Newsletter dated November 26, 2005

November 28, 2005
Volume 6 Number 3
Vets Cab Decert Fails
Victory
Feature
The Delphi bankruptcy and its potential impact in Canada and to our sector has dominated the mass media recently and was the central topic of the Special Auto Parts
Conference held in St. Thomas on November 11th. The CAW Emergency NoConcessions Statement and Resolution are reprinted and commented upon in this edition.
At its September meeting, CAW Local 195 General Council gave
its full support to President Mike Renaud in his bid to represent
parts workers as Vice-President of the IPS.
In This Issue
Opinion
Making Sense of the Surreal!
Fulltime officer reports.
Latest contract ratifications and other news
and views.
Pages 3 - 7
Splitting hairs over what practices qualify as torture is a symptom of a
debate that is malignant. To learn that such a term as “torture lite” exists
is disheartening. It sickens the soul to hear an assertion that nothing
short of that which causes “organ failure or death” should be considered
torture.
Bismarck Tribune (Online)
North Dakota
November 20, 2005.
Gerry Farnham on the Vets
Cab victory. “We have won
an important fight in the solid
defeat of the decertification
vote. But this is really just
one of the many battles we
face in this sector.”
Page 6
CAW members at all levels
are speaking out in support
of a firm and principled stand
against concessions!
Pages 8 -11
Solidarity Committee and
Human Rights Committee
reports.
Pages 12 - 13
Plant Profiles
Good news from Siemens
and Standard Induction as
management hustles to garner new business.
Pages 14 &15
The annual bursaries were
given to 16 sons and daughter of members at
September’s General
Council meeting.
Page 16
It was a busy summer and The
Standard missed one edition
for a joint publication on the
Grand Opening. Pictorial highlights of some of the CAW 195
events over the last 7 months.
Bob Cruise
If the largest parts producer,
Delphi, can use Section 11
bankruptcy protection to blackmail its workers into accepting
unprecedented wage cuts then
the Wild West has come to the
auto sector in the same manner
in which CCAA protection in
Canada is been used to crater
Stelco and circumvent contractual obligations Canada’s flagship steel company has to its
workers, retired and active.
More and more we are finding
the largest corporations using
the “law” to overturn contracts
and skate away from financial
obligations to thousands of
workers through the bankruptcy
courts.
Is it coincidental the US House
of Representatives is threatened
with a veto by the Bush administration to an arms appropriation bill if there is any amendment restricting the “use of torture”?
The surreal has become real
as we are witnessing the naked
use of power by the corporate
elite. The “rule of law” is being
supplanted by corruption,
duplicity and a double standard
in all spheres of governance.
While the prizefighters for the
Empire are scrambling to do
what they call “damage control”, the tattered image and
ghoulish reality of a failed state
becomes more and more apparent! The horrendous poverty of
US ghettos was only washed
into view by Katrina and its
aftermath.
Safe drinking water, taken for
granted by most, has become a
precious and scarce commodity
in dozens of First Nations communities in Canada.
It all points to the need for
fundamental change, the need
for workers to arouse themselves and fight for a future for
our class and our country.
A principled stand against
corporate-dictated concessions
is a good beginning!
Nero fiddled while Rome burned
Heedless and irresponsible behavior in the midst of a crisis. Legend
has it that in A.D. 64 the emperor Nero (A.D. 37 - A.D. 68), last of the
Caesars, set fire to Rome to see ‘how Troy would look when it was
in flames’ and to serve as a suitable background for a recitation of
his poetry while accompanying himself on the lyre.
Pages 17 -20
Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings
President’s Report
Mike Renaud
W
Seasons Greetings!
e’re currently facing very challenging
times and how we meet those challenges over
the next 2 or 3 years will set our course well
into the future.
We have successfully stood up to the corporate demands in our sector brought on by cost
reduction policies, border delays and the value
of the Canadian dollar. However we must continue to address the underlying cause of these
challenges such as border infrastructure
improvements and the need for a Canadian
Auto Policy at the provincial and national level.
I think it is important to understand that many
of the changes in the corporate world are creating challenges for our union and its negotiating
strategies. Last year we were confronted with
one of our largest parts producing plants, TK
Fabco, going through great difficulties. We had
to work at all levels to turn the situation around
and it was, truly on the basis of a bold cooperative effort from the top of the CAW to the shop
floor that we were able to secure new investments, save jobs and open up prospects for that
plant.
We have just emerged triumphant from a concerted effort to decertify our new cab drivers
unit in Windsor. Over 300 drivers have faced
an extremely difficult employer along with a
small group actively trying to discredit our
union by whatever means possible. We were
very proud and pleased when the Labour Board
released the results: 4/5ths of our drivers voted
and more than 60% reaffirmed their support for
our work and our union.
News of Delphi bankruptcy in the US can be
interpreted in a number of ways. Everyone
agrees it points to sharper competition for suppliers. Should we rush to please the many companies who have been waving these news
reports in our faces and some even demanding
we re-open collective agreements and provide
immediate concessions – Absolutely not!
I think we need to expose these attacks ourselves, be voices for new strategies to deal with
declining market share, labour costs and other
competitive challenges. We need to take up the
problems which define our current times. Our
voices need to be heard, not just individually
but as a collective force, an organized force.
Together we can make a difference.
BARGAINING
Since our last edition in April we’ve ratified 13 new collective agreements.
J.F.J. Mold ratified a new 3 year agreement on April 16, 2005
by a margin of 91%. Highlights include language improvements, improvements
to holidays, life insurance, safety shoe allowance and wage increases of $0.50 per hour in each year of the agreement plus special adjustments totaling $1.50 to $2.00 per hour. Congratulations to the committee Darlene Boyle, Chairperson, Jinine Stieler, Committeeperson, Virginia Moore,
Committeeperson and Glen Myers, CAW Windsor Area Director.
Butcher Engineering After 10 weeks on strike we settled an agreement on Sunday
May 1, 2005. We made some improvements to language and wage increases of .50 cents an
hour over the life of the agreement plus a $500.00 signing bonus for all employees. The membership showed great courage and solidarity and are to be commended. Congratulations to
Cindy Jobin, Chairperson, Lorraine Winkfield, Lisa MacPhee and Tony Araoz,
Committeepersons. Thanks also to Chris Hutnik, National Rep and Bob Chernecki,
Assistant to the President.
Veltri Lakeshore On Sunday May 8, 2005, our members at ratified a new agreement by a margin of 89%. Improvements were made to language, benefits, life insurance, extended health, dental and prescriptions. Improvements, also, to holidays and health care benefits to retirees. Wage
increases of $1.10 an hour over the life of the agreement taking wages to $24.08 an hour for a production operator, $29.98 an hour for skilled trades.
$550.00 signing bonus. $6.00 increase to base on pension. Congratulations to the committee Don White, Chairperson, Steve Petrie, Vice
Chairperson, Travis Kennedy and Steve Christou, Committeepersons and Debbie Fields, Staff Rep.
Veltri Howard ratified a new agreement on Sunday May 8, 2005, by a margin of 82% for production and 94% for skilled trades.
Highlights
include language improvements, improvements to holidays, life insurance, extended health, vision and dental. Improvements to retirees, improvements to pension plan. Wage increase of $1.00 an hour over the life of the agreement taking wages to $23.99 an hour for a press operator and $30.96
an hour for a skilled tradesperson. Signing bonus of $550.00 for all employees. Congratulations to Ernie Piunno, Chairperson, Mike Hetry, Vice
Chairperson, Jeff Stoner and Rick Grondin, Committeepersons and Debbie Fields, Staff Rep.
Windsor Match Plate ratified a new 3 year agreement on Saturday June 4, 2005 by a margin of 75%. Highlights include language & benefit improvements and improvements to pension
plan. Wage increases of .25 cents an hour in each year (.75 cents total) of the agreement plus COLA
taking wages to $19.94 an hour for a press operator, $29.34 an hour for a general machinist and
$30.32 an hour for a tool & die maker. Plus Paid Education Leave (new). Congratulations to the
bargaining committee Shannon Chevalier, Chairperson, Jim Bloomfield and Steve Martin,
Committee people and Glen Myers, CAW Area Director.
Continued on next page...
Continued from previous page...
P.M. Plastics ratified a new 3 year agreement on Saturday June 4, 2005 by a margin of 77%. Highlights include improvements to holidays, health
& welfare benefits and improvements to pension plan. Wage increases of .50 cents an hour in the 1st year then .25 cents an hour in the 2nd & 3rd
year plus special classification adjustments taking wages to $13.00 an hour for an operator, $15.25 an hour for a shipper receiver and $25.00 an hour
for a mold maker. Plus a signing bonus of $400.00. Congratulations to the committee Debra Mellow, Chairperson, Randy Dennis, Vice Chair,
Victoria Meloche, Recording Secretary and Ken Maheux, National Rep.
Gates Rubber ratified a new 3 year agreement on Saturday June 4, 2005.
Highlights include
language and benefit improvements. Wage increases of 4% in each year of the agreement bringing wages to $19.35 an hour for an assembler, $19.91 an hour for a lift truck driver and $28.95 an
hour for a millwright. Plus a $500.00 signing bonus for all employees. Congratulations to the bargaining committee Tony Fabre, Chairperson, Gail Joyal and Darryl Nolin, Committeepersons
and Katha Fortier, National Rep.
Morrice Transportation ratified a new three year agreement on Sunday June 19, 2005
by a margin of 72%. Highlights include language
improvements, improvements to vacations, holidays, health and welfare, RRSP plan and wage increases of .30 cents per hour in the 1st year of the
agreement, .30 cents in the 2nd year of the agreement and .25 cents per hour in the 3rd year of the agreement, taking wages to $19.15 an hour by the
end of the agreement with a mileage rate of .42 cents per mile and a dock worker wage to $17.15 an hour. Congratulations to the committee Ray
Lowe, Chairperson, Mike Othmer, Mike Jusenchuk, Mike Lingard, Committeepersons and Glen Myers, Windsor Area Director.
Viking Pump ratified a new collective agreement on Wednesday June 22, 2005 by a margin of 100%. Highlights include improvements to language and benefits. Wage increases of .30 cents per hour in each year of the agreement. Congratulations to the committee Richard Todd, Chairperson,
Barry Shepherd, Committeeperson and Glen Myers, Windsor Area Director.
Standard Induction ratified a new 3 year agreement on Friday August 12, 2005 by a margin of
73%. Highlights include numerous language changes, increases to Health & Welfare benefits, additions in bereavement, Brother-in-law & Sister-in-law, wage increases of $0.20 1st year, $0.10 2nd year,
$0.10 3rd year and a $5.00 increase in pension to all future years of service. As well a letter awarding
our brothers and sisters of a large contract for a wheel hub to Standard Induction. Congratulations are
in order for Mickey Henderson, Chairperson, Joe Sequeira, Vice Chairperson, Gary Jenner,
Recording Secretary and Mickey Bertrand, National Staff Rep.
Shurlok Products ratified a new 3-year agreement On September 12, 2005 by a margin of 63%.
Highlights include new language improvements. Improvements to PPH’s, life insurance, vision care, dental plan and RRSP’s. Wage increases of $1.70 an hour over the life of the agreement.
Congratulations to Cindy Rossi, Chairperson, Dave White, Committeeperson and Glen Myers, Windsor Area Director.
Chrysler Security ratified a new 3-year agreement along with all of the Chrysler workers in our Union. The agreement provides for Big 3
improvements and increases. Most important for our unit is the security jobs have been preserved. Great work and congratulations to Mario Moceri,
Chairperson, Keith Lauzon and Andrew Brooks, Committeepersons and the entire Chrysler Bargaining Committee.
Lanex ratified a new 3-year agreement on Wednesday October 12, 2005 by a margin of 93%.
Highlights include improvements to language, health
& welfare benefits (life insurance, prescription plan, dental and vision). Improvements to vacations and RRSP’s. Wage increases of .70 cents per
hour in the 1st year, .50 cents – 2nd year and .50 cents in the 3rd year. Congratulations to the Bargaining Committee Denis Mayville, Chairperson,
Brian Brown, Committeeperson and Mickey Bertrand, National Rep.
We’re in bargaining or preparing for bargaining with Team Industrial, Hilton Hotel, Pinnacle Chrysler 1 & 2 and Federal Mogul.
OTHER NEWS
Tilbury Concrete is one of our new units. Welcome to the CAW family.
Pegasus Plastics closed and went into bankruptcy. We’re still trying to secure outstanding vacation pay and COLA payments owed.
Provincial Chrysler (formerly John Sheldon Chrysler) has opened and our collective agreement is in force with all of our members having
been recalled.
Vets Cab membership has rejected a decertification attempt to their credit and the Company promptly
filed a frivolous appeal. We’ll be moving into bargaining there shortly.
United Way – Please give generously in our current United Way drive.
I would like to wish all our members a safe and happy holiday with your families!
In Solidarity,
aud
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Financial Secretary’s Report
“Delphi bankruptcy is what has led us to meet
here today. We hope to leave here today united in
saying …. You can’t cut wages and benefits to
save jobs. It just won’t work”
Buzz Hargrove
President CAW/TCA Canada
T
Mike Dunning
his statement was made
by Buzz Hargrove at the
November 11th parts meeting
in St Thomas. He was talking
about the Chapter 11 proceedings in the US started by
Delphi. The corporation is
demanding huge cuts in benefits and wages of its 34,000
active workers and 12,000
retired members.
Delphi is proposing paying
workers between $10.00 and
$12.50 an hour. This represents a 63% reduction. They
are also demanding benefits
reductions that include higher
out of pocket health care costs,
frozen pensions, fewer vacation days and restricted overtime (which means one can
work the overtime but not at a
premium.). They are also proposing eliminating 24,000
jobs, eliminating COLA, eliminating the Jobs Banks (no
work no pay).
Even as Delphi applies for
protection from its creditors
and demands concessions from
its unionized workers, CEO
Steve Miller declared it necessary to sweeten the 21 top
executives pay packages
which are already worth an
average of $1.1 million each.
He claimed the old packages
were “uncompetitive”. Six
hundred Delphi executives
around the world got additional stocks and 486 in the US
will get cash bonuses totaling
$88 million. UAW President
Gettelfinger said:
“Once again, we see the disgusting spectacle of the people
at the top taking care of themselves at the same time they
are demanding extraordinary
sacrifices from the hourly
workers”.
At the Nov.11th meeting we
passed an emergency No
Concessions resolution which
is reprinted in this edition of
The Standard. It clearly states
that we will not accept concessions, we will not open our
contracts early to negotiate
clawbacks, and the most
important part of this resolution::
“the CAW will mobilize all the
resources of the national
union to support local unions
who are resisting employers
demands for concessions and
will oppose concessions using
every non-violent options
available (up to and including
demonstrations, occupations,
plant shut-downs and refusing to handle “hot auto
parts).”
By adopting this resolution our
union is saying if an auto supplier transfers production from
CAW members who are resisting concessions to non union
or foreign plants , CAW members at auto assembly plants
will refuse to handle those re-
sourced components. With
these strategies it will be clear
to any company wanting to
jump on the Delphi bandwagon that we will never go down
the road that the UAW workers are being dragged down.
“This isn’t drawing a line in
the sand to separate unions
from automakers. It’s drawing
a line between the UAW and
the CAW. Most would argue
that the UAW is taking the
right stand by being willing to
offer concessions”.
This statement was made by
Dennis DesRosiers, president
of DesRosiers Automotive
Consultants. Desrosiers has
been chirping away like
Chicken Little since the Dephi
news first broke. If anything
is falling it is his credibility as
an “automotive analyst”. His
hostility to unions, particularly
the CAW, is getting the better
of him. We would like to tell
Mr. DesRosiers and his buddies that while they may think
the UAW is on the right road,
the UAW workers themselves
have yet to speak on what has
been presented as capitulation
to GM and its spinoff Delphi.
Don’t be in such a hurry to
draw conclusions, Mr.
DesRosiers! Our union has
faced many challenges and our
American brothers and sisters
in the UAW have a long history of defending their interests
as well!
Our local will be sending our
No Concessions statement to
all our work places and I
encourage our leaders to share
it with their employers so that
they will see that we are united and strong in our commitment to the No Concessions
policy.
Source: Windsor Star
First Vice-President’s Report
LOSS OF THE VETS CAB DECERT WOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS
SETBACK FOR OUR DRIVERS, THE CITY AND OUR ENTIRE UNION!
Gerry Farnham
W
e are all, at times in life,
tested for our convictions. The
Vets Cab workers, who have had to
fight every inch of the way against
an extremely difficult and frequently hostile employer, did not
win certification without a struggle. So the employer’s enthusiasm
to try and kick out our union from
his operations did not come as a
complete surprise. We have, after
our victory, learned more about the
extraordinary effort that was made
behind the scenes by this employer
to hand the CAW a defeat.
Even the media got excited,
sensing a “breakthrough” in the
current climate in which it is
expected workers will give up
wages, pensions and workplace
rights in the light of the Delphi
bankruptcy, and was giving considerable air time to the most antiunion elements in our community.
When things did not go their
way, the whole interest was
cranked down and the reporters
went home. If we had lost that
fight, it would have been a different story. So the determined effort
of our members who are Vets Cab
drivers has a larger significance.
As competition for markets and
higher profits intensify, those corporations who face elimination
dream of a world in which their
employees would just get in lockstep with their preoccupations concerning their profit and losses.
Older, more established workplaces are fighting to escape their
“legacy” costs as a way to improve
their bottom line.
All our units are going to face
challenges. It is doubly true for
our drivers who face bargaining
early in 2006 for a new contract.
When the last contract was signed,
few anticipated the loss in revenues which ensued. As the cab
company demands a flat rate
“lease” come out of fares, drivers
frequently determine their income
by “working off” the weekly lease
at which point, minus gas, insurance and other expenses, they
begin to make their “week’s pay”.
This “begin to make” point is coming later and later in the week!
Some months this point doesn’t
even arrive until the weekend!
Lease rates have to come down,
it is that simple. When the City of
Windsor granted a 20% stand fare
increase in 2002 our union fought
for and got the lion’s share of that
increase. But the fallout from 911, rising competition from bar
shuttles and the fuel increases have
eaten away any gains the drivers
were hoping for. Now they average less than before. Whether it
takes the form of weekend lease
relief from non-driving days, better
insurance arrangements, or simply
reducing the daily levy which has
become a terrible weight on every
driver is not so much an issue as
the critical importance of improving the bottom line.
The decert tested our convictions
and our resolve. It was a good
preparation for a larger challenge…getting a good contract that
our drivers can prosper with. I am
confident we can do this by sticking together, fighting as one, and
drawing on the great support and
expertise of our national office
when it comes to the crunch.
O
n another topic, many of us
attended the Special Auto Parts
Conference where our union unanimously
passed
a
“NoConcessions” resolution (see
reports in this edition). We should
all get behind this Resolution and
the Action Plan which was also
adopted at that event.
This is our last edition
before the holidays and I would
like to take this opportunity to wish
all our brothers and sisters Seasons
Greetings and have a happy and
safe New Year!
Gerry Farnham
First Vice-President
CAW’s 7-Point Action Plan
to Fight Auto Parts Concessions
1. Resist concessions at all
costs:
We will demonstrate with actions,
when words are not enough, that
auto parts companies cannot
solve their problems on the
backs of their workers through
concessions in wages, pensions,
and benefits. If this requires
demonstrations, plant occupations, strikes, or any other nonviolent action by CAW members
and their community allies, then
the CAW will be ready. Parts
makers who attempt to solve
their problems by forcibly extracting concessions from their workers, will find their ability to effectively do business in Canada
severely constrained.
2. Early warning system:
If a CAW-represented plant or
employer faces big financial challenges, CAW local and national
representatives will meet quickly
with company officials to examine the financial and operational
facts of the situation and develop
an action plan. Financial losses,
even severe ones, will never justify concessions. But the CAW
will seriously undertake to examine the challenges of distressed
companies and consider sustainable workplace changes (such as
technology, innovation, productivity measures, and work practices) that could contribute to a
genuine solution.
3. Draw government into the
solution:
In some cases, troubled facilities
or companies may qualify for
assistance from various government investment or support programs (especially when substantial new investments in technology, skills, or innovation could lay
the foundation for a more stable
future). The CAW will work
closely with government officials
where appropriate to stabilize
and revitalize troubled facilities.
4. An injury to one is an injury
to all:
In cases when an automotive
supplier transfers production
from CAW members who are
resisting concessions to nonunion or foreign plants, CAW
members at auto assembly
plants will refuse to handle those
resourced components.
5. Fighting for fair trade:
Anything we do to strengthen our
auto plants will only be a temporary “band-aid,” so long as North
American governments continue
to roll out the red carpet for auto
imports – with no requirement
that they take back North
American-made products in
return. Our fight against concessions goes arm-in-arm with our
fight to open foreign markets to
our products, our fight to stop the
Canada-Korea free trade deal,
and our fight to require all
automakers to create jobs in
Canada as a condition of their
access to our market.
6. Saving our pensions:
Plant closures and bankruptcies
may jeopardize the future pension or post-retirement health
benefits of CAW members. The
CAW will enlist its Union in
Politics Committees and other
allies to campaign forcefully to
protect the pensions and retirement benefits of CAW members
affected by the fight against concessions, and to step up the fight
for stronger policies to protect
pensions.
7. Expanding union protection:
In non-union plants, workers
have little opportunity to fight unilateral concessions – the
employer simply dictates them.
And by attempting to leap-frog
below even non-union wage levels (at $9 per hour wages, the
Delphi cuts would push nonunion companies to impose
wage concessions), Delphi is
telling all autoworkers in North
America – not just union members – that their wages are too
high. If unorganized auto parts
workers have any hopes of
resisting that race to the bottom,
they have to join the union, and
the CAW will step up its efforts to
help them do so.
November 11, 2005 Auto-Parts Conference
Second Vice-President’s Report
Randy St. Pierre
Too sick for severance?
T
oo sick for severance?
Until recently the answer from
government and employers has
been a resounding YES! It
used to be that if workers had
been let go because the
employer could no longer find
suitable modified work for
them, they would not be entitled to severance based on the
Employment Standard Act
(1990) which states:
TAKES AWAY THE ENTITLEMENT TO SEVERANCE
PAY if the employee is in one
of the “Prescribed” classes
(section 64(3)), which include
“an employee whose contract
of employment has become
impossible to perform or has
been frustrated (section 9(1),
paragraph 2 of Ontario
Regulation 288/01).
The CAW does not believe
this to be true. The CAW supports the recent ruling that
injured or ill workers should
not be disentitled to severance
pay, even if they are terminated lawfully due to “innocent
absenteeism.” The whole
point of workers compensation
is just that, to compensate
workers.
Even though companies have
health and safety standards
they must abide by, injuries
still happen. When these
injuries occur and the worker
is unable to return to work at
any time in the future the company can terminate the
employee. This is also the case
for those workers who have an
illness and are collecting short
term or long term disability.
Up until very recently when
they were dismissed they were
not given their severance pay.
This is absolutely unfair! The
non-compensable illness or the
job caused the injury and so it
is not the worker’s fault if
he/she cannot return to work.
Therefore, the employer
should pay the employee their
earned severance. This is
exactly what Arbitrator J.W.
Samuels declared in Brantford
on October 14, 2005.
Samuels stated in his ruling
that the “Human Rights code
does not prohibit the severing of their employment,
given that the grievors are so
ill and so disabled that they
cannot be reasonably accommodated in (the) workplace.”
According to the above mentioned Employment Standards
Act section 64(3), employers
were not forced to pay out the
severance. This is unacceptable.
Our union says this is unconstitutional under the Charter of
Rights and Freedoms which
reads in section 15(1)
Every individual is equal
before and under the law
and has the right to the
equal protection and equal
benefit of the law without
discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national
or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or
physical disability.
Using this information as well
as a conclusion reached by the
Ontario Court of Appeal in
Ontario Nurses Association v.
Mount Sinai Hospital, (2005),
139 L.A.C. (4th) 129. in which
the grievor was awarded severance pay, Samuel concluded
that the “ill or disabled
employee is entitled to severance pay upon termination”.
This ruling has set the bar
entitling grievors to receive
their severance pay, as stated
in the ESA, 2000, under the
following conditions;
GAVE AN ENTITLEMENT
TO SEVERANCE PAY to an
employee whose employment
is terminated and who has
been employed by the employer for five or more years,
where the employer has a payroll of $2.5 million or more
(section 58(2)(b)).
And further that
THIS ENTITLEMENT
APPLIED TO “an employee
who is absent because of illness or injury, if the employee’s contract of employment
has not become impossible of
performance or been frustrated
by that illness or injury” (section 58(5)(c)).
If you are a worker representative and have someone in your
plant that fits into the category
above please be sure to file a
grievance on their behalf.
Let me finish by wishing our
members and their families a
safe and happy holiday. Merry
Christmas and a Happy New
Year!
Special Auto Parts Conference Gives Enthusiastic Support to
No-Concessions Resolution
“We’ve had many of our employers coming and
demanding we immediately re-open collective agreements
and give them immediate concessions. It simply isn’t going
Mike Renaud
to happen.”
President CAW 195
CAW 195 Delegation to Auto Parts Conference
CAW No-Concessions Resolution
1. The CAW and its local unions will not accept
concessions in wages, pension, or benefits in
its auto assembly or auto parts contracts.
2. The CAW and its local unions will not open its
collective agreements before expiration because
employers want to bargain concessions.
3. The CAW and its local unions will remain open
and flexible to work with employers and governments to enhance the viability of Canadian auto
plants by investing in new technologies or products, enhancing productivity, maximizing utilization, and improving work practices.
4. The CAW will mobilize all of the resources of
the national union to support local unions who
are resisting employer demands for concessions, and will oppose concessions using every
non-violent option available to us (up to and
including demonstrations, occupations, plant
shut-downs, and refusing to handle “hot” auto
parts).
5. The CAW will step up its fight for a fair auto
trade policy to open opportunities for North
American auto exports, and control the one-way
flow of imports that is the ultimate source of our
industry’s crisis.
6. The CAW will continue to fight for fair laws to
ensure that collective agreements in Canada
cannot be unilaterally rewritten under bankruptcy
protection proceedings, and to ensure that pensions and other post-retirement benefits are
secured by a combination of private and public
commitments.
Adopted unanimously by more than 200 delegates at the special Auto Parts Conference,
St. Thomas, Ontario, November 11, 2005
Special Auto Parts Conference Gives Enthusiastic Support to
No-Concessions Resolution
“If cuts come, transplants will follow suit. If we accept this logic, it
would create a crisis in our union, divide us, and destroy our union. So
long as I am president, it’s not going to happen!”
Buzz Hargrove
National President CAW/TCA
“We have to be proactive and insist that our
plants seek new business and grow without compromising our wages, pensions or working conditions.
Our success at Fabco is because we dared to fight.”
John Toth
CAW 195 TK Fabco
Statement
The North American auto industry
is heading into a major crisis.
Autoworkers did not cause this crisis.
We are more productive than ever.
We perform higher-quality work than
ever. And our compensation (wages,
pensions, and benefits) has grown
more slowly than our productivity; so
our share of the value-added produced in the industry has declined
over time.
The true causes of the crisis are
clear. Globalization is a one-way
street for North American autoworkers. Offshore imports take up almost
one of every four vehicles sold in
North America. But North American
plants (whether Big Three or transplants) can sell virtually nothing to offshore markets. The resulting oneway flow of imports - over 4 million
vehicles last year - is destroying thousands of jobs in Canada, the U.S.,
and Mexico, and destroying the market share and financial foundation of
North American-based automakers.
The North American market share
of domestic producers has declined
by almost 20 percentage points since
1996. Every lost percentage point
equals one more assembly plant that
must be closed - along with all the
parts plants that used to supply that
plant. As long as that market shrinkage continues, the fundamental economic consequences are inevitable:
lost jobs, plant closures, huge financial losses, and eventually bankruptcies. Workers didn’t create this problem, and workers can’t hope to solve
it through their bargaining.
As usual, however, major corporate
and media figures are blaming workers and their unions for this crisis.
They don’t let the economic facts get
in their way. They sense a moment of
opportunity to attack workers and
their unions, and turn back the generations of gradual economic progress
that explain why an auto job is still a
“good” job. The demand for backbreaking concessions at Delphi is just
the beginning. If Delphi attains those
concessions (either through bargaining or court order), it will lead to an
incredible wave of attacks on unionized auto parts plants on both sides of
the border - and that conflict will
inevitably spill over into Big Three
facilities, as well.
U.S. judges are also joining this
anti-union crusade. Auto industry
employers in the U.S. have become
much more aggressive in using bankruptcy law provisions to dismantle
collective agreements and attack
unions. Several firms have strategically used Chapter 11 protections,
supported by anti-union judges, to
unilaterally escape their obligations to
their workers - including the irresponsible dumping of pension obligations
onto a U.S. guarantee system that
has been overwhelmed by this deliberate bankruptcy “planning” (which is
quite different from “true” bankruptcies). Even in Canada, where our
bankruptcy laws do not grant as much
power to employers, union members
at several firms have been hurt by
bankruptcy proceedings. Delphi’s
aggressive attack will only make
things worse. Part of labour’s
response to the Delphi situation must
be to fight for fairer bankruptcy laws
that preserve the integrity of collective
agreements.
The CAW has worked diligently and
responsibly to build a vibrant, successful auto industry in Canada. Our
plants are second to none in quality
and productivity. We’ve participated
actively in initiatives (like the
Canadian Automotive Partnership
Council, CAPC) to address problems
and update our auto policies. In our
bargaining (in both assembly and
parts) we emphasize technology, productivity, and innovation - the keys to
our long-run economic success - and
our wages and benefits are reasonable given our productivity.
The auto industry is Canada’s most
important high-technology industry,
our biggest exporter, and the ultimate
source of hundreds of thousands of
jobs. Auto industry stakeholders
have agreed through CAPC to ambi-
tious long-run goals for building this
industry (including an official target to
expand Canadian parts production not watch it wither away due to globalization). And all the experts (including the new Canadian Automotive
Human Resources sector council)
agree that we can build a sustainable
industry only by investing in the people who make this industry work - not
by attacking them and taking away
their hard-earned compensation.
We will move mountains to protect
and promote the auto industry. But we
will not cut our wages, pensions, and
benefits. That will never save our
industry: at absolute most, it might
slightly defer the inevitable. And it
would discredit the labour movement
that has worked for generations to
give working people a fair share of the
wealth they produce.
The future shape of Canada’s auto
industry will be determined by how we
collectively respond to the coming crisis. The CAW will do everything it can
to attract new auto investment and
preserve good-quality auto jobs in
this country. But we will not impoverish our members, or future generations of autoworkers, by fruitlessly trying to “buy” our own jobs. that would
be self-defeating. A sustainable auto
industry must be built on solid foundations: quality, productivity, innovation,
respect for contracts, and fair trade.
Ken Lewenza Speaks out at CAW 195 General Council
Ken Lewenza, President of sister local
CAW 444, speaks on recent Big Three
bargaining and current developments
worldwide in the auto assembly and
auto parts sector.
On Delphi
M
ark this week down, this week
will go as one of the most difficult weeks
in the history of the US labour movement,
at least in the modern time…the labour
movement in the United States will be
criticized for their inaction in terms of
taking on corporate power” ...
“(Delphi has)185,000 workers worldwide, 34,000 a stone’s throw away in the
United States (with the) same wages and
benefits as those workers at Fabco and
Budd Automotive and the Tier I suppliers
in our workplaces ...What happened to
Delphi? In the nineties, GM owned those
plants. They broke them off into component plants.”
“And
General
Motors
promised those workers prosperity. …
Delphi didn’t build their base. As
General Motors shrunk their market share
from 45%, in the last fifteen years, to
30%, Delphi obviously had to shrink in
proportion. But what pisses me off is that
over the last couple of years there was no
constructive bargaining to deal with the
circumstances of Delphi, how to protect
the retirees, how to protect the active
workers. So they designed it that the
number one auto (parts) manufacturing
company in the world would go into
Chapter 11.”
be negatively affected, their retirees are
going to get slaughtered, no question
about it. There are 500 suppliers that feed
Delphi. What they are going to say is that
they cannot afford this so we are going to
go down to the lowest common denominator in terms of getting parts.”
“What is chapter 11? Chapter 11
will decide the collective agreements for
the Delphi workers under bankruptcy protection. So some judge is going to sit in
front of 185,000 workers and say, “Oh, by
the way, you are not making $26/hour any
more, you are making $10! And, by the
way, all of the pension benefits, the health
care benefits for pensioners are cut off by
a certain date and there are going to be
increased user fees”...
“Here in Canada we have got to
have some demonstrations on globalization, on moving from one country to
another. Because it is not just about being
uncompetitive, because I want to remind
people what this Miller clown, who now
runs Delphi, said. “Its suppliers could
face lower wages or benefit cuts or we
may have to increase the use of overseas
labour.”
“What the Hell does it all mean?
What it means now is that
Delphi is the number one
Tier I supplier, they
are going to go
down to $10 or
$11 per hour,
their wages
and benefits
are going to
“What does it mean in Canada?
Every worker in this sector in this room is
going to hear over the next six months
how Delphi has restructured the auto parts
manufacturers in North America, not just
in the US. So we have got to fight back!”
“When your boss says I’m going to
take two-thirds of your wages away, I’m
going to kick the hell out of the retirees,
why would you not take your members
out on strike today! What do they have to
loose? (Applause) They have got nothing
to loose! God! They have got everything
to gain in terms of mobilizing and building support, maybe not for themselves but
for the labour movement in general.”
On Chrysler Bargaining
CAW Local 195's record in
terms of fighting to keep plants
open and protecting members
interests at the time of closure is
second to none to any other local
union in this country with experience
going back to 1936. So let me just
say what happened in the Windsor
Assembly plant. What is important to
the community of Windsor and to the auto
parts sector is to keep the assembly operations in Canada. Because if you loose that
assembly plant on the corner of Drouillard and
Tecumseh, then all of the feeder plants that provide parts to that particular plant are gone with it.
It is as simple as that! So what happened going
into negotiations is that the company notified us that
our third shift operation had to go in calendar year
2006, in July 2006, for the model year 2007. And
they had some pretty strong numbers to substantiate
their case.
We have two plants building minivans. What our
plant does is build mini-vans and the Pacifica, St.
Louis builds strictly mini-vans. When you take a look
at the numbers of the last year, our sister plant which
makes a comparable product, had 20 layoff weeks in
the last 12 months… We had to fight like crazy to keep
the third shift. What did we have to do? We had to
say to the corporation, we are the home of the minivan…. What you ought to do is consolidate all of the
minivan business in the Windsor assembly plant, facilitate the Windsor assembly plant to be just mini-vans so
we can be the lead supplier of
just
mini-vans because the projection for the next six years
for that market is that they will always build 1.2 million
mini-vans. They don't believe it is going to grow but
they don't believe it is going to shrink either. We have
35% of that market at Chryslers. So a 3 shift operation
could build 350,000 or 360,000 minivans. So we had to
bargain to be the lead producer. But there is a cost to be
a lead producer. Now they have to move the Pacifica to
St. Louis. We were excited with our bargaining results.
We are now the lead supplier of minivans. Our plant is
going to be fully utilized for the next three years.
Production is going to be maximized. We all high fived
each other! They we sat down and said, now wait a
minute. The Vice-President of my local said, Ken you
did a great job…you just closed down Benteler
Automotive, you just closed down Innovatec, you just
closed down Johnson Controls! I said, what the Hell
Tom, I knew it but I didn't catch it based on the excitement at that particular time. Benteler only does work for
Pacifica, Anovatec only does work for Pacifica and
Johnson Controls we already knew had lost the contract
for the 2007 model.
So we had to go to the company and say to the company, you have to guarantee replacement work for those
plants. You are going to bring in some new suppliers in
this community based on your desire to have modular
components. So 4 or 5 suppliers are going to come to
Windsor that are going to provide modular components to
the plant. So we said you are going to guarantee the
Local 444 membership at Innovatec, Benteler, at Johnson
Controls, that you are going to give them replacement
work. And ultimately they gave us a letter that said those
three companies will get replacement work. They could
not specify what that work would be. It is a Hell of a
victory because it shows the union can influence the corporations relative to where they (produce) their auto
parts.”
On General Motors
“What does it mean for GM? I’ve got to tell you. Who would ever
ever have thought that the biggest corporation could be in chapter 11?
Who would ever thought that the biggest corporation in the world would use
or imply that chapter 11 could be used at GM. So what happens. GM meets
with the UAW. After 7 or 8 weeks the UAW says "I understand the problems of
GM", even though GM has been investing billions of dollars in China and India.
UAW says "we understand the financial struggles of GM". So you will hear,
it is very secretive now, in the next couple of weeks that every single general motors worker in the US, all 350,000 of them, will be paying
$2,600 per year more in health care benefits. For a retiree that is
$200 per month, for active workers it's like taking $1.50
per hour out of your pay cheque for health care.”
Committee Reports
Solidarity Committee
It was a quiet summer with the exception of the CBC lockout.
Over 5,000 members of CMG (The Canadian Media Guild) were
forced onto the street and waged a vigorous struggle against
permanent “parttime” status and for their right to a secure job.
During the lockout our Solidarity Committee brought water, coffee and and organized a solidarity bar-B-Q at their picket line
outside CBC on Crawford Ave.
Once again our Committee is organizing the
Family Skate at Lanspeary Park. I hope you will
come and join the fun.
Kevin Telfer, chair.
Second Annual Family Skating Party at Lanspeary Park
9 am to 1 pm
Tuesday December 27th
Free food, refreshments & skating!
Bring family and friends
Come and join the Fun!
Committee Reports
Human Rights Committee
Cuban Ambassador Makes Special Visit to Windsor for the Annual
General Meeting of the Canadian-Cuban Friendship Association - Windsor
On Friday, November 18th, the Cuban
ambassador to Canada, Ernesto Senti Darias, along
with the Cuban Consul-General from Toronto,
Laureano Cardoso, were special guests on the first
anniversary of the Canadian-Cuban Friendship
Association of Windsor. The Annual General
Meeting of the CCFA (Windfor) included a summation of the work over the last year, adoption of a constitution and discussion and adoption of an action
plan for the next year which included looking at the
possibility of the “twinning” of Windsor with a
Cuban city.
Following the business meeting the
Ambassador spoke about the current situation in
Local MP Joe Comartin gave a Canadian flag to the
Cuban Ambassador on behalf of the Ukrainian community of
Windsor. This was to show appreciation for the humanitarian
kindness of the Cuban government and people in helping the thousands of children from the Chernobyl disaster of April 1986 which
created a nuclear radiation cloud equivalent to 90 Hiroshima-size
atomic bombs! Cuba made a special hospital from a military barracks and provided a home and medical treatment for the children.
Even during the “Special Period” when Cuba had lost all support
from the Soviet Union and was still under the cruel blockade by
the US, the hospital for Chernobyl victims was maintained.
Joe Comartin asked that this flag be flown somewhere
close to the hospital as a reminder of the deep appreciation of the
community for this grand internationalist assistance Cuba gave
the victims of that disaster.
Cuba. This was followed by a long and detailed
question and answer period in which the
Ambassador and the Cuban Consul-General from
Toronto answered questions ranging from the recent
overwhelming vote in the UN to put an end to the
US blockade of the country to the economic and
social policies in contemporary Cuba.
The well-attended function included
American friends of Cuba from Detroit who have
sympathy with the Cuban government and a longstanding friendship with the Cuban people. Our
Human Rights Committee participated in the founding of this local organization and has supported its
projects.
Profiles
S
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1965-2005
Plant chair, Mike Lafreniere, (working over furnace in photo above) hopes
most of the workers currently laid off at
this 40-year old Peter Street facility will
be called back in the new year as
Standard Induction, still going strong,
vies for recognition as the oldest factory
in Local 195.
Operations Manager, Bill Fecteau,
claims their endurance is attributed to
“knowing where they can market their
strengths” and it’s working. They are currently gearing up for a new Ford hub
(raw casting in photo) which will ensure
a busy 2006 production year.
There are currently 72 workers in the
plant and 10 on layoff. The foundry is
running on a 3-day
week although they
hope to reach a full
work week with the
new work.
Linamar purchased Standard
Induction in 1998. Linamar, which began
in Guelph, has mushroomed into 40
plants worldwide and sales over 1 billion
annually.
Profiles
Interview with Max Nimmo
Max Nimmo was recently elected Plant Chairperson at Siemens.
The Standard:
How many are
currently working
at your plant?
Max: There are 327
employees but that could
change in the next six months.
Also we had our very first retirees this summer.
The Standard: We have heard talk of the possibilities of
new work coming to the shop.
Max: For many years now Siemens in Windsor has had
the security of a niche market with its “lost core” process
(started in 1994) for the manufacture of high-end manifolds for certain Big-3 vehicles. While that has been the
majority of the business, many of those contracts are soon
Siemens said good-bye and best wishes to its
first four retirees last summer with gifts and a
cake for everyone.
The plant has been in operation in Windsor
since 1990. CAW 195 President, Mike Renaud,
and plant committee members joined the in-plant
farewell.
to finish. The company is looking to diversify and I am
encouraged from a communications meeting held recently
with our new plant manager, Bethany Toldo, that we have
been awarded new work by GM and Chrysler. As well, we
are waiting to hear before next February about two other
new contracts, one of which may lead to an expansion of
our current plant. For us this is a ray of sunshine in a sector which has been reporting bad weather!
The Standard: Keep us informed and, by the way, congratulations on your election victory.
Max: Thank you. It will be my second term in this position and I appreciate the support I received from our members. I am also very pleased that our union is taking a
strong, unequivocal stand against concessions both nationally and at the Local.
S
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Bursary Winners Recognized at September
General Council Meeting
2005 Bursary Winners
Imad Aouli
Bogdan Babos
Michael Branton
Lubos Bujzas
Bre-Anne Fifield
Adeline Gaspard
Ahmed Issa
Pawel Kita
Yolanta Kita
Sharon Majhail
Stephanie Mayor
Jennifer McMaster
Sinead Nimmo
Cheryl Toth
Lindsay Weir
Jennifer Adams
(missing from photo)
Adeline Gaspard receives Local 195 bursary from President Mike
Renaud and Sarkis Gaspar, Chairperson, Education Committee, at
September’s General Council meeting.
CAW 195 Enters Hall of Fame for its Outstanding Results in 2005
The members of CAW Local 195 outdid themselves this year in
the Big Bike fundraising for Heart and Stroke and will enter its
Hall of Fame for exceeding $15,000. As well, the success of Bob and
Sandy for coordinating the Big Bike day for labour which brought in over
$40,000 will be recognized. The Windsor Office ranked No.1 in Ontario with total
contributions for 2005 of $246,413! We would like to say a special thank you! to
our more than 160 riders and many other volunteers.
Bob Maurice/Sandy St. Louis
Big Bike Coordinators 2005
Wayne Gretzky’s father, Walter, helped in the
fundraising effort in Windsor, taking time to visit
Flex-n-Gate, shake hands with workers on the
shop floor and sign T-shirts at Wild Woodys.
Kautex holds a special events day for United Way
On Friday, November 18th, the
Kautex plant committee, in cooperation with management, held
their annual bar-B-Q and fun
events day to encourage maximum support for their Plant’s
United Way drive.
On Thursday, November 17th the Windsor
organizers of this year’s drive announced in a
media release:
“The countdown is on! With two weeks left
in the United Way 2005 Campaign, the community had pledged $6.5 million or 74% of the
goal.”
CAW 195 coordinators ask that our units
complete their pledge drives and help ensure a
success in this fundraising upon which a very
significant number of organizations and agencies in our region rely to finance their activities.
Pictorial highlights of a very active summer for our Local ... pages 18-119
2005 Executive Board
From left to right in photo:
Paul Dubruiel
Tony Ciampa
John Toth
Trustees
The May elections resulted in the re-election of the four fulltime officers, sister Tammy
Pomerleau as Third Vice-President as well as the new Executive Board.
May
No one goes home without
a nice door prize and many
won trophies at the Annual
Al Carriere Memorial Golf
Tournament. It was a nearperfect sunny day and the
event was a huge success
thanks to all the work of
Paul Adams in rounding up
donations and the many
volunteers from our Local.
Sarkis Gaspar
Education Committee
Nick Dolanski
Recording Secretary
Tammy Pomerleau
Third Vice-President
Bob Maurice
Guide
Tammy Smith
Women’s Ctee.
Paul Adams
Skilled Trades Rep
Wayne Eaton
Chair, Retirees Chapter
Max Nimmo
Education Committee Chair.
Ron Porter
Tool Shop Advisory
Rob Assarica
Sergeant-at-arms
June
Local 195 delegation
participated in the
20th Anniversary
Celebrations of the
breakaway which
marked the emergence of the CAW as
an independent
Canadian union.
July
August
The much-awaited Grand Opening of our new
union hall welcomed union and civic dignitaries.
The celebrations included food, refreshments,
live music, children’s face painting, and outdoor
sports. Over 1000 participated in the day-long
program.
CAW Local 195 volunteers
worked under the big tent to
make sure everyone got a hot
dog at this year’s Labour Day
march.
The new route, necessitated
by the construction on Walker
Road, proved a great location
as sunshine and warm weather
made the waterfront parade
route a big success.
Labour Day
United Way poster
February 1952
(then Red Feather)
September
Brother Bill Sadowski gave
a moving account of the
sequence of events following
the loss of his brother Walter
and 9 others in the tragic
plane crash off Pelee Island,
January 2004.
Bill made a powerful
appeal for this year’s fundraising for the member agencies of the United Way including those which, he recounted, were so helpful to the
families of the victims of this
terrible tragedy.
All our units are encouraged to go all out this month
to wind up their in-plant campaigns.
A large delegation of CAW 195 enthusiasts joined the
26th Annual Challenge Cup festivities at the Ciociaro
Club which raises donations for five local charities.
October/November
$12
What a Deal!
Retirees Chapter
Bring a donation for the
Downtown Mission
Retired Workers Chapter
Annual Christmas Party
Monday Noon December 5, 2005
Turkey/Beef Feast at the Fogolar!
Guest speaker: Buzz Hargrove, President CAW/TCA
PLANS FOR
2006
April Pizza Party
May Luncheon
June BBQ
August- September
(Suggestions Welcome)
June
Retirees Chapter holds
first meeting at new
Labour Centre
September
Retirees proudly carry
their banner at front of
Local 195 contingent in
waterfront Labour Day
parade.
We hope to see many of our members at
the annual Christmas party. Group photos
(by plants) are being taken. Come and
have fun, win a door prize, enjoy a great
meal, and a chance to hear the latest from
Brother Hargrove. Remember the donation
for the Mission.
We have been actively attending conferences and speaking out for the interests of
our retirees. Come and join our monthly
meetings and keep informed and active.
Next year we have organized an event for
each meeting. We look forward to seeing
you there on the last Wednesday of each
month.
We would like to wish everyone Seasons
Greetings and a Happy New Year!
Wayne Eaton
Chairperson, Local 195 Retirees