March 12, 2010
Volume 40, No. 10
Tories Take Over Two Months on Do-Nothing Budget, CAW says
"This budget does little to help Canadian workers secure their footing during a period of severe economic instability and is rooted in government-destroying, deeply ideological values," CAW President Ken Lewenza said in response to Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's budget March 4.
The budget shifts the Conservative government policies further in favour of businesses and corporations, to the detriment of average Canadians. It outlines a series of plans to reduce the federal deficit through major spending cuts, including $6.8 billion from the public service budget. The budget also highlights the government's intent to further reduce tariffs on manufacturing inputs, deregulation of the telecommunications and uranium mining sectors, an expansion of free trade, and boasts that Canada will have the lowest corporate tax rate in the G7 by 2012.
The Harper government also re-announced $19 billion earmarked for stimulus projects in 2010. Lewenza said what Canada needs is a commitment from government to invest in ongoing infrastructure development to close the current funding deficit and genuinely build the country, not just through one-off stimulus projects.
"With hundreds of thousands of Canadians facing tremendous insecurity and hardship because of inadequate Employment Insurance and pension benefits, I expected to see tangible support from this government," Lewenza said. "After taking more than two months to recalibrate, this budget is nothing short of pathetic."
The Harper government is refusing to improve eligibility criteria and ensure the special EI extensions go to all workers, so that more workers will be covered by EI, instead of falling through the cracks in the country's social safety net. Lewenza said these demands are even more important today with approximately 800,000 unemployed Canadians expected to lose their EI in the coming months and that all EI enhancements are still scheduled to end this year.
"The past months have shown us that Canadians are very concerned about their pensions and retirement savings," Lewenza said. "In the face of a looming pension crisis, this was the time for our government to take the lead and act on major pension reforms, including major improvements to Canada's public pension system. They did nothing."
On positioning Canada's economy for future growth, the Conservative government has once again failed to provide the necessary investments in long-overdue renewable energy infrastructure projects, public transit improvements and other initiatives to spur sustainable and 'green' economic development that help put people back to work, Lewenza said.
CAW Donates to 50 Women's Shelters Across Canada
The CAW donated $100,000 to women's shelters across the country in co-ordination with International Women's Day.
In Toronto, Peggy Nash, assistant to CAW President Ken Lewenza, toured the Redwood Shelter for women and children and presented a cheque. CAW representatives presented cheques to shelters across Canada. The donations come from the union's Social Justice Fund, monies negotiated to help support socially-progressive projects and causes both in Canada and abroad.
According to recent estimates, half of all women will experience violence in one form or another, but only 10 per cent will report it. Up to 80 per cent of those perpetrating the violence are spouses, partners or ex-spouses. In fact, only five per cent of women are unable to identify their abuser.
Every year in our country, tens of thousands of women with their children are admitted to shelters. "We know that when women leave their abusive partners, this is a particularly dangerous time for them," said Nash. "Half of the murders committed by ex-spouses happen in the first two months of separation, which is a chilling statistic. It is at this time that women are most in need of protection and the many services provided by shelters."
Today gender based violence has been identified as the world's largest and most persistent human rights violation, and Canada is no exception. The federal government estimates the costs of violence against women at $1.1 billion per year in direct medical costs, rising to $4 billion a year after we factor in the costs of criminal justice, social services and lost productivity.
"If governments are serious about combating the unrelenting problem of violence against women, they must commit to funding for women's shelters, invest in affordable housing and a national child care program, all of which provide women the options necessary to leave violent relationships," said Nash.
In addition to making an annual donation, the CAW is urging the federal and provincial governments to provide core funding to agencies which provide services to women and their children who are fleeing violent relationships.
Workers Donate Sick Days for Haitian Relief Effort
| Members of CAW Local 302 at the Radisson Hotel in London donated the equivalent of one sick day to raise approximately $1,500 for the Haitian relief effort. Chairperson Tom Campbell is shown here with Dr. Barry Slauenwhite, President and CEO of Compassion Canada, presenting the cheque for the donation. |
CAW Reaches New Agreement with MTS Allstream
The CAW reached a new agreement with MTS Allstream March 9, covering approximately 600 workers across the country.
The majority of the workers are employed as technicians or in administrative positions and based in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary, with other smaller bases across Canada.
"The bargaining committee is pleased with this agreement as we were able to fight back the many concessions the employer insisted were necessary," said CAW Local 2000 President Dylan Gadwa, representing the members at MTS Allstream.
MTS Allstream is the third largest telecommunications company in the country.
Voting on the new deal will take place over the next two to three weeks. Details of the agreement will be made public upon ratification.
Native Land Rights Meeting at CAW Kitchener Office
| Photo by CAW Local 27 Human Rights Activist Dave Henry. Leadership and activists from CAW local unions 1524, 1917, 112, 27, 707, 1106 and 414 took part in a meeting at the CAW Kitchener, Ontario area office to learn about land rights issues of the Six Nations of the Grand River from Chief Bill Montour of the Six Nations Elected Band Council and Hazel Hill of the Haudenosaunee Development Institute of the Confederacy Chiefs. Those at the February 28 meeting resolved to hold a community meeting at Bellview school in Brantford on March 28 to further constructive dialog over development projects the city wants to allow before aboriginal title is determined. |
New Agreement Ratified at GE Canada
CAW members at GE Canada have voted 85 per cent in favour of a new three year collective agreement that provides wage, benefit and pension improvements.
In addition, the agreement calls for $100 million in new investment at GE in Peterborough over the next five years.
Jerry Dias, assistant to the CAW President, said "this is an important agreement not only for our members, but also for the entire community of Peterborough. It helps to ensure greater security for workers and a stronger future for GE facilities in this community for years to come," Dias said.
The agreement provides for wage increases of 5.5 per cent including COLA over the next three years.
It also provides pension gains and improvements in extended medical coverage such as hearing aids and paramedical coverage. The current drug plan was maintained. Layoff and recall language was improved.
CAW Locals 524, 252, and 2228 represent GE workers in Peterborough, Toronto, Burlington and Arnprior, Ontario. The workers produce nuclear fuel rods and also manufacture and repair large electric motors. The CAW represents approximately 750 GE workers.
Letter to the Editor from CAW President Ken Lewenza
CAW President Ken Lewenza sent the following letter to the editor of the Globe and Mail in response to a March 2 story:
"It's disappointing to read that Stephen Harper's former communications director Kory Teneycke is once again spinning the Reform Party's old stand by of "problem" unions and labour laws as an impediment to productivity.
.There is strong evidence that unions and labour laws enhance productivity. Part of a union's role, including that of the CAW, is to help maintain good jobs for members through bargaining including negotiations to ensure investment.
The independent Harbour Report, which studies productivity in auto assembly, has repeatedly shown unionized auto plants in Canada are among the most productive in North America, ahead of non-unionized plants.
High levels of unionization force employers to take wages out of the competitiveness equation and find innovative ways to improve productivity, through technological investments, better education and training provisions.
A recent Conference Board of Canada report dispels Teneycke's claim. The paper concludes that the quality of the labour force has not been a constraint on capital investment in Canada. Therefore, we must look elsewhere to explain the growth slowdown in capital investment and productivity."
Unionization levels in Canada were at their highest in the 60s and 70s, and unfortunately have been in decline since the 1980s - right at the same time neo-conservative economic policies started to gain widespread traction. Teneycke's attempt to scapegoat hard working Canadians such as those at GM and Chrysler is simply an attempt to deflect
attention from the failure of his own Conservative economic values.
National Skilled Trades Conference Caesars Windsor
| The National Skilled Trades Council met at Caesars Windsor March 5-7, 2010. |
Generosity of CAW Members Inspires London Community
CAW members working at Ford in St. Thomas, Ontario dug deep this year to fundraise for the London and Middlesex United Way, despite the fact that 1500 workers are slated to lose their jobs when the plant closes in 2011.
In December, workers delivered a cheque to the United Way for $360,905 and announced plans to launch another fundraising drive next year.
"We hope this money goes a long way to support our community that is in such desperate need," said
Dennis McGee, President of CAW Local 1520.
Over the past year, over 8,000 jobs have been lost in the London region, according to the London Free Press. The region had also registered the second highest unemployment rate in the country due in large part to major losses in the manufacturing sector.
"It is inspiring to see what Ford workers did. We told them we would understand if they could not run a campaign, but they wanted to. They care so much for the community. There are terrific individuals there," said United Way London and Middlesex Chief Executive Andrew Lockie in an interview with the London Free Press.
International Women's Day Letter - Forward We March
