Contents
President’s Message ........................................................................................ Secretary-Treasurer’s Message .......................................................................
3 4
People
Stewards discuss the importance of bullying and harassment workshops ......................................................... 5 Staff changes announced .................................. 6
Conferences Annual seminars are a significant resource ................................................
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loCal 175 President shawn Haggerty Secretary-Treasurer teresa Magee Recorder Betty Pardy Executive Assistants ray Bromley Jim Hastings Harry sutton uFCW local 633 President Dan Bondy Secretary-Treasurer Marylou Mallett Recorder neil Hotchkiss
Negotiations
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fundraising
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Benefits
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Scholarships
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Provincial office 2200 Argentia Road Mississauga L5N 2K7 905-821-8329 Toll free 1-800-565-8329 Fax 905-821-7144 Benefits Intake Representative Casey Magee Benefits Representatives orsola augurusa, sherree Backus, Joanne Ford Legal Counsel Victoria shen Communications Representatives emily groom Jennifer tunney Servicing Representative lien Huynh Health & Safety Representative Janice Klenot Legal Co-ordinator Fernando reis Legal Counsel Marcia Barry, Michael Hancock, rebecca Woodrow, natalie Wiley Organizing Representative steve robinson
Letters
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Youth
Central east region Director Kelly tosato Union Representatives Jehan ahamed, Mona Bailey, John DiFalco, anthony DiMaio, John Dinardo, emmanuelle lopez, angela Mattioli, rob nicholas, Dave White
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workplace News Dedication of Local 175 Hunter Douglas members ensures company's worldwide success .......................................................................................................
Community Locals 175 & 633 Chinese New Year celebration ........................................
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soutH Central region Director sylvia groom Union Representative Judith Burch Servicing Representatives lee Johnson-Koehn, Brenda simmons, Mark stockton, Mario tardelli 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 luc lacelle Union Representatives Matt Davenport, tim Deelstra, Joe DeMelo, linval Dixon, rick Hogue, Dan serbin 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 Paul Jokhu Union Representatives Wendy absolom, Kevin Dowling, Julie Johnston, angus locke, roy reed, rick Wauhkonen Representative Mike Duden 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 Director Dan lacroix Union Representatives Colby Flank, Dean Mclaren training & eDuCation Centre Coordinator of Education Kelly nicholas Education Representatives georgina Broeckel, laurie Duncan, Jason Hanley, ashleigh Vink
Tough economic times mean even tougher negotiations In the last two decades, the giants of Canada's retail food industry have experienced tremendous change and challenges. In turn, they have attempted to demand more "flexibility" in their Union contracts. UFCW Canada Locals 175 & 633 have fought back. We stood tough against Miracle Food Mart, Zehrs and Canada Safeway while thousands of members walked picket lines in the struggle to achieve and maintain good collective agreements. But these good agreements are only achieved through the hard work and determination of dedicated negotiating committees, with the support of the members who elect them. The negotiation process is becoming increasingly difficult and prolonged, which is why we must begin well in advance of the expiration of current collective agreements.
sHaWn Haggerty
Good
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.
aG r eem e n t s a r e
o nly ac hi eved t hr o uG h t he hard w o r k a n d
d et er m i nat ion of d e d i c ated n eG o ti at i nG
c om m i tt ees , w i t h t he support o f th e m e m -
ber s w ho el e ct t h e m
Currently our Locals represent more than 16,000 members at 169 Metro-owned stores in Ontario. Approximately 10,000 of these members have contracts which will expire on September 26, 2009. Another 6,300 members at 88 Metro-owned Food Basics stores have contracts that do not expire until March 31, 2012. In preparation for this year's negotiations, meetings were held in January, at a number of locations across the province to elect the members of the negotiating committee. To ensure that the voice of members in both Local Unions and all regions of the province are heard, the committee has 22 members. There are three members representing each of seven geographical regions, plus the President of Local 633. Each region elected a member representing Local 175 fulltime, Local 175 part-time and Local 633. The committee held its first meeting together in February. They finalized and prioritized proposals submitted by members and are scheduling to start negotiations with the company representatives. Rest assured that your leadership and negotiating committees for Locals 175 & 633 will do everything possible to ensure the best possible outcome for these and other negotiations.
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Secretary-Treasurer’s Message
Employers must protect wor kers
Workplace bullying and harassment is a serious issue that harms individual workers and can critically undermine solidarity among co-workers. teresa Magee
In the last year, an estimated one in six workers reported being the victim of destructive bullying. Bullying includes physical violence, verbal taunts, name-calling and putdowns, threats and intimidation, and exclusions from a peer group.
An estimated 71 per cent of bullies are bosses, another 17 per cent are peers and 12 per cent are actually subordinates. Approximately half of bullies are women. But the vast majority of victims are either other women or members of a visible minority. With rising job uncertainty, workers may hesitate to speak up for themselves. So it is even more important to have good violence prevention programs in effect and train workers to recognize and speak up against bullying.
legislation to protect workers in most jurisdictions in Canada, including Ontario. We must negotiate protection for our members into each collective agreement. Specific language needs to state: "The employer agrees that no form of verbal, physical, psychological Did you know? aggression, or other bullying and abuse Approximately of employees will 1/2 of bullies be condoned in the workplace." Beyond are WOMEN. the agreement, the employer must be proactive in preventing bullying. These actions can include consultation with the Joint Health & Safety Committee, specific prevention and control measures, policies, procedures, practices and training to improve the health & safety of members. Once in place, these measures must be reviewed at least annually and revised if necessary to ensure that every worker is assured a safe and healthy working environment. For a copy of the Locals 175 & 633 flyer on bullying call your regional office, or download it from our Web site.
Despite how common workplace bullying is, there is no
Bullying takes many forms: n
intimidation or threats
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physical or verbal abuse
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spreading rumors or gossip
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making offensive jokes
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harassing, stalking or spying
You can stop bullying in your workplace by: n
standing up for yourself
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documenting all communication that can prove bullying
n
recognizing and acting on incidents of bullying
REMEMBER: Always report bullying to your Union Steward, Supervisor or Union Rep. 4
training & eDuCation
Stewards are enthusiastic about new wor kshop According to the Canada Safety Council, bullying and general harassment are far more prevalent than other destructive behaviours in the workplace, even more prevalent than sexual harassment and racial discrimination. Locals 175 & 633 stewards are aware of the pain and disruption that this behaviour causes in their workplaces. Many requested specific training to help them recognize and cope with this issue. In response, our Local Union developed an in-depth course to educate stewards on the subject of workplace bullying and harassment. It includes legislation (what's covered and not covered under current laws) and contains sample contract language to increase protection for workers. It also explains bullying and how it impacts the workplace. The course provides a sample Workplace Violence Prevention Program, strategies and other resources to stop bullying at work. All federally regulated businesses in Canada are now required to develop policies to prevent workplace violence, including bullying, teasing or abusive behaviour. Unfortunately, only 10 per cent of workers fall under federal jurisdiction. The Ontario government issued a consultation paper on Workplace Violence Protection in September, 2008, where they identified the risk as being higher in certain sectors, including health care, retail, hospitality and social services. But so far, no specific legislative changes have been proposed. Since its inception in the fall of 2008, more than 100 stewards have participated in this workshop.
W hat S teWardS
are Sayi n g
about the neW c ourSe
lisa lucano of loblaws #1051 in ottawa is in her 31st year of part-time work. She says she loves working with her Union and the Joint Health & Safety Committee (JHSC) to help co-workers and keep them informed about what they need to know. She says it's especially important because of the high staff turnover and the fact that there are so many young workers who may not be aware of their rights. "The seminars are good for highlighting important issues pertaining to work in the store," she says. "The role plays in the Bullying & Harassment workshop were invaluable for learning how to listen, document and hopefully resolve issues." liam Wall of loeb March road in ottawa attended his 6th seminar in a row this year. He says they are incredibly informative. Liam says the instructors are good and the different backgrounds and personalities of the course participants enhance the learning experience. "I like having the opportunity to learn new ways of doing things," he says. "It's important in educating management and making the workplace more comfortable and enjoyable for all."
To stay up to date with all of the courses available ONLINE, IN CLASS or through the MOBILE COMPUTER LAB
LOG ON TO
hTTP://CAMPUS.UfCw175.CA and click on SIGN UP
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PeoPle
Kelly tosato has been appointed as Central East Director. Formerly a Central West Union Representative, Kelly has been involved with UFCW since 1989, starting as a Unit ChairPerson while working at Pinty’s in St. Catharines. Kelly has been active in the community for many years, as she sits on the Board of Directors for the Local 175 Housing Residence in St. Catharines and also sat on the St. Catharines District Labour Council. "Kelly is an excellent Union Representative and I have complete faith that she will continue to excel in her new position as Director," says President Haggerty. orsola augurusa is now a Benefits Representative with the Benefits Department. She first started with the UFCW in November 2006 as the Front Desk Receptionist for the UFCW National Office. In April 2007, she was hired by the Local Union as Reception but was reassigned as the Benefits Intake Representative in August of that same year. Since that time, Orsola has been gaining invaluable experience working with members with workplace injury claims and other compensation difficulties. She takes part in many Local Union activities including helping to organize the Scrapbooking Crop Day to raise money for Leukemia. emily groom has joined the Communications Department. Emily was a member for six years, working as a cashier at A&P #102 in Dundas, and is currently completing a double degree in Communications & Multimedia at McMaster. Her volunteerism includes being a co-ordinator for the Hamilton Friendship Association with Cuba. She is actively involved in LGBTQ issues in Hamilton and is a facilitator for Radar, a queer youth group out of the LGBTQ Community Wellness Centre. She was Vice-Chair of Hamilton Pride Festival in 2007/08 and is a videographer for non-profit organizations such as The Interval House of Hamilton.
Jason Hanley has joined the staff of the TEC as a Training and Education Representative. For four years, Jason served as Steward at Dominion Store #114 before moving to Membership Records at the Mississauga office in 2007. Jason takes a lead role in the UFCW Youth Committee, where he spends countless volunteer hours mobilizing and actively engaging youth in their Union. Jason is proud to speak to youth about their rights as workers, encouraging youth to realize their importance to the Union movement. lee Johnson-Koehn of Hamilton is an active youth who is now a full-time South Central Servicing Representative. Lee began her Union involvement in 2006 as Steward of the West Hamilton Fortinos. She began working in the store in 2005 and was immediately prompted to get involved in her Union. Lee left her position as Steward in July 2008 to work as a SPUR out of the Mississauga office servicing the South Central Region. She is actively involved with the UFCW Youth Committee, participating in the Youth Internship Program and the Youth Arts Project. Casey Magee has rejoined the Mississauga office as the Benefits Intake Representative. She began at the Local Union in 1994, working in reception then moving to a secretarial position until 2001. For the past three years she has been representing members in SEIU Local 1.ON. Casey is active in the yearly Labour Day activities with her two children and looks forward to working for the Local Union again.
In addition, Paul Jokhu is now the Director of the South West region, luc lacelle joins the Central West region as Director and Director Dan lacroix will also now be responsible for the North West Region in addition to the Eastern Region.
STAff RETIREMENT Cheryl Mumford retired from the Local Union at the end of November 2008. After working at the UFCW National Office for eight and a half years, Cheryl moved to head up the Communications Department at Local 175 where she worked from early 2002 until her recent retirement. "Cheryl was a hardworking and valuable member of our Communications Department and her experience and dedication will be missed," says President shawn Haggerty. "I wish her all the best in her retirement."
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ConFerenCes
Annual seminars are an impor tant resource for stewards Your Union stewards are the critical link when it comes to defending your rights in the workplace and ensuring that your employer lives up to the terms of your collective agreement. The job of the Union steward is an unpaid volunteer position. It is a demanding commitment, often requiring hours of dedication. Stewards need to be knowledgeable about their collective agreements, acquire the skills to protect co-workers and spend the time to look, listen and correct workplace problems. It takes a special type of caring individual to do the job well – someone who likes to learn and who won’t hesitate to speak up against injustice. Your stewards provide day-to-day support in your workplaces and work with the Union representatives when additional help is needed. To better equip your stewards to fulfill their responsibilities, Locals 175 & 633 offer an extensive training program. The Locals have nearly 2,000 volunteer stewards and approximately half of these attend regional weekend seminars each year to update their skills and learn more about current workplace issues. Many also study Labour Education and Health & Safety online. The Locals also conduct steward training in specific workplaces when needed. Each of the weekend seminars included about 10 hours of education covering topics such as stewardship, arbitrations and health & safety. For the first time this year, many stewards participated in a new workshop designed to identify and eliminate workplace bullying and harassment. Local 175 President shawn Haggerty gave keynote addresses at all five of the regional seminars. He urged stewards to hold their elected government officials accountable for maintaining our universal health care system and keeping good jobs in Canada. He noted that Canada lost 55,000 good manufacturing jobs in just one month of 2008 – the most in the last 17 years. President Haggerty said: “We have to stop the practice of businesses putting profit ahead of their responsibility to Canadian workers. The cost of living increases every week. We have to stop companies from using foreign suppliers and cheaper labour while still charging us – the consumers they’ve just put out of work – the same overinflated amount for products and services.” Photos from each seminar follow on the next two pages.
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ConFerenCes
CENTRAL EAST
EASTERN
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NORTh wEST
SOUTh wEST
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ConFerenCes
CENTRAL wEST
WorKPlaCe neWs
Local 175 members at hunter Douglas
“we consider the talent and skills of 21,000 hunter Douglas employees worldwide to be the true strength of our organization.”
Ralph Sonnenberg, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Operating Officer, Hunter Douglas
Hunter Douglas is the world market leader in window coverings and a major manufacturer of architectural products. The company’s success in Ontario is due, in large part, to the skill and dedication of Local 175 members. At the Brampton plant, these members work with great care to select product components and then measure, cut and fabricate a collection of custom-designed products to fulfill the needs of clients all across Canada.
Yusuf Akheralie, Material Handler
Tarlok Randhawa, Warehouse
"Our members at Hunter Douglas are a skilled, diverse and hard working group of people from many different backgrounds," says union rep anthony DiMaio. The 103 Local 175 members at the Brampton plant are part of a workforce of 9,000 in North America and approximately 21,000 worldwide. The head office is in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and its group of 161 companies operate in 100 countries in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia. In the first 9 months of 2008, the company had global sales of $2,317.9-million, up 3.1 per cent over the same period in 2007.
Dale Humphries, Repairs
Kofi Mensah, Packer
The company’s outstanding success record is undoubtedly due to its encouragement of an entrepreneurial management style that rewards the adaptation of products to local markets, and equally important: a philosophy of providing a work environment that is safe, pleasant and stimulating for all its workers. Hunter Douglas is also a community leader. It’s a “Silver Partner” with Habitat for Humanity. The company assists families in need by donating custom window coverings for every Habitat home built in North America.
Lakhraje Ramprasad, Assembler
Que Luong, Assembler
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Odette Cardosa, Assembler
El Hassan El Maz, Cutter Jagdeep Khera (left) and Anjul Gangwar, Assemblers
Sue Augot, Machine Operator
Amrit Sandhu (left), Assembler and Nancy Hall, Supervisor.
WorKPlaCe neWs
Mai Do, Assembler
Joan King (left), Chief Steward and Carmela Garofoli, Assembler
Ranjit Singh, Assembler
Saheed Latif (left), Fabric Cutter and Chanrowtie Bridgemohan, Team Leader.
Wieslawa Pokrzykowska, Assembler Allison Tulloch (left), Thuyen Khuong (centre) and Rajwant Sekhon, Assemblers Bonnie Osborne, Assembler Alemitu Mammo, Assembler
Cuong Dang (left) and David Goberdhan, Maintenance
Sudesh Sharma, Fabric Cutter
Gurprem Vander, Steward & Packer
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for all the most recent UfCw news, visit our web site: www.ufcw175. com
negotiations
New members at Benlan ratify first contract Following several months of negotiations for a first contract, new members working at Benlan have secured their first collective agreement. At ratification meetings held December 8 and 9, 2008, the more than 200 workers at the Oakville facility achieved a three-year deal. They manufacture, assemble and package medical instruments and associated products. In addition to standard contract language and provisions, the bargaining unit benefits from the new deal as follows:
Members vote on Zellers deal The 1,381 members from 12 Ontario Zellers stores met on February 15, 2009 to ratify their new collective agreement. In the new contract, workers recieve wage increases of .5 per cent effective February 1, 2009 and 1 per cent in February 2010 and 2011. Members will receive one floating holiday in addition to the Stat holidays listed, while bereavement language also improves. Workers benefit from consecutive nightshifts, while evening shifts are now defined as a scheduled shift that ends after 5:30 p.m. union negotiating Committee: Kerry Buzzell, stephen Campbell, Betty Decloux, yvonne govan, Jayne gray, Kathleen Hoeg, eduarda Moniz, Janice Parent, Magaret rae, angela rankine, leona silmser, thomas tanti, tracy tetreault, ramrattie toolaram, servicing rep sam Caetano, union reps Mona Bailey, Matt Davenport, linval Dixon, Julie Johnston, angela Mattioli, Daniel Mercier and rob nicholas, and Chief negotiators: regional Directors Dan lacroix and luc lacelle.
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Wages increase by between 3.15 and 3.4 per cent in the first year and by between 2.35 and 2.5 per cent in the subsequent years covered by the contract term. In addition, each employee receives a signing bonus of $750. Workers gain new vision care coverage, while an enhanced dental plan covers basic, major and orthodontic work. The negotiated language includes protection of existing practices including paid breaks and improvements in weekend shift premiums. Other language establishes a grievance procedure, seniority, and provisions for workplace committees.
union negotiating Committee: salvacion Castillo, stanley David, Victoria Moreno, servicing rep sam Caetano and union rep linval Dixon and legal Coordinator Fernando reis.
first collective agreement for windemere workers Local 175 members at Windemere on the Mount Retirement Residence in London achieved their first collective agreement after ratification meetings held February 2 and 3, 2009. This first contract will be in effect for three years, retroactive to March 1, 2008. In addition to standard language, the agreement includes wage and benefit improvements and many new provisions to protect the members’ jobs and enhance their work environment. The 24 members at this facility work as Maintenance, Wait Staff, and Dishwasher-Dietary as well as 'Relief' for the Maitre’D position. Wages increase by 2.5 per cent in each year of the contract, with the first raise retroactive to March 1, 2008. A newly established wage grid includes a higher starting rate for Housekeepers and a 50 cent per hour shift premium will be paid for all shifts beginning after 3 p.m. The employer will now will pay 100 per cent of the cost of premiums for the workers’ health & welfare plan and also 50 per cent of the dental plan. Family Day is now recognized as a Statutory Holiday and improved language allocates more paid leave days for bereavement. Seniority dates are recognized as date of hire, whereas before it was done by hours worked, for allocation of hours including senior part-time who are now entitled to longer shifts over junior part-time. The agreement also establishes a Health & Safety Committee as well as health & safety provisions for the workplace. union negotiating Committee: sal rizvi and union rep Wendy absolom.
Workers at 85 Metro-owned food stores have committed an astounding $96,966.25 in the annual payroll deduction fundraiser to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) of Canada. The amount is almost double what was raised in each of the previous years, since the program’s inception in 2005. “These members have certainly outdone themselves again this year,” says Local 175 President Shawn Haggerty. “This amount was raised because of the commitment of the volunteer fundraisers and the members who continue to donate a portion of every paycheque. It’s because of successful fundraising efforts like this that research has given hope to the many children and adults with leukemia and other blood cancers.” Cash prizes were awarded to the top stores in each of three categories. Category 1 stores (1-99 employees): Charlie Morrison, A&P #425; Elaine Collier, Barn #214, Mary Jepson, A&P #196 and Collette Kiss, A&P #139. Category 2 stores (100-199 employees): Colleen Cox, A&P #106; Paula Gray, A&P #026; Burnadette McKenzie, A&P #141 and May Chalmers, A&P #197. Category 3 prize winners (more than 200 employees): Steve Robinson, A&P #083; Andrea Phillip, A&P #453 and Cheryl Henry, A&P #422. Colleen Cox accepted the prize cheque on behalf of the members of her store, A&P #106 in Whitby. It had the largest number of employees participating in the program for Category 2 stores.
Raffle raises over $1,200 One lucky Pharma Plus member has won an additional paid week’s holiday to be taken in 2009. During November 2008 and February 2009, draw tickets were sold throughout 73 Pharma Plus stores in the Central East Region, raising $1,266 for the LLS. The winner, Robert Bailey, is a full-time sales clerk at the Galleria Shopping Centre Pharma Plus. He has worked there since 1987, when the store was owned by Drug City. He has been a UFCW member working for Pharma Plus since 1990.
Local 175 President Shawn Haggerty and Central East Director Kelly Tosato draw the winning ballot.
Creig Treloar of A&P store #63 in Toronto was the grand prize winner for the 2009 donor draw. He receives a $2,000 travel voucher from his Local 175 Servicing Representative, Mark Stockton.
3rd Annual Ice Fishing Derby nets $1,400 Thirty-two fishers, including members from the South West and South Central Regions, turned out for the 2009 Ice Fishing Derby to raise money for Leukemia research. The day was sunny and brought with it a couple of inches of slush on top of the two-foot thick ice over Lake Simcoe, near the town of Pefferlaw. “I’m happy to see even more people out this year than last,” says President Haggerty. “We always have a great time raising money for this good cause.” The big catch of the day was a 1 pound perch, caught by Stan Raper (right) who is a representative at UFCW National. There were lots of draw prizes and everyone was treated to a great lunch provided by Maple Leaf Foods in Hamilton. The fishers raised $1,400, from the entry fees and sale of prize draw tickets over the course of the day. All money raised goes directly to the LLS.
The 12 th Annual Locals 175 & 633 Skate for A Cure Tournament is on Friday, April 17 & Saturday, April 18, 2009 at Canlan Ice Sports in Oakville. Ted on the Road begins May 5 th through May 22 nd, 2009. Visit www.tedontheroad.com for details.
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FUNDRAISING
Members donate all year round to help find a cure for Leukemia
BeneFits
I n j u r e d w o r ke r r e c e i ve s s u b s t a n t i a l compensation, thanks to the per sistence of the Local 175 Benefits Depar tment WSIB cases are complicated and each is unique. In this case, an Injured Worker (IW) tried returning to work several times before being permanently laid off. The subsequent loss of earnings (LOE) became the subject of a second WSIB appeal. The IW was a machine operator who trimmed off plastic flashing at a packaging facility since 1988. As products became larger and heavier, the IW experienced discomfort in her left leg, left shoulder and arm, which generally resolved itself. But the problems worsened and in 1999, the IW filed for short-term benefits through the employer and was off work for a period of time. The Worker's Injury (WI) form noted that the condition was NOT work related. In 2000, the IW told the employer her injury, which now included her right shoulder, was aggravated by certain work. The employer terminated her. The IW grieved the termination and was reinstated. Her condition worsened still and in the fall of 2001, the IW filed for Employment Insurance (EI) disability benefits. Throughout this time, the IW sought medical attention from her family doctor and a specialist. After returning to work in early 2002, the injury got worse. The IW filed a WSIB claim but it was denied because she did not file within six months of the injury. An appeal brought no change so the file was sent to the Appeals Branch. The Appeals Resolution Officer (ARO) ordered the adjudicator to investigate further. Again, the adjudicator denied the claim and the file was sent back to the ARO at the end of 2003. In March 2005, the ARO determined the accident date as November 16, 1999 and granted the IW entitlement, including some lost-time pay, for specific injuries. A permanent impairment was recognized for all areas of entitlement resulting in a NonEconomic Loss (NEL) determination of 36 per cent in 2007. BUT, the IW had stopped working in September
ScraPbooKing croP day Saturday, May 30 9 a.M. - 5 P.M. $40 Per PerSon
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2002. The adjudicator, who did not address the issue of ongoing LOE until February 2007, stated there was no reason for the IW to have stopped working, that the IW had removed herself from the course of employment and therefore, was denied any further LOE benefits. An appeal went to a hearing in mid-2008. The IW testified that her modified duties, using a knife to remove trim, were problematic. Although assigned to smaller products, the IW found that the job tasks still aggravated her condition. The IW tried to stay busy at work and while some supervisors varied her jobs, one supervisor continued assigning her to large product lines. In September 2002, the IW sought medical attention. Her doctor stated she could only work four hours per day but the employer insisted that eight hours of work per day were available. Remember the decision on entitlement was not rendered until 2007. In one incident, a supervisor moved her from a small product line to one with larger pieces. The IW informed the supervisor she could not perform the work. The supervisor told her she had to do her assigned work for eight hours or go home. The IW left and did not return to work. Note, the employer did not discipline or terminate the worker. The ARO's final decision noted the claim history and that the employer did attempt to accommodate the IW but the work was not suitable given her restrictions, which were NOT given until 2007 AFTER the first ARO's decision. The WSIB did not contact the employer to determine if suitable permanent work was available and the IW received no Labour Market Re-entry (LMR) services. The ARO also determined that the IW was not employable given her compensable conditions, degree of impairment and time out of the workforce. After SIX years of appeals, the ARO concluded that the IW was entitled to full LOE from September 2002 forward.
LeuKeMia FundraiSer Location: LocaL 175 head oFFice 2200 argentia rd., MiSSiSSauga
CONTACT: CASEY MAGEE @ CASEY.MAGEE@UfCw175.COM OR BY PhONE AT 905-821-8329/1-800-565-8329 X 2245.
sCHolarsHiPs
2008 Scholarships
Over the last 10 years, more than $474,000 has been given out in the form of scholarships to Locals 175 & 633 members and their children studying at a post-secondary institution. Once again last year, 56 members or their children received a Mckay, Thompson, Hoebink and Gibson Scholarship valued at $1,000 each. Everyone has an equal opportunity to be chosen because the winners are selected by random draw. Applications are available from your Union representative, regional office or on the Web site. The deadline to apply for this year ’s scholarships will be August 1, 2009. The names of the 2008 scholarship winners follow:
Central East Region tyler Carlson, son of Ann Carlson (right), a member at Rexall Pharma Plus #3467 in Brampton, with Union Rep Emmanuelle Lopez. arvinder Chohan, son of Roopwant Chohan, a member at Norseman Plastics in Etobicoke, pictured with union rep anthony DiMaio. ryan Franks, son of Margaret Franks who works at Lynde Creek Manor Retirement Residence in Whitby.
Heather gallant, daughter of Mary Gallant, who works at A&P #474 in Sudbury. Hailey McCaig, daughter of Shannon McCaig, a member from Sara Vista Long Term Care Facility in Elmvale. Ruth McDonald, daughter of Astley McDonald from Maple Leaf Foods in North York, with union rep John Dinardo. Marafi Osman, daughter of Eiman Elsiddig, a member at Zellers #75 in Toronto.
amal Mohieddin, daughter of Abucar Omar (right), from Avis Car in Toronto, with union rep Jehan ahamed.
Jessica Rose, daughter of Lori Rose, who works at Canex Retail Store in Borden. rafael sherratt, son of Thomas Sherratt (left), a member from Rememberance Funeral Services in Toronto, with union rep John DiFalco.
Central West Region Jenn Crow, a member from Zellers store #45 in Brantford, with union rep Matt Davenport. alfonso D’ambra, who works at Fort Erie IGA. Holly Henderson, daughter of Joel Henderson, who works at Bunge Canada in Hamilton. Bridget McCarthy, a member from Pharma Plus #2089 in Burlington.
Heather Millen works at Grandview Lodge in Dunnville. Breanne Mueller, daughter of Colette Mueller, a member from First Student Canada in Welland. Karina nikolenko, daughter of Audrey Nikolenko, a member from Maple Leaf in Hamilton.
Bryan Pedro, son of Wilfredo Pedro, a member at Maple Lodge Farms in Mississauga. Barend Johannes stickling, son of Ronell Stickling, a member from Pharma Plus Drugstores #0422 in Beamsville. gregory yonick, son of Stephen Yonick, who works at Jungbunzlaur in Port Colborne.
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sCHolarsHiPs
Eastern Region leslie Bates, a member from Newcastle IGA. nathan Blair works at Hendricks Your Independent Grocer in Perth.
Zi yun Peng, daughter of Xiao Hua Chen, a member at the Westin Ottawa. sandy stapley, a member from Community Nursing Home Warkworth.
Brian Blank works at Coca-Cola Bottling in Ottawa. trevor Bougie, son of Kevin Bougie, a member at Olymel in Cornwall. Elise Filion, a member from Loblaws #1052 Gloucester. amanda lafreniere, a member from Pharma Plus #1941 in Pembroke, with union rep Jacques niquet.
Paul legault works at Loeb Blackburn Market in Gloucester. Kyle nicholas, son of Elizabeth Nicholas, a member from Trenton Military Family Resource Centre.
Above: President shawn Haggerty and secretarytreasurer teresa Magee congratulate scholarship winners during the eastern region stewards seminar. they were, from left: Brian Blank, Paul legault, trevor Bougie, sandy stapley, shawn, leslie Bates and teresa.
North West Region Matthew Bourdages, a member at the Valhalla Inn in Thunder Bay, with President shawn Haggerty.
Jonathan Duhaime, son of Gina Duhaime, a member at Bearskin Airlines in Thunder Bay, with union rep Dean Mclaren.
Rosemarie Gamboa, the daughter of Adeline Gamboa, who is a member at Birchwood Terrace in Birchwood.
lauren Kurcinka with mother, Antoinette Kurcinka, who is a member at A&P #422 in Thunder Bay.
lindsay o’Brien, daughter of Eva O’Brien who works at Safeway Thunder Bay, with President shawn Haggerty.
Melissa Woroniuk, the daughter of Debbie Woroniuk, who works at Safeway in Thunder Bay, with President shawn Haggerty.
DEADLINE REMINDER! Apply for the Locals 175 & 633 Scholarship by August 1, 2009. Apply for the UFCW National Council Scholarship by September 30, 2009. 16 1
youssef Bichay, a member at Food Basics #679 in Markham. Jenna Dowhaniuk who works at Dominion and Ultra Food and Drug #55 in Guelph. nikki greer, a member from Fortinos #74 in Waterdown with servicing rep Mario tardelli.
Connor Hart, a member at Dominion #765 in Newmarket. ryan MacDonald, the son of Sylvia Maclachlan, a member from Fortinos Supermarket #53 in Burlington. Ryan works at Barn # 229 in Hamilton with servicing rep Mario tardelli.
nicholas Melia who works at A&P Canada #60 in Woodbridge. nylan Pozzo, a member at A&P Canada #118 in London. Jessica sampson, a member at Fortinos Main Street #67 in Hamilton. Bobbi Jo turner, a member at The Barn Market #225 in Hamilton.
South West Region sabrina aliverti, who is the daughter of Louise Aliverti a member at the Comfort Inn Hotel in Windsor. Krystal Brideau the daughter of Sandra Brideau a member at Maple Leaf Consumer Foods in St. Mary’s, with steward alex Westman. Kristi Butt is the daughter of Kelly Butt, a member from E.D. Smith in Seaforth.
Jessica Foster, the daughter of Dan and Joanne Foster who both work at Maple Leaf Foods in St. Mary’s, with Union rep rick Wauhkonen and steward alex Westman. rebecca Kantati, a member at the Real Canadian Superstore #566 in Leamington, with union rep Julie Johnston. ashley Keefner who works at Rexall Pharma Plus #1909 in Amherstburg, with union rep Julie Johnston.
Chantal Pomerleau, a member at Zellers #1388 in Windsor, with union rep Julie Johnston.
sCHolarsHiPs
South Central Region
renata samigullina who is the daughter of Talgat Samigullina who works at Watson Foods in Guelph, with Union rep Mike Duden. steve truong who is the son of Vien Truong, a member from Cargill Foods in London with Betty Pardy and Kevin Dowling. nikole Whiteman, daughter of Gary Whiteman, a member at P & H Foods in Hanover.
2008 – 2009 UfCw Canada National Council scholarships Three Local 175 members, or children of members, were recently selected to receive these $500 scholarship awards. They are: nicole ashley Hindi, Zehrs #521 in Windsor; Mike Mayers, The Real Canadian Superstore #2826 in Sarnia; and amanda leigh reddom, Pharma Plus #0547 in Brighton. Shown on right: Local 175 union steward susan reddom, of Pharma Plus #0547 in Brighton, Ontario presents her daughter, amanda leigh reddom with the cheque for $500. Amanda, who is in her second year of the Health & Nutrition program at the University of Guelph, is one of 18 Beggs, Dowling, Mathieu scholarship winners. Amanda says: “I would like to send my gratitude to you for selecting me for the Beggs, Dowling, Mathieu Scholarship award. It is greatly appreciated and will be used wisely as every little bit counts when on a tight budget while attending university.”
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letters
Dear President Haggerty:
Dear Mr. Lacroix:
I recently completed the First Aid and CPR accreditation through the partnership of UFCW Locals 175 & 633 and Skymedical EHS.
My name is Leslie Kulcsar and I work at Loeb Blackburn in Ottawa. In late July of this year, I received a phone call from Daniel Mercier. He told me who he was, why he was calling and asked a few questions. Then he explained that I was a part-time bakery clerk working full-time hours without the fulltime status and benefits that I should be receiving.
Even though I lost my job and I am not officially a member of the Union any longer, I appreciated being contacted and given the opportunity to take the many courses available through the Training & Education Centre. The training I received would be useful in my potential new employment, but I also feel being able to provide First Aid and CPR is a life skill that everyone should have. I encouraged my co-workers in my former employment to take advantage of this course. I would also like to make reference to the course structure. This was the best thus far since I found it very hands-on and visual as opposed to the long periods of lecturing in the past. The instructors were great, but the lead instructor had a great sense of humor therefore time passed very quickly. I have never had to use CPR on anyone, but I am more confident now that I may help a family member if needed. Warmest regards to all the wonderful people at UFCW Locals 175 & 633 who have helped me through my years with my former employer. Wish me luck! Also I’d like to add a special "mention" to the man that introduced me to UFCW many years ago – Ray Bromley. Sincerely, Mariella J Dear Teresa & Shawn: On Sunday, July 20, 2008, I had the pleasure of hosting the inaugural Catch for a Cure fishing derby to raise money for research dedicated to finding a cure for leukemia. Each of you who volunteered for this event helped me in uncounted ways to make this event a success. As you know we raised almost $1,300. I was extremely touched by the outpouring of support for this event. I know of no way I can thank each of you enough for your moral, monetary and volunteer support. To say the least, I was overwhelmed by your caring natures. Through your support I was inspired to work harder and put my mind to how I could make this event an even greater success next year. I look forward to next year’s event. I sincerely hope to see all of you there. Together we can make this event grow to levels I can only dream about. Again, thank you for your wonderful support. It genuinely touched my soul. Sincerely, Michael Collins – Holiday Inn, Windsor Dear Shawn and Sylvia: Thank you so very much for the McKay/Thompson/Hoebink/ Gibson Scholarship! I am extremely grateful as this will be a help for my medical school education. Please extend my gratitude to the donors of this scholarship. Thank you very much again. I am extremely appreciative. Sincerely, Jenna Dowhaniuk – McMaster University MD Candidate 2011
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Mr. Mercier went on to tell me that the Union wanted to make things right for me. So, within two weeks a full-time Bakery Clerk position was posted. I applied and became officially full-time on September 6, 2008. As a result I received a retroactive cash payment for my change in status, full sick days for 2008 and no waiting period for my benefits to start. I am so grateful to Mr. Mercier, my Union Rep, for this swift and positive remedy for a situation which I was totally unaware of until Mr. Mercier called me. Thank you so much for a job well done! Sincerely, Leslie Kulcsar – Loeb Blackburn, Ottawa Dear Shawn Haggerty I would like to begin by thanking you and the Local Union for the $1,000 scholarship that you awarded me. I have begun going to George Brown College at the Casa Loma campus and am studying architecture. The support from UFCW has further encouraged me in my studies because I see that others also want me to succeed. The biggest obstacle in my path is the financial commitment and the assistance that the scholarship provides will certainly help me to focus more on my studies. I plan on showing the UFCW that the scholarship money is being put to good use. Once again, I would like to thank you and the UFCW for the encouragement and the scholarship. Sincerely, Arvinder Singh Chohan Hello Mr. Shawn Haggerty and Mr. Harry Sutton: I, Darlene Johnson would like to take this opportunity to thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedules to meet with me on January 14th. It was appreciated very much. You have no idea how stressed and frustrated I was. I am so glad my neighbour suggested to me to make that appointment. I was reluctant but in the end I am so glad I did. I felt it went very well. I am not sure if Joanne Ford has informed you that Benefit Plan Administrators called me. The adjudicator said they have accepted my claim. I do have to sign a waiver stating I will pay them back the funds if my WSIB claim is accepted as well. I was so relieved and extremely happy. I can now breathe and sleep better. What a weight off my shoulders. I am sure that Harry had something to do with this and I want to thank you Harry. Finally I would like to thank all of you including Joanne Ford and Lee Johnson-Koehn for supporting me and helping me. Darlene Johnson – Metro #046
youtH
YOUTh COMMITTEE MEMBERS DEMAND GOOD JOBS AND A GREEN ECONOMY Over 1000 participants from labour, environmental, social justice and community organizations throughout the Toronto region came together at the Good Jobs Summit at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on November 22nd, 2008. Participants crafted strategies for creating and protecting good jobs and called on the Ontario and federal governments to commit to a good jobs economy. “The Good Jobs Summit was an excellent place to network with various labour activists and community group leaders. We developed a plan of action to empower all workers and unite as a global movement. Mostly, we discussed education, organization and mobilization and how we can use these tools to fight collectively to affect change,” said ashleigh Vink, a member of Locals 175 & 633 Youth Committee. A Declaration on Good Jobs For All was endorsed by the Summit, and will be taken to unions, community organizations and elected representatives for further endorsement. UFCW Locals 175 & 633 sent 10 delegates to the summit where they participated in various themed workshops dealing with Skills, Training & Professions, Precarious work, Community & Economic Development, Employment Equity, Immigration Policy & Labour and Public Services. “We need to stand together in unity with our brothers and sisters and address the problem of disappearing good jobs in Canada. For many people a job is more then an income. A job can give meaning to who we are and what impression and change we leave when we're gone. Together as one voice with a common interest we can make a difference,” said Jason Hanley, who is also part of the Locals 175 & 633 Youth Committee. The Good Jobs Coalition, comprised of more than 35 organizations, assembled earlier this year to begin a focused dialogue on how to improve the living and working conditions in Canada's largest urban centre.
End Student Minimum wage Now!
Staff gives back over the holiday
UFCW Canada organizers are using Facebook to reach out to youth in an effort to stop Ontario's discriminatory practice of paying students (part-time workers under the age of 18) a lower minimum wage than everybody else. The petition to stop this practice started as a Facebook ‘cause’ and now has its own Web site at www.endstudentminimumwagenow.ca. Representatives from the National Organizing team, including Mike Mattioli of local 175, hosted a mobilization meeting on February 5 in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood to talk about the problem. The group of youth plans to bring the petition to the provincial government and they have the support of NDP (Parkdale-High Park) MPP Cheri DiNovo, who led the successful push to raise the province’s minimum wage by several dollars not long ago. “It’s a wrong that should be corrected,” says Local 175 President Shawn Haggerty. “Students working part-time put in the same hours and the same amount of work as any other part-time worker and they should be paid fairly.” Sign the End the Student Minimum Wage Now! petition at
www.endstudentminimumwagenow.ca
Clothesline® program.
Locals 175 & 633 Youth Committee members gave back to their community by spearheading a clothing drive which saw donations given to the Canadian Diabetes Association
Your Youth Committee believes that by getting involved in the community we will make our union stronger. Clothesline® is a clothing and household item collection program that, each year, diverts over 47 million kilograms of materials from landfill sites across Canada. The committee collected over 16 large boxes of clothing, toys and knick-knacks and are very grateful to everyone that helped make this clothing drive a success.
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Locals 175 & 633 Chinese New Year celebrations attract a record number of members and their families More than 500 people attended this 3rd annual event to celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Ox. The Ox is the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. For the first time this year, there were two celebrations to recognize both the Chinese New Year and the Lunar New Year. On Sunday, January 11, members from a number of downtown units including Quality Knitting, Wings Albany, Wings Torlake, Quality Meat Packers, Maple Lodge Farms and Toronto Abbatoirs attended an event in Toronto's Chinatown. The following Saturday, on January 17, participants in the Mississauga Provincial Office celebration included members from Maple Lodge Farms, Cargill, Maple Leaf Foods, Olymel, Mobile Climate Control, Vera M. Davis Community Care Center and Compass Group working at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Both events were organized by Local 175's Community Action Network (CAN) committee and UFCW Canada. The events offered camaraderie, good food, games and prizes. Members were entertained by a Dragon Dance, meant to chase away all bad and evil things from the year before, and many people tried their hand at breaking a bundle of chopsticks in half. The bundle was unbreakable, but taken one by one, the chopsticks - as demonstrated by President shawn Haggerty – were easily broken. lien Huynh, local 175 servicing rep and event organizer, explained that the game symbolizes the importance of solidarity among union members because together, we cannot be broken.
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