March 26, 2010
Volume 40, No. 12
Siemens Rally Calls for Stop to Closure
| CAW President Ken Lewenza delivers a fiery speech to demonstrators outside the Hamilton Siemens turbine plant on March 18. |
Hundreds of Siemens workers and supporters gathered for a noon-time rally outside of the Hamilton plant. The March 18 rally called on the company to reverse its closure announcement.
In his address CAW President Ken Lewenza warned the German-based Siemens that if it does not take this protest seriously, the union will take it to the street.
Siemens employs 400,000 globally and in this past year hired 50,000 people. Lewenza said that collectively we must find a way to tackle the problem of global capital having free rein to pick up and move from one city to another, from one country to another and even from one continent to another.
"This is not a company that is not making money, it's a company that doesn't think it's making enough," said Lewenza of Siemens to a cheering crowd.
If Siemens cannot find a way to keep the work in the Hamilton facility, they must create work of equal value for the more than 500 workers who will lose their jobs.
Randy Smith, president of CAW Local 504, said that people are still shocked about the announcement and angered about being lied to by Siemens. Just six months ago, Siemens declared that it was "committed to Ontario and to the Hamilton manufacturing facility."
"That Siemens is allowed to pick up and leave this city when we are perfectly able to do the same work here is outrageous," said Smith. "We're calling on the provincial and federal governments to use their substantial power to either keep the work here or create other jobs so that Siemens actually does live up to its commitment to the people of this region."
Hamilton East - Stoney Creek MPP Paul Miller; Hamilton Mountain MP Chris Charlton; Hamilton and District Labour Council President Mary Long; and Hamilton City Councillor Scott Duvall also addressed the crowd and pledged their support.
Siemens announced on March 11 it would close its doors as of July 2011, shuttering the more than 100 year old plant.
CAW Members Rally Behind Striking Steelworkers
| Union flags adorn the main stage at the Sudbury Community Arena as thousands gather in support of striking Vale workers on March 22. |
A massive solidarity rally was held in Sudbury on March 22 in support of striking Vale Inco workers who continue to battle back against company demands for concessions and fight for a new collective agreement.
Over 150 CAW members from across Ontario took part in the rally, including a contingent from Oakville, Oshawa, Hamilton and Toronto who made the same-day trek to and from Sudbury (located about four hours north of Toronto).
Nearly 5,000 workers, retirees and community supporters jammed the Sudbury Community Arena, demanding the Brazilian-based mining giant return to the bargaining table in the hopes of negotiating an end to the nine-month old strike.
The company has been relentless in its demand for workers to abandon their defined benefit pension plan, weaken seniority provisions and transfer rights and increase the use of contract workers, among other concessionary demands.
NDP Leader Jack Layton addressed the crowd along with United Steelworkers international President Leo Gerard. Brazilian trade union leaders Rogerio Pantoja, representative of the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT) and Efraim Gomes de Moura of the Coordenação Nacional de Lutas (CONLUTAS) also attended the rally.
Pantoja and de Moura offered messages of solidarity to the strikers on behalf of Vale workers in Brazil and encouraged Vale miners to stand united in the fight to protect and improve working conditions.
CAW Mine Mill Local 598 President Richard Paquin said the rally provided a huge morale boost to the strikers and the community of Sudbury overall.
"It's very hard to accept that this strike has dragged on for so long, and no matter where you work you're feeling the impacts in one way or another," Paquin said.
"Vale is promoting an agenda of cutthroat bargaining that fails to respect the long-standing history and culture of labour relations in our community. We won't stand for this kind of power abuse and we'll continue to stand in support of our USW Local 6500 brothers and sisters on the picket lines."
Vale Inco workers in Sudbury have been on strike since July 2009.
Overwhelming Support for New Contact at General Dynamics
CAW Local 27 members who work at the General Dynamics plant in London, Ontario have overwhelmingly ratified a new three-year collective agreement with wage, benefit and pension improvements.
The CAW represents 508 workers at General Dynamics Land Systems in London, who build armoured military personnel carriers. They voted 96 per cent in favour of the contract.
The agreement includes a lump sum wage increase in year one of 2.5 per cent, a two per cent wage increase in the second year and a lump sum increase of two per cent in the third year. It also includes a $1000 signing bonus and maintains COLA, which is folded in.
Pension increases occur in all three years and there are increases in vision, massage therapy, chiropractic, minimum basic life insurance and extended disability coverage.
Language regarding work ownership has been maintained and there is improved outsourcing language covering the skilled trades, CAW London area director Fergo Berto said.
Craig McLarty, CAW Local 27 unit chairperson, said the membership is pleased with the agreement, which helps to ensure a strong foundation for the future.
"The solid strike mandate provided by our membership meant the bargaining committee could negotiate the best agreement possible," said McLarty. "This new contract helps to ensure we will maintain work at the London plant and bring in future work at this facility as well," he said.
Don't Forget!
.JPG)
Earth Hour 2010 will take place Saturday March 27. Millions of Canadians will switch off their lights and turn off non-essential power sources at 8:30pm in support of confronting dangerous climate change. The CAW is encouraging members to take part! Earth Hour event listings are available at: http://wwf.ca/earthhour/
