43244 The Guardian

VOLUME 55 – EDITION NO.2
WINDSOR, ONTARIO
AUGUST 2006
Unemployment is worrisome
By KEN LEWENZA
President, C.A.W. Local 444
he Federal government is
ecstatic. Canada’s unemployment rate stands at 6.1%.
Prime Minister Harper has suggested
the economic fundamentals of
Canada are great and for the sole purpose of gaining political capital
emphasis, the Federal government is
experiencing budget surpluses,
increasing spending and tackling the
accumulated debt that, in the past,
has been used to erode and reduce the
economic and social expectations of
Canada.
Windsor’s statistical unemploy-
ment rate rose to 8.6% in July, leaving our community with the second
highest unemployment rate of all 29
major Canadian cities sitting only
behind Saguenay, Quebec.
Windsor has had a 30.8% increase
in unemployed workers since
December for a net increase of 3,700
unemployed since year end. I’ll
remind the readership of The
Guardian that these statistics do not
include those that have fallen off the
official statistics due to a whole host
of reasons.
C l e a r l y, Windsor is exceeding
double digits. Windsorites must stand
up and take notice of what is happening.
Unemployed workers regardless
of the industry they may have
worked, feel the stresses and anxieties that follows not having a job.
There are hundreds of others, if not
thousands, sitting on a bubble of
u n c e r t a i n t y, believing they are the
next casualty.
The CAW for its part, has done
everything possible within its power
to limit the layoffs that have occurred
in our workplaces and we remain
committed, and I would go even further by suggesting Local 444 and
each of our community Local Unions
are pre-occupied almost to the point
of obsession in our desire to maintain as many jobs as we possibly can
in a very tough economic environment.
Local 444 CAW recognizes the
frustrations of our laid off members
and those unemployed citizens within
our communities who have come to
rely on the strength of the Canadian
Auto Workers’ Union to be their
voice in advocating and fighting for
employment versus unemployment.
AUTO INDUSTRY SPECIFIC
DaimlerChrysler Canada President Steve Landry, Executive Vice-President responsible for
manufacturing, Frank Ewasyhan and Plant Manager, Dan Hillock, listen in on Ken Lewenza's
address acknowledging the Windsor Assembly Plant workforce, the suppliers, the design
and engineering teams for winning the J. D. Power award for product quality. Lewenza also
acknowledged and thanked the over 10 million DaimlerChrysler Mini Van customers for their
loyalty and support.
Windsor/Essex continues to be
very much reliant on the auto industry and the spin-off jobs that it generates in manufacturing and within the
service sectors of the economy.
Therefore, it is no surprise that we
are experiencing rising unemployment, correlating with the significant
decline of market share within
. . . cont’d on page 3
Unemployment is worrisome. . .
Ken Lewenza, pg. 1, 3-4
U.S. Firms hurt . . .
pg. 5-6
CEOs want to dismantle . . .
pg. 7
Social agencies facing crisis . . .
Gary Parent, pg. 8
What’s happened to Ford . . .
Mike Vince, pg. 9
CAW community in denial . . .
Dave Crosswell, pg. 10
September – Our 70th year . . .
Mike Renaud, pg. 11-12
CAW 196 Umbrella Adjust. Comm.
Mike Dunning, pg. 13-14
Tecumseh Deputy-Mayor Tom Burton, and Windsor Councillor Ken Lewenza
Jr., join with Hospice Executive Director, Carol Derbyshire, in thanking Local
200/444 for their financial support of the people-friendly Hospice Village serving those in the community most in need of assistance. Hospice named a
meeting room "People's Place" after Local 200/444 CAW.
What’s wrong buying Canadian?
Buzz Hargrove, pg. 15
S.W.O.R.C. Report . . .
Mike Lovric, pg. 16-17
CAW Skilled Trades Council . . .
Dave Cassidy, pg. 18
Defending the interests of CAW . . .
Alex Keeney, pg. 19
Unit Reports . .
Gary MacVoy, pg. 20
Canada-Korea Trade Agreement . .
Rick Laporte, pg. 21
Lack of answers unbelievable . . .
John Deneau, pg. 22
United Way . . .
CAW Women’s advocates, along with the employer group representatives are
seen above following the three day annual conference educating themselves
on the challenges facing women in the workplace.
pg. 23
Moving forward with 3rd shift . . .
Gary Goulin, pg. 24
Milestone achieved . . .
Theresa DaSilva, pg. 25-26
Hiram Walker’s rich history. . .
Carol Symons, pg. 27-28
Let’s make a bad deal . . .
Gary Taylor, pg. 29
Labour Day Parade . . .
John Kerr, pg. 30
Clifton Grant Award . . .
pg. 31
Dennis Palamides . . .
pg. 31
Labour Day Parade . . .
pg. 32
PAGE 2
Local 444 CAW Retiree, W&DLC Delegate and Health and Safety advocate
Rolly Marentette at a rally held at the office of MPP Sandra Pupatello, challenged the government to improve the WSlB/Workers Compensation system
to protect injured workers.
Auto Industry
Specific
. . . cont’d
General Motors, Ford and
DaimlerChrysler.
The Spin Doctors, the Dennis
Desrosier types have suggested that
the auto industry is not in crisis due
to the investment and growth of foreign transplant vehicle manufacturers
in Canada; but they deliberately fail
to mention that these new entries
provide less domestic content, therefore they support fewer jobs.
The recent investments are good,
but my point is, we can’t get too carried away with rhetoric versus factual
economic data.
Secondary to the direct jobs, but
just as important, is the need to recognize and understand the Big Three
and their supply base, through negotiations, supports tens of thousands of
retirees and surviving spouses who
served their time and paid their dues
to society.
Transplants do not have any economic or social responsibilities to
r e t i r e e s . Therefore, the Federal
Government must, through public
policy and legislative changes, introduce a n A u t o m o t i v e Investment
Strategy that addresses this growing
concern, recognizing the contribution
of the Big Three to the health of our
economy is significant in comparison
to the transplants.
When one takes a look at the
forecast relative to future market projections, it is quite obvious the Big
Three will continue to shrink and
downsize its work force. The CAW
has been very creative and I would
suggest very successful in minimizing scheduled layoffs and I think it is
worth reminding our members of the
work we have done to date.
Our retirement restructuring
incentives, designed and negotiated
by the Union, have been incredibly
successful in saving jobs for the most
junior members. However, one must
ask whether these programs can sus-
tain themselves over the long haul.
We have bargained enhanced investments in our facilities. We have bargained the best industrial pension
plans allowing senior members to
retire relatively young, preserving
jobs for junior members. We have
bargained additional pay time off the
job in the form of our special paid
absence allowance (SPA) creating
badly needed replacement jobs.
We have bargained and introduced the three shift production
schedule first introduced in the
Windsor Mini Van Plant and copied
by other manufacturing facilities creating and preserving thousands of
jobs, and from the Company perspective, they were able to fully utilize
their equipment and facilities. We
have bargained inverse seniority layoffs where applicable, securing work
for junior members.
We have bargained good income
supplement programs (SUB) and we
have restricted the Company’s historic ability to outsource our jobs to
the lowest bidder. We have bargained
workplace training initiatives creating jobs and providing learning
opportunities for our members in this
knowledge base economy.
I am not suggesting through this
report that our work as a Union is
done – far from it. I am emphasizing the work we have done through
collective bargaining in addressing
the employment needs of our members and the community in general.
I have said it before, and I will say it
again, I can’t even imagine what our
workplaces and our communities
would look like without the presence
of our Union. As we approach
Labour Day, we must be cognizant of
the work we have done, recognizing
that together we can and will continue to advance the rights of workers.
Let me conclude by emphasizing
one more time the need for government intervention in preserving and
enhancing manufacturing jobs in the
auto industry. We need fair trade versus free trade. Given our campaign in
opposition to a Canada-Korea Free
Trade Agreement, we should note
that Hyundai/Kia is forecasted to see
the highest increase in sales volumes
of any company in Canada (up to
32% through 2012). Even without a
new trade agreement, we are going to
see huge increases in Korean made
vehicles in Canada (a Free Tr a d e
Agreement as proposed would make
it worse).
Another example is Nissan. They
are expected to grow by 23%
between now and 2012. Neither of
these manufacturers have any presence in Canada because they are
allowed to sell with no requirement
to invest or build in Canada.
Where is the logic in this thinking? How could anybody think this
is sound economic policy and continue to follow the same path of
destruction? Fighting back,
demanding better is more than an
appropriate response. Those naysayers who find it easy to blame the
Union for everything they don’t like,
including job losses, are encouraged
to review their position with an open
mind. I remain confident following
their review, they too will join us in
building a nation that puts the needs
of its citizens first.
HOSPITALITY SERVICE
AND GAMING
INDUSTRIES
Will we ever recover from the
tragic events surrounding September
11, 2001 (almost five years ago –
believe it or not) or is the worst still
to come? Every time I think we are
taking a tiny step forward, another
dart gets thrown our way.
Coincidentally, the day I am writing
my report, we are experiencing a border alert that is crippling the flow of
services and goods at both the bridge
and tunnel.
Our experience clearly indicates
tourism and the related sectors associated with service, hospitality and
gaming comes to a grinding halt as
travellers and visitors to Canada just
quit coming.
. . . cont’d on next page
PAGE 3
The border alert is one thing and it
may be a short term precautionary
approach in protecting our citizens,
but it must be stated and reiterated
that the harm these occurrences have
to our economy is absolutely devastating.
Casino Windsor recently
announced layoffs of almost 300
members or 8% of the workforce.
We are going through an incredible
transition both within the economy
itself and the workplace.
Reports have suggested the smoking ban has hurt our customer base
and there is no reason to suggest differently but realistically, there are
multiple reasons for the decline in
business and they are attacking this
industry from every direction. The
present construction and renovations
are not helping, but these are short
term nuisances and inconveniences
that need to take place in enhancing a
more stable and consistent customer
base for the future, recognizing our
competitors directly across the border
are aggressively moving forward with
their facility upgrades.
Local 444 CAW would encourage
our CAW membership to patronize
Casino Wi n d s o r. Outside of the
gaming opportunities it naturally provides is an entertainment and service
element that is second to none. The
buffet provided at Casino Windsor is
getting great reviews and the service
provided by our unionized membership is exceptional considering the
obstacles that are thrown our way
frustrates the hell out of us.
Casino Windsor is the third
l a rgest employer in the City of
Windsor and it is a catalyst in
improving the wages and benefits of
those who work in this industry or
similar occupations within the economy. There is an urgent need to find
solutions to the crises we are experiencing.
Building Our Union - Strengthening Our Community
It is with great pride that I have the wonderful privilege, as
the President of Local 444 CAW and as a lifelong trade
unionist and community activist, to extend a brief message to
each of you as we collectively celebrate our 50th
Anniversary.
Throughout our fifty year history we have distinguished
ourselves as one of the most progressive labour organizations
in Canada. The means to achieving this distinction are
many, and our Union unquestionably has worked long and
hard to bring our membership and their families a better life.
There are many deep-rooted and important themes that
run through the rich history of Local 444, and the principled,
consistent and inescapable logic we have established has
guided us from one decade to the next.
“Building our Union – Strengthening our Communities” is
just one of those themes; because we decided long ago that
you can’t have one without the other. Of course, the first priority of our Union has been to provide exceptional service to
our members and we remain committed and dedicated to the
significant challenges we face; recognizing working class
Canadians need a Union to advance, advocate and win economic justice, social justice and workplace justice. We have
come a long way throughout our fifty year history from
where we started –to where we are today! Quite frankly, if I
can be so bold, it is an amazing story; an amazing history and
one that is full of dedicated and committed leaders, workplace representatives, trade union activists, social activists,
community volunteers and a supportive and extremely generous membership.
On behalf of the Executive Board of our Local Union, I
thank each of you for your contribution to the success of our
Union because without that combined and collective eff o r t ,
our lives would be different, our communities would be different and the standard of living we have achieved to date
would be less desirable. Make no mistake about it, that
PAGE 4
statement is a fact. The proof is comparing non-union workers in similar occupations with those of us who are blessed
and privileged to be part of an organization that uses it collective power in advancing the needs of one another; successfully coming together as one in winning decent wages, pensions, benefits and the workplace rights we enjoy today.
We have earned the right to celebrate, the right to recognize and be recognized, but it is also an opportunity to renew
our commitment to our members, our communities and our
country. It is a chance to hold for appraisal our values, our
judgement, our convictions and our hopes as workers and
more generally as Canadians. So let’s take this golden
anniversary in calendar year 2006 to collectively extend our
appreciation to one another, both past and present, for building a Union that takes its enormous responsibilities seriously.
Let me conclude by suggesting that the history of Local
444 CAW is so rich and diverse that it is impossible to capture its fifty year history in a one page brief message. Full
biographies could be written, for example, on the lives of
Charlie Brooks, Ken Gerard and Larry Bauer. Each of these
former presidents passed away tragically, but coincidentally
each of them died on the job serving the interest of our members. It is in their memory along with many others (too many
to mention) that I pause for a moment of celebration in recognizing how truly privileged I have been to lead such a wonderful Local Union made up of people who genuinely care
about improving the quality of life we all live and work
under.
Local 444 CAW stands tall and I salute our members
both past and present, the CAW Guardian Board and its
membership, and our community partners who continue to
fight for a world that brings with it, peace, equality, economic
and social justice. With great pride and respect,
KEN LEWENZA, Pres., CAW Local 444
E-mail: [email protected]
U.S. firms hurt by high costs of privatized health Care
Reproduced from the CCPA Monitor
. . . cont’d on next page
PAGE 5
Canada’s Medicare saves automakers $1,380 on every car
Cont.d from previous page
Labour,
political and
social activist
Marion
Overholt
addresses
over two
hundred
demonstrators
on the need to
preserve
universal
publicly
funded
health care.
Jobs and
Investments
are at stake.
PAGE 6
NO, THANKS, TOM:
CEOs want to dismantle and
privatize the public sector
By MICHAEL HARRIS
Reproduced from The CCPA Monitor
at, the biggest one of them all—China—is
being propped up by corporations like WalMart, which happily operates in a country
where organizing workers is a crime. As for
Yahoo, Google, Cisco, and Microsoft, how
quickly these blue-chip companies jettisoned the basic values of freedom of speech
and the press in order to bring their censored version of the Internet to a place
where all dissidents are silenced. While
their own government claims to be trying to
bring democracy to the Middle East, these
guys are busily cashing in on the King
Kong of all tyrannies. It’s the new way of
doingb u s i n e s s .
Like it or not, how business does business determines how we live. Here’s what’s
happening in these parts: the rich are getting
richer (and grosser) and the poor are falling
o ff the radar screen. The privileged don’t
seem overly grateful for their blessings. In a
world where everything is suddenly for sale,
some of the planet’s biggest business executives lied, cheated, and plundered their way
through a system that rewards you for one
thing: increasing shareholder value—or,
failing that, simply stealing it.
Never mind that they did it by inflating
capital expenses, hiding debt, shredding
documents, manipulating stocks, creating
off-the-book partnerships, [looting employees’ pension funds], faking consumer payments, and overstating cash flow. In the
case of Dennis Koslowski, former CEO of
Tyco, ripping off millions for himself
w a s n ’t enough—he was also indicted for
tax evasion; and corporate crook Bernie
Ebbers got 25 years in prison for the largest
accounting fraud in U.S. history.
And now, at this juncture in history, when
some of the most famous CEOs in the
world are doing time instead of interviews,
Tom and his business bunch north of the
U.S. border want to shed on us the illuminating light of their social benevolence.
They want us to dismantle the federal government as we know it in the name of competing more efficiently with rising competition from Asia. And how do they suggest
this be done? Why, Ottawa should stop
sending tax money to the provinces for
health and social services. Instead, it should
scrap the GST and the $29 billion it brings
in every year and transfer the equivalent
taxing authority to the provinces.
Each province would then raise the
money it needs to run its health care and
social services.
The handy benefit to big business would
be getting rid of a powerful federal government with the financial muscle [if not
always the desire] to enforce national standards in health care and social programs
and replacing it with a powerless shell.
Can you imagine what the health care
systems of Newfoundland and Labrador,
Prince Edward Island, or Saskatchewan
would look like if they had to pay for
Medicare by tapping into their tiny tax
base? A row of ice huts out on the Bay of
Quint would have more national unity than
a Canada without a strong federal government—and I suspect Tom and the Big
Kahunas know that.
Fortunately, our selfless CEOs have a
better chance of selling the Port of Halifax
to Iran than they do in turning
“bronze to gold” for the privileged few by gutting the federal
government and then privatizing public programs in disconnected fiefdoms. But I’ve got to
hand it to you, Tom. If you
could ever get your way, we
might even entice Wal-Mart to
trade Peking for Peterborough,
serfs and all.
aybe it’s just Tom d’Aquino’s timing. “Trust me” from a businessman just doesn’t resonate with the
public the way it once did. Back in the
1960s, CEOs were a lot like today—fat wallets, fat asses, and good golf clubs—but
they were at least anchored in their communities and countries.
There was even such a thing as a good
corporate citizen. So when business leaders
ventured out with public statements on how
better to run the country, people raised their
heads for a moment the way grazing cows
take in a passing car.
Yes, Ozzie and Harriet respected the
guys with the shoe-shines and the smiles
because their own little corner of the world
was okay back in those days: they had a
new Chevy, a paved driveway, and the coke
still came out of bottles. Best of all, David
and Ricky weren’t in therapy—or jail.
Then, like a hawk dropping out of the
clouds on a bewildered partridge, it was all
feathers and dust. Business leaders are now
predatory international nomads. The world
of national identity, a good union job, and a
largely indigenous workforce has yielded to
stateless corporate greed in search of evergreater profit without the slightest reference
to issues of country, cultural values, or
morality. So the Canadian Council of Chief
Executives, with their fat salaries and fat
profits, could have picked a
better time to declare that
they have a better way to
run Canada. After all, we’re
now part of a global economy where the ordinary
homegrown worker, with his
union wages and costly benefits, is just a pain in the ass.
A s i a ’s toiling masses are
now the “human capital” of
choice, largely because people without any fundamental
rights can be treated like
serfs.
Windsor District Chamber of Commerce parking lot is a glaring
As for all those brutal example of why the Windsor/Essex economy is struggling and the
dictatorships we keep tilting manufacturing job base is eroding.
(Michael Harris is a newspaper columnist,
a radio talk-show host, and the author of
several best-selling books, including
Lament for an Ocean: The Collapse of the
Atlantic Cod Fishery, and Con Game: The
Truth about Canada’s Prisons.)
PAGE 7
LOCAL 444
Social Agencies facing
funding crisis position
or almost two decades, the
agencies that have taken care
of the elderly, the sick and the
poor have been slowly starved of
government funding, while at the
same time, the demand for their services have grown. Major cuts to
welfare, social housing, child care,
health and educational programs and
the downloading of services to the
municipalities without suff i c i e n t
funding to support them have all contributed to the current condition.
Additionally, stable, multi-year
funding to pay for core expenses such
as rent and administration salaries,
which allow agencies to plan and
develop services to meet our community needs, has been replaced by oneyear project grants, creating instability and uncertainty.
On top of the lack of government funding, we have the present
downturn in our economy which has
caused layoffs resulting in a shortfall
in our United Way Campaigns over
the past couple of years
I want to compliment those in our
community agency sector who have
been doing an extraordinary job on a
shoestring budget. These conditions
make it impossible to keep services
accessible, accountable and reactive
to the multitude needs, especially
when agencies are struggling to keep
the lights on, going into the future.
The reality is, we are entering into
an economic downturn and the needs
will multiply. This same service sector will be expected to come to the
rescue, but the question remains, how
will they be able to fulfill the
demand?
There are several steps that must
be adopted: Additional multi- year
core funding from all levels of government must happen immediately; in
particular from Queen’s Park (which
is long overdue).
Also, the province must develop a
policy that recognizes the importance
By
GARY L.
PARENT
Fin.-Secretary,
CAW Local 444
of the non-profit community as a key
contributor to the maintenance of the
social fabric of this province.
The time for action is now. We
must save and expand these much
needed services so that all of our
community needs will be met if we
are to continue being the best overall
community to live in and raise a family.
Labour Calls for
Immediate Cease Fire
The labour movement has a long
history of promoting peace in the
world. On the morning of Sunday,
July 30th on CNN, I viewed the
bombing of innocent civilians,
many of which were children. This
certainly reminded me why Labour
has taken this very principled stand.
What I don’t understand is the
current position of our Stephen
Harper government who will not join
with many others in the UN calling
for an immediate cease fire before
additional innocent lives are lost.
I say to the Prime Minister, while
several G-8 leaders early on
described the Israeli bombardment of
Lebanon as outrageously disproportionate, you found it measured with
what happened on July 30th.
Windsor & District Labour Council President, Gary Parent, represents the
Labour Community in demanding a ceasefire in the current Lebanon/lsraeli
conflict. The CAW has also called for the Canadian Government to expedite
Humanitarian Relief Assistance to the communities devastated and left without the basic necessities to survive
PAGE 8
I surely hope you will state to the
world what most Canadians are feeling and call for an immediate cease
fire. Let’s not have any more innocent lives taken and allow our
Canadian Troops to return to their
moral Canadian historical function of
being peacekeepers and a voice distinct and separate from that of the
United States’ George Bush.
LOCAL 200
What’s happened to Ford
in last12 months?
E came out of 2005 bargaining being told we were
losing the Windsor Casting
Plant and that there would be new
work coming to the Essex Engine
Plant. We also felt, that with the
amount of pension eligible people, we
would be able to get most, if not all,
of our laid off members back to work
prior to the closure of the Casting
Plant.
On January 23, 2006 Ford
announced a restructuring plan that
would see 14 plants close and 30,000
people lose their jobs by 2012. Seven
locations were announced on January
23, 2006.
On July 20, 2006 only six months
following the original announcement
the company announced an accelerated restructuring plan, that they said
would be made public within 60 days.
What this now means for Windsor
and the rest of the operations have all
of us really concerned about Ford
Motor Company’s commitment to
their employees and this community,
not to mention the rest of the
Canadian operations. Generation
after generation has built products in
Windsor. We have a history with Ford
of over 100 years. Anytime the company has come to us with new programs, Windsor's workforce has met
the challenges. We have had some of
the most successful launches of new
facilities in the entire Ford operations.
We have won several awards within
the company and outside of it as well.
Is all of this no longer relevant to
Ford Motor Company? We completely understand the position the company is in right now, but a lot of the
problems they are having are not
worker related. For example, the price
of commodities – like raw materials,
the price of oil or how the currency
exchange factors negatively.
Vehicles are being produced offshore with no restrictions on their
import. Various levels of government
not caring or understanding what is
happening to us should be very concerning to us all and we must be prepared, as a community, to let our various levels of government know, loud
and clear, our concern that they are
not taking this issue seriously.
This is not just about Local 200
members, this is about their families,
the entire community from auto parts
plants to the small and large businesses that supply goods in our facilities,
to the corner store and beyond.
We take great pride in our jobs and
our products. We are one of, if not
the most, generous communities in
the World. What would places like
United Way, Hospice, and our youth
activities, not to mention the Hospital
and their new MRI look like without a
caring community like ours?
Business and local unions and the
By
MIKE
VINCE
President,
Local 200, CAW
community came together like
nowhere else to put our entire community first. It is now time for this
community to come together and say
to our elected representatives, at all
levels, this community is on the verge
of a crisis as we’ve never seen before.
It is of the utmost importance that
our Auto Industry stays strong and
vibrant in Windsor and Essex County.
According to the research department
of the CAW 2005 (latest figures available) 25,000 people in the Windsor
area are employed in Auto related
industries. They collectively pumped
out a staggering $60,000,000 worth of
products each day, while earning
$4,100,000 in wages and paying
$1,000,000 per day in taxes. It is
imperative that we continue to insist
that our elected politicians keep the
Auto Industry high on their agenda.
Our way of life depends on it. Our
children's future and the well being of
our community, as we know it, are at
stake. Accepting less is not an option.
Local 200/444 Presidents Mike Vince and Ken Lewenza are seen with their respective officers in receiving community recognition for their contribution to the Field of Dreams
Campaign bringing a badly needed MRI Diagnostic Scanning Machine to Windsor.
Recognition was accepted on behalf of the membership of Locals 200/444.
PAGE 9
LOCAL 200
CAW Community
in Denial
UR Community is on the
brink of a potential disaster unless we are able to
g e t all levels of government to
work with our Union on preserving auto jobs as well as enticing
new investment. With the increase
of imports due to unfair trade
agreements and increased gas
prices we are being robbed of our
jobs.
Some are quick to say that we
have been in this situation before; I
would ask, – have we? In the past
we were faced with an economy in
trouble and with interest rates over
20%.
Today the overall economy in
the U.S. and Canada isn’t bad.
Interest rates are low and vehicles
are still selling in large numbers;
the reality is less people are buying
what we build. We have been talking with local politicians on the
need to pull all stops in securing
Wi n d s o r ’s future in the Auto
Industry. Joe Comartin and Brian
Masse are clear on auto issues and
have been in contact with the
Local. Dwight Duncan has been
talking with our Local and has
made himself available and was
helpful during negotiations with
Nemak for the GM work.
With a stronger effort from all
levels of government and the community we can make a difference.
Our Local workforce is the best.
Canadian Auto Workers have bragging rights in Quality, Productivity
as well as being the best in caring
for their communities. The membership and leadership of Local
200 are doing what they can for
PAGE 10
the future. We will push all levels
of government to do the same.
COMMITMENT TO
OUR COMMUNITY
With the support of our membership, Local 200 has been able
to continue to make significant
contributions to our community. In
recent weeks, our Local has been
acknowledged for our financial
support at Hospice, for the MRI at
Windsor Regional Hospital, the
Bert Weeks Garden on the river, as
well as raising over $10,000 for
both the Heart and Stroke
Foundation and for the Brain
Trust.
The 11th Annual Club 200
Youth Activities Golf Tournament
will take place on September lst.
With a tremendous amount of
work from our volunteers, we are
sure that the event will be a success. We are hoping to raise over
$40,000 with all proceeds going to
our areas youth.
By
DAVE
CROSSWELL
Financial Sec.,
C.A.W. Local 200
MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
I would ask all of us to make
an effort to talk to our families,
friends, neighbours and co-workers on the importance of supporting the Windsor and District
Labour Council’s recommendations in the upcoming municipal
and trustee elections. We need to
elect those who will fight for
social justice, our jobs and our
community.
Thanks to the area councillors
who supported us on our recent
resolution on trade with Korea.
LOCAL 444
CELEBRATES 50 YEARS
Congratulations to all our
Sisters and Brothers of CAW
Local 444 on 50 great years. To
Ken and Gary and the executive, a
special thanks for the solidarity
that your Local has given to us as
well as to our Community.
Gary Parent, Mike Vince and Dave Crosswell seen above with Mayor Robert
Croft of Lakeshore and Local 200 CAW Retiree who has participated in
several meetings expressing his concerns on the state of the auto industry.
The CAW appreciates Mayor Croft's interest and support.
LOCAL 195
September 2006 –
Our 70th Year!
N September of 2006 our Local
will be celebrating its 70th
anniversary as a union in the
City of Windsor and Canada. Our
Local has a proud and long history in
our union and the labour movement.
It broke new ground for workers in
Canada when it received its UAW
charter back in December 1936 as
workers from Kelsey Hayes became
the first to be organized in the automotive industry in this country.
Our Local has had to face much
adversity over the last 70 years. For
example: government deregulation,
free trade agreements and the recessions. Even with all the plant closures, our Local, with hard work and
perseverance, has not only survived
but we continue to make significant
gains for our membership under
extremely difficult times.
The current leadership and those
of the past have fought and will continue to fight for respect, dignity and
equality for all working people, not
only within our union but also for
those who are part of non-unionized
working environments. Our success
extends beyond our members and
our struggle has become part of a
social movement for a more humane
society here and for peace and justice internationally.
Meeting with Liberal MPPs
and t he Mi nis ter of
Labour, Steve Peters
On June 28, 2006, the local
unions in the city gathered at the
CAW Local 444 hall on Turner Road
to meet with Local MPPs, Hon.
Sandra Pupatello, Wi n d s o r- We s t ,
Bruce Crozier, Essex, and the Hon.
Steve Peters, Minister of Labour.
Many of our brothers and sisters
from other Locals attended this rare
opportunity to discuss a variety of
social and labour issues with the
Liberal leaders. The issues raised
included anti-scab legislation, securing pension funds, wage guarantees,
workers compensation and health
and safety. I give Mr. Peters credit
for coming to Windsor and listening
to all of our issues. He did also
announce that the jails will not be
privatized and that his government
has passed legislation that allows
agricultural workers the right to
refuse unsafe work along with health
and safety training. This is great
news for all!
Our Local would like for the
Minister to now address the wage
guarantee issue. Our Local has faced
By
MICHAEL P.
RENAUD
President,
CAW Local 195
closures where the company has
gone bankrupt and has not paid
workers wages, vacation pay, severance and termination pay. These
workers just get lumped into the
unsecured creditors’ column while
the banks get listed as secured creditors allowing them to be paid first.
We need the government to step in
and create legislation that protects
these workers’ money by putting
them to the top of the creditors list.
These workers, while in transition,
will be surviving with their earned
and much needed pay and thriving by
spending the monies owed to them
back into the economy helping it to
grow further.
Korea Free Trade
The proposed free trade agreement
. . . cont’d on next page
Local 195 CAW President, Mike Renaud expresses the need for legislative
changes that protect workers' incomes and pensions from bankruptcy and
closures. Labour Minister Steve Peters and area MPPs Bruce Crozier and
Sandra Pupatello attended the meeting hosted by the Labour Community.
PAGE 11
Mike Renaud
Report . . . cont’d
between Canada and Korea will
destroy thousands of jobs in crucial
industries: auto assembly, auto parts,
shipbuilding, fishing, aerospace, tool
and die, food processing, lawn and
garden equipment, electrical and
electrical products, to name a few.
The Canada-Korea Free Tr a d e
Agreement has the potential to eliminate many of the jobs of our sector.
Free trade with Korea is just the
beginning. Ottawa has already initiated free trade talks with Japan.
Next, they will begin talks with
China. Korea is the first step, and if
we allow the government to extend
N A F TA's flawed principles to our
trade with all of Asia, we'll suffer job
losses much worse than already realized. I am asking that you get
involved in the CAW's campaign and
write to Prime Minister Harper and
Trade Minister David Emerson
opposing this agreement and also
help by signing the CAW petitions
that our available at your Local union
office.
Bargaining
We've ratified 13 new collective
agreements since the last publication
of The Guardian in April 2006.
JUDRICKS ratified a new three
year agreement on Saturday, March
25, 2006, that provided for improvements in language, benefits and a
dollar an hour increase over the life
of the agreement. Congratulations to
the bargaining committee Inderjit
Sekhon, Chairperson, Leonor Ibarra,
Committeeperson and Ken Maheux,
Nat'l Rep.
S E C U R I TA S ratified a new
three year agreement as part of a
master agreement for G.M. Security
Guards. Highlights include:
improvements to language benefits,
pension and wage increases of 1%,
1% and 1.5% taking wages for a
Permanent Security Officer to $29.68
an hour at the end of the agreement.
PAGE 12
Good work and congratulations to
the bargaining committee Peter
Bastasic, Chairperson and Chris
Hutnik, Nat'l Rep.
TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE ratified a new three year agreement on
April 6, 2006 by 100%. This agreement included wage increases of 50
cents the 1st year, 45 cents for the
2nd year and 45 cents for the 3rd
year. Also improvements to severance, vision and dental, one new holiday and a $250.00 signing bonus.
Congratulations are in order for
Darryl Seeger, Chairperson, Annette
Tr e p a n i e r, Committee person and
Mickey Bertrand, National Rep.
VENTRA ratified a new three
year agreement on Saturday, April 8,
2006. This agreement was reached
almost one year early in exchange for
securing new work and a commitment to employment levels. The new
agreement was ratified by a 92%
m a rgin. Congratulations to Tammy
Pomerleau, Chairperson, James
Normand, Karen Harnden, Venessa
Fifield, Committeepersons and
Debbie
Fields,
National
Representative.
PROVINCIAL CHRYSLER ratified a new agreement. Highlights
include language improvements,
improvements in Health and Welfare
benefits, increase in pension plan,
wage increases of .10 cents, .18
cents, and .25 cents plus special
increments for skilled trades, taking
wages to $12.35 an hour for a driver,
$21.28 an hour for a parts counterperson A, and $28.00 an hour for a
class A technician by the e n d o f
the
agreement.
Congratulations to the committee
John Seguin, Chairperson, Jeff
Brydges and Matt Damms,
Committeepersons and Chris Hutnik,
Nat'l Rep.
A.G. SIMPSON ratified a new
agreement under difficult circumstances as the entire A.G. Simpson
chain struggles to survive. The contract was set to expire in August.
Hopefully the fact that we ratified
will enable the Company to seek new
opportunities for the plant.
Congratulations to the committee
Chris Hillman, Chairperson, Rob
Peressutti,
Skilled
Tr a d e s
Committeeperson, Jesus Ebuen,
Committeeperson, John Scanlon,
C AW Nat'l Rep. and Sym Gill,
Director, Pension & Benefits CAW.
TDS AU TO M OTIVE ratified a
new three year agreement by a margin of 93% on Sunday May 14, 2006.
Highlights include: many language
improvements, improved union representation, major gains in health
care benefits including ortho coverage (new), two new holidays,
improved vacations, $2.30 wage
increase over the life of the agreement bringing wages to $16.30 an
hour by the end of the agreement.
$750.00 signing bonus, Christmas
bonus each year and a new RRSP
Plan. Congratulations to the committee Steve MacDonald, Chairperson, Rick Smith, Committeeperson,
Todd Wynn, Committeeperson and
Chris Hutnik, Nat'l Rep.
KAUTEX ratified a new three
year agreement on Saturday May 27,
2006, by a margin of 83%. The
existing collective agreement was set
to expire on June 27, 2006.
Highlights include: numerous language improvements, increase in
PPH's to 7 per year, increase in
defined benefit pension plan of $4.50
per month times years of service new benefit level will be $34.50.
New Health and Safety provisions to
allow for a “buddy”system for people
when required to work in remote
areas of the plant. Christmas bonus
of $400.00 (clear). Ratification
bonus of $500.00. Wage increase of
4.5% over the life of the agreement
taking wages to $22.27 an hour by
the end of the agreement for an operator and $29.70 an hour for a skilled
trades person. Great job and congratulations to the committee Sarkis
Gaspar, Chairperson, Emile Nabbout,
Vice Chairperson, Al Costello,
Recording Secretary and Debbie
Fields, Nat’l Rep.
. . . cont’d on next page
LOCAL 195
CAW 195 Umbrella Adjustment
Committee up and running
NY plant closure, whether
large or small, makes for a
very difficult situation. The
closure of Industrialex (January 26,
2006), Southern Wire (March 17,
2006) and ELS Plastics (June 12,
2006) has created real hardship for
close to 300 of our members. In
July we secured a permanent facility to accommodate the demand for
employee adjustment. Local 195 is
pleased to announce the LOCAL
195 UMBRELLA ADJUSTMENT COMMITTEE. This new
facility has been created thanks to
the Federal and Provincial funding
which has been negotiated.
The Committee is conveniently
located at 1801 Walker, just north
of Tecumseh Road, and will be
opened from 9 am to 4:30 pm
Mike Renaud
Report . . . cont’d
COLONIAL TOOL ratified a
new three year agreement on Friday
June 2, 2006, after a three week
strike by a margin of 74%. The membership should be commended for
their courage in fighting off concessions. The Company was adamant in
attempting to cut retiree benefits and
benefits for new hires. The membership was successful in fighting off
these concessions. Congratulations
to the membership and committee,
G e o rge Lia, Chairperson, Scott
Goddard, Committeeperson, Ron
Dileva, Committeeperson and Jack
Robinson, Nat'l Rep.
A R A D C O ratified a one year
extension. There is a prospective
buyer looking at purchasing both
By
MIKE
DUNNING
Fin. Secretary,
CAW Local 195
Monday to Friday. With over
$200,000 in financial support, we
anticipate each plant Adjustment
Committee to function for an entire
year from the dates of closure.
For the first time we have, due
to economies of scale, been able to
furnish the new Committees with a
permanent coordinator. John Toth,
who brings considerable adjustment
committee experience to the job,
will be working part time as the
o ffice coordinator and Committee
advisor. The Umbrella Committee
o ffices include a Board Room,
shared kitchenette, computer and
office equipment area, and individual committee rooms for each
adjustment committee. It should be
a very suitable facility, combining
internet access for job searches, fax
capability to send out resumes,
individual phone links and even
room to expand should any other
plants need assistance.
We have also been successful in
negotiating government adjustment
funds for Butcher Engineering
which, while still functioning, has
seen such dramatic reductions in its
workforce that there are several
hundred workers who have been
permanently laid off.
We are asking employers within
the CAW 195 and any other
employers who may be expanding
or looking for experienced workers
to contact our new Committee. It is
our hope to have as many of our
members back working as soon as
possible.
Aradco and Aramco and this extension allows the buyer to show their
financial team stability for the next
year.
D & C TUNNEL ratified a new
three year agreement on Tu e s d a y
June 6, 2006, by a margin of 66%.
Highlights include language
improvements, increase in disability
payments, pension level to $38.00 a
month times years of service from
$35.00. Wages 1.5% in each year of
the agreement. 2% in each year of
the agreement for skilled trades taking wages to $24.32 an hour plus
COLA for a labourer by the end of
the agreement and $27.20 an hour
plus COLA for an electrician.
Congratulations to Paul Adams,
Chairperson, Dennis Gendreau,
Secretary, Bob Damphouse and Bill
Potter, Stewards and Debbie Fields,
Nat'l Rep.
LEAR Committee was successful
at holding on to four security jobs, as
the Company was attempting to get
rid of security in its entirety.
T I TAN TO O L ratified a new
three year agreement on Saturday
July 29, 2006, by a margin of 69%.
Highlights include wage increase of
.70 cents and pension increases of
$6.00 per month per year of service
over the duration of the agreement.
Additional PPH day in the 2nd and
3rd year, improvements to bereavement, clothing and tool allowances
and signing bonus. Congratulations
to the committee Lou Schiavo,
Chairperson, Rob Assarica, Radovan
Skocic, Steve Fenton, Sarmad
Shaker, Committeepersons and Jack
Robinson, National Rep.
PAGE 13
Adjustment Committee representatives discuss their future plans in Committee Board Room. In photo, from left to
right: Amanda Gillespie (Southern Wire) John Toth (Co-ordinator), Mike Dunning (Financial-Secretary, CAW Local 195),
Anne Hurst (Industrialex) and Randy St. Pierre (Second Vice-President, CAW Local 195) in board room at new facility.
How to Contact the
Adjustment
Committees
INDUSTRIALEX
519-977-6659
SOUTHERN WIRE
519-255-1013
ELS PLASTICS
519-256-4526
Co-ordinator, John Toth, walks
down the long hallway which conne cts Adjustment Comm ittee
Offices in new Walker Road offices
BUTCHER
ENGINEERING
519-256-2974
Offices will offer a range of services to assist displaced workers.
Not only will the current Adjustment
Committees enjoy private offices to
deal with confidential matters which
their members may require, but the
office will be staffed Monday to
Friday to help with job searches,
resumes, and contacting support
agencies.
Support Our Veteran Cab Drivers
With the successful new agreement following a difficult 53
day strike, Veteran Cab Company has been making a visible
effort to sort out employee/management problems by sitting
down and discussing issues with our elected committee.
Again we asking everyone to call Vets Cab when they need
a ride. Part of our success in this sector is having all our drivers active and earning a living wage through expanded business.
PAGE 14
When you need
a ride . . .
Call Vet’s Cab!
519-256-2621
What’s wrong with
Buying Canadian?
By BUZZ HARGROVE
T’S hard to believe that some Toronto
city councillors are saying that it
d o e s n ’t matter whether a subway car
is built in Canada or not, even if it means
sending hundreds of their fellow citizens’
jobs overseas and devastating an entire
community.
The decision to build 232 new Toronto
Transit Commission (TTC) railcars at the
Bombardier production facility in
Thunder Bay, Ontario is something to
c e lebrate. It will secure about 425 jobs
and five years of work. It will bring a
much needed boost of economic prosperity to a city that has recently suffered
major job losses in its manufacturing,
pulp and paper and forestry sectors. And
it will create thousands of indirect ‘spinoff’ jobs for almost 40 supplier companies which provide parts and services to
the facility – impacting Canada’s overall
tax base.
However, we are left struggling to
untangle the twisted logic that right-wing
city councillors have used to defend their
motion which intends to abolish the solesource agreement between Canada’s
major railcar manufacturer and the
province of Ontario. What they propose,
in its place, is a competitive bidding
process to secure “the best product at the
best price” for Canadian taxpayers –
where public money is dangled in front
of corporations, forcing them to use
whatever means necessary to cut costs in
order to secure the contract, often at the
expense of workers wages, benefits and
(in many cases) their jobs.
German-based Siemens AG, for
example, has used this logic in their quest
to obtain the TTC railcar project. To
sweeten the deal, they have advertised
$100 million worth of cost savings to the
city’s initial $705 million contract offer
by taking these jobs away from
Canadians and building the new railcars
in China.
The logic that these councillors use is
simply groundless. To suggest that the
interests of Ontario taxpayers are best
served through a program of corporate
competition over government procurement contracts is both fiscally and politically irresponsible. It is dangerous to
assume that a shortsighted “bang-fory o u r-buck” approach provides any real
value to Ontarians. Instead, if we tally up
the foregone benefits to Ontarians by
moving this production overseas ($136
million in wages, salaries and taxable
benefits for workers; $50.8 million in
provincial tax revenue; $34 million in
federal tax revenue, plus all of the tax
money injected back into public coff e r s
by Bombardier, a Canadian-based company) the $100 million does not look
nearly as attractive a sell.
There is also a much deeper social
component that makes it essential to
ensure that value-added industries remain
within our borders. Thousands of wellpaid manufacturing jobs will be created
across the country – helping to improve
the lives of workers, their families and
their communities. Additionally, these
industries help in the development of
knowledge, skills and expertise for our
skilled trade workers, technologies,
industry operations – all of which play a
critical role in ensuring ongoing investment in Canada’s manufacturing sector.
Fortunately, numerous groups across
the province have rallied in support of
Canadian jobs – and are fighting to
ensure that the sole source agreement is
upheld and the work is brought into the
Thunder Bay facility, where workers are
members of CAW Local 1075. The CAW
commends the leadership of other
Toronto city councillors in overwhelmingly rejecting this motion at a recent
Council meeting. Their voices speak for
millions of working Canadians who do
not want to see their jobs compromised
for the benefit of multinational corporations.
However, it is very unfortunate that
the situation unfolding in Toronto is only
one example of a much larger trend
occurring across the country. We have
seen similar initiatives pushed through by
the Region of York, outsourcing the production of 85 rapid transit buses to
Belgian manufacturer Van Hool in 2004;
challenges to similar solesourcing agreements in Quebec by French conglomerate
Alstom; as well as through the City of
Ottawa’s preliminary decision (still pending further review) to award a $625 million light-rail manufacturing contract to
Siemens earlier this year.
Put together, these three contracts
would put nearly $2 billion back into the
Canadian economy – money that could
be used to improve the standard of living
for millions of Canadians.
As this debate persists in Toronto and
across the country, we must continue to
press the argument that Canada needs a
domestic procurement policy to ensure a
significant level of Canadian content in
all government procurement or publicly
funded projects. This sort of protection
would mirror policies already established
in a number of other countries, including
the United States through the “Buy
America Act” - which requires all manufacturers of publicly funded transit projects to have at least sixty per cent of
their work performed by Americans.
Without similar protections in place,
Canadians will face an ongoing uphill
battle trying to protect our jobs and maintain our standard of living.
Arguing that Canadians fare better
through competitive bidding wars than
sole-source agreements is simply groundless. We need to protect well-paid, valueadded work in our domestic economy and
not throw it away as some short-sighted
politicians would like to do. It is with
great urgency that our elected public officials need to protect our sole-source
agreement with Bombardier and they
should do so under a broad policy framework of “made in Canada” protections so that Canadians can realize the economic and social benefits that a strong
manufacturing base can bring.
It is one thing for free-market ideologues to argue against domestic procurement policies, but our elected representatives’ responsibilities to the public extend
well beyond simple budget accounting. •
PAGE 15
By
MIKE
LOVRIC
Chairperson
Welcome back from the summer break. Hopefully everyone kept
in good shape for the activities that
are organized by the SWORC committee for your enjoyment. Special
thanks goes to the CAW National
o ffice, Buzz Hargrove (President),
Jim O Neil (Secretary Tr e a s u r e r )
and Gary Lilley, our National
Recreation Director, for supplying
some of the gifts that participants
receive. Also, thanks goes to the
SWORC committee for their countless hours of volunteerism.
NATIONAL
10-PIN BOWLING
On April 8th and 9th (in
Mississauga) the Annual National
10-Pin Bowling Tournament went
very well with 85 teams participating from across Ontario.
Congratulations to the members
who represented our region. Here
are the results with handicap:
Men's Teams
1. Don Dingman, Loc. 199
2. Kevin Fowler, Loc. 222
3. Mark Renaud, Loc. 1973
Score
Men's Singles
1. Mark Dufour, Loc. 444
2. Ken Mailloux, Loc. 200
3. Reuben Rodas, Loc. 1967
4. Frank Piruzza, Local 444
Score
Women's Teams
1. Ruth Harrison, Loc. 444
2. Sheila Donlon, Loc. 240
3. Linda Fleury, Loc. 1941
Score
Women's Singles
1. Janet McGibbon, Loc. 1285
2. Samantha Bryan, Loc. 222
3. Cathy Michaud, Loc. 200
4. Audrey Goldspink, Loc. 444
Score
PAGE 16
3507
3388
3374
NATIONAL
CRIB & EUCHRE
FISHING
TOURNAMENT
On May 22, we held our Annual
Bud Jimmerfield Fishing Derby and
it was a huge success. The day was
cool and cloudy but spirits were
lively and eager for the 151 participants. Mal McIntosh, tournament
d i r e c t o r, and his helpers did an
excellent job on organizing this
tournament. We hope to see you
again on the long weekend next
year.
In May, the National Cribbage
& Euchre Tournament was held in
the Toronto area and everyone had
a great time.
We would like to congratulate
teammates Bernard Lanoue of
Local 195 and Brian Guthrie of
Local 444 for placing third in the
National Crib Tournament.
REGIONAL GOLF
TOURNAMENT
On May 28, we held our
Regional Golf Tournament and we
had 131 participants.
Congratulations to the low
rounds of the day; on the women's
side, Karon Brennenstuhl of Local
1498 shot a 92 and on the men's
side, Scott Davis of Local 1941 and
Bill Wallace of Local 200 each shot
. . . cont’d on next page
751
741
739
735
3200
3146
3122
728
723
716
704
Margaret Fisher, from CAW Local 2027, measures out a pickerel at the
Fishing Tournament.
S
W
O
R
C
• C.A.W. NATIONAL SLO-PITCH
TOURNAMENT
September 16-17, 2006
London, Ontario
Deadline: September 5th, 2006
• C.A.W. RETIREES PEPPER
TOURNAMENT
Wed., October 18th, 2006
K. of C. Hall, Council 4375
Tecumseh, Ont.
Deadline: October 11th, 2006
CAW Southwestern Recreation Council Chairperson Mike Lovric and
National Executive Board member Ken Lewenza are seen above acknowledging Staff Representative Gary Lilley for his tireless and supporting
efforts as the director responsible for recreation, retirees and workplace
bargaining. Gary has decided to retire in the later part of 2006 and the
Guardian Board and its membership wish him well.
a 70. The following qualified for
the National tournament to be held
on August 26 in London:
Women's Flite
Gross–1. Karon Brennenstuhl
2. Laurie Grondin
Net – 1. Heather Brunelle
2. Debbie Rawlings
1498
444
200
240
Men's ‘A’ Flite
Gross–1. Scott Davis
2. Wes Stewart
Net – 1. Bill Wallace
2. Michael Purdie
1941
444
200
2098
Local
Men's ‘D’ Flite
Gross–1. Rick Roy
2. Jim Fryer
Net – 1.Tim Predhomme
2. Rick Lum
Local
444
444
200
444
• C.A.W. REGIONAL 8-BALL
TOURNAMENT
Sunday, November 26th, 2006
Johnny Schotz
Tecumseh, Ontario
• C.A.W. REGIONAL HOCKEY
TOURNAMENT
December 9th-10th, 2006
Tecumseh Arena
Tecumseh, Ontario
Check our Website at
www.cawsworc.com
for applications, future tournaments
Local
Men's ‘B’ Flite
Gross–1. Tim Kelly
2. Dave Frawley
Net – 1. Joe Barrette
2. Mike Bouliane
Local
Men's ‘C’ Flite
Gross–1. Royce Wilkinson
2. Fabian Pope
Net – 1. Clayt Sparks
2. Jeff Lamont
Local
444
580
444
444
444
444
580
1941
Members of Parliament, Joe Comartin, and Brian Masse, are seen above with
Pinnacle Chrysler sales representative Rick McKinney and John Milana who
are four volunteers out of the needed 200 helping out with the Local 444 CAW
Annual Picnic held on Sunday, July 30th. Sincerely appreciated!
PAGE 17
Introducing
CAW SKILLED TRADES
COUNCIL
would like to take this opportunity to personally thank all
those who stood for election at
the Windsor Essex County Skilled
Trades Council. Each and every
one of you deserves our appreciation for your commitment and dedication, both to our union and to the
Skilled Trades. Special congratulations to the newly elected executive:
President –
Dave Cassidy, Local 444
Vice-President –
Ron Porter, Local 195
Financial Secretary –
Bert Desjardins, Local 1973
Recording Secretary –
Darcy Roland, Local 200
Sergeant-At-Arms –
Louie Ferrari, Local 444
Trustee –
Brian Barrett, Local 200
Trustee –
Denis Augustine, Local 195
Trustee –
Randy Regier, Local 1973
the union hierarchy, mistakenly
believing the union prioritizes the
large auto manufacturing facilities
issues.
This council values the opinions and concerns of all C.A.W.
Skilled Trades and we encourage
you to attend. You may have the
very solution to a problem that the
larger plants have been looking for!
I challenge each plant committee to
be represented at the next council
meeting. Meetings are the second
Thursday of each month at 7 pm at
Local 195 Hall on Somme. This is
your opportunity to be part of the
solution to many of our issues.
We are facing many common
issues as tradespersons, regardless
of our specific workplace.
Dwindling market share results in
employer demands to increase productivity while minimizing the
By
DAVE
CASSIDY
President
workforce. Outsourcing of our traditional work, competition from
o ffshore markets, and corporate
mismanagement are felt by all. The
strategies we take as a union to
meet these challenges, begin in
skilled trades councils such as ours.
These ideas are discussed, viewpoints exchanged and many of the
results are carried through to the
national level where they become,
policy.
Our union was born out of a
need for workers to stand together
against common foes; it is as true
today as it was at the beginning.
The issues may be different and
more complex; however, they are
not insurmountable. With your
input and involvement we can
progress and survive.
In Solidarity!
This council provides a vital link
between the National Executive and
the Local Skilled Trades workplace
committees. We often get tunnel
vision, working exclusively on our
own individual issues; however,
through joint discussions with our
brothers/sisters in other workplaces,
we may find solutions or fresh
ideas that can be brought to the
table.
I would also like to extend a
special invitation to all tradespersons in our parts and tooling plants
to actively participate in this council. U n f o r t u n a t e l y, many of our
tradespersons feel excluded from
PAGE 18
Windsor & District Labour Council President Gary Parent, joins with Local 444
CAW President Ken Lewenza in congratulating Percy Hatfield on his retirement from CBC as a broadcaster/reporter. Percy served the community of
Windsor Essex with great professionalism and respect and the Guardian
Board and its membership wish him and his wife Gail the very best.
Defending the interest
of all CAW members
S we prepare for Labour
Day this year, we do so with
a great deal of uncertainty
and frustration in a number of our
workplaces.
The demands by several employers for significant concessions by
our members is still putting enormous pressure on the barg a i n i n g
committees as they fight off these
attempts to weaken our membership.
There are some workplaces that
unfortunately are in serious trouble
due to the rising dollar against the
U.S. currency and we will continue
to try and work with them to
improve profitability, put in place
efficiencies and work with them as
they attempt to secure new business
that should secure a future for our
members.
There are however too many
employers that are trying to take
advantage of the current economic
climate and are not only trying to get
significant concessions from our
active members but are attempting
to erode the pensions and benefits of
our retirees.
Our union has always taken
pride in the fact that we make
progress for our members at the bargaining table and usually do so without the need for a work stoppage,
however this attempt by some to try
and take the hard won gains from
our retirees will not go unchallenged. Our retired members should
not have to worry about their pensions or health care once they leave
the workforce and the message to
ALL employers is that they will face
tougher times if they think that we
will walk away from a fight on
behalf of our retired members.
We, as a union are continuing
our fight against the trade agreement
with South Korea. We have collected thousands of signatures on petitions that will be forwarded to the
appropriate government officials in
Ottawa. The question for us though
must be how many jobs will we lose
to manufacturers with NO base in
Canada or the U.S. for that matter
before our government realizes that
they were elected to represent
Canadians.
It is absolutely frustrating to me
that we have a sitting member of
parliament on the government
benches that is an auto worker yet
his silence on this issue is deafening.
It is time for our member of parliament from Essex (Jeff Watson) to
By
ALEX
KEENEY
CAW Regional
Director
defend the jobs in our area. Not only
does he owe it to his constituents, he
owes it to our entire community.
We are not opposed to trade but
any agreement must be fair trade,
not free trade. We must have equal
access to all countries that we trade
with. If we continue down the road
that we are on today, we will see our
major employers lose even more
market share and suffer thousands of
job losses as a result.
This Labour Day we must all
recommit ourselves and demand
ACTION from all levels of government. We have had lip service for
too long, – it is now time for them
to put in place policies that benefits
Canada instead of other nations that
have zero jobs in our country.
In Solidarity!
CAW Windsor-Essex Director and Staff Representation responsible for Ford
Canada members, Alex Keeney emphasizes the enormous challenge facing
auto workers. During a recent Ford/CAW Council meeting, Bargaining Chair
Whitey McDonald and Vice Chair Mike Vince look on.
PAGE 19
LOCAL 1769
Unit Reports
UMMER is upon us, with
most members of Local
1769 currently taking vacations, I want to start out by wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable
time off, I hope everyone has
taken this well deserved time to
spend with family and friends or
just to relax, – you earned it.
The Agreement at P L A STECH expires January 15, 2007,
but the Company has requested to
open bargaining early. With grievances and plant floor issues needing to be resolved and the
Company being slow to address
some of these issues, there will be
some challenges to reach an early
Agreement. At the time of writing
this article the Committee has
scheduled a Unit meeting to
inform the members of the
Company’s request.
K U S (Karl Schmidt Unisa)
continues to work even though a
closure was announced last fall, to
take place in early spring of 2006.
The Company has repeatedly
pushed back the closure date and
is now looking at wrapping things
up by mid October, with ongoing
issues arising from the closure. I
would like to praise the
Committee, Anne Hillier and Bob
Gubinczki for their determination
and continuing hard work keeping
up with the day to day issues during this difficult time.
Congratulations go out to
Nickolas Erhardt and Ronald
Schultz, – wishing you a Healthy
PAGE 20
and enjoyable retirement.
The Committee at PETERSON SPRING continues to have
increasing issues with the
Company when it comes to vacation and LOAs, and with the Plant
Chair Art Manchester off for medical reasons (wishing you a
speedy and healthy recovery Art!)
Gary Hrabets and Vickie Necic
have been very busy and very
determined to work hard to
resolve this and to stay on top of
day to day issues.
A Unit meeting is being scheduled for the members of ELRING
KLINGER to discuss some ongoing issues with their CWIPP
pension, CAW pension Reps will
be on hand to give a presentation
to better inform these members of
By
GARY
MacVOY
President,
CAW Local 1769
how CWIPP works and what
choices they have.
APPLE FESTIVAL – Again
this year, our LOCAL WILL BE
A SPONSOR AT THE A n n u a l
Apple Festival held at Colasanti’s
Tropical Gardens in Ruthven. The
event raises money for the Essex
County
Association
For
Community Living and once
again we will be a Gold Sponsor.
In closing I would like to congratulate CAW Local 444 on their
50 year Anniversary with the
commitment and continued hard
work of this Leadership and the
support and determination of its
membership, in my honest opinion, it is second to none.
The Plastech Committee met with National Rep Chris Hutnik
to discuss early bargaining.
We must continue the Fight to Stop
the Canada-Korea Trade Agreement
By RICK LAPORTE
CAW Local 444 Second Vice-Pres.
T’S been almost four months since we
began the fight back campaign against
the Canada-Korea free trade agreement. During the last four months we
have been busy meeting with as many
people as we can, in order to get people
on board. Most people are unaware of the
damage Asian imports are doing to the
automotive sector. The major decrease in
North American market share is directly
related to Asian imports into North
America. There are also a number of
other sectors opposed to this free trade
agreement. Just to give you some examples, shipbuilding, tool/ die/mold, steel
and electronics products.
By far the hardest hit will be the auto
sector if an agreement is reached.
Windsor has the highest auto industry
concentration in Canada with an assembly
plant, major engine operations, foundry
and casting facilities, a transmission plant
and more than 50 other independent auto
parts operations. Just so you understand
the role Windsor plays in the auto indust r y, we produced 359,993 vehicles in
2005; we built one million engines and
884,534 transmissions in 2005. We produce vehicles and parts worth an incredible $22 billion in Windsor in the year
2005.
The auto industry directly employs
25,000 people in Wi n d s o r,–one out of
every six jobs. Auto workers’ pay cheques
pumped $1.5 billion into the Wi n d s o r
economy in 2005 (or $4.1 million a day).
We, as auto workers, are supporting our
community each and every day in the
form of tax dollars, which in turn support
vital public services, such as health care,
education and social services.
Unfortunately, trade between Canada
and Korea is lopsided to say the least. For
every dollar we export to Korea they
import two dollars to Canada. The result
is a trade deficit of almost $3 billion
resulting in the loss of some 15,000 jobs
in Canada. As an example, in 2005 Korea
sold 130,000 vehicles to Canada and
Canada in return, sold just 400 vehicles to
Korea.
If Korea wants to sell vehicles in
Canada then we should have the same
opportunities to sell our vehicles in Korea.
The government has now begun talks with
Japan, after Japan it will be China. This
agreement will set a precedent for future
free trade agreements with Asian
Countries. We need to stop this agreement
in its tracks. We stand to lose tens of thousands of jobs if this free trade agreement
is allowed to be put in place. The CanadaKorea trade deal alone would eliminate
thousands of jobs in our community. This
will include supply plants and many other
spin off jobs in this automotive community.
We can not sit back and do nothing
while they import Korean vehicles to
Canada and Canada imports our jobs to
Korea. CAW Locals 444, 200 and 1973
have met with the City of Windsor council, Essex County Council and the
Amherstburg town council. We were able
to get support for resolutions at each one
of these Councils. We have also had thousands of petitions signed and letters from
employers in support of canceling talks
with Korea. We have met with MP's Jeff
Watson, Joe Comartin and Brian Masse,
the latter two in full support of our campaign.
We are trying to set up meetings with
Bev Shipley, MP Lambton-KentMiddlesex, Dave Van Kesteren, MP
Chatham-Kent-Essex, and Pat Davidson,
MP Sarnia-Lambton but as of today they
have not responded to our request for a
meeting.
We met with the Windsor & District
Chamber of Commerce in May and were
successful in gaining their support as
well. There were also a number of letters
written to the Windsor Star editorial page
and some of our activists hit the street
with the campaign. During the CAW
Convention in Vancouver, CAW President
Buzz Hargrove will present the thousands
of petitions to Trade Minster David
Emerson in hopes of stopping this agreement. The Fight will continue as long as it
takes to get fair trade!
Local 444 CAW Vice President Rick Laporte, Union in Politics Chairpersons Mike Turnbull and
Tony Sisti representing Local 200 and Local 1973, presents a resolution to Windsor City Council
opposing the Free Trade Agreement with Korea that will further devastate the Canadian auto
industry. Windsor City Council is to be congratulated for their unanimous support of the resolution and their desire to protect the industry and its jobs from further erosion. Windsor Councillor
Ken Lewenza followed up by arranging a meeting with each of the mayors of the automotive
cities who received a presentation from CAW economist Jim Stanford. Following the presentation,
each of the mayors supported the CAW’s fight to preserve jobs in Canada and committed to lobby
the Federal government in stopping the Free Trade Agreement with Korea.
PAGE 21
LOCAL 89
By
JOHN
DENEAU
President,
C.A.W. Local 89
hope everyone is enjoying the
beautiful summer weather and
have had a chance to enjoy a
safe vacation.
General Chemical
Absolutely nothing has changed,
other that over 400 retirees and 300
more past employees with pension
money entitlement remain in the
dark about the status of the Pension
Plan and how their monies will be
affected when the plan is all wound
up. Nobody seems to be able to tell
us when this windup will be complete or when pension payments
will be reduced due to under funding.
Absolutely Unbelievable!
Precision Plastics
I am happy to report that a new
three year collective agreement has
been reached and ratified. The
agreement was set to expire at midnight June 30, 2006. Following a
failed ratification vote, the
Bargaining Committee immediately
returned to the bargaining table and
hammered out an agreement.
Congratulations go out to
Chairperson Doug Shaw, committee members Betty Berthiaume and
Jody Tourangeau as well as staff
rep Chris Hutnik on a job well done
under very difficult circumstances.
The plant has recently returned to
work after a summer vacation shutdown.
Honeywell
Demand for this product remains
excellent and with the exception of
a scheduled one week maintenance
shutdown, the plant continues to
run at 100 percent capacity. There
are no seniority people on layoff.
Raising the Community
Standard of Living
Shop wisely – Shop
Union – Shop CAW
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Bay
Sears
Freeds of Windsor
Coulter Furniture
Windsor Star
CAA (Canadian Automobile Association
Hiram Walker (Spirits)
Diageo (Seagram’s Crown Royal)
Pinnacle Chrysler (Only fully unionized
dealership in Windsor)
Windsor Hilton
• Radison
Provincial Chrysler (Service)
Casino Windsor
DaimlerChrysler
Ford
• General Motors
• Rose City Ford Service
• Motor City Credit Union
• Performance Ford Service
• Travelodge Hotel
• Veteran Cab
• Jamieson Laboratories (Vitamins in stores)
• Tilbury Cement
• Windsor Salt
Local 444 CAW President, Ken Lewenza, reminds the Minister of Labour Steve Peters of the
need to introduce legislation that eliminates replacement workers (scabs) and he further
challenged the government to introduce legislation that protects the rights of workers to join
a Union without reprisals. The CAW has fought for a card check process that if 50% plus 1 of
any workplace signs a union card, automatic certification would follow. The Minister of
Labour suggested that legislation was not part of their mandate. The CAW continues to press
for legislation always keeping in mind Don Milner and the battle the union had to endure to
protect the jobs at International Truck.
PAGE 22
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the membership
and their families for patronizing
the facilities we serve and buying
the products we build. Buying
CAW unionized products reenforces our commitment to our
community.
Thank you!
U N I T E D WAY
E V E RY D AY
Thank You
United Way
2006
Thank you for caring and for supporting our community, through the
United Way campaign. Your commitment to the social well-being and
quality of life for people in our community helps to make Windsor Essex
a stronger and healthier community for everyone who lives here.
The Community Well Being
Report includes indicators and
Impacting the people you care about.
The community . . . is made up of people we care about. Whether
our families and friends, our neighbours or our co-workers, all are part of
the local community we call home. Through the five Areas of Impact
your donation is being invested to help: Children and Youth; Individuals
and Families; Seniors; Persons with Disabilities and Community
Supports.
Here are just a few examples, from people who benefit
directly:
“As a Windsor Police Officer, I cannot express how vital the Safety
Patrol program is to all students. Many patrol students are on duty for
the morning, lunch hour and home time schedules. Their commitment
and dedication is evident by the fact that the Windsor Police Services
has not had any serious Motor Vehicle Accidents involving a patrolled
location in many, many years.” PC Steve Betteridge, Windsor Police
Services.
“Maybe because she was abused by her former owner, Kristy
Krunch (a companion dog) knows how to relate to people with physical
and developmental challenges. Recently, we have seen some major
breakthroughs in social interactions, with people who are challenged
and living in a group residence. In the past they did not communicate
with others, but thanks to Kristy Krunch, they reach out, and look forward to our weekly visits.”
Jan H., volunteer, Companion Animal Program.
“When fire struck our apartment, my neighbours and I were devastated. With no family in the city to go to, I did not know where to turn.
When the volunteers from the Fire Recovery Team arrived, they helped
me with accommodations and some clothing, including a new winter
coat. Those individuals were my Guardian Angels.” Mary J.
measures that help us understand
the health and well-being of
Windsor Essex County to focus
resources on building a healthy
and vibrant community. The community now has to find the
resources to make this happen
and to do that United Way must
reverse the campaign declines of
previous years and generate new
dollars. Given the economic pressures facing Windsor Essex
County, we will have to raise 10
percent more in 2006, to maintain
the value of current investments at
$8.3 million. We are looking to
the broader community for support
in achieving this goal but the continued support of the CAW membership is critical. We can only
ask that you once again show the
compassion and care you have for
your community by digging a little
deeper when renewing or making
your pledge to the 2006 campaign.
For more information visit
www.weareunited.com
or call 258-0000, X 1140
For more information about these and other services, contact the United Way at
258-3033 or visit www.weareunited.com.
PAGE 23
LOCAL 2098
Moving forward
with a third shift
HINGS here at Diageo are
extremely hectic. Crown
Royal sales have been growing steadily with the company
spending huge amounts of money
promoting our product. The
Amherstburg plant has worked very
hard and secured a Crown Royal
product called “XR” (extra rare). It
is a very labour intensive product as
everything is done by hand. With
only a few thousand cases being
produced per year, it is on the
expensive side, running from $175
to $200 per bottle. With the added
production volume and a third shift,
35 new employees have been hired.
Good news for the economy in this
area.
Maintenance has completed the
installation of the new Bagger and
Accumulator on the 1.75 litre bottles. The machines still have a few
bugs to work out, but the line is
running steadier each day. Wi t h
completion of this line, maintenance jumped right over to the
revamping of Line #1 to handle
automation of the 3.75 litre bottles
which were being done mostly by
hand.
With all this added work for
maintenance, the company has
hired three new mechanics and are
adding one apprentice. The apprentice was a big win for the Union
because the program was pretty
much lost with the sale of Seagram
to Diageo. We wanted more than
one apprentice, but it is a foot in the
door for future Union members to
work on.
With this thought, I hope that
with all the overtime and growth of
PAGE 24
our Union membership, we have
the insight to look ahead. Our
Union Executive will be preparing
for upcoming contract talks. Our
Union Executive will need the full
support of all the members. If we
don’t stand as one; if you think our
last contract was not what you
expected, I don’t even want to
think of what could happen this
time around!
Just remember: UNITED WE
S TAND, DIVIDED WE FA L L .
By
GARY
GOULIN
President
CAW Local 2098
Now is the time. Let’s get together
and help each other. It doesn’t
require a lot work by each individual. If every member does a little,
just add it up, 350 times that is a
lot.
With this, I would like to take
this time to hope everyone has had
an enjoyable summer and vacation!
In Solidarity!
Guardian Board members Gary Goulin, Nancy Lucier, Gary MacVoy, Carol Symons, Gary
Taylor and Theresa DaSilva are seen in both photos working together to protect the
interest of Windsor/Essex combined CAW membership.
LOCAL 240
By
Milestone Achieved
Greetings,
We, the members and the executive of Local 240 would like to
extend our congratulations to
Local 444 in achieving the milestone of 50 years as union and
community organization.
Local 444 has not only
improved the living and working
conditions for its membership
through collective bargaining in
Health & Safety, Human Rights
and Environment, you also have
been the lighthouse of inspiration
for the families of Windsor &
Essex County by your support of
Social Programs (We l c o m e
Centre, Unemployed Help Centre
and Hospice).
Over the past 50 years you
have been and will continue to be
a true symbol of what trade union-
THERESA
DA SILVA
President,
C.A.W. Local 240
ism is all about.
Municipal Elections
Municipal Elections will be
held throughout Ontario on
Monday November 13th, 2006.
Mayors, City and Town Council
and School Board Trustees are
elected in these very important
elections.
The Windsor District Labour
Council will host a Town Hall
Meeting on Tuesday September
14, 2006, at the Caboto Club
Those who hold municipal
o ffice in Windsor and Essex
County, and those seeking election will be invited to talk about
their vision of respective communities, to discuss issues and
answer questions. This is a good
opportunity for you to hear from
the politicians first hand about
their views on important issues to
you.
As Gary Parent pointed out in
a recent editorial in The Windsor
Star, this would be a much different community were it not for the
involvement and leadership of
several labour leaders. Labour
has had a strong hand in such
things as the acquisition of
Riverfront property for parkland,
the Cancer Centre Foundation, the
University of Windsor CAW
Student Centre, Hospice, the
United Way Campaign and the
opportunity for a full blown
Medical School.
The Labour Council will have
put together a report card for distribution on how our city councillors have voted in the past on
these very important issues. Think
of what type of Community you
want to live and work in and raise
your families, and then on Nov
13th vote for those candidates
who best reflect those values.
2006 Len Campbell
Bursary
Local 240 CAW President Theresa DaSilva and executive board members, Jim
Angus and lan Craigmyle, are seen above demonstrating in support of injured
workers demanding the Provincial government address inequities introduced
and legislated by the Mike Harris government. The provincial Liberals ran on
change, got elected on change, but to date have done nothing to protect
injured workers.
Each year, Local 240 awards
the Len Campbell Bursary to the
son or daughter of a member submitting the best essay on a topic
of concern to organized labour in
Canada.
This year's award of $1,000
. . . cont’d on next page
PAGE 25
LOCAL 240
Established 1952
. . . cont’d
was presented to Carly Atkinson,
step daughter of Brother To m
Danyluk at the Ford Security
Unit. Carly will be studying
BHK-Human Kinetics at the
University of Windsor in the fall.
Congratulations!
INC. OF WINDSOR, ONT.
The Directors are:
Local
Local
Local
Local
Local
Local
Local
Local
Local
Soaking up the Sun
Summer is here and even
though the weather has been hot
and humid, it has failed to slow
down our youthful and energetic
retirees of Local 240.
On the 12th of July, Local 240
retirees had their first picnic under
the pavilion at our Labour centre.
The day included lots of barbeque
h a m b u rgers, hotdogs, games and
cash prizes through their 50/50
draw.
The picnic was followed by a
one day bus trip on August 9th to
Point Edward Casino in Sarnia,
89–John Deneau, John Vanderham
195–Mike Renaud, Mike Dunning
200–Mike Vince, Dave Crosswell
240–Theresa Da Silva, Ian Craigmyle
444–Ken Lewenza, Gary Parent
1498–Gary Taylor, Gisele Palenchar
1769–Gary MacVoy, Michele Grubb
2027–Carol Symons, Darryl McLean
2098–Gary Goulin, Nancy Lucier
FINE TOUCH
GRAPHICS
The Guardian, 1855 Turner Road, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 3K2
Telephone (519) 258-6400, Fax 258-0424. Address changes should be directed to your Local Union Office
for an encounter with lady luck.
Labour Day 2006
Ten great reasons to
celebrate Labour Day:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Weekends
Reasonable work hours
Benefits/Pensions
Paid Vacations
Safer working conditions
Grievance procedures
Harassment protection
Pay Equity
Maternity Leave
10. Stat Holiday with pays
Come out and join in the
Labour Day March on September
4, 2006 @ 9:00 am (Riverside Dr.
and Drouillard Rd.) and bring the
whole family (partner, kids and
dogs) for a demonstration of solidarity. What a great way to spend
some quality time with your family by enjoying great food, lots of
entertainment and fun activities
for the kids. I look forward to
seeing you there.
Congratulations go out to all the members who helped organize
CAW Local 240’s first Annual Retirees Picnic
PAGE 26
BORDER PRESS
INC.
LOCAL 2027
Hiram Walker’s Rich
History continues to fade
’LL be the first one to admit
that patience is not one of my
strong points but it's been a
year since Pernod Ricard took over
Hiram Wa l k e r, and what little
patience I do have is now being
pushed to the limit.
Indecision, speculation and
apprehension are hanging over our
workplace like storm clouds ready
to burst. The atmosphere is depressing, morale is low and the routine
chit chat is full of gloom and doom.
No one appears to know what's
going on or what to do with themselves. Rumours of a partial plant
closure, threats of layoffs and loss
of product are taking their toll on
our membership and functioning
normally under these circumstances
is proving to be a huge challenge
for everyone, company and union
alike.
Because of a recent company
ordered efficiency study, some of
the managers are running around in
circles, fearing they may be told at
any moment their services are no
longer required which is adding
even more tension to an already
stressful environment.
Trust me the "no news is good
news" cliché is totally overrated.
When big business is involved, not
knowing the outcome of the latest
corporate meeting can be very frustrating. At the time of this report
the union still hasn't been given any
clear indication of Hiram Walker's
mandate in the grand scheme of
things. I was hoping by this time
we would have a clearer picture of
what the future holds for us. Instead
I’m reporting on the unsettled state
we’re in around here and by the
looks of things, will continue to be
in for at least the foreseeable future.
Quite frankly, I’m still having a
hard time digesting that Hiram
Walker's signature brand (Canadian
Club Whiskey) has been sold off to
Fortune Brands, and is now our
competition. The significance of
losing our heritage, Hiram Walker's
legacy and in essence, our identity
to another company cannot go
unnoticed and should not be underestimated by the employees of
Hiram Walker nor this community.
When Hiram Walker was first
taken over by Pernod
Ricard/Fortune Brands the news
was met by the employees with
mixed emotions, some scepticism
and little excitement. Just before
Christmas last year our fears were
alleviated when we were told good
things were planned for our plant in
Walkerville. Well, those good
things have not yet materialized. As
a matter of fact the fallout appears
to have had the exact opposite
effect as what was first conveyed.
Now Hiram Walker, as we know
it, is imploding before our eyes.
Our most beautiful building (the
historical brand heritage center)
and a few Pike Creek warehouses
have been claimed by Fortune
Brands which is the new owner of
Canadian Club and due to a lack of
occupancy another of our riverfront
buildings has recently succumbed
to closure. Our non-union off i c e
s t a ff has been decimated losing
somewhere in the neighbourhood of
a hundred jobs in the last six
months leaving our main off i c e
building looking more like a ghost
town than an office.
By
CAROL
SYMONS
President,
CAW Local 2027
While the union is sympathetic
to the office staff and the closing of
these buildings we have our own
hands full, continuously challenging the company on the recent elimination of some of our jobs and
classifications, on reductions to our
breaks, on product losses, on outside contracting, and on the speculation of layoffs.
With Fortune Brands pulling the
bottling of Canadian Club whiskey
to their plant in Kentucky, they
have left us with a major volume
deficiency and a sprawling landscape. I know, I keep harping on it
but the loss of Canadian Club
whiskey has had nothing but negative repercussions on our plant
since its sale. (Do you think Hiram
might have put a curse on us for
selling his beloved Canadian Club
whiskey)?
Although Pernod Ricard took
over our facility many months ago,
they have yet to redirect any of
their product lines our way. Now
we're being told due to the extensive volume loss, the strong dollar
and the skyrocketing government
taxes on alcohol, our cost per case
has reached a point which makes it
impossible to attract new business,
contradicting the fact that we need
more business to get our cost per
case down, creating a vicious circle.
In the coming months, this could
have a significant impact on our
bottling room and in turn our membership. Much to our dismay the
short term implications of this
. . . cont’d on next page
PAGE 27
LOCAL 2027
. . . cont’d
takeover are already promising to
have long term consequences.
Earlier this year, an attempt was
made by the company to extend our
existing contract. As it turned out,
the union found it had no choice
but to turn down the company's
offer when we felt part of the deal
was to sell out our retirees, with a
rollback on their previously negotiated COLA pension benefits. When
this approach failed instead of
going in another direction to secure
Pernod's favour, the company chose
instead to stand firm and make it a
take it or leave it, all or nothing
deal. I believe the current strained
atmosphere on the shop floor can
be attributed in part to the refusal of
this offer.
Unfortunately, Allied Domecq
took a successful company whose
history and roots date back to 1858
and piecemealed it to the highest
bidder leaving us at their mercy and
in theory, blindly fending for ourselves. Consequently the recriminations for Hiram Walker, its employees and the community will be devastating if this current downward
spiral continues.
Unfortunately, this latest change
of ownership and the loss of
Canadian Club whiskey have gone
unnoticed to much of our community. To the general public Hiram
Walker still looks the same. Or does
it? Let's take a closer look, drive
down Riverside Drive and the first
thing you’ll notice is the absence of
the overhead “Home of Canadian
C l u b” signs. Take in the condition
of the once well manicured lawns
(a sign of the times) and what is
most obvious and surprising to
everyone is the lack of the beautiful
flower gardens that Walker was
famous for.
Cost savings and efficiencies are
priority one with our new company
PAGE 28
(inside and out). Green and clean is
the new slogan. The only flowers
you'll see on your journey are those
that surround the historical Hiram
Walker Heritage Building, which,
as I said earlier is owned and operated by another company.
Hiram Walker’s presence on the
riverfront has been taken for granted for so long, it’s hard to imagine
it not being there, fully intact, in all
its grandeur. Make no mistake the
buildings may still be there, but
their heart and soul has been let go
or sold off. All the creature comforts that contributed to a thriving,
bustling workplace are being eliminated one by one.
Not so long ago, securing a job
at Hiram Walker meant securing a
job for life (salary and hourly).
Now jobs are at a premium, our
contract is being challenged at an
alarming rate and we’re fighting for
our livelihoods with a company,
that until recently had never even
laid eyes on us.
When Pernod Ricard and
Fortune Brands bought Allied
Domecq, Hiram Walker was a
small part of the Allied package. It
was only after the sale when the
two companies were dissecting
what they had purchased, that they
discovered what a gem Hiram
Walker truly was. A tug of war
ensued and at the end of the day we
found ourselves left with a bottling
room operating at one-third to onehalf capacity, an extensive overhead
and a distillery business expected to
sustain all the leftover obligations.
What's happened to us in this
global economy, global marketing
and global manufacturing world? I
realize many companies have suffered the same fate but unfortunately only when it lands in your own
lap do you realize the devastating
implications it can have on one's
life.
Pernod has burst our bubble and
is slowly handing us a modern day
reality check, one that many of us
did not expect nor have ever experienced before. It’s been over seven
years since Walker has had a layoff,
and although, at times our labour
relations have been strained it’s
been almost thirty years since
we’ve had a strike. That's an
impressive record and one that
Pernod should look at very carefully before tossing aside.
Together, we need to regroup,
rethink and rebuild if we are going
to survive this latest corporate
acquisition. The good news in what
is an otherwise bleak report is our
bulk shipments have increased. We
have a signed long term distillery
contract with Fortune Brands to
produce and mature Canadian Club,
we have a contract with Corby's to
produce and bottle Polar Ice Vodka
and Wiser's Whiskey (please support these brands) and we also produce and bottle Malibu Rum for
Pernod's MKI company.
Unfortunately, the production of
these products is not labour intensive and in the short term may not
be enough to protect all of our
members but it is a solid foundation
from which to build on. Our union
is very aware of the extreme challenges we’re facing with this new
company but we need to stay
strong, stay united and stay focused
during this transition, concentrating
on protecting our jobs, our workers
and our retirees.
Who knows what the future
holds. Perhaps there will be more
consolidation in the spirits industry,
and maybe, somewhere down the
line someone in this corporation
will realize that real value isn’t only
in production lines and machinery
but in the people as well. People
who have in this last year of uncertainty, committed long hours and
hard work in order to help make
Hiram Walker function competitively. If the truth be known the real
gems of Hiram Walker are the
workers and worth every ounce of
their weight in gold.
LOCAL 1498
By
Let’s Make a Bad Deal!
FREE TRADE WITH
SOUTH KO R E A – just exactly
what our community and our country do not need. The effects on
Wi n d s o r-Essex County, and all
areas of Canada that rely heavily on
the domestic auto industry would
be devastating. The same can be
said for areas that rely on shipbuilding, electric and electronic
products, machinery, food processing, tool & die and mold industries.
Canada already has a trade deficit
with Korea and this will only
increase with this type of agreement.
There is absolutely no benefit to
the Canadian domestic auto industry in this style of agreement –
only pain. Lowering the cost of a
Korean-built car in Canada (where
they already own almost 10% of the
market) would obviously spur sales
of these cars at the expense of the
domestics. But eliminating the 8%
t a r i ff that Korea has on North
American vehicles would be negligible – after all, when the tariff was
reduced from 50% down to the current 8, vehicle sales only increased
to 400 units, that's right 400 units!
It is painfully obvious that free
trade doesn't help, but rather would
negatively impact our auto industry.
And that negative impact is magnified in our community, which is so
dependent on the auto industry,
both assembly and parts suppliers.
The effects would be same
across the country, in most industries where South Korea competes
with Canadian industries. A Free
Trade Agreement would eliminate
tariffs on goods imported into both
countries, but tariffs don't tell the
whole story.
South Korea has done an excellent job of protecting its own industry by using a strategy that promotes Korea's exporters and limits
imports. They use non-tariff barriers, restrictions on marketing, subsidized finance and investment and
a state policy that is aimed at reducing the exchange rate. It is obvious
that simply removing the tariff s
wouldn't benefit our industry.
Unless the Canadian government
follows the South Korean lead and
makes Canadian industry a priority,
we are doomed to lose.
The playing field isn't level, and
it isn't about tariffs , – its about a
proactive government promoting
their own industry to ensure South
Koreans have good jobs!
As Canadians, we deserve a
government that is also willing to
promote Canadian industry so that
Canadians have good paying jobs,
and continue to pay Canadian Taxes
and spend their money in Canada to
create other jobs for Canadian tax-
GARY
TAYLOR
President,
CAW Local 1498
payers. Our government shouldn't
be making a deal that reduces
Canada to a supplier of natural
resources (our biggest exports to
South Korea are wood pulp, coal &
aluminum) and an importer of finished goods. “Finishing the goods”
is what separates us from the third
world countries – and to give that
away is a step in the wrong direction.
We need a fair trade policy –
an equal opportunity in their market
that they get here. The deal should
be built on that, and not just the
assumption that everything will be
rosy if we just open the whole
world up for competition and somehow, someway, Canadian industry
will flourish.
•
•
•
Congratulations to Local 444 on the
50th Anniversary. Your leadership
in the labour movement and our
community is inspirational. We are
truly grateful for our association.
Local 1498 President Gary Taylor and Executive Board members Paul
Dubois and Julie Medves are seen above fully participating in the
DCX/CAW Council meetings held quarterly.
PAGE 29
W&DLC
2006 Labour
Day Parade
Same as last year’s New Parade Route
along Riverside Drive!
Local 444 CAW Culinary Olympics Gold medalist, Don
Kumarasinghe, displays his creative fruit and vegetable
carvings during the CAW Retirees’ Health and Wellness
Day that was well attended and considered very informative from the Retirees who attended.
The 2006 LABOUR DAY PARADE will start at 10
a.m., with marshalling beginning at 9 a.m., from Our
Lady of the Rosary Church at Riverside Drive and
Drouillard Rd. Monday, September 4th 2006.
The NEW Parade Route will have us all walking
together west bound along Riverside Drive. We will
make a turn north at Aylmer Avenue and into
Windsor’s Festival Plaza Area. It is a shade bit shorter
than the walk we enjoyed in past years.
After the official opening ceremonies, the Green
Shield sponsored Children’s Village will explode with
family entertainment starting with Windsor’s favorite
children’s entertainer, Beebo. We also have The Mad
Scientist and Windsor Vistas Gymnastics to perform
and interact with our children. Our Children’s Village
will also have a family fun craft area provided by
Michael’s Arts and Crafts. As always we’ll have face
painting, air bouncers and pony rides.
Also available after the opening ceremonies are free
Hot Dogs, Pop, and Water while supplies last.
The over 19 refreshment tent will be in operation
after opening ceremonies until 6 pm for those who
show proof of age with Picture Identification.
The Performance Plus annual Labour Day Car
Show is a must see and don’t forget to cast your ballot
for the “Peoples Choice Award”.
The Labour Day Committee is conducting a
“SHARE THE WEALTH” raffle and tickets will be on
sale in the refreshment tent. The first prize will be
$1,000.00 and there will be five consolation prizes of
$200.00 each. The cost of the tickets is $1.00 each or 6
for $5.00.
Food items will be for sale from local not-for-profit
organizations such as 10 Friends Diner.
Amherstburg Town Council led by Mayor Wayne Hurst
seen above endorsing the CAW resolution opposing the
Canadian/Korean Free Trade Agreement presently
being pursued by the Federal Conservative government.
PAGE 30
The St. Vincent De Paul Society will also be on
hand to collect any clothing donations anyone would
like to bring with them to the Festival Plaza Area.
In Solidarity,
John Kerr, Chairperson
W&DLC Labour Day Parade
Committee.
Clifton Grant
Award
presented to
BILL WARK
President, CAW Local 1959
A long time activist who wears many hats, both
inside and outside the Windsor Salt Mines. Bill has a
relentless drive to help workers. His leadership and persistent drive has resulted in initiating many changes
within the workplace, and through his hard work, he has
created a healthier atmosphere for his co-workers.
Bill has been unyielding in his fight to help injured
workers. He has dedicated many hours of his personal
Bill Wark and Family
time building cases and appeals for injured workers including
non-unionized workers who often do not have available
resources, or anyone willing to help. Bill has also been an active
community member, sitting on a steering committee to implement a Family Health Unit in Amherstburg and has run for municipal council.
Dennis Palamides
To use the analogy from his favourite sport, baseball; Dennis
Palamides always steps up to the plate. Whether it is in the classroom, outside of the classroom, or into the broader community,
Dennis steps up to the plate and takes his swings for the youth of
Windsor.
For over 30 years, Dennis has been a dynamic teacher;
teaching a variety of grades and subjects in both the elementary
and secondary levels.
Dennis’ dedication to the youth extended beyond the classroom. Volunteering for committees, clubs and sport teams is a
must in Dennis’ education world. A few of his voluntary activities
include:
• Director of plays at the elementary level
• Student council moderator at F.J. Brennan, St. Joseph’s and
Assumption College School
• High school coach of six different sports (basketball, football,
track & field, gymnastics, baseball, fastball)
• Five years as the director of Assumption’s annual can drive
which has raised over 150,000 cans for the St. Vincent de Paul
Society
• OFSSA executive committee member (track & field, gymnastics,
hockey)
If Dennis did not touch the local youth within the school setting, they had many other opportunities through Dennis’ community volunteer work.
• 28 years with Riverside Minor Baseball; serving as a coach,
convenor and board member
• 27 years with Riverside Minor Hockey; serving as a coach, convenor and board member
• Windsor Girls’ Fastball Association; serving in many capacities;
Dennis Palamides (left), accepts the Fourth Annual
Advocacy Award sponsored by the Labour Council and
its Education Sector.
founded and funded High School Fastball League
• Baseball coach for Windsor Mic Mac and Sandwich East Little
League
• Lay reader and bingo chairman of St. Rose Church
• 11 years with Riverside Community Groups; involved in purchase and renovation of St. Rose Church Hall for use by
community groups.
Dennis has also been an education advocate through his
service in his union (Ontario English Catholic Teachers
Association). He has served on committees and has been a
Staff Rep at the elementary and secondary levels.
The Palamides legacy to education advocacy will continue
for years to come; not only because of Dennis’ many accomplishments, but because his spouse, Deirdre, and three of their
children, (David, Laura and Michael) are teachers. Their fourth
child, Julie is contemplating joining in the family vocation.
PAGE 31
PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO.40930011
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:
CIRCULATION DEPT.
CAW LOCAL 444, 1855 TURNER RD.
WINDSOR, ON N8W 3K2
RECYCLED
PAPER
Labour Day Festivities across from
Casino at Windsor Festival Plaza
RIVERSIDE DRIVE
GORSKI
PARKING
LOT
W.D.L.C.
LABOUR DAY Parade
Starts
Here!
PARADE
Our
Lady of
the
Rosary
Church
Parade will start at 10 a.m., with marshalling beginning at 9 a.m.
from Our Lady of the Rosary Church. The PARADE ROUTE will have
us walking along Riverside Drive. and make a turn north at Aylmer
Ave. into Windsor’s Festival Plaza area.
Please help support the St. Vincent De Paul Society by bringing
clothing donations to the Festival Plaza where the Society will be on
hand to collect your donations.
• GREEN SHIELD SPONSORED
CHILDREN VILLAGE
ENTERTAINMENT
– Beebo The Clown
– The Mad Scientist
– Windsor Vistas Gymnastics
– Michael’s Arts & Crafts
– Face Painting
– Air Bounce
– Pony Rides
• PERFORMANCE PARTS PLUS
• REFRESHMENT TENT
Must be over 19 with Pict. I.D.
• LABOUR DAY CAR SHOW
• PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Cast Your Ballot!
• SHARE-THE-WEALTH RAFFLE
– Tickets on sale in Tent: $1 each
or 6 for $5,00
– First Prize: $1,000.
– Five Consolation Prizes:
$200. each
Hot Dogs, Pop and Water will be available while supplies last.
Food items will be for sale from local not-for-profit organization
“10 FRIENDS DINER”
PAGE 32