June 4, 2010
Volume 40, No. 22
Greater Job Security for GM Members in St. Catharines
General Motors' plans to spend $245 million to build a new line of fuel efficient transmissions in St. Catharines, Ontario is good news for the hard hit community, CAW President Ken Lewenza says.
The automaker announced June 1 it will spend the money to build six-speed transmissions beginning in 2012. In late April the company also announced a new generation of V8 engines in St. Catharines starting in 2013.
Together the $480 million in spending planned by GM will provide greater job security for up to 800 workers in the community.
"After the very tough times our members have faced in auto communities in the last few years this is finally some good news that brings greater job security and a stronger economic outlook not only for our members and their families, but also for the entire community," said Lewenza.
CAW Local 199 President Wayne Gates said the recent investments are a "win-win" for the workers, the company and spin off businesses that now have greater certainty about GM's future in St. Catharines.
"Businesses know that General Motors is now here for years with these two product announcements and they are more likely to look at investing in their businesses and creating more jobs in the community," Gates said.
He also said Tuesday's investment announcement is proof that federal and provincial government decisions to invest in the auto maker have paid off.
"Without their support, without their help, this announcement and this good news for the Niagara Region would never have happened, so we're very grateful for that," Gates said.
CAW Continues Rotating Protests at Extendicare Facilities
| CAW Local 2458 President Bruce Dickie addresses protestors, including long-term care workers, outside an Extendicare facility in Tecumseh, Ontario on May 27. Photo: Gord Gray, CAW Local 444. |
CAW members staged two more public demonstrations at Extendicare nursing homes in Tecumseh and Kingston, Ontario on May 27 and June 1, respectively. These actions are the latest in a string of rotating protests led by the CAW and its Ontario health care local unions. The union is urging this hugely profitable corporation back to the bargaining table in the hopes of reaching a settlement with over 1200 workers in ten Extendicare homes across the province.
CAW members and allies attended a public information rally at Extendicare's Tecumseh facility located on St. Alphonse Avenue while over 50 members, including residents and community supporters, gathered outside an Extendicare nursing home on Bath Road in Kingston.
CAW President Ken Lewenza said workers in Ontario's long term care sector deserve the respect and dignity for the work they do, noting that protests will continue until the company agrees to get back to bargaining.
"Extendicare is totally ignoring the commitment of these workers and our union will continue to fight for a fair and just settlement."
Extendicare has argued that recent government funding restraint measures have forced it to table a two-year wage freeze on its workers, among other contract concessions. The CAW has flatly rejected these concession demands as unreasonable, especially since Extendicare is a private, for-profit, corporation and not a public employer. In the first quarter of 2010 alone, Extendicare recorded profits in excess of $15 million.
"Absolutely nothing is preventing this company from sharing its massive profits with employees," said CAW Local 830 President Elaine Walker.
Government Must Intervene to Secure Navistar's Future in Chatham, CAW Says
| CAW President Ken Lewenza speaks to CAW Local 127 and 35 members demonstrating outside the idled Navistar truck plant in Chatham, Ontario on May 29. |
In front of a raucous crowd of nearly 600 CAW Local 127 and 35 members in Chatham, Ontario, CAW President Ken Lewenza expressed his anger and frustration over the lack of progress in negotiations aimed at getting hundreds of laid off Navistar truck plant workers back on the job, and demanded answers from the company on its plans for the facility.
Lewenza said that after a year of ongoing talks with the CAW, it is clear the company will not willingly come to terms on an agreement that would re-start the idled Richmond Street facility - an important engine for the local economy - and continue assembling heavy duty trucks.
Lewenza urged both provincial and federal governments to intervene and ensure the plant continues running, especially since Navistar has in past years received more than $63 million in government funds, as well as over $40 million in contract cost savings.
"We've been left in limbo for nearly one year, not knowing whether we'll ever get back to work," said Cathy Wiebenga, plant chairperson at the Navistar facility. "There's no good reason why we can't get answers from this company and it's time our elected officials step in to defend our interests."
Navistar was once the largest employer in the Chatham-Kent region of southern Ontario. The indefinite halt in production has left many individuals, charities and businesses in the community reeling, said Sonny Galea, chairperson of the CAW Local 35 office workers unit at Navistar.
"How can our governments sit back and let a corporation like Navistar take the public's money and run off with it, while an entire community falls to pieces? This is what's most frustrating about our situation; our elected leaders don't think this is a problem that they have to deal with."
The Navistar plant was idled in June 2009, timed with the expiry of the collective agreements for production, skilled trades and office workers. The union's ongoing efforts to negotiate a compromise agreement with the company to keep the facility running have so far been unsuccessful.
Lewenza noted that without any clear sense of the plant's future, laid off workers are caught in a difficult situation as current EI benefits continue to run out. Many local businesses are reluctant to hire members because it is not yet clear if they will eventually be recalled.
The company has shifted much of the production for its Lonestar and Prostar truck models to facilities in the U.S. and Mexico.
Shrimp Plant Closure Causes Uncertainty
A recent decision by Northern Shrimp Co. in Jackson's Arm, Newfoundland to close their shrimp plant for the 2010 season has caused great uncertainty within the community.
CAW/FFAW President Earle McCurdy said the union has called for an immediate meeting with Newfoundland Fisheries and Aquaculture minister Clyde Jackman.
He said the Memorandum of Understanding between the provincial government, the union, and the Association of Seafood Producers calls for the development of a Worker Adjustment Program for people adversely affected by fisheries restructuring.
"There has been very little activity related to the M.O.U. in the past three months," McCurdy said. "We need a meeting of the sub-committee dealing with Worker Adjustment as soon as possible."
He said the current provincial response when fish plants close - a one-time "stamp-up" on a make-work project - is "insulting to people who have spent a lifetime working on the floor of a fish plant".
ASP's proposal for restructuring in the processing sector called for a buyout for plant operators but nothing beyond the current inadequate program for plant workers who lose their jobs.
McCurdy also said the employer in Jackson's Arm needs to "level with their employees" as to future plans for the operation. The recent announcement of a 28% reduction in the northern shrimp quota raises serious question marks concerning the future of the plant and the jobs of the workers.
Groundbreaking for New Environmentally Friendly Hall at Local 598
| Groundbreaking for new CAW/Mine Mill Local 598 hall on May 20. |
CAW Mine/Mill Local 598 recently celebrated the groundbreaking for a new energy efficient hall at Richard Lake near Sudbury, Ontario.
In addition to construction of the new building, the local is committed to upgrading 35 acres at Richard Lake, said Local 598 President Richard Paquin. The local is working with a coalition made up of the Local 598 retirees chapter, the Metis Nation of Ontario, the Ontario Freedom Riders, the Richard Lake Stewardship Committee and local First Nations to ensure improvements, he said.
"We are a union that is not afraid to look towards the future and because of that this building will have new state of the art training rooms and offices, will be green and will have the features of totally geothermal heating and cooling systems," Paquin said at the May 20 event.
"The inside of the building will have enhanced insulation values such as double outside walls, triple glaze and gold plated windows, energy efficient lighting and more," he said. The local is also looking at reopening 125 campsites on the property for the community and CAW members to use, he added.
Besides the 37 acres, the local also has 105 acres that over look Richard Lake and as part of another project, the local plans to open, in partnership with local businesses, a nursing and retirement home that would service CAW members in need.
In an act of solidarity with USW Local 6500 members on strike at Vale Inco in Sudbury, Paquin presented a strike assistance cheque of $5000 on behalf of the CAW to USW 6500 President John Fera during the event. The CAW national union and Local 598 have so far donated more than $37,000 to help striking USW Local 6500 members.
CAW Locals Rack Up Four Labour Media Awards
The Canadian Association of Labour Media held its annual labour communications conference and awards ceremony in Windsor, Ontario from May 13-15, with CAW locals taking home four national awards for excellence in web design, print and creative use of media.
Best Overall Publication (locals with more than 1000 members) - CAW Local 222 ("The Oshaworker")
Dennis McGann Stroke-of-Genius Award (produced by volunteers) - CAW Local 114 ("101 Easy Ways to be a Labour Activist")
Best Overall Website (produced by volunteers) - CAW Local 88 (www.local88.ca)
Best Website Content (produced by volunteers) - CAW Local 88 (www.local88.ca)
*(Honourable mention) Best Moving Billboard - CAW Local 114 ("Live Long and Prosper: Unionize" t-shirts)
The Canadian Association of Labour Media is a network of union publications and editors that provides labour-friendly stories and graphics and training for labour communicators. Each year, the CALM organizes a national skills-sharing conference that brings together labour union communicators and activists from all major labour unions in Canada.
To view pictures of CAW winners, please visit the online photo gallery at: http://www.caw.ca/en/5584.htm.
Former CAW President's Book Up for Award
Laying It on the Line: Driving a Hard Bargain in Challenging Times, a book by former CAW President Buzz Hargrove, is one of the finalists for this year's National Business Book Award.
Hargrove's book looks back at key moments in bargaining with GM, Ford, Chrysler, Air Canada and other corporations and the impact of business and government decisions on working people. He also looks at the roots of the recent economic crisis and examines ways to help labour move forward in these challenging times.
Four other books were also nominated as finalists. The winner will be announced June 9.
CAW Vote Comes Up Short at Niagara Casinos
After an extensive organizing drive to join the CAW lead by workers of Casino Niagara and Fallsview Casino (in Niagara Falls, Ontario), the final vote tally fell short of the required 50 per cent-plus one threshold for union certification outlined under current Ontario labour law.
"Clearly, this is not the result we had hoped for," said CAW Organizing Director John Aman. "But the fact of the matter is that we've managed to engage a strong core of casino workers during this campaign, totaling over 1000 strong, who are excited at the prospect of eventually joining the CAW."
"This is a very positive outcome and obviously something we can build on as we continue our efforts to organize in the future."
Official vote results were released to the public on May 17.
The CAW represents over 7000 gaming sector workers across the country. Over 3000 workers are employed at the Niagara Casinos.
CAW Welcomes New Members
# Results 360 Moncton Logistics Inc., Moncton, New Brunswick - 30 new members in CAW Local 4005;
# Compass Group Canada Ltd. (Humber College), Toronto, Ontario - 40 new members in CAW Local 414;
# First Student ULC (Canada), London, Ontario - 78 new members in CAW Local 27;
# Stock Transportation, Toronto, Ontario - 313 new members in CAW Local 4268;
# MacDonald Lloyd Nissan, Sydney, Nova Scotia - 5 new members in CAW Local 4506;
# MacDonald KIA (KIA Automall), Sydney, Nova Scotia - 4 new members in CAW Local 4506;
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