THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MEMBERS OF LOCALS 175 & 633 UFCW CANADA VOLUME XVI NO. 2 APRIL
2007
32,736 participated in courses in last decade
Training & Education Centre: 10 years of Success!
CONTENTS
President’s Message.............................................................................
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Secretary-Treasurer’s Message.............................................................
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TRAINING Proudly introducing some of the TEC's most committed students......... 4
LOCAL 175 President Wayne Hanley Secretary-Treasurer Shawn Haggerty Recorder Betty Pardy Executive Assistants Jim Hastings, Teresa Magee
The child is growing up... 6
UFCW Local 633 President Dan Bondy Secretary-Treasurer Marylou Mallett Recorder Neil Hotchkiss
CONFERENCES Record attendance for Central East Stewards’ Seminar......................... 8
Provincial Office 2200 Argentia Road Mississauga L5N 2K7 905-821-8329 Toll free 1-800-565-8329 Fax 905-821-7144
WORKPLACE NEWS Members at Trenton’s MFRC are ready to provide help......................... 10
NEGOTIATIONS................................. 12 PAY EQUITY......................................
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COMMUNITY CAN reaches out...... 16
PEOPLE & EVENTS Steward profiles..................................... 17 Injured Workers Day............................... 18 Fundraising............................................ 18
Benefits Representatives Sheree Backus, Emmanuelle Lopez Benefits Intake Representative Lesley Flores Benefits Legal Counsel Marcia Barry Communications Representatives Cheryl Mumford, Jennifer Tunney Servicing Representative Lien Huynh Health & Safety Representative Janice Klenot Senior Legal Counsel Naveen Mehta Legal Counsel Michael Hancock, Rebecca Woodrow Legal Representative Fernando Reis Organizing Coordinator & Pay Equity Mike Duden Organizing Representatives Steve Robinson, Kevin Shimmin CENTRAL EAST REGION Director Luc Lacelle Union Representatives Jehan Ahamed, Mona Bailey, Judith Burch, Tim Deelstra, John DiFalco, Anthony DiMaio, John DiNardo, Paul Jokhu, Rob Nicholas SOUTH CENTRAL REGION Union Representatives Sylvia Groom Servicing Representatives Angela Mattioli, Brenda Simmons, Mark Stockton, Mario Tardelli
HEALTH & SAFETY Local 175 develops new WSIB-related program... 19 Day of Mourning: April 28.................................. 20
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TRAINING & EDUCATION CENTRE 2200 Argentia Road Mississauga L5N 2K7 905-821-8329 Toll free 1-800-565-8329 Fax 905-821-7144 cep Local 571
CENTRAL WEST REGION 412 Rennie Street Hamilton L8H 3P5 905-545-8354 Toll free 1-800-567-2125 Fax 905-545-8355 Director Harry Sutton Union Representatives Matt Davenport, Joe DeMelo, Linval Dixon, Rick Hogue, Fernando Reis, Dan Serbin, Kelly Tosato Servicing Representative Sam Caetano EASTERN REGION 20 Hamilton Avenue North Ottawa K1Y 1B6 613-725-2154 Toll free 1-800-267-5295 Fax 613-725-2328 Director Dan Lacroix Union Representatives Simon Baker, Chris Fuller, Paul Hardwick, Marilyn Lang, Daniel Mercier Servicing Representative Jacques Niquet SOUTH WEST REGION 124 Sydney Street South Kitchener N2G 3V2 519-744-5231 Toll free 1-800-265-6345 Fax 519-744-8357 Director Ray Bromley Union Representatives Wendy Absolom, Kevin Dowling, Julie Johnston, Angus Locke, Roy Reed, Rick Wauhkonen NORTH WEST REGION Lakehead Labour Centre 21-929 Fort William Road Thunder Bay P7B 3A6 807-346-4227 Toll free 1-800-465-6932 Fax 807-346-4055 Union Representatives Colby Flank, David Noonan
Director of Education Victor Carrozzino Education Representatives Georgina Broeckel, Gail Carrozzino, Kelly Nicholas, Ashleigh Vink, Dave White
President’s Message
Published six times yearly. ISSN no. 1703-3926 CHECKOUT is an official publication of Locals 175 & 633 of the United Food & Commercial Workers. Web site: www.ufcw175.com E-mail: membership@ufcw175.com
Training Centre Initiative just keeps getting bigger and better It was just over a decade ago that the elected Officers of Locals 175 & 633 determined that members needed greater assistance with, and access to, training. At that time, the UFCW was already a leading Union in providing training and educational opportunities to members. It had established the National Training Program WAYNE HANLEY to help workers cope with the job losses caused by globalization and corporate restructuring. But as governments continued to abandon their responsibilities for training, and workplace security became increasingly more precarious, your Local Union felt it was necessary to provide even greater resources and support. Our vision was to create a Local Union training and education centre that would give workers the knowledge they needed to excel in their workplaces, but also the necessary skills to move to other careers if their jobs disappeared. The Layoff & Closure or Labour Adjustment program was, and still is, one of our most needed and successful training initiatives. When workers lose their jobs, the Locals 175 & 633 Training & Education Centre (TEC) assures they have access to information and counselling related to employment insurance, career options and job search skills, as well as the actual training, which will enable them to find new employment. Our courses in computers, which are now available in class, online and through the mobile computer lab, are an important component in helping workers access new jobs. But we don’t stop there. Through the foresight and commitment of the Executive Board’s Educational Committee, many Local Union staff and numerous key members who promote these programs, the TEC’s list of courses just keeps on expanding. Today, just a little more than 10 years after the establishment of our training program, we find it simply astounding that Locals 175 & 633 members and their families have now taken almost 33,000 courses through the TEC. We continue to provide courses because we feel it is essential that every one of our 50,000 plus members has access to the training needed to improve their lives and those of their loved ones. Members and their relatives have access to the widest variety of programs and learning locations through the Union. We have achieved the most democratic Union educational program in Canada because it is accessible and open to all. Any member who wants to participate has both the right and opportunity to do so. Health & Safety, WSIB, Arbitration, other labour education courses plus a wide range of personal and job skills programs are available. In this issue you can read more about the courses offered by the TEC and how some of our members have benefited from these educational opportunities. This is only the beginning. There are even more initiatives to come. If you haven’t yet taken advantage of the many free courses that we offer, please consider doing so. You can view the offerings online or by contacting the TEC directly.
April 2007
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Secretary-Treasurer’s Message
Locals 175 & 633 celebrate a decade of training As a leader in Training & Education, the UFCW established the National Training Program in the 1980s, to ensure access to training for members all across Canada.
SHAWN HAGGERTY
It was not long after that, that our Local Unions started negotiating training contributions from employers. By the early 1990s, plans were being developed to create a training centre. The Locals 175 & 633 Training & Education Centre (TEC) was conceived as a place where members could come to receive the education they needed to help them and their families build more secure futures. In 1996, space was leased in a building on Meyerside Drive in Mississauga. At that time, Michael Fraser was President of Local 175 and Wayne Hanley was the Secretary-Treasurer. The TEC officially opened in late 1996 but it wasn’t until early 1997 that the centre became truly operational.
The first director of the TEC was Dave Killham, who is now Executive Director of the Workers Health & Safety Centre. He was followed by Wally Lumsden, who made significant contributions to the growth of the centre. It was under the Presidency of Wayne Hanley, assisted by the current director, Victor Carrozzino, that the TEC really took flight. Victor joined the staff of the TEC as a training representative in 1998. At the beginning of 2006, the TEC relocated to a new state-of-the art training facility. It now occupies the entire first floor in a specially-designed building, which was constructed adjacent to the Mississauga Provincial Office. In the last decade, the TEC expanded rapidly, to become the “Success Story” that it is today. You can read more about the TEC and some of its students in this issue of Checkout. If you haven’t taken advantage of the many free courses offered by the TEC, I urge you to enrol in some in 2007.
Proudly introducing some of the TEC ’s most committed students . . . Walter Chatter isn’t quite sure what the first TEC course was that he took several years ago. “It may have been the ABCs of Computing, or something to do with writing skills or first aid,” he says. But he does know that it was a pivotal point in his life. Walter had always had an interest in first aid so after he completed the CPR and First Aid course, he just kept coming back. “The more practice you get, the better your skills become,” he says. Through the training, he got to know the paramedics that taught the course and before long this increased interest and knowledge led him to apply for a two-year Humber College course in firefighting. He credits the many other TEC courses he completed, such as enhanced mathematics and
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writing skills, with enabling him to win acceptance into the Humber program. “There were only 30 spots and 500 applicants competing,” he explains. Walter has now completed both his firefighter training and co-op placement and is writing recruitment exams. He says his employer and co-workers at Dollar Thrifty Automotive, where he’s worked as a maintenance attendant since about 2000, are all rooting for him. He was able to switch to a parttime shift when he was in school and is allowed time away from work when needed for interviews. “Before taking these courses, I thought I would always be working in warehouse or restaurant jobs,” Walter says. “The training really inspired me to think about other possibilities. It enabled me to discover and then focus on what I really wanted to do in life.”
Mary says she enjoys the online courses the most, especially being able to learn about Ontario’s Occupational Health & Safety Act. “It’s useful for picking up things you need to know as a steward,” she says. “It helps to learn about the rights and benefits that apply to both workers and members. Mary is also a member of the Joint Health & Safety Committee (JHSC) in her workplace and says she really enjoys having the knowledge to do the job that needs to be done. Alexander Banaag has worked at Maple Lodge Farms in Brampton for approximately six years. He started in the Cut-up Department, preparing wholesale cuts of drums and wings. For the last two years he has worked in retail sales, servicing customers in the factory outlet that’s adjacent to the plant. He recently became a steward and appreciated the training he received late last year, at the Niagara Falls seminar. He’s also done courses in Safe Food Handling and ISO 9000, both of which he says have been a tremendous help in his job. When we caught up with him during the Members Scholarship weeklong training program he said: “I would really like to thank the Union. My wife was busy for six years caring for our children and didn’t work outside the home. Fortunately she was able to take the free computer courses at the Mississauga Training & Education Centre and also online. As a result of these skills, she was able to obtain an interview and then a good-paying job with a major bank.” He adds, “I have found all the Union courses to be very informative and would encourage everyone to explore all the opportunities the Local Union offers. I think it’s very important – not just to think – but also to move outside the box!” Sharon Kirby, who works at Canex Pizza Hut Express at CFB Borden, describes herself as a per-
TRAINING
Mary Hurley is a part-time cashier and steward at A&P #63 in College Park in Toronto. She has completed a number of online courses including Health & Safety (H&S), Stewardship, Safe Food Handling and Labour History.
son “who loves to learn.” And it’s certainly not an understatement given that she’s taken, as of February 2007, 77 online courses through the TEC. Additionally she has taken the Level I H&S course related to federal legislation. Sharon is the supervisor and the only full-time worker at her restaurant location. She believes that education is extremely important for career advancement and good communication is another essential skill, which has been enhanced through all her training. Sharon is on the JHSC at Borden, helps out with the Special Olympics there and is also the chair of the Parent Council at her son’s high school. She says that everything she learns is useful and helps in some area of her life. “You can always adapt what you know to help you with the new challenges that you take on,” she says. Jeff Murphy has worked at Sobeys Milton Retail Distribution Centre for approximately five years. He does general warehouse work, including selecting orders, shipping and receiving. After being asked to join the JHSC in March 2006, he felt he wasn’t knowledgeable enough, so he took a weeklong Level I H & S course later that year. Since that time, he’s also completed the Level II H&S Law course and 20 other online courses related to health & safety. These include topics such as Stress, Lockout, Confined Spaces, Flammables & Combustibles, Indoor Air Quality, Lighting Hazards, and a number of First Aid courses. Jeff says he’ll probably have completed even more courses by the time the magazine comes out, because: “I loved all of them. They’re very educational and 100 per cent useful. I can apply virtually all of the course material because it relates directly to health & safety issues in my workplace.” Do you or your family have a story you’d like to tell about your experience with the Locals 175 & 633 Training & Education Centre? If so, please contact us for a possible profile in a future issue of Checkout.
April 2007
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The child is growing up By Victor Carrozzino Training & Education Director
When a child reaches about ten years of age, we see defined traits and can catch a glimpse of his or her future development into adulthood. In 2007, just a little more than 10 years after the beginnings of the Locals 175 & 633 Training & Education Centre (TEC), we can see its positive impact on the membership – and catch a glimpse of its bright, shining future development. Just over 10 years ago, your Local Unions visualized a TEC with two goals. The first was to increase and improve stewards’ training to serve and defend the membership’s interest better on the front lines. The second was to add more courses to serve the educational interests of the largest possible number of members and their families. In the area of stewards’ training, we have achieved what once seemed an unattainable goal. Every year more than 1,000 stewards attend the regional seminars in Thunder Bay, London, Kingston, Niagara Falls and the Greater Toronto Area. In addition, we have expanded the weeklong residential program to four times a year: twice in the spring and twice in the fall. Almost 100 stewards attend these programs every year. And of course, when there are specific needs, such as a new workplace being organized, then special training is provided just for them. A second area that has expanded rapidly is Health & Safety Training for stewards, joint committee members and activists. Last year alone, almost 300 of these members were trained in weeklong programs to teach them how to build safer workplaces. In addition, we have many specific workshops. In the third area – online training – our Union made a historical breakthrough. Last year, this massive training effort enabled us to offer online training to 4,483 members and their families. These individuals benefited from any of 80 plus online courses, which allowed them to study from the comfort of their homes and at their own pace. Now the skills and knowledge required to become a steward or health & safety activist are within the reach of all. The bulk of the courses taken were in health & safety and labour education. Members and their families can also prepare for better jobs and update their educational credentials. Through online programs, we reach thousands of members. No other union has even begun such a bold move. We can be proud of having the largest online continues on next page
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Continuation of Special Training Supplement: April 2007
continued from page 6
labour education program in the world! Of course, we continue to supply courses and counselling in the area of labour adjustment, ensuring that members have the skills and support to move on to new careers when their jobs disappear due to globalization or corporate restructuring. Across the province, we offer upgrading classes in mathematics and English. Literacy and numeracy tutoring are also provided, when the needs are identified. These programs, combined with the many others, such as high school credits and computers, enable unemployed members to identify interests and build skills. The majority of workers who participate in a Locals 175 & 633-assisted labour adjustment program are successful in moving forward into new careers. We are the only Union offering high school credit courses for members either in-class or online. Through our partnership with five different school boards we offer classes in evenings and weekends in different communities near where members and their relatives live. That type of program, however, needs a “critical mass” of participants and in many locations the school boards do not have adult programs. So, again our Locals made history by offering high school credit courses online for the first time in Ontario to adult learners. We started with one course and now we have several running for nine months of the year. There is always great participation in the Locals’ computer courses. These are offered at the Mississauga or Hamilton TECs, through the mobile labs, which travel around the province, in temporary classrooms booked in various towns, or through the online program. Computer courses are always in demand no matter when and how they are offered. We even created special courses to meet the particular needs of the Hamilton Retirees’ Club. In today’s world, computer knowledge is necessary for virtually everyone. From surveys and feedback from members, we found out that CPRFirst Aid courses were needed and wanted. Now there are almost 1,000 members participating in these courses every year. SelfDefence for Women was another course identified by the membership as a priority. Now hundreds of members take it every year. In the last ten years, almost 33,000 members have benefited from these courses. In 2006, 8,120 members and relatives have taken courses provided by the Locals. Our capacity is snowballing. In addition, in this very short time, Locals 175 & 633 have become the pioneers of online education in the labour movement and we are setting the benchmarks for others to follow. The Local Unions & the TEC are truly coming of age. The progress has been phenomenal and unparalleled. And the future is promising to be even better!
Continuation of Special Training Supplement: April 2007
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CONFERENCES
Record attendance for Central East Steward’s Seminar Temperatures outside, which fell to almost minus 20 degrees Celsius during the day, were near a record low but the atmosphere inside was warm and charged with energy as nearly 300 Locals 175 & 633 stewards and staff convened for the Central East Stewards’ Seminar. The conference, which is primarily for Toronto-area stewards, was held on February 3 and 4, 2007, at the Sheraton Hotel in Richmond Hill.
Central East Regional Director Luc Lacelle welcomed stewards and staff to the seminar.
These annual seminars normally attract about 1,000 stewards from across the province. The other meetings are held in Thunder Bay, London, Niagara Falls and Kingston. Each seminar features 12 hours of educational sessions, covering topics such as Stewardship, Arbitrations, Health & Safety, Collective Bargaining and Action Team Training. Added for this seminar was Early and Safe Return to Work, which you can read more about on page 19. The weekend enables stewards to learn more effective ways of intervening to advocate for members in the workplace. They gain skills through course materials presented by experienced instructors. And they also expand their knowledge by networking with other stewards, both inside and outside the classroom.
A full complement of Cargill stewards attended the weekend seminar. They were, front row, from left: Magnola Richardson, Adebayo Mufutau, Ampeh Ohemeng, Mario DiMech, Ralph Hogan. Back row: Randy Van Sickle, Belal Mohammad, Tony Nigro, Union Representative Anthony DiMaio, Darrell Able, Pat Demarco and Tej Bola. Absent from photo, but profiled on page 17 is Cargill Steward Surila Bennett.
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Stewards listened to a keynote address from SecretaryTreasurer Shawn Haggerty, who urged them to reach out and involve all to ensure an inclusive Union and united membership.
Questions & Answers were an important part of the Seminar’s educational sessions.
CONFERENCES
Stewards attended classroom sessions all day Saturday as well as Sunday morning. They worked hard . . .
. . . . and had fun too!
Stewards enjoyed the Saturday night dinner, including a prize raffle that raised nearly $8,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada, as well as $900 for Nellie’s, a Toronto Women’s Shelter.
One of the "big" winners who took home a new 32-inch TV was Kamal Sengupta, (centre) with Union Reps Jehan Ahamed and Paul Jokhu.
April 2007
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WORKPLACE NEWS
Members at Trenton’s MFRC are ready to provide help . . . whenever and wherever it ’s needed
Union Steward and Daycare worker, Debbie Van Ooyen, in front of the “I support Canadian Troops” boutique explains that workers wear red on Fridays to show their support.
“The repatriation ceremonies are the worst part of the job,” says Lesley Patterson. She is Daycare Director and Youth & Children’s Services Manager at The Trenton Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) at Canadian Forces Base in Trenton. The death of a husband or wife, who is also a parent of young children, is undoubtedly the worst crisis a military family can face. Leslie explains that the MFRC stocks backpacks, with age-appropriate toys and snacks, so they can be ready on a moment’s notice to assist bereaved families. If the children are very young, they will probably stay with a daycare worker at the centre. If they are older, a worker may accompany them and their parent to the military ceremony to honour the return of the deceased loved one.
Tanya Parks feeds a young client in the respite care program.
The MFRC strives to support its clients and deliver whatever type of service that families may need. The daycare section of the centre employs approximately 30 workers to provide regular daycare service to families in the military and wider community. The other part of the centre employs about 10 workers to provide other forms of assistance. This includes extra help for families with children, such as pre-school,
Eve Lawrence is the Family Separation and Quality of Life Co-ordinator. She coordinates services and facilitates communications, such as video conferencing, with loved ones in Afghanistan.
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WORKPLACE NEWS
Receptionist M.J. Lapointe welcomes visitors to the centre.
after-school, respite, emergency and drop-in programs, as well as youth services. It includes assistance for career planning and job search. It also helps families who are suffering as a result of being separated when a husband or wife is suddenly deployed, or ordered to work at a location away from home base. Family Separation & Reunion Services provides workshops, support and self-help groups for families coping with deployment. Currently, the most frequent destination where Canadian troops are deployed is Afghanistan. It’s a particularly distant and dangerous posting. “Deployment can be a very difficult and stressful time for families,” says Local 175 member Eve Lawrence. She is the Family Separation and Quality of Life Co-ordinator. “Separation is a fact of life for military families. Nevertheless, the MFRC is committed to doing everything possible to ease the pain and upheaval caused by these deployments.”
Employment Co-ordinator, Elizabeth Nicholas provides an essential job counselling service to military spouses.
Jodi Donly and Shannon Wiley (below) work in the Daycare Program.
Hélène Cadotte-Gagnon (far left) is an important resource for information, referral and education. Cook Christine Van Steinburg ensures that clients, staff and visitors enjoy nutritious snacks and meals. Union Steward Denise Currie co-ordinates Children’s Programs as well as Emergency and Respite Childcare.
April 2007
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NEGOTIATIONS
For all the most recent UFCW news, including more up-to-date and
National Car members achieve historic agreement
Primo Foods workers approve new contract The 87 workers at Primo Foods in Toronto were successful in achieving a good new two-year agreement on November 12, 2006, with: • A new letter of agreement stating that all active employees as of ratification will not be required to work any non-traditional shifts unless they volunteer. This is particularly important because the company wants to run the plant seven days a week, 24 hours per day. • Workers receive two lump sum payments, equivalent to 2.7 per cent, to be paid after ratification and again on the one-year anniversary. • Company contributions to the Canadian Commercial Workers Industry Pension Plan (CCWIPP) increase by 20 per cent. Union Negotiating Committee: Enzo Arboritanza, Aldo Gerbasi and Union Rep Anthony DiMaio.
Members at Office Clean ink new deal Members working at Office Clean, formerly Nova Services, in Toronto, unanimously ratified an improved contract on November 25, 2006. Highlights include: • Annual hourly wage increases of 25 cents. • Workers receive two floater days per year. • Vacation entitlement improves. Union Negotiating Committee: Manuela Soares and Union Rep Joe DeMelo.
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At a meeting held December 12, 2006, members at National Car who work at the Pearson International Airport garage voted “yes” to a one-year contract. The new collective agreement has a first-of-its-kind clause giving workers two paid floater days off per year to cover entitlement under the Human Rights Code to observe religious holidays. Other improvements include: • Hourly wage increases of 70 cents plus a $1,500 payment for red-circled workers. • The extra week’s paid vacation entitlement, earned after five and 10 years of service, may now be taken anytime after the worker’s anniversary date. • New language establishes a payroll-error policy and improved language clarifies overtime. • The company agrees that part-time scheduling will not displace full-time hours between Monday and Friday. • Accrued sick days shall now be paid out at 150 per cent. • Part-time workers completing six months coverage in a full-time position (except for parental leave), will be reclassified to full-time. • Part-time workers can now carry their seniority over to a full-time position. • New language states the company will comply with the Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA) and will provide WHMIS training for all employees and certify all committee members. Union Negotiating Committee: Mohamed Minhas, Ali Muddei, Chris Christoff and Union Rep Jehan Ahamed.
Walfoods workers vote in favour of three-year agreement Members from Compass Group Canada working at Walfoods in Ontario reached a new threeyear agreement with the company on November 29, 2006. Improvements include: • Hourly wage increases of 25 cents per hour in both the first and second year of the contract and another 30 cents in the third year. • Full-time workers receive a signing bonus of $50 and part-time receive $25. • Dental plan contributions increase to 32 cents per hour. • Effective January 1, 2007, vision care coverage increases to $150 for employees and $100 for dependants. • Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage both double to $30,000. Union Negotiating Committee: Teresa Van Pypen and Central West Director Harry Sutton.
Members at resource centre ratify Employees of the Military Family Resource Centre in London have a new two-year collective agreement, effective March 2007, which includes: • Annual increases of 2.5 per cent for all wage rates plus compensatory time off and paid time off between Christmas Day and New Year’s Union Negotiating Committee: Deborah Smith and Union Rep Kevin Dowling.
Laidlaw drivers approve three-year settlement Approximately 200 members at Laidlaw Transit in Welland have achieved: • Schedule ‘A’ increases of more than 8 per cent. • The hourly driving rate increases by almost 11 per cent. • Schedule ‘C’ workers exceed 9 per cent. • Signing bonus is $300 for Regular Drivers, $150 for Monitors and Spares. • Drivers on overnight charters receive 10 hours pay, per 24-hour period and a meal allowance of $20 per day. • The company will reimburse workers for medical exams pertaining to renewing required licenses to a maximum of $110, increasing to $120 in year two and $130 in the third year. • Employees required to plug in buses during winter months receive $100. • Improved language covers steward representation, grievance and arbitration language and Leaves of Absence. Union Negotiating Committee: Kim Gamble, Noreen Gallagher, Willie Hafter, Jim Montgomery and Union Rep Kelly Tosato.
Havelock Foodland workers ratify Members at Havelock Foodland, formerly Havelock IGA, approved a new three-year contract at their November 27, 2006 meeting. Highlights include: • Hourly increases of $1.95 per hour for department heads, $1.45 for all other fulltime workers and $1.05 for part-timers. • The Relieving Rate increases to 85 cents per hour. • The company contributions to CCWIPP will increase by 5 cents per hour. Union Negotiating Committee: Michele Ellis, Priscilla Rodgers, Maureen Vincent and Union Rep Chris Fuller.
Ball Packaging workers gain significant wage and benefit improvements On December 21, 2006, members working at Ball Packaging in Whitby approved a new threeyear agreement. The approximately 114-member bargaining unit benefits from the following: • All classifications receive wage increases of 2.6 per cent in the first year, 2.8 per cent in the second year and 3 per cent in the final year. • Annual company contributions to the Group RRSP increase to $1,500 by the third year. • Sickness & Accident (S&A) insurance provides a maximum weekly benefit of $485 effective December 1, 2006 and $500 effective December 1, 2008; Life Insurance increases to $45,000. • Workers receive annual chiropractic coverage of $150. • Vision care coverage is $235 per 24-month period and eye exams are now covered. • Company contributions to the workers’ dental plan increase by 2 cents per hour. • The post-retirement health plan includes a maximum monthly company contribution of $43 for a single and $101 for a family, and also now includes a dental plan. • Improved language covers seniority, layoffs and overtime scheduling. Union Negotiating Committee: Ray Layng, Steve Lucchi, Jerry Najduk, Brent Pittman and Union Rep Anthony DiMaio.
Maple Leaf workers endorse new contract Approximately 250 members at the Maple Leaf Consumers Foods facility in Hamilton secured a new agreement at a meeting held October 27, 2006. Highlights include: • Immediate wage increases of 35 cents per hour for all active employees, retroactive to September 1, 2006. • Full-time workers also receive hourly increases of 35 cents in both the second and third year. • Dental contributions increase to 30 cents per hour upon ratification and 32 cents in year three. • Over the course of the three-year contract, life insurance will increase to $30,000 and members become part of a pay-direct drug plan, which includes 80 per cent coverage of prescription drugs, including all dispensing fees up to $8, to an annual maximum of $2,000. • Beginning January 31, 2008, the company will contribute an additional amount to CCWIPP of 5 cents per hour, increasing to 10 cents on September 1, 2008. • New and improved language covers separation pay in the event of a plant closure as well as steward representation and leaves of absence. Union Negotiating Committee: Gerry Kirkwood, Ross Sardinha, Paul Weston and Union Rep Joe DeMelo.
Thunder Bay hotel staff reach new deal On December 14, 2006, members at the Comfort Inn in Thunder Bay voted for a new threeyear agreement, which includes: • Annual wage increases of 3 per cent, plus an additional floater day beginning in the third year. • Contributions to the pension plan improve by 20 cents per hour. • Bereavement leave language improves. Union Negotiating Committee: Amanda Moore, Brenda Strachan and Union Rep David Noonan.
April 2007
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NEGOTIATIONS
detailed information on negotiations, visit our Web site: w w w. u f c w 1 7 5 . c o m
NEGOTIATIONS
For all the most recent UFCW news, visit our Web site: w w w. u f c w 1 7 5 . c o m
Sobeys Union Negotiating Committee: Included Mark Page, Nick Ioannou, Stephan Wright and Bryce Black (left), as well as Union Rep Dan Serbin (below) and Central West Director Harry Sutton.
Sobeys distribution workers approve wage increases & compensation packages The more than 600-member bargaining unit working at the Sobeys Retail Distribution Centre in Milton ratified a new three-year collective agreement. • Workers receive wage increases of 3 per cent in each year of the agreement. • Full-time workers receive a lump sum signing bonus of $650 and parttime receive $300. • Company contributions to CCWIPP increase to 85 cents per hour over the course of the agreement term. Last fall, Sobeys announced its plan to open a new distribution centre in Vaughan, which would have a huge impact on the workers at the Milton location. The new contract includes seniority based severance offers, a shift-bid process, transition bonuses and severance packages. “It’s important that this agreement contain language covering severance pay and similar compensation for workers who will lose their jobs as a result of the new facility Sobeys plans to open in Vaughan,” says Local 175 president Wayne Hanley. “We want to ensure that each worker has resources available to them.” In addition, the company agrees to contribute $150 per worker toward the Adjustment Committee, which will provide affected workers with job training, resume writing, Employment Insurance (EI) assistance and other resources.
Funeral service workers vote for new contract On January 22, 2007, members at Remembrance Services funeral home locations in Mississauga and Toronto achieved a new collective agreement. The three-year term includes the following improvements: • Wages increase by 1.5 per cent retroactive to November 1, 2006, plus subsequent increases of 2 per cent in both the second and third year of the contract. • The wage rate for the Para-Funeral Assistant classification increases by 25 cents per hour. • Increases in company dental contributions as well as health & welfare premiums. • Company contributions to the Training & Education Fund increase to 3 cents per hour. Negotiating Committee: Robert Glen Cross, Sean Marenger and Union Rep Paul Jokhu.
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YM Inc workers win big improvements On February 8, 2007, the bargaining unit at YM Inc in Toronto achieved a new three-year agreement. The employer has announced its intention to move its distribution centre to Vaughan from its current location in Toronto. The new contract includes provisions so that the current collective agreement will apply to the new location. Those employees not offered a position at the new facility will receive severance as laid out in the new contract. Workers will benefit from: •Annual wage increases of 35 cents per hour. • Company contributions to the workers’ benefit plan increase to $138 per month. • Improved language clarifies the use of casual workers. Union Negotiator: Union Rep Paul Jokhu.
PAY EQUITY
Local 175 achieves thousands of dollars in Pay Equity increases Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) and Dieticians at Grandview Lodge won pay equity increases thanks to the work done by their Union. Local 175 President Wayne Hanley was enthusiastic about the committee’s work. “It took a lot of time and effort to achieve the fair solution,” he says. “I congratulate the Union Committee for the excellent job it did on behalf of the members.” More than two years ago, Local 175 proposed a maintenance update for the Pay Equity Plan at Grandview Lodge. The facility is operated by the County of Haldimand, which is a new employer under the Pay Equity Act, as Haldimand and Norfolk County had split into two counties. The Union and employer formed a Joint Pay Equity Committee in the spring of 2005 to negotiate a new plan. The Joint Pay Equity Committee started by evaluating all jobs in the bargaining unit to determine if the pay was equitable. Before the results were finalized, members had an opportunity to review the job scores, which are determined by the degree of skill, responsiblity and effort, as well as by the working conditions of each job. For comparison purposes, the committee also had to evaluate the “male jobs” outside the bargaining unit, such as Lead Hand, Automotive Technician, and Landfill Site Attendant. The employer maintained that little or no adjustment to job rates was needed. The Union committee, however, was united in its resolve to have a fair comparison for the bargaining unit job classifications. It struggled to come to an agreement on the calculations of the job comparisons. With the assistance of an officer from the Ontario Pay Equity Commission, the Union Pay Equity Committee
The Union Pay Equity Committee members were, from left Local 175 Pay Equity Representative, Mike Duden, Judy Hare and Ingrid Finch, as well as Kathy Mustard who is retired and absent from the photo.
and employer reached an agreement. It resulted in thousands of dollars of pay equity increases realized through hourly adjustments for two classifications and several time periods. These were more than: $1.21 for Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) plus retroactive adjustments for the years between 2001 and 2005 that range from 44 cents to $1.42. The Dietary Aide classification receives 9 cents with retroactive payment of 11 cents and 25 cents for the years of 2005 and 2006. All other classifications were found to have equity.
Wo r k e r s d e s e r v e a b e t t e r m i n i m u m w a g e a n d f a i r o r g a n i z i n g l a w s On January 24, 2007, Local 175 joined the Toronto & York Region Labour Council and its affiliates to launch a major campaign to raise the minimum wage and restore organizing rights. “We are 100 per cent in favour of this campaign,” says Local 175 President Wayne Hanley. “Working people deserve, at minimum, to earn $10 an hour and this would translate into a stronger economy and more secure workplaces as a result. A return to fairer organizing laws would be an important first step in getting better wages for all workers.” Local 175 Servicing Representative Lien Huynh (right) spoke out at the YorkSouth Weston Community Meeting. She said a workers’ signature on an organizing card should be sufficient to request unionization. Requiring a later vote in the workplace is undemocratic because it enables employers to intimidate and terminate workers.
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COMMUNITY
CAN reaches out to community Local 175 Community Action Network (CAN) committee member and Executive Assistant Teresa Magee and Benefits Representative Emmanuelle Lopez, with the assistance of the Toronto & York Region Labour Council, have enhanced the long-established Locals 175 & 633 Membership Assistance Program (MAP). Counselling referral services are now available in several languages. These are Arabic, Cantonese, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Sinhala, Somali, Spanish, Thai, Twi and Vietnamese. More information at www.ufcw175.com. MAP is available to help members through difficult times by connecting them with the appropriate professional assistance as close to their communities and as soon as possible. Members have access to this confidential service providing counselling referrals to professional services for issues such as substance or spousal abuse, affordable housing, daycare, grief and debt management.
On December 3, 2006, Local 175 Representatives Lien Huynh and Kevin Shimmin presented a Cantonese-language workshop at the Miliken Community Centre in Scarborough. The workshop focused on health & safety, such as “The Right to Refuse” unsafe work. Emmanuelle Lopez of the Local 175 Benefits Department provided information regarding the WSIB and the appeal process. In photo (right) Kevin demonstrates the proper lifting method, which should be used to reduce injuries.
“Gung Hay Fat Choy,” which means “Wishing you prosperity,” was an oftenexpressed sentiment at the Locals 175 & 633 Lunar New Year celebration. The event, sponsored and hosted by committee members of the Community Action Network (CAN), was held on the eve of the new year, Saturday, February 17, 2007 at the Mississauga Provincial Office. Many members, from companies such as Cargill, Galco, Maple Lodge Farms and Quality Meats, attended with their families. Some were of Asian heritage while others simply wanted to participate and learn about other cultures. Children were given traditional red envelopes known as “Hong Bao,” which contained chocolate coins as symbols of good wishes. The party was a great success and we are looking forward to seeing even more members at next year’s event!
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Surila Bennett has worked for Cargill for 12 years as a scaler. She weighs beef products and puts them in trays or bags before they’re shipped out to commercial customers. She’s been a steward for six years because she “likes to help and be able to resolve problems.” Surila says because Cargill is such a multicultural environment, some workers have problems speaking out. She’s able to help and provide a much-needed voice for them and she wants to continue doing so as long as she works at Cargill. Learning about the Union is a side benefit which she also appreciates. Union Rep Anthony DiMaio says “Surila is a fine example of a strong, confident and outspoken steward. She does an outstanding job of defending her Union brothers and sisters.” Diego Dias has worked at Mobile Climate Control for 10 years. The company employs approximately 300 workers who fabricate and assemble heating and air conditioning units for industrial transit vehicles. Diego has been a steward for approximately two years and a certified H&S rep for about one and a half years. He has been a longtime advocate for workers’
rights, even before immigrating to Canada. He says management at Mobile Climate was once prone to blame the workers for everything that went wrong, but it’s getting better and becoming more willing to solve problems without having to go to arbitration. Union Rep Rob Nicholas says: “Diego is an amazing leader, bringing workers together for the benefit of all. Everyone appreciates the way he stands up to management and defends the workers and their collective agreement.”
Mario Francomano has worked at La Rocca Creative Cakes for about nine years and been a steward since July, when they began negotiations on a first contract. The plant has two locations. It employs approximately 140 members who make amazing desserts, such as tarts, cheesecakes and specialty cakes like “Strawberry Chocolate Mousse” and “Super Caramel Crunch.” Mario says the workplace has improved since the workers gained Local 175 representation. He says that previously people were unhappy about being transferred from department to department at anytime and not having a say in where they worked or whether they had to work overtime, which was especially difficult for parents. Now, he says people can speak up and know that management will listen to their concerns. Conditions in the work-
Cindy Miller has been a cashier at Price Chopper in Oshawa for three years and a steward for just six months. She became a steward because there wasn’t one in the store and she was “brave enough” to step forward. Cindy says: “I knew I could speak up, voice an opinion and ensure our rights are enforced.” She adds that she found the recent weekend seminar to be extremely interesting and informative. Cindy says she’s learning a lot in her new role and has already gone to arbitration. She had experience filing grievances even before she was a steward, and happily most have now been resolved. She likes learning about the contract, having read it “backwards & forwards and I learn something new each time I read it,” she says. Union Rep John DiNardo says: “Cindy is making a tremendous contribution on behalf of her co-workers. Because there was no steward in the store for sometime, management had become accustomed to running things as they wanted to, even when it meant violating the collective agreement. She is doing a great job of ensuring that everyone’s rights are protected.”
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PEOPLE & EVENTS
STEWARD PROFILES
place are starting to get better as workers become more aware of their rights and willing to file grievances. Union Rep John DiNardo says “Mario’s commitment to improving working conditions has made a tremendous difference in helping workers achieve the improvements they gained in their first contract, which will provide an excellent base for future negotiations.”
PEOPLE & EVENTS
Steward profiles continued . . .
In 1994, Joe Pereira started as a “live-haul”driver at Maple Lodge Farms in Brampton. He was responsible for picking up crates of live birds from the farms and delivering them to the processing plant. He became a department steward in 1997 and was elected chief steward in 2001, working with 19 department stewards. He says: “My number one priority is to have a united and educated steward body. As front-line representatives we need to be aware of all our rights so we can educate our Union sisters and brothers about their rights in the workplace.” Union Rep Fernando Reis says: “Joe works tirelessly to defend the interests of the members at Maple Lodge Farms. He has taken advantage of various courses to improve his knowledge and has encouraged others to do the same. He is a Health & Safety Instructor for UFCW and the Workers Health & Safety Centre. The members have benefited greatly from his dedication, knowledge and unwavering commitment.”
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VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE: June 1 is Injured Workers Day. Please support these workers by participating in local events, or join the rally scheduled to take place in front of the Ontario Legislative Building at Queens Park, starting at 12 noon. You can also help by writing or calling your Member of Provincial Parliament or sending a letter to the editor of a newspaper. Anyone who is injured at work deserves fair treatment. They should not have to suffer even more because governments have allowed the cost of living to erode their pensions or the WSIB to complicate the compensation process with lengthy delays and unrealistic requirements related to returning to the workplace. United we stand, much stronger together.
Mary Brisbois, a member from Prince Foods in Cornwall was the receipient of a Workers Health & Safety Centre Activist of the Year award.
FUNDRAISING: Members raise even more money for leukemia research Ice Fishing Derby raises $1,100 It was a very COLDDDDD Sunday on February 11, 2007, when 35 members drove to Little Britain for an ice fishing derby on Lake Scugog.
Members and management from L&V Poultry in Beamsville donated $650 in proceeds from their annual Christmas party to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada.
This first annual event was a great success, despite temperatures hovering around minus 15 and even colder winds whipping across the lake. Participants succeeded in catching three “giant” perch, with $100 going to Doug McHarg for catching the biggest fish. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada will receive $1,100 from this event. Plans are already underway for a second annual derby in 2008.
The development and presentation of Local 175’s Early and Safe Return to Work (ESRTW) course has proven to be very successful. Since its inception in 2006 we have trained 170 members. The feedback from those members has been very positive. Course participants have the following comments about the course: “With a better understanding of the Return to Work program, it will be easier to make suggestions and also to find different types of jobs within the workplace to assist co-workers. This course contained a great deal of information to put to use in the workplace.” Training Director Victor Carrozzino says: “This is a really great course. It is relevant to shop stewards because they deal with return to work accommodations on a daily basis. Some of the participants are injured workers themselves; others have been directly involved with helping co-workers. The course gives meaningful strategies and practical tips to assist with accommodation issues, and outlines the legal situation of accommodation. For example, we give tips on how to communicate with the family doctor who in turn becomes an advocate for the injured worker. The course instructor said that the Stewards were very engaged and interested. The course gives the staff in the Benefits Department a chance to hear from stewards about what is really happening at their workplaces, and helps them identify where earlier intervention might help. Usually, The Benefits Department sees the end result, often after everything has gone wrong. The course gives them a chance to hear more about where things break down along the way. Stewards give them insight into the everyday problems that they and injured workers face.”
HEALTH & SAFETY
Local 175 develops New WSIB-related program
agreements. Sun Valley Foods has had an ESRTW committee since 1992. Betty Pardy, Recorder of Local 175 and Union Co-chair of the Sun Valley Foods Return to Work Committee, had the following to say: “It is not an easy job to sit on a committee dealing with return to work issues! The biggest challenge is to have people understand the need for injured workers to heal, along with an injured worker’s need to co-operate with the system and comply with their obligations under WSIB.” The course informs members of their rights and obligations related to return to work and accommodation under WSIB. The duty to accommodate under the Human Rights legislation is addressed and discussed. We encourage the participants to look outside the box in regards to the isolation some injured workers face when they return to the workplace and encourage a deeper, broader view into accommodation. So often things have been done one way for so long that nobody questions why a task must be performed that way. With the feedback and input from the course participants, the Benefits Department will continue to address the needs of members by providing relevant and much-needed information. Local 175 President Wayne Hanley says: “The entire department did an outstanding job working together to develop this course. Congratulations to Legal Counsel Marcia Barry, Benefits Representatives Sherree Backus and Emmanuelle Lopez together with Lesley Flores and Roy Etling.“
One purpose of the course is to lay the foundation for the development of Return to Work Committees and to negotiate language into collective
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