Checkout June 2007

THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MEMBERS OF LOCALS 175 & 633 UFCW CANADA VOLUME XVI NO. 3 JUNE

2007

“United Through Diversity” . . . was the theme of 2007 Bylaw & Policy Conference Page 6

Local 175 setting new standards for health care workplaces Page 16

CONTENTS

LOCAL 175 President Wayne Hanley Secretary-Treasurer Shawn Haggerty Recorder Betty Pardy Executive Assistants Jim Hastings, Teresa Magee

President’s Message............................................................................ 3

UFCW Local 633 President Dan Bondy Secretary-Treasurer Marylou Mallett Recorder Neil Hotchkiss

CONFERENCES 2007 Biennial Bylaw & Policy Conference............................................ 6

Provincial Office 2200 Argentia Road Mississauga L5N 2K7 905-821-8329 Toll free 1-800-565-8329 Fax 905-821-7144

HEALTH CARE Local 175 fights to protect our health care system . . . and its dedicated workers………….................................................................

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NEGOTIATIONS.............

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Local 175 commences historic set of negotiations for car rental agencies........................

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PEOPLE Beggs, Dowling, Mathieu Scholarship winners..................................... 22 Web Contest winner says “Thank you!” to Local 175........................... 23 COMMUNITY UFCW Diversity Summit......................................................................

Olymel members enjoy Diversity-related Luncheon.............................

Local 175 supports the Centennial Foundation’s Vaisakhi Event..........

Outstanding Member Achievement Awards for 2007..........................

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LETTERS........................................................................................... 26 HEALTH & SAFETY Heat stress can affect everyone........................................ 27

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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, Natalie Wiley 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 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

esident’s resident’sMessage Message

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

Local 175 leads fight on all fronts for improvements in the workplace Over the last two years, from the time of the last policy conference, Locals 175 & 633 have made great progress. We have grown stronger in solidarity while continuing to provide an inclusive union with the best services and resources.

These services include negotiating good contracts, enforcing those contracts and seeing grievances and arbitrations through to their conclusion. Every contract negotiated by a bargaining unit committee strives to improve job security, increase wages and gain better benefits for each member of those bargaining units.

By doing so, we raise the bar for future sets of negotiations.

N EW C ONTRACTS Last fall, you read about two of our largest bargaining units ratifying new agreements. These were 10,000 members at A&P-owned stores and more than 7,500 members at Loblaws-owned facilities across the province. These were important contracts. The negotiations were long and difficult. Both groups gave their negotiating committees strong strike mandates if the companies refused to present fair offers. In the end, both A&P and Loblaws members approved the agreements negotiated by their committees resulting in new contracts; both were ratified by more than 85 per cent.

WAYNE HANLEY

O UR

UNION GETS

STRONGER WITH EVERY MEMBER .

WE

CAN AND DO

UTILIZE THAT STRENGTH TO DO MORE TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OUR MEMBERS .

S TRIKE A CTION Sometimes, however, in an effort to achieve better contracts, it becomes necessary for members to take strike action. Over the last two years workers from two units were forced onto picket lines. Last fall 128 workers at JH McNairn in Whitby were on strike for seven days. In August 2005, 90 members at IGA on Dundas St. West in Toronto were locked out by the company for 107 days. In total, 35,000 members ratified more than 200 of the Local Unions’ 459 existing contracts in these last two years. A number of these were new members ratifying first collective agreements.

Sometimes strike action is necessary to achieve better contracts, as was the case at JH McNairn in Whitby.

Continues on next page . . .

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President’s Message

N EW M EMBERS A total of 1,075 new members voted to join Locals 175 & 633 in this time period. It is imperative that we continue to reach out to workers who need union representation.

Our Union gets stronger with every On April 23, 2006, approximately 350 new Local 175 members at Maple Leaf Consumer Foods/Schneiders in Perth South succeeded in achieving a first collective agreement. member. We can and do utilize that strength to do more to improve the Transition can be hard, whether it affects long-service lives of our members. The Local Unions now have a employees, new hires or young people just entering the combined membership of 46,327 as of December workforce. Through these centres, we can provide resume 2006, which is down slightly from the 48,389 memwriting, job placement, skills training such as computer bers we had in December 2005. This decrease can skills, high school courses and GED credits, and assistance be attributed to a number of closures faced by our with Employment Insurance. members over the last two years.

These resources can go a long way in L AYOFFS & C LOSURES helping members Layoffs and closures are increasingly a common find their feet again problem faced by many workers. Jobs are lost when after losing a job. companies move to locations where labour and other It’s important assiscosts are cheaper or because their competition has tance, whether it’s done that and they can no longer compete. Members for a young worker at many workplaces have been affected by layoffs who has struggled and closures. Workers at Maple Leaf Pork in to begin a career, The Locals’ Action Centres, which assist laid-off Burlington were informed earlier this year of a members are nearly 100 per cent successful in or an older one plant closure in three years. who has spent many enabling them to move forward into new careers, as well as training and other opportunities. years in a job on When our members which they’ve are threatened with job become dependent. loss, the Local Union negotiates enhanced If an employer closes without prior or proper warning, we severance packages file a grievance and will go to court to obtain any severwherever possible. We ance, outstanding benefits, wages and other money owed also establish transition to the members affected by these closures. In February of training at Action this year, Local 175 filed a grievance against Niagara Centres near, or in the Country Fresh Poultry. As a result, the arbitrator ruled that community of the the company was responsible for paying 51 of its former Earlier this year, members at Maple Leaf affected facility. In the Pork in Burlington secured a new threeemployees a total of $63,000 in lieu of notice, as well as last two years, we year contract that provides an enhanced money owed for vacation and severance. But the fight conestablished Labour severance package as well as wage and tinues. The employer has, to date, refused to make the paybenefit improvements. The severance packAdjustment centres for ments ordered by the arbitrator. So the Union is now proage, estimated to be in excess of members at 17 workceeding through the courts to seek enforcement of this ruling. $6,000,000, will apply if the facility on places and assisted Appleby Line closes. with four others for G RIEVANCE AND ARBITRATIONS Local 206 and Local 1000A. This is a vital service that we’re proud to Grievance and arbitration are an integral part of enforcing offer to our members and our sister locals. each and every collective agreement. Every day our stew-

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we’ve awarded 112 scholarships totalling $112,000, in the past two years for members or their children continuing in post-secondary education. For the first time last year, we also established and awarded four annual Outstanding Membership Achievement bursaries of $500 each. These awards recognize members who demonstrate outstanding contributions in the areas of: community work, health & safety, advancement of the UFCW and leukemia fundraising.

In the past two years, the Union filed 15,255 grievances. Only 10.7 per cent were left outstanding at the end of last year reflecting our commitment to expedited grievance resolution. Of those, 793 proceeded to the arbitration stage and 221 of those were settled without a scheduled hearing.

O UR

H ISTORICAL V ICTORY In December 2006, Local 175 won a ground-breaking, first arbitration victory regarding the new Ontario health premium. Contract language that the union had negotiated for workers at Lapointe Fisher Nursing Home required the employer to pay the OHIP premium on behalf of its employees. The Union argued that the language applied to the new health premium introduced by the provincial government. Despite attempts by the employer to appeal the decision, the Union won the hearing, demonstrating that well-considered contract language – and enforcing that language – can make all the difference.

Preparing and achieving good contract language comes from having well-educated negotiating committees and excellent staff all working towards the same goal. But our members have goals outside of the workplace too. So we support the development of community relations and improvement of educational opportunities for members and their families.

A WARDS : S CHOLARSHIP &

MEMBER A CHIEVEMENT To help our members achieve their educational goals,

Some of the scholarship winners, who attended the 2006 North West Region conference, included from left: Michael Tenhave, Union Rep David Noonan, Crystal Marie Esau, Secretary-Treasurer Shawn Haggerty, Shannen Pudas, Rennee Cote and Union Rep Colby Flank.

President’s Message

ards do an incredible job of resolving an enormous number of issues in the workplace, often without ever reaching the point of filing a grievance. Their hard work and determination enable every member to earn a living in a fair and safe environment. And when an employer continues to refuse to abide by the terms of the collective agreement – the grievance and arbitration process enables us to enforce the policies and protect the many provisions of each contract.

UNITED MEMBERSHIP Our united membership is a reflection of the hard work of our stewards, and union representatives who are doing their best to ensure that the rights of workers are upheld, on a daily basis. Unorganized workers, in many sectors of the economy, continue to seek out our Union for representation. This is largely due to our high standards for service excellence, including expedited grievance and arbitration resolution.

Y OUR V OTE M ATTERS I urge all of you to remember also, that our goal of good working conditions and decent wages, for all workers, is very much affected by the policies set by our elected representatives. It’s likely we will soon have opportunities to listen to, speak with and elect those who will form our next federal government. On the back page of this magazine is a checklist of federally-controlled issues which most affect the lives of working people. They include pensions, affordable prescription drugs and child care, good-paying jobs and national antiscab legislation. The latter will ban the use of replacement workers and stop them from taking your job if you are on strike or locked out by your employer.

Please review this material and evaluate your political candidates on the basis of what they are prepared to do for you and your family. A man who many consider to be one of the wisest philosophers in all of history said: “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs, is to be ruled by evil men.” This applies equally to women. The philosopher was Plato and he lived almost 2,500 years ago in ancient Greece.

But the truths he spoke then are equally valid in modern times.

Whether it’s federal, provincial or municipal elections, please use your vote well and wisely.

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CONFERENCES

Members report progress on all fronts at the

2007 Biennial Bylaw & Policy Conference On Saturday, April 28, 2007, more than 400 Locals 175 & 633 delegates attended the 2007 Policy & Bylaw Conference in Toronto.

Members came from across the province and represented all sectors that form our great Union. They convened to review and approve proposed changes to the bylaws and policies that govern our Local Unions. These policies, as approved by the delegates, are then voted on by the members at the June membership meetings.

President Hanley welcomed participants to the Bylaw & Policy Conference by saying: “Good morning Brothers & Sisters. What an exciting morning! We have more than 400 hard-working, committed UFCW 175 & 633 members gathered here today in one room.”

He continued by saying: “The energy that creates for me is amazing. This energy gives me the assurance that we are doing the right things and we have the momentum needed to face the challenges that lie ahead.

When you hear the conference reports later today, you will have no doubt that we are the best Union in servicing our members, processing grievances quickly and negotiating and enforcing the best contracts in our sectors. We will take on any employer or other challengers. But we also need to remind ourselves not to fall into the trap of: taking thinking ‘we are the best’ for granted.

The theme of this conference is: ‘United through Diversity.’ We must appreciate that our diverse membership has great knowledge of workplace issues and we must involve them more. The faces in our workplace today are different than 10 or 20 years ago, and they will change again in the future. We must continually meet the challenges of diverse workplaces. We have had some success . . . but we have to do better.

We must capture the energy and unique knowledge of our diverse membership and channel it into Solidarity in our Trade Union movement. We need to put aside any doubts or fears and embrace the opportunity. Diversity is an important source of strength and growth.

I suspect that a lot of you in this room have met with your employer in negotiations and been faced with concessionary proposals on Health and Welfare plans, Hours of Work, Benefits . . . and even wages. Most of you know that the expansion of Wal-Mart threatens our contracts and good-paying retail food and industrial jobs. This is a reality we face and regularly confront at the negotiating table. But rather than being defensive let’s go on the attack. We must ensure a united workforce in our unionized shops. Diversity programs create unity and

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Joining the workers means that we are visible and active in the community, speak the languages of our communities, understand cultural differences and connect through social activities as well as through workplace issues. We must be part of a broad movement for social justice.

And for the Union to belong to all the members, of course we need to be “there” on all shifts, speak with all members, in the languages of the members, choose stewards from all parts of the membership, listen when the membership speaks . . . and then respond.

Those who heard me, or Secretary-Treasurer Shawn Haggerty, speak at Regional Steward Training Seminars over the last year heard us speak about diversity. So the experience you have here today is an extension of that theme: ‘United Through Diversity.’ At 175 we formally recognize our diversity, in part, through CAN. We are changing the 175 & 633 logo to reflect the National identity logo as all UFCW local unions are doing. And, we’ve also developed a second logo for CAN.

“We are the best Union in servicing our members, processing grievances quickly and negotiating and enforcing the best contracts in our sectors,” President Hanley said. solidarity which equal a stronger union. Just as important, we must grow our Union and we will grow through our diversity programs. To strengthen our Union we must grow our membership in our core industries. We all know as Union density grows in a sector, Union contracts become stronger.

The workplaces we are organizing today are not the same as 10 or 20 year ago. I am proud that the faces of the Organizing team today are more reflective of the faces of those workers who need our Union. Our organizers understand the importance of being aware of cultural differences. So too must all members be aware, and respect cultural differences.

What’s important is, we cannot think just about workers joining the Union – the Union must join with the workers. It is not enough for members to belong to the Union – the

The CAN logo, a multi-coloured flower representing the many cultures of our Union, is unique to 175 & 633. It was designed by Jennifer Tunney in our Communications Department. The logo, pins and badges were created to remind us of what we’ve already done to recognize and celebrate diversity issues and also remind us what is still left to do. That job will never stop. Workers who need our Union today – our future members – are a diverse group. A diverse Union is a growing Union and a growing Union is a diverse Union. Diversity and growth fuel each other.

In June of 2006 we rewrote our Local Union Mission Statement. It sets the direction and is the guiding principle on which we operate. It is built on our core objectives; the growth of our Union and our goal to provide the best workplace representation to members. It explains how we will achieve our objectives, but most importantly it actively promotes an inclusive environment where we involve diversity in all the daily activities of the Union.

I am so proud of our Union and what we have achieved. Over the last two years we have set new servicing standards by increasing the number of staff members. We now have the ability to service your

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Union must truly belong to, and serve the interests of the members.

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units, at a minimum, every three to four weeks and we are visiting retail units on evenings and weekends. Grievances are more current than ever and more of your collective agreements are being settled before they expire or closer to their expiry date.

These are all steps that make us the leader in the Union movement. We still continue to arbitrate more grievances than any other union, which truly demonstrates our support of the membership and commitment to enforcing your collective agreements. We represent more members at WSIB than any other union.

In fact, many other unions don’t even bother to represent their members.

The Organizing Team or our GROWTH team is an amazing group of people who are second to none. Our Training & Education program is simply, or maybe I should say spectacularly, amazing. Your Local trains and educates more people in one month than national unions train in one year.

But, despite the progress and many gains made by our Local and the dedicated staff and activists we have, there is always more to be done. There will always be a new “bully in the schoolyard” for every one that we conquer. There will always be another employer trying to exploit what it deems to be weaknesses among its employees. It is for those workers that we all need to become more involved, in the Union, the Labour Movement, and in the larger communities.

No employer should be able to use language, culture or any measure of diversity as a means of exploiting or dividing us. Solidarity among all of us will make us an even stronger force to be reckoned with at the bargaining table and create workplaces where respect and dignity for all members will make us more United and Stronger.

I want to thank each and every member. You are all an important part of this Union and an integral part of Canada’s labour movement. It’s vital to remain vigilant about the enforcement of your collective agreements, creating the inclusive Union we envision and to always remain strong, proud and united as members of Locals 175 & 633. Thank you!”

Excerpts from other Department and Committee reports follow. For a more complete version, visit our Web site for May News: 2007 Biennial Bylaw & Policy Conference.

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Prior to President Hanley’s address to the delegates, Benefits Representative, Emmanuelle Lopez, led the delegates in a beautiful rendition of “O Canada.” Subsequently, delegates listened to Secretary-Treasurer Shawn Haggerty and representatives from various committees and departments who reported on the achievements and progress of the Local Unions over the past two years. Executive Assistants Teresa Magee and Jim Hastings explained the proposed changes to the Bylaws and Policies and moderated the discussion to reach an agreement on how the changes should be presented to the membership.

Financial Report In his report, Secretary-Treasurer Shawn Haggerty took delegates through the Local Unions’ financial statements, which were prepared by an outside auditing firm. He explained changes in revenues and expenses and presented the 2007 Budget. The latter contained some additional, above-inflation increases due to items such as computers for representatives in the field, more use of Blackberry technology, conference expenses and rising gasoline prices. Secretary-Treasurer Haggerty told delegates the Local Unions’ financial position is sound and will only continue to improve. He noted the increase in equity due to the value of the new addition to the Mississauga building and said: “Due to our combined assets, we are financially prepared for the future.”

Emmanuelle Lopez, Benefits Representative

Shawn Haggerty, Secretary -Treasurer

Bylaws and Policy Report The Locals 175 & 633 Bylaw and Policy Committee (photo at bottom of page) reviews the current bylaws and policy documents, along with submissions from the members with suggestions for changes. Then the committee makes recommendations to accept, reject or modify these submissions. Executive Assistants Teresa Magee and Jim Hastings explained the proposed changes to the delegates and moderated a discussion to reach an agreement on presenting specific changes, which are voted on by the membership at the June 2007 meetings.

Benefits Department Report

Teresa Magee, Executive Assistant to the President

Benefits Department Representative, Sherree Backus said: “Since 2005, injured workers have continued to face many challenges and our injured members are no exception.

Changes to government policy and procedure have only served to slow the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board — or WSIB — process. This has spurred the Locals 175 & 633 Benefits Department to work even harder at improving our service to affected members.”

She noted that the number of claims handled has increased and new staff added as a result. Staff training has improved to develop effective strategies to respond to the increasing difficulties and large number of cases, which is currently around 640 active claims.

Jim Hastings, Executive Assistant to the President

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One of the biggest challenges is the WSIB process itself, she said. “It moves very slowly, making it difficult to resolve issues and obtain benefits in a timely fashion. The WSIB process is also difficult to navigate. Adjudicators appear unsympathetic and do not return phone calls. Claims are denied with minimal inquiries and little concern with the functional fitness of the worker. Prior claims are not taken into consideration. The decisions are not consistent and frankly – sometimes they don’t make sense. And the length of time it takes for decisions to be made is certainly an issue as well.

Sherree Backus, Benefits Representative

What’s important to remember is that the many workers who don’t file WSIB claims when they’re injured at work – and yes – even those who do, often find their claim rejected at first. That’s why it’s so important to advocate for members, so that the WSIB recognizes their claim, both now and possibly in the future as well.

As always – when in doubt – FILE! And remember – if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call your Benefits Department.”

Leukemia report Paul Jokhu, Union Representative

Union Representative Paul Jokhu noted that the UFCW formally adopted the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada, formerly known as the Leukemia Research Foundation, as its official charity in 1985. He said: “We are all very proud of our members, who have raised more than $600,000 in the last two years to fund a cure for leukemia and other blood-related cancers.”

Organizing Report

Kevin Shimmin, Organizing Representative

Organizing Department Representatives Kevin Shimmin and Lien Huynh reported: "Workers trying to organize face enormous difficulties, such as harassment, intimidation, discrimination, threats and terminations. While the right to organize and bargain collectively is enshrined in the laws of this province, this country and the international community, the reality in Ontario is that employers can violate every one of these laws . . . and get away with it! When the law sides with corporations and governments refuse to protect the rights of workers, there is only one place where they can turn — our Union. We are very proud of our Local Unions because hundreds of workers have joined us over the past two years."

Lien Huynh, Servicing Representative

Kevin and Lien said the Organizing Department, despite these hurdles, is leading workers to victory. Since the last conference, the department’s success rate in union certification votes has been more than 85 per cent, which is significantly higher than many other large unions in Canada. But it’s not easy. The fact that a majority of workers have the courage and determination to sign union cards is not enough. They must also win a vote conducted by the Labour Board and the time leading up to the vote is when employers are free to threaten, intimidate and terminate workers who want to organize.

Mike Sheehan, Schneider Foods Member

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“New members are a source of great inspiration to everyone in this room and to every non-union worker across this province,” Kevin said. “They fought to make one of the most important changes in their life — to gain the right to bargain collectively, have security and dignity at work, and be represented by the largest and most progressive Local Union in Canada.” Kevin asked the conference to recognize Schneider Foods member, Mike Sheehan. “Despite a horrendous health and safety record, constant injuries on the job, and a general lack of respect for the workers, organizing victories at Schneider Foods and workplaces like it would not be possible without leaders like Mike.”

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Youth Report In 1999, Locals 175 & 633 brought together a group of young members to research what the youth in the Locals thought of Unions and to uncover various issues that were important to them. They were also given the task of developing and planning various programs to further involve as many of the 20,000 young members as possible, who were all under the age of 30. This was called the “Youth Task Force” (YTF).

Shortly after the YTF our Locals formed the 175 & 633 Youth Committee. Its goals then are still the same today, which are to be committed to the advancement and involvement of our young members through our many programs and initiatives.

Ashleigh Vink, Training Representative

It is through the commitment of President Wayne Hanley and Secretary-Treasurer Shawn Haggerty, that we had youth from our Locals participate in many youth initiatives, both locally and nationally, over the past 2 years. These include, Young Organized & Out There (YOOT), The Youth Leadership Development Program, The Youth Arts Project and the Talking Union Program . . . to name just a few.

The YOOT course is offered annually at the Locals Regional Stewards Conferences. We hope to see the number of youth in attendance increase again this fall and that the group continues to be of a diverse nature. This will truly reflect the composition of our membership. You as stewards have a role in this. When your stewards’ conference is getting near, I challenge you to provide your Union rep with the name of one youth in your workplace who will participate in the weekend seminar. As more of our Locals’ youth understand what being a union member is all about the more they will become involved whether it’s in membership meetings, proposal meetings, as a steward or negotiating committee member. If we don’t involve more of our youth in these processes, who will take our place when we decide to move into the great world of retirement? Besides, a more informed membership is a stronger membership – for everyone.

Training & Education Report

Kelly Nicholas, Training Representative

Liam Wall, Loeb March Road, Ottawa

In the last two years, the Training & Education Centre (TEC) has made simply astounding progress. These changes were profiled in April Checkout. The number of members and their families taking courses through the TEC has grown from 642 in 1997 to 8,120 in 2006.

The range and variety of free course offerings, as well as the options and locations of learning, have also exploded. Courses are provided during five annual regional Stewards’ Seminars, at the Mississauga and Hamilton training centres, through mobile computer labs that travel province wide and at two joint training centres with employers and the Textile Human Resource Council.

Anne Quigley, A&P Store #00479, Orillia

There are also sector-specific conferences, high school partnerships in locations where we have large numbers of members, distance education and intensive information sessions and workshops, on subjects such as WHMIS and Early & Safe Return to Work. And let’s not forget the magnitude of support provided through the labour adjustment programs. The Local Union also offers a number of general interest courses, such as CPR, First Aid & Women’s Self-Defence, at our training centres and other locations throughout the province.

The “jewel in our crown,” of course, is the Online Web Campus. It reaches the widest

Chris Cordick, Loeb March Road, Ottawa

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number of members at the convenience of their own home and personal schedules. Our Internet Distance Education Program (IDEP) is, in fact, the biggest single development in labour education in decades. It’s the absolute tops in terms of methodology and technical support. When participants take courses online, although they are working from their own home at their own pace they get support through telephone, E-mail, discussion bulletin boards or forums, as well as chat rooms, voice and video conferencing.

Jennifer Tunney, Communications Representative

Cheryl Mumford, Communications Representative

Alain Couture, Sun Valley Foods, London

We have to be aware that these great outcomes are the results of the efforts and commitment of President Wayne Hanley, Secretary-Treasurer Shawn Haggerty, the Executive Board, union staff and the various members who work tirelessly to make these programs and courses a success. But we should not forget to give recognition and praise to the participants of the programs. They are the ones making the most significant efforts. After a long day of work they continue taking courses, writing assignments and managing a million other personal responsibilities. Our congratulations go out to them. It is a privilege for our Locals to facilitate their great personal achievements.

Communications Report As our membership continues to grow both in diversity, so must our methods of communicating with members adapt.

We appreciate that not everyone speaks English as a first language. While it might not be feasible to produce each of our publications in every language spoken by the membership, our staff is able to communicate in 21 languages. To compliment the initiatives of the Community Action Network, we created a Web site that includes information on the group and its activities. Most of the information on that Web site, as well as the supporting posters and brochures, are available in the 13 languages we’ve found to be most common among our members, which are English, French, Arabic, Hindi, Portuguese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Spanish, Tamil, Thai, Twi and Vietnamese.

We’re proud of the content on our Web sites. The amount and quality continues to improve. We publish ratified contracts to the Web site as soon as possible following vote results. Many of these are also released to the media, including community newspapers, local and provincial television, radio stations and national papers.

Maria Gonzales, Landriault Independent Grocer

We continue to post relevant news items, updates to health & safety and WSIB policies and event coverage for our Leukemia fundraising and Community Action Network activities. We strive to make the Web site useful to every member. It, along with e-mail, is our most immediate way of communicating with a large percentage of the membership. We are still gathering e-mails from our members so that we can build lists that are workplace specific, to send out notifications for ratification votes, proposal meetings and other important information.

While the Web and other computerized ways of communicating are becoming more and more convenient and prevalent, we do realize that not everyone has a computer and not everyone has Internet access. Checkout continues to be a major method of communication. There are six issues each year.

Carlo D’Allarmi, Sun Valley Foods, London

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Almost every issue has a focus story on a particular workplace so that members who work in, for example, a retail grocery establishment, can learn more about members’ work in a carpet mill, and vice versa. Some of the workplaces we’ve featured include Cadbury Adams in Toronto, Weston’s Bakeries in Cobourg, CFB Borden, and

Workplace and industry specific newsletters are also produced to provide more in depth and relevant information for certain industries or units. We produced special health care issues as well as updates for members at Horizon Plastics, L&V Poultry and Minute Maid to name a few.

Our department also publishes various informational brochures and posters for health and safety issues and WSIB and workplace injury topics. We welcome suggestions and input from staff, stewards and members in different industries – such as health care, retail or industrial – and we try to make each pamphlet and poster as informative and relevant as possible.

We are continuously striving to improve our methods when it comes to staying connected with, and informing, the membership. To better involve the youth of our union, we will be developing a Web site specifically aimed at younger members and young workers across the province. It will help them better understand what being a unionized workers means and the benefits it can bring.

Regardless of how many ways we have to communicate, our main goal remains to provide you with the information you need when you need it.

Community Action Network (CAN) Report “The Community Action Network – or CAN for short – is a dynamic initiative that recognizes and builds on the already diverse membership of our Local Union,” said CAN committee member Naveen Mehta. “As trade unionists we are ‘many faces’ but must act as ‘one voice.’”

You may have noticed that the theme for

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Aeroguard at the Thunder Bay airport.

Two special guest speakers inspire delegates NDP Leader Jack Layton lauds UFCW’s achievements “Your Union does more than simply talk about diversity,” said NDP federal leader, Jack Layton.

“You are actively welcoming diversity into your Union through your Community Action Network initiative.” He went on to applaud Locals 175 & 633 and the UFCW for their ongoing commitment to health & safety, training & education, the rights of migrant workers and the fundraising efforts to find a cure for leukemia.

Jack also spoke of the importance of electing a worker-friendly government, one that will fight for good jobs and close the “prosperity gap,” which is forcing working families to work harder and longer – 200 hours longer on average – just to make ends meet. “Manufacturing jobs pay 28 per cent higher wages than the national average,” he said. “More often they come with decent pension and benefit packages – in large part thanks to the UFCW.” Jack estimated that working Canadians are losing about $2.5 billion annually or roughly $10,000 for each of the good jobs that have disappeared due to government economic policies. He reminded working Canadians that they deserve a government who puts working people first by ensuring good-paying jobs, adequate funding for health care, secure pensions, protection of workers’ rights and a reliable safety net including employment insurance that’s there when needed. For more information, please see the “It’s Your Vote” on the back cover, or visit: www.betterchoice.ca.

UFCW International praises Local Union’s Diversity Initiatives UFCW International Director of Civil Rights and Community Action, Esther Lopez said: “It’s great to be in Canada, where ‘International Union’ really means international!”

Esther praised Canada as a country that defines diversity for the world, but said the global economy has little regard for the needs of workers.

“Respect for diversity must be central to the Union’s efforts, not just an add-on,” she said. “It’s the only way to ensure that employers don’t use gender, race or other differences to divide and conquer their workforce. When solidarity is weakened, so are the good Union contracts.”

continues on next page . . .

JUNE 2007

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CONFERENCES

today is diversity. The question that may be asked by some of you is ‘why?’ Why is this initiative such an essential one for our Local Unions?

Simply put, times have changed. In Canada, visible minorities now make up about 15 per cent of our population. More than fifty per cent of all immigrants are not of English or French backgrounds. Toronto, of course, is the most multicultural city on the planet but similar statistics exist in all of the major urban centres across Canada.

Our workplaces and communities are changing too. Having ethnically and culturally diverse partnerships ensures that the needs of our workforce can be better understood and addressed. CAN recognizes that integrating and understanding the diversity of our members and their communities is vital for our future and the generations of workers to follow.

CAN, spearheaded by President Hanley, is progressive in its mission and strategy. Its goal is to foster an inclusive Local Union that ensures that the phrase ‘dignity and respect in the workplace’ has real meaning for all our members. We will accomplish this by continuing to foster friendships with organizations that share our values and our commitment to social justice.

As trade unionists, we must prove that while others might try to divide us because of our differences, we can and will unite as one and use those differences as a strong base to build upon. Not only do we want greater solidarity within our great union but we shall also continue to reach outwards to the communities in which our members live and the communities in which they participate. Members of CAN regularly take part in and speak at various conferences, political events and rallies. This includes the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto; the Ontario NDP Communities Council, The UFCW Minority Coalition, The United Latinos and The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists annual general conference.

I encourage all of you to become an enthusiastic champion for positive social change whether it be in your local community or on a larger scale.

Help lead our Union and our membership to be an inclusive organization that thrives on its rich diversity. We ask for, and depend on, your support as we move forward. Become a leader in your workplace. Help a brother or sister in need. Become a steward. Involve your co-workers in your own community or cultural events. It is only by sharing and supporting one another that we will be able to understand and appreciate what makes us different and how we really do have the same goals: to make workplaces safer in every way, to ensure every worker is treated with dignity and respect and to achieve an overall improved quality of life for working people.

Delegates commemorate Day of Mourning April 28 is the International Day of Mourning. Benefits Representative Sherree Backus asked delegates to remember those who have passed.

She said it is in their memory and in respect to those who continue to be injured on the job that we continue to stress prevention and working safe.

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Health & Safety Report Representative Janice Klenot delivered the Health & Safety report. She said:“We have trained a total of 4,676 members in health & safety since our last conference! Imagine more than 4,500 members increased their health and safety knowledge. It’s a shame that we can’t count the accidents that have not occurred because of this increased knowledge.

This is more health & safety training than any other union has achieved. It all happened because President Hanley made a commitment to the members regarding health & safety and that commitment is being achieved.

We are always looking for ways of filling the needs of members. An example of that is in the past year at our steward’s conferences we have requested volunteers to be the WHMIS Instructor for their workplace.

The reasons for asking members to volunteer are simple. The best training is by an expert on the subject, and that is what our members are. They have their thumb on the pulse of the workplace and are aware of all the issues on a day to day basis.

We also provide Certification part 1 & 2 as well as other health & safety training, both in-class and online. To help with the in-class training, in January five more members were trained to be Health & Safety Instructors to join the previous 23 instructors for a total of 28.

With their hard work and safety activism, we can increase the reach of our work.

They are doing a great job.

The most exciting part of Health & Safety Training is to hear the success stories of members putting into play what has been learned. It is definitely the true measure of the health & safety program.

Naveen Mehta, CAN Committee

Linval Dixon, CAN Committee

CONFERENCES

Our Health & Safety Committees are changing workplace environments. They are helping to develop safe work procedures. They are part of educating the members in their workplaces, and with their recommendations to the employers are helping to reduce injuries. Newly educated committees are challenging their employers to work in compliance of the Act. The local applauds you for your dedication and hard work! You are making a difference!

Janice Klenot, Health & Safety Representative

With the initiative from President Hanley and the hard work of the union representatives more collective agreements now contain effective Health & Safety Language. This is necessary to protect members. Many improvements over and above the Act have been recognized and supported by the members in their collective agreements.

While much work has been done in the Health & Safety department, there is still much to do. Only you know of the issues in your workplace and can help support the changes that need to occur to establish a safer working environment. The Local will help in this endeavor to ensure our family of members is protected while earning a living.

In the future we will continue to provide health & safety training for our members to ensure they are armed for the fight for safer workplaces.

Delegates recognize Day of Mourning Art Contest winner, Jeff Stockton, who is second from right. His mural is below. He is an injured worker and husband of Kristine Stockton who works at Food Basics in Welland.

We will continue to lobby the government for better laws for the protection of our members.

We will continue to give support to our committees and members to win the fight for fewer accidents and injuries and provide a healthier environment for our children.

We want to expand our support network for all our health & safety activists. Our goal is to provide the safest workplace that can be achieved.�

JUNE 2007

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HEALTH CARE

Local 175 fights to protect our health care system . . . and its dedicated workers On April 30 and May 1, 2007, approximately 80 stewards and members representing more than 2,000 Local 175 health care members gathered at the union’s Mississauga office for the 5th annual Health Care Conference.

“We are committed to providing regular conferences and other educational opportunities for our members,” says Local 175 President Wayne Hanley.

“Our health care members have a difficult job and we want to arm them with the knowledge and awareness they need to best cope with the challenges they face day to day.”

Ray Bromley, South West Regional Director

Secretary-Treasurer Shawn Haggerty welcomed delegates on behalf of President Hanley saying: “The executive officers of the Local appreciate your dedication and caring. We know you just don’t leave your concerns at work when you go home after your shift; they often remain with you 24 hours a day.”

Master of ceremonies, South West Regional Director Ray Bromley, addressed issues such as funding cuts, staff reductions, stress and burnout and increasing paperwork, reducing the already limited time for patient care.

Shelley Martel, NDP MPP

Ray emphasized that workers must report their injuries to the WSIB instead of relying on Short Term Disability (STD) benefits. “Employers try to put injured workers on STD instead of reporting the incident to the WSIB, which would create an official record of the injury. STD does not levy fines or penalties and therefore doesn’t give the employer an incentive to improve working conditions.”

Gavin Morcom, from Becton, Dickinson & Company, focused on needlestick injuries stressing that safety-engineered medical devices (SEMDs) should be mandated nation-wide. “An estimated 58 per cent of needlestick injuries go unreported because the worker blames her/himself or has concerns about stigma, confidentiality or discipline issues,” he explains. “Other reasons include the worker’s own assessment that there is no risk or his/her knowledge that the employer will face WSIB premium increases. Sometimes a worker may say nothing because he/she suspects that reporting will be more hassle than help.”

Terry Downey, OFL Vice-President

The McGuinty Liberals have yet to pass Bill 30, safe needle legislation introduced by NDP MPP Shelley Martel, despite the fact that SEMDs would protect workers and the public from life-threatening illnesses and save an estimated $103 million in health care costs annually in Canada. Martel was also a presenter at this year’s conference.

Rebecca Woodrow, Local 175 Legal Counsel

The cost for supplying SEMDs is $48 million, resulting in a net annual savings to taxpayers of $55 million. Safer needles would save lives and eliminate the emotional trauma suffered by workers and their families when a needlestick injury occurs.

Terry Downey, from the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), made it clear that public-private partnerships (P3s) are not in the best interests of Ontarians.

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Gary Revell, Wellington Nursing Home

HEALTH CARE

“Despite McGuinty’s 2003 promise to ‘stand against the Americanization of our hospitals,’ and the opposition of tens of thousands of Ontarians, the privatization of our health care system is escalating. Ontarians see the P3 model as a Trojan horse, which encourages the spread of privatization in the health care sector. Even when the P3 term isn’t specifically used, the McGuinty Liberals encourage the private sector to make ‘innovative proposals’ which is code for profit-making through privatization.”

Local 175 Legal Counsel Rebecca Woodrow gave an informative presentation on Bill 140, the Long-Term Care Homes Act (2007). This legislation had its third reading in March. “The bill contains no minimum standard of care,” explained Rebecca. “No minimum standard despite the Liberals having promised this in their election platform and despite evidence that proves that establishing a minimum is necessary.”

Rebecca also discussed the Hospital Labour Disputes Arbitration Act (HLDAA), through which many health care collective agreements are negotiated. Those members classified as ‘hospital’ workers by the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) cannot strike or be locked out due to the serious ramifications on the health and safety of the individuals for whose care those workers are responsible.

Over the two days participants also attended workshops. Ruth Collins from Peel region health led a discussion on pandemic planning and biological hazards. Steve Hall and Tracey Wallace, human resource consultants, discussed the stresses faced by health care workers and how best to cope. Local 175 member June Maruschak provided information on legislation and the role and responsibility of a joint health and safety committee and Local 175 Health & Safety rep Janice Klenot addressed violence, abuse and other issues the members face in their daily jobs.

Members protest privitization scheme Earlier this year, provincial health ministers from across Canada held a conference to discuss health care wait times.

Locals 175 & 633 members, together with hundreds of other labour and community activists, gathered outside the Harbour Castle hotel in Toronto to protest Prime Minister Harper’s “Care Guarantee” as a privatization scheme that will create a two-tiered system and undermine the public system.

“We must fight the privatization of our Canadian Health Care system,” says Local 175 President Wayne Hanley.

“Health care must be available to all, regardless of their ability to pay. All health care dollars must be dedicated to health services… not siphoned off for profits to the private sector.”

JUNE 2007

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NEGOTIATIONS

For all the most recent UFCW news, including more up-to-date and

Members at Simcoe’s R. Fiedler Meats reach new deal At a meeting held February 17, 2007, members at R Fiedler Meats in Simcoe approved a new contract which includes: • Lump sum payments totalling $1,800 and an additional 3 per cent increase in the last two years of the contract for all full-time workers (except Charge Hands).

• Increases to the end rate totalling $3.82 per hour for full-time workers classified as Charge Hand.

• Contributions to the workers dental plan increase to reach 35 cents per month.

• Physiotherapy coverage increases to $400 and hearing aid coverage is now $700 every three years.

• Workers benefit from an increased boot allowance of $25 and up to $150 toward a coat for drivers.

Union Negotiating Committee: Mikhail Smali, Gary VanEvery, Stan Watson and Union Rep Rick Hogue.

Arbitration decision provides wage and pension increases The results of a recent Hospital Labour Disputes Arbitration Act (HLDAA) decision provide members working at the Delrose Retirement residence in Delhi with an improved collective agreement that provides: • Increases totalling 7.25 per cent over the course of the three-year contract term for all classifications, retroactive to August 1, 2005, February 1, 2006 and August 1, 2006.

• Company contributions to the Canadian Commercial Workers Industry Pension Plan (CCWIPP) increase by 3 cents per hour.

• Vacation entitlement improves.

• Contributions to the dental plan increase by a total of 3 cents.

Union Negotiating Committee: Lynn Richmond, Diana Welsby and Union Representative Rick Hogue.

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Union Negotiating Committee, from left: Wendy Nethercott, Roland Eurig, Union Reps Richard Wauhkonen and Roy Reed. Absent from photo South West regional director Ray Bromley and Training & Education Centre rep, Gail Carrozzino, who provided special assistance.

First contract for Inovatech Egg Products A first agreement has been reached for Local 175 members working at Inovatech Egg Products in St Marys. The company, however, announced that it would close its business in March 2007.

Taking this into consideration, the union negotiated enhanced severance packages and a two-year term on the contract in the event a successor employer sets up at this location. Workers ratified the deal at a meeting held February 25, 2007.

• Language provides for reopening a discussion on wage increases and benefit improvements should a new employer take over.

• Shift premiums include 50 cents per hour for cross training.

• Vacation, bereavement and holiday language are established as are health and safety provisions, a rewards program and RRSP language.

• Contract language establishes grievance procedure, seniority rights, job posting, union steward representation and a sunset clause of 18 months.

• A labour adjustment program will be put in place for the members affected by the closure.

• Workers with more than five years service who remain at the plant until its closure receive $1,500. Those with less than five years service receive $250.

• Enhanced severance packages include 1.5 weeks pay for each year of service for those with five years service or more. Those with fewer than five years service receive 1 week pay per year.

Through the continuing efforts of the committee members – despite some tense and trying negotiations as to the roles, responsibilities and commitment of the employer – they succeeded in implementing a much needed Labour Adjustment Committee.

Thanks to the Ontario Ministry of Labour, a major resource commitment from our Local Union, assistance from Locals 175 & 633 Training and Education Centre Director, Victor Carrozzino, and the ongoing dedication of Gail Carrozzino, the Adjustment Committee is up and running. It will be available to these members until December 31, 2007, if needed.

Local 175 commences historic set of negotiations for car rental agencies For the first time this year, negotiating committee members from all the airport car rental companies represented by Local 175 met together to establish strategies for the upcoming rounds of negotiations.

“Working together in solidarity will enable us to reach our negotiating objectives for the betterment of the membership,”says Local 175 President, Wayne Hanley. “We have timed the contract expiry dates so that all companies will be in negotiations at the same time, giving us greater leverage to achieve good new collective agreements.”

Present at the March 13, 2007 meeting were (front row, seated, from left): Ali Muddei, National/Alamo; Jennifer Holness, Budget; Dayib Abdurahman, Dollar/Thrifty; Lily Tan, Hertz; Ahmed Hussein, Hertz; Yussuf Awil, Budget; Back row, standing, from left: Kibret-Tesfay, National/Alamo; Lee Peachey, Dollar/Thrifty; Jehan Ahamed, Local 175 Union Representative; David Pitter, Avis; Ahmed Ibrahim, National/Alamo; Kamal Sengupta, National/Alamo; Brian Grummett, Avis; Yonis Jama, Avis; Kapilan Savarimuthu, Hertz; Jim Baldeo, Avis; Selvarajah Lajeepan, Hertz; Muhammad Haile, Avis; Edmund Low, Hertz; Tony Lee, Avis; Tony Mazzocchitti, Hertz. Absent from photo: Omar Farah, Avis and Budget; or Ahmed Ibrahim, National/Alamo.

Absent from photo: Omar Farah, Avis and Budget and Central East Regional Director Luc Lacelle.

Central East Director, Luc Lacelle and Union Representative Jehan Ahamed explained the negotiating strategy.

President Wayne Hanley responds to questions from negotiating committee members.

Members at Sun Valley vote in favour of contract Members working at the Sun Valley Foods facility in Brampton have ratified a three-year contract. The 42-member bargaining unit achieved the following improvements: • Wages increase by 40 cents per hour in each year of the contract term.

• Contributions to the workers' dental plan improve to 32 cents per hour effective October 1, 2007.

• Vision care coverage is now $275 per 24month period, including the cost of an eye test.

• Health coverage improvements include $500 per year for Physiotherapy or Massage and $300 for chiropractic care.

• The three years of service required for severance is removed and is now payable to all current full-time employees; employees will be

able to place that severance in an RRSP plan.

• Company contributions to CCWIPP increase to 70 cents per hour on February 1, 2008 and to 80 cents per hour on July 1, 2009.

Union Negotiating Committee: Darshan Brar, Davinder Dandiwal, Vera Sellars and Union Rep Joe DeMelo.

JUNE 2007

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CONFERENCES 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, including more up-to-date and

Dickies Canada members approve three-year contract

Union Negotiating Committee: Dennis Warren and Union Rep Mona Bailey.

Hurley Corp members unanimously accept deal Members working for Hurley Corporation at the Pickering Town Centre voted unanimously in favour of a new three-year contract on January 14, 2007 with: • Wage increases of 2 ¼ per cent retroactive to January 1, 2007 plus subsequent increases of 2.5 per cent in both the second and third year of the contract.

• Contributions to the UFCW Benefit Trust Fund increase by 1 cent per hour in each year to reach 62 cents per hour by the third year of the contract.

• Dental plan contributions increase to 36 cents per hour.

• Work boot allowance is now $60.

• Improved bereavement leave language now includes same sex partners and common-law spouses.

Safeway workers achieve three-year contract At a meeting held February 25, 2007, Local 175 members working at three Canada Safeway stores in Thunder Bay voted in favour of a new three-year contract. The approximately 500 workers secured the following improvements: • Part-time staff hired prior to May 1, 1995 and all full-time staff receive a retroactive increase of 25 cents per hour effective October 15, 2006. Any part-time worker hired after May 1, 1995, receives retroactive pay of 20 cents per hour.

• Some part-timers receive up to $1.10 per hour in wage increases.

• Full-time end rates increase by 75 cents to 90 cents per hour over the duration of the contract term.

• Shift premium for store manager relief increases to $1 per hour, up from 90 cents and night shift premium improves to 75 cents per hour, up from 70 cents.

• Workers hired prior to the date of ratification receive a Sunday shift premium of $1.60 per hour.

• A worker designated as “Coffee Bar Operator” receives a premium of 50 cents per hour.

• Any worker employed at the full service meat counter, who was not previously a meat cutter, receives a shift premium of 50 cents per hour.

• In addition to regular contributions, the company will make a contribution of $642,000 to the CCWIPP stabilization fund.

• Long-term disability coverage improves over the course of the contract term.

Union Negotiating Committee: Steve Cattani, Tiia Liigvald, Linda Petch, Dan Richmond, Carla Tremblay, Barb Wojciechowski and Union Reps Colby Flank and David Noonan.

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At a meeting held February 26, 2007, the approximately 115-member bargaining unit at Dickies Canada, in Hanover, secured a new three-year collective agreement. The members benefit from the following improvements: • Base Rate wages increase by 54 cents per hour over the life of the contract and Time Workers receive increases totalling 57 cents per hour over the three-year term.

• The start rate for piece rate workers improves to $8.50 per hour, up from $8.

• Life Insurance coverage improves to $12,000, up from $10,000.

• An RRSP amendment brings the eligibility to seven years, down from 10.

• Sick benefits improve to $50 per week, up from $25 and $30.

• Improved bereavement leave now includes step-parents, for three days leave.

• Language changes cover time limits on arbitration.

Union Negotiating Committee: Ruth Ann Luedke, Donna McCracken, Tammy McCracken and Union Rep Angus Locke.

Hallmark workers ratify The approximately 20-member bargaining unit at Hallmark Housekeeping, working on Adelaide Street in Toronto, voted in favour of a new threeyear collective agreement at a meeting held March 3, 2007.

• Workers receive across-the-board wage increases of 30 cents per hour in each year of the collective agreement with the first raise retroactive to January 1, 2007.

• Contributions to the dental plan increase to 32 cents by the final year of the contract term.

• Each employee receives two uniforms.

• All workers who have passed probation receive one floater day per year beginning January 1, 2009.

• Workers also benefit from smaller cleaning carts, which will be introduced at this location following ratification.

Union Negotiating Committee: Maria Anacleto and Union Rep Joe DeMelo.

Northwood Foods Workers win pay and benefit improvements The approximately 20-member bargaining unit at Northwood Foods in Thunder Bay approved a new three-year collective agreement on March 18, 2007. Highlights include: • End rate wages increase by 75 cents per hour.

• Workers at the top rate receive an additional increase of 25 cents per hour over and above the 50 cents previously negotiated.

• A premium of $1 per hour will be paid for hours worked in the Post Office.

• Company contributions to the workers’ RRSP increase to $25 per month.

• Vision care coverage improves to $150 per 24month period.

• Vacation entitlement for part-time workers with 14 years of service improves to 10 per cent pay on the previous years’ earnings.

• Additional language establishes a 10 per cent discount for groceries purchased by employees up to a maximum of $400 per four-week period or $4,800 per year.

Union Negotiating Committee: Sandra Hogan, Carol Makila and Union Rep Colby Flank.

Cancoil workers achieve better wages and contract language The more than 100 workers at Cancoil Thermal Corporation in Kingston gained an improved collective agreement ratified on April 1, 2007.

• All rates and progressions increase by $1.60 per hour and company contributions to CCWIPP rise by 22 cents.

• Dental contributions increase by 1 cent in each year.

• Improved language covers vacation entitlement, plant shutdown, paid breaks, steward representation, training after promotion, timelines for company response and workers' pay during power outages.

• The workers’ boot allowance improves to $75 per year.

Union Negotiating Committee: Jim Abbott, Steve Vallier and Union Rep Paul Hardwick.

Workers at Maple Leaf Pork facility ratify company ’s final offer The more than 1,200 workers at Maple Leaf Pork in Burlington secured a three-year contract that provides an enhanced severance package as well as wage and benefit improvements.

The severance package, estimated to be in excess of $6,000,000, will apply if the facility on Appleby Line closes. The package provides compensation greater than provided under the Employment Standards Act (ESA). Last October, the company announced it would wind down operations at the plant with plans to try and sell the facility to a new employer.

• Wages increase by $1.05 per hour total over the couse of the contract term and all workers receive a signing bonus of $250.

• Company contributions to CCWIPP increase by 10 cents per hour.

• Contributions to the UFCW Trusteed Dental Plan increase by 2 cents per hour.

• Boot allowance increases to $80 and the workers’ tool allowance is now $200.

• Life Insurance and AD&D coverage each increase to $35,000 and weekly Indemnity improves.

• The health and welfare plan improves to include $4,000 per year in drug coverage and $170 in vision care coverage.

Union Negotiating Committee: Gord Cutts, Bill Foley, Lionel MacEachern, Fred Teeple, Conrad Villeneuve, Union Rep Joe DeMelo and Central West Director Harry Sutton.

NEGOTIATIONS

detailed information on negotiations, visit our Web site: w w w. u f c w 1 7 5 . c o m

Madoc COPE workers ratify Members achieved a new three-year agreement on April 3, 2007, with the following improvements: • Full-time workers receive lump sum payments of $1,000 in the first year, plus an additional $721 over the second year and $948 over the last year of the contract term.

• Part-time receive a $1,000 lump sum in the first year and increases of 2.3 per cent in the second year and 3 per cent in the final year.

• Vision care coverage improves to $200, mileage premium increases to 40 cents and there is a new premium of $1,000 per year for Intake Co-ordinator.

Union Negotiating Committee: Sherrie Brett, Lynn Lee and Union Rep Chris Fuller.

Wage increases at Blenders Delight Members at Blenders Delight, formerly called Marek Hospitality, in Kitchener approved a 18-month collective agreement at a ratification vote held April 20, 2007. Members of the bargaining unit secured: • Hourly wage increase of 45 cents per hour, effective January 1, 2008 and 5 cents on July 30, 2008.

• New hires also benefit from improved rates and progressions.

• Open jobs will now be posted for five days, up from the previous three.

• Improved language addresses personal leave notice and bereavement entitlement.

Union Negotiating Committee: Barbara Ann Callery, Mary Ann Dobson and Union Rep Richard Wauhkonen.

JUNE 2007

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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

Care providers approve first contract Members at Lynde Creek Manor Retirement Residence in Whitby ratified their first collective agreement on April 25, 2007. In addition to general language establishing seniority, job security, health and safety and other policies to protect the best interests of the workers, the new three-year contract has: • Wage increases of 3 per cent per year, with the first increase retroactive to April 1, 2007.

• A signing bonus of $300 for full-time, $150 for part-time and $75 for casual employees.

• When one employee is scheduled on the evening or night shift, that employee will receive a premium of $6.50 for the shift worked between 3 p.m. and 7 a.m.

• Vacation entitlement provides between two weeks and six weeks vacation at between 4 per cent and 12 per cent pay relative to a workers’ years of service.

• Workers can accumulate sick day credits of 7.5 hours for each 162.5 hours worked, to a maximum of 90 hours.

• The company will pay 100 per cent of the life insurance premium, which provides $10,000 coverage.

• Members receive a uniform allowance of 8 cents per hour worked, paid bi-weekly.

Last spring, the approximately 15 workers at Lynde Creek Manor unanimously voted to join Local 175 because they wanted better scheduling, good wages and health benefits. The employer has been operating for less than a year and is planning major expansions in the near future.

Union Negotiating Committee: Virginia St. Amand and Union Reps Mona Bailey, Judith Burch and John DiFalco.

Workers vote in favour of new contract Casco members in London ratified a new three-year contract at a meeting held March 16, 2007. Improvements include an annual increase to base salaries of $1,800, as well as: • Four new jobs postings with annual skill pay of $1,126 for Level 1 and $2,252 for Level 2.

• The long-term disability (LTD) cap increases to $4,600 per month.

• The age at which workers are eligible for post-retirement benefits is now 58 for employees and eligible dependents receive benefits until age 65, with a maximum of $5,000.

• Increased annual allowances of $450 for tools and $275 for safety footwear.

• New language brings current practices, such as 24-hour advance notice of overtime cancellation and the distinction between departments, into the collective agreement.

The average all-inclusive pay is $81,167 for 2007, $83,372 for 2008 and $85,591 in 2009.

Union Negotiating Committee: Bill Adlam, Pay Boyle, Bob Ellis, Dave Keatinge and Union Rep Wendy Absolom.

Jonsson’s YIG workers ratify new deal The more than 80 bargaining unit members at Jonsson’s YIG in Kemptville approved a new collective agreement at a meeting held April 3, 2007.

• End rate wages increase by a total of $1.20 per hour for all full-time workers.

• Part-time workers at the end rate receive wage improvements totalling $1 per hour over the duration of the agreement.

• Workers receive retroactive pay of 25 cents per hour for all hours worked between July 15, 2006 and the date of ratification.

• Night Shift premium increases to 95 cents per hour, up from 80 cents, and workers assigned to perform the duties of a Department Manager for more than two days receive $10 per day in addition to their regular wage.

• Bereavement leave improves to five days, up from three, for the death of an immediate family member as outlined in the contract.

• Existing employees maintain premium pay for all Sunday work, which is a voluntary day for all employees.

• Full-time positions are to be filled by seniority, which was not a factor in the past.

Union Negotiating Committee: Normand Blackburn, Elaine Phillips and Union Reps Paul Hardwick and Simon Baker.

Every year the UFCW National Council awards 15 Beggs, Dowling, Mathieu Scholarships. They are valued at $500 each. For the 2006 scholarship year, five of the six Ontario winners were members of Local 175 or 633. The list of winners follows.

22

Shukri Abukar with Central East Regional Director Luc Lacelle and her father Mohamed Hilowle Abukar who works at Avis at Pearson International Airport.

The following letter was sent by Sheila Powers, who is a member from CANEX at CFB Borden.

I almost never open e-mail from a person whom I do not know. One day, however, an e-mail arrived from a “Victor Carrozzino.”

Just as I was about to delete it, the subject line caught my eye. It read: “Congratulations Sheila you have won a trip to the Caribbean.” I stopped in my tracks and decided that this is one I must open, even if it had a virus.

What a beautiful country. We had never seen anything like this resort before, except in magazines. The gardens and trees were amazing. The beach was wonderful with white sand and aqua blue waters.

We spent time there each and every day.

The people were wonderful. We were treated with great respect and there was nothing that the hotel staff would not do for us.

As the week went by we got very comfortable with the music, dance and yes, of course, the island drinks. It truly was heaven.

To my surprise it was a letter from our Union. It said my name had been drawn in the Union’s Web site contest and I was the winner of an all-inclusive, seven-day Caribbean trip for two. Well I jumped right off my seat to run and tell my husband John. He was a little skeptical, but asked me to reply anyway. I did, and yes indeed it was true. How excited we both were!

We chose Varadero, Cuba as our destination. We picked a hotel from its Web site and fell in love with the ocean view room.

We decided to leave on May 8, as May 9 would be our 15th wedding anniversary. And, when we got to Cuba the room was the exact one from the Web site, looking right over the Atlantic Ocean. We were ecstatic. It was absolutely beautiful. It was our first time in Cuba and we would certainly return again.

Melanie Wardell, whose mother Barbara Wardell works at A&P #119 in London.

On our anniversary we received a beautiful bouquet of red roses, a bottle of wine and Cuban coffee with two mugs. They came with a note from our President Wayne Hanley wishing us a good time and “Happy Anniversary.” Wow how great was that! As if just being there wasn’t enough, he gave us more.

Let me tell you our Union is one of the very best. We certainly feel so special and honoured to have won this wonderful trip.

We would like to thank everyone involved for making it a most memorable and pleasant one.

Thank you UFCW with all our hearts.

Respectfully, Sheila and John Powers Lacey Appleton, with Central West Regional Director Harry Sutton and her father Harper Appleton, who is the Chief Steward at Coke Hamilton.

Courtney Culligan, whose mother Rosemary Rathwell works at Cangro in Exeter.

Sondra Urquhart, who works at Zellers #339 in Windsor, with Union Rep Julie Johnston.

JUNE 2007

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PEOPLE CONFERENCES

Web Contest Winner says “THANK YOU!” to Local 175

COMMUNITY

Locals 175 & 633: Making a difference UFCW Diversity Summit From April 23 to 25, 2007, a delegation of eight Locals 175 & 633 members and staff attended the UFCW’s Diversity Summit in Chicago, Illinois. In total, 60 Canadian and 600 U.S. delegates participated in this important conference, which focused on diversity and the need to build a new UFCW. The purpose of the conference was to discuss the essential mandate of diversity throughout the UFCW. The conference included keynote addresses by International President Joe Hansen and US Democratic Party Leadership Candidate, Senator Barack Obama. The latter pledged to promote issues and provide resources that are essential to working people.

President Hansen affirmed the International President Joe Hansen welcomes US UFCW’s commitment to Democratic Party Leadership Candidate, Senator growth and diversity. “I enviBarack Obama, to the UFCW’s Diversity Summit sion the UFCW growing to become a Union of 3-million members, within which diversity and the uniqueness of each individual is respected,” he said. The Reverend Jesse Jackson, was also on hand to address delegates on the essential nature of diversity in today’s global community.

Delegates worked hard in var- Local 175 members and staff participated in workshops (above and below) at the UFCW’s Diversity Summit. ious workshops at the summit.

Local 175 also sent a delegation of 10 members and was a key sponsor of The Urban Alliance on Race Relations (UARR) dinner on April 19, 2007. It celebrated 25 Years of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in a multicultural society. The dinner also honoured Roy McMurtry, the Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal of Ontario. “We share the goals of the UARR, which are to promote a stable and healthy multi-racial environment in the community,” said Executive Assistant Teresa Magee.

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Campaigning to Save SALCO Thanks to the strong support of our Local Unions, The South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO) is closer to continuing to serve its ever-growing client base. Our Locals were able to collect almost 1,100 signatures, in just over a month, for the SAVE SALCO Petition campaign. SALCO is a not-for-profit legal clinic working to improve access to justice for low-income South Asians in a culturally and linguistically sensitive manner. The petitions were tabled in the legislature on May 10, which puts increased pressure on the provincial government to ensure that SALCO receives core funding, as do other legal assistance clinics, which serve low-income people.

“It is inspiring to know that diverse community organizations such as SALCO can count on our great Local Unions in their time of need,” said Local 175 Senior Legal Counsel and CAN Committee Vice Chair, Naveen Mehta. Naveen also sits on the Boards of Directors of SALCO.

Local 175 members at Olymel enjoy Diversityrelated Luncheon Sikhs all over the world celebrate Vaisakhi on April 14, 2007. It is a date that marks the Punjabi and Nepali New Year. It is also the beginning of the harvest season in Punjab, India and in Nepal.

To honour the occasion, five members of the dayshift at Olymel in Brampton treated their co-workers to a special vegetarian luncheon. The mostly-traditional menu included Vegetarian Spring Rolls, Pakora (a sort of vegetable fritter served with a “red sauce” of turmeric, salt and sugar), Vegetable Samosas and Chickpea Subjee (or stew). Dessert included Jelibi (a confec-

Union Rep Mona Bailey (second from left) joined Jasvir Kaur Dhillon, Kamaljit Gill, Shaminder Singh, Virpal Grewal and Nirmal Singh to serve lunch. The five members also donated their time and money to purchase and prepare the food for 250 plant workers.

Outstanding Member Achievement Awards for 2007 Locals 175 & 633 offer four annual bursaries of $500 (one award per criterion) to members who: • Demonstrate outstanding contributions to the community; • Manifest leadership and advancement of the UFCW; • Dedicate themselves to fundraising for Leukemia research, or; • Enhance and achieve improvements in health and safety for their workplace, including WSIB. Members can nominate co-workers who they feel deserve recognition for outstanding achievement in one of the above categories.

Nomination forms are available on the Web site or by contacting your regional office. Winners will be chosen based on merit. The deadline is August 31. This is not an academic bursary.

Local 175 supports the Centennial Foundation’s Vaisakhi Event Members and staff attended the Centennial Foundation’s Vaisakhi Dinner on April 14, 2007. The Foundation was founded in 1997 to commemorate a century of Sikhs in Canada. It’s dedicated to creating and fostering a positive and accurate portrayal of Sikhs; celebrating the achievement of excellence in accordance with Sikh ideals; promoting an awareness and understanding of Sikh milestones; promoting an understanding of the Sikh way of life and making Sikh heritage and history accessible to all Canadians.

Sikhism is a religion with an estimated 23-million followers worldwide.

It originated in the Punjab region of India and believes in equality, diversity, democracy, freedom of expression and freedom of religion.

Sikhs, like trade unionists, have a long and glorious history of speaking out against injustice and standing up for the defenseless.

These awards are made available through partnership with American Income Life (AIL) insurance.

Jenny Dipchand, who is a member from National car rental at Pearson International, attended the Centennial Foundation dinner with her husband John. . . . . . along with her son, Jamie and his fiance Nalini.

JUNE 2007 25

COMMUNITY

tion made with sugar, flour and baking soda) . . . and Tim Bits.

LETTERS

Dear Brother Wayne:

Mr. Wayne Hanley, President Local 175 Sir: I am writing these few lines so you are aware of the great help, support, understanding and care that I received from my Union Representative over the last year. I have been having problems with my job. My rep Wendy Absolom has “been there” for me every step of the way. Her care, comfort and help throughout these difficult times have been tremendous and I can’t say in words how much of a help she has been. Now that Ray Bromley has entered the picture, he has also been simply amazing in his support, encouragement and advice. Yes, I know it’s their job but they have both gone beyond the call of duty. Too often I feel that this kind of support goes unnoticed and unacknowledged.

It is because of their strength and understanding that my situation is going to arbitration and I am sure of a positive result. I do believe both Wendy and Ray should be complimented for such an excellent effort. Without them there was no light at the end of the tunnel for me.

Jack Mohabir, Kraus Strudex, Waterloo.

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Yes, I said “Brother:” and I actually mean it. This is coming from a guy who was a vocal critic of the Union in the past. The reason I was critical, ages ago, was due to certain union stewards who, fortunately, are no longer with the Union or company. This is going back a number of years when the store was called Miracle Mart. The then-union reps refused to help anybody, regardless of whether it was just a person whining, or a legitimate complaint.

There’s no question that a union steward can give the Union a good . . . or a bad name.

This is not a criticism. This is, in fact, praise. For the UFCW. Yes, really! And for Mario Tardelli.

As a part-time cashier for nearly 20 years, I usually dismiss the postings – even when the person who moves from part-time to full-time has less seniority than I do. But finally I had had enough. I called Mario and he was very quick with his help. With his assistance I went from part-time to full-time.

I moved from Dominion Store #429 in Mississauga to Store #140 in Georgetown. Now I’m in grocery and may return to cash in the future.

Thanks to Mario, I am now full-time.

Finally!

Most Union members, such as myself, are realistic. I don’t expect every grievance filed to be successful. If more Union stewards and reps were like Mario and NOT like the Miracle Mart ones referred to earlier, the UFCW would have a good or excellent reputation with ALL members. Whether or not the Union rep attempts to help (no matter the outcome) reflects positively or negatively on the entire Union.

So Brother Wayne, I wanted you to know I truly appreciate and am grateful

for Mario’s quick response and wonderful assistance. A job well done! I can honestly say that I am now a proud member of the UFCW. As soon as I get some major bills out of the way I plan to purchase, for the first time in 20 years, a UFCW baseball cap and T-shirt which I will wear proudly. Of course, if I’d have been smarter, I would have filed a grievance and gotten one of these positions many years ago, instead of just applying and never even receiving an acknowledgement of my application from the A&P head office.

Once again, THANK YOU to the UFCW and Mario Tardelli for helping me win this, which by the way, was the first grievance I’ve filed in my 20 years as a member.

Yours truly, John Granic, A&P Store #140, Georgetown.

To the Officers, Local 175 Earlier this year I signed up my family for the course in First Aid & CPR in Simcoe. My husband AJ and I have taken these topics before. It was the first time for my kids, Mack who’s age 16 and Niki 14. Two days after they took the course, on March 13, my husband and son were driving into Brantford. They stopped at a head-on automobile accident. A man had broken a collar bone, another was in shock and another had a very sore chest from the crash and air bag deployment. Thankfully no one was seriously injured. Thanks so much for teaching my kids about first aid. Now they understand the need for this type of training.

Linda Barker, Grand River Poultry in Grand River.

HEALTH & SAFETY To learn more about heat stress, and ways to protect yourself, visit: http://www.ufcw175.com/Health

JUNE 2007

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Y OUR V OTE M ATTERS Good working conditions and decent wages, for all workers, are very much affected by the policies set by our elected representatives.

It’s likely we will soon have opportunities to listen to, speak with and elect those who will form our next federal government.

Here is a checklist of federally-controlled issues which most affect the lives of working people.

Please review this material and evaluate your political candidates on the basis of what they are prepared to do for you and your family.

Whether it’s federal, provincial or municipal elections, please use your vote well and wisely.

Return postage will be paid by: United Food and Commercial Workers Locals 175 and 633 2200 Argentia Road Mississauga ON L5N 2K7

Canada Post Corporation Publication Agreement No. 40064671

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