levels of stress and overload at a time when they also face threats of funding freezes, layoffs and bed cutbacks.

The new study of "role overload" in Canada's health care system was based on a survey of 1,500 health care workers at the four hospitals. They were overwhelmingly women and more than 75 per cent were married, and had children.

The study, which was funded by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, confirmed that health care workers are some of the most stressed and overwhelmed workers in the country. The report found that 60 per cent had high levels of "role overload" - defined as having too much to do in too short a time period, the Ottawa Citizen reports.

"In my opinion, health care workers are already overloaded," said Linda Duxbury, study co-author and Carleton University business professor. "There is no slack in the system." She also told the Citizen that "the way hospitals are funded and performance is measured doesn't really reflect what's happening in health care."

CAW Health Care Director Katha Fortier said that the study results come as no surprise. "We know that women perform the vast majority of unpaid work, and we also know that as hospital employees are cut, the remaining workers continue to provide the same level of care, even if that means working through their breaks or taking on personal risks to meet the needs of their patients."

CAW President Ken Lewenza noted that Canada's hospitals face service cuts and staff reductions at a time when they are needed more than ever. "Government must protect the important principle of ensuring high quality care for everyone," Lewenza said. "They must ensure that these hospitals are properly funded with no layoffs occurring. When our hospital workers are taken care of, they are then able to pass that care directly on to the vulnerable patients they care for."

Education Update!
New! CAW One-Day Health and Safety Course.

This new one-day course is a great place for new worker health and safety committee members to start. It's also a good refresher for those with years of experience.

A body mapping exercise helps participants identify the symptoms of work-related injury and the hazards in their workplaces. The class discusses the CAW's statement of principles on health and safety, the principles of hazard control, and the worker's rights to know, participate and refuse unsafe work.

Participants learn how to use health and safety legislation, the duty of employers, the rights of committees, regulations, guidelines, exposure limits and threshold limit values (TLVs), the CAW Accident/Incident Form, the right to refuse in the province, territory or jurisdiction, CAW model contract language, workplace mapping, job safety analysis, and workplace inspections.

For information on how to register or how to book this course in your area, check the CAW web page at www.caw.ca/education, click on Education or contact the CAW Education Department at educate@caw.ca.

Canadians Demand MPs Get Back to Work:
Nation-Wide Rallies for Democracy - January 23, 2010