Directions Newsletter Vol. III No. 6

In this issue:

Eves backs off on mad cow position

Saskatoon Credit Union strike over

Bradford migrant centre opens

Wal-Mart campaign receives boost

New contract at Houston Rexall

Bidding bye-bye to Bernie

First agreement at Alberta hatchery

Support for labour code amendment

P.E.I. seafood workers win first contract

Details on Olymel agreement

UFCW Canada members recognized

Labour magazine has special subscription offer for UFCW Canada members

Our union's dealings with Canada Safeway in recent years have been difficult, to say the least. Another aspect of the 16-months labour dispute, that wasn't apparent at the strike by 400 members in Thunder Bay, Ont., was Safeway's refusal to submit pension contributions for part-time employees' vacation pay, and the employer's refusal to sign the Canadian Commercial Workers Industry Pension Plan (CCWIPP) master pension agreement like other retailers such as Westfair and A&P.
Earlier this year, UFCW Canada finally got Safeway to sign the master pension agreement and to remit contributions on vacation hours paid to part-time employees. After the beginning of the strike in Thunder Bay in October 2001, Safeway had reneged on its agreement to pay higher negotiated rates to CCWIPP on behalf of thousands of members in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and northwestern Ontario.
The amount, to most bystanders, might not at first have appeared significant, and perhaps the issue being fought was simply on principle. We were only talking a few cents per hour, after all. But when all the calculations were in, CCWIPP received three payments from Canada Safeway last month of $115,374.00, $346,821.55, and $2,528,228.65 - just shy of three-million dollars that Safeway had attempted to withhold from UFCW Canada members' pensions.
Since the decision and Safeway finally made good on its payments, I am happy to report that the employer is now paying the full agreed amount to the pension plan, in line with the rest of the industry.
We must always be on guard in dealings with employers, especially with multinational corporate giants like Safeway, where shaving mere pennies can so quickly multiply into millions of dollars in hidden profits. Employers like Safeway are interested only in the bottom line - making higher profits, without regard to the consequences to our members' well-being or future security.

In solidarity,

Michael J. Fraser
National Director

Eves backs off on mad cow position; UFCW Canada fights for fair treatment for beef workers

Just a day after UFCW Canada national director Michael Fraser responded to Ontario agriculture minister Helen Johns's "bizarre" statements of the mad-cow scare, Ontario premier Ernie Eves apologized publicly for the statement, and assured the government of Alberta that Ontario was not considering a ban on beef from that province.
"The suggestion by Ontario agriculture minister Helen Johns to ban Alberta beef for Ontario was not only irresponsible, but also bizarre," Fraser told the media. "Not only is it callous and an insult to Alberta, but banning Alberta beef from Ontario would mean workers in Ontario beef-processing plants would be out of work."
Public outcry brought the hasty retraction from Eves, who fell short, however, of dismissing the agriculture minister. "In the past, Helen Johns has shown she doesn't know a factory from a farm," Fraser says. "And now, this latest gaffe is clear evidence she should not be the minister of agriculture. It's time for the minister to resign and let someone who understands agriculture do her job."
Hundreds of UFCW Canada members remain on layoff from packinghouses in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Québec due to the drop-off in demand for Canadian beef, particularly in the United States where borders remain closed to the product. The industry is in turmoil due to a single isolated case in northern Alberta of BSE, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, a brain-wasting disease in cattle also called mad cow disease. BSE in cattle has been linked to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) - a similar brain-destroying condition - in humans.
"This could become a major crisis in the packinghouse industry, although we hope it can be put to rest soon," Fraser says.
"But more than a thousand UFCW Canada members, with the potential for thousands more, have been laid off already, through no fault of their own.
"Just as in the case of job loss due to the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak in Toronto, which has devastated so many workplaces, the federal government should be doing more on the BSE crisis. That includes expediting employment insurance payments for workers in the beef industry who have been laid off, and waiving the two-week waiting period normally in effect."
Fraser is also critical of the federal government's inaction in dealing with the international trade issue. "The import ban in the United States needs to be lifted," he says. "Prime Minister Chrétien's negative comments about the government of the U.S. are insensitive and irresponsible to our members and others affected by this crisis, particularly when trade relations between our two nations are already so strained." More than 70% of Canadian beef and beef products are destined for export to the U.S.
The BSE crisis comes as about 150 representatives of UFCW Canada packing house workers prepare to gather for an annual industry conference in Winnipeg next week. "You can be sure this subject will be on the tables at those meetings," Fraser says. "Just like you can be sure Alberta beef will be on the tables at our annual gala event in support of leukemia research in Toronto on the 13th."

Saskatoon Credit Union strike over

More than 150 workers in Saskatoon Credit Union branches ended a three-week strike on May 26, after union negotiators reached an agreement with the employer "early Sunday morning following two days of marathon bargaining," says Paul Meinema, president of UFCW Canada Local 1400.
Members voted 97% in favour of the agreement, which wins them a 12.5% wage increase over its term, as well as a $1,900 signing bonus for full-time workers, and a pro-rated bonus for part-time workers.
"Our members have a right to be proud of what they have accomplished," Meinema says. "They stood up and were counted, and have won significant improvements from an employer that was trying to take things away."
Two key issues in the dispute were both resolved in the members' favour. Employees of First Sask Mortgages will be covered by the collective agreement, and workers will be given the opportunity to obtain any required qualifications when they move into a new position.
Details : Paul Meinema, UFCW Canada Local 1400

Bradford migrant centre opens

With a brief reception on May 25, UFCW Canada and the Global Justice CareVan project officially opened a second Migrant Worker Support Centre, this one in Bradford, Ont., north of Toronto. Located adjacent to the fertile Holland marsh - one of the most intensely-farmed areas in all of Canada - Bradford is host to one of the largest communities of workers who come to Canada under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers (SAW) program.
The first union-run assistance centre for the workers, who are mostly from Mexico and speak little or no English, was opened last year in Leamington in southwestern Ontario. It reopened earlier this year as migrant workers returned to Canada for another growing season, in a house next to the church most workers regularly attend. The Bradford centre shares space with a community immigrant services centre. A third union-run centre is slated to open in Simcoe, Ont. in the coming weeks.
Seen cutting a ceremonial cake at the opening are UFCW Canada special assistant to the national director Bryan Neath (right), and Venancio, a local agriculture worker. Behind them on the left is the Bradford centre's director, Emmanuelle Lopez.
Details : Bryan Neath, UFCW Canada

Wal-Mart campaign receives boost

As UFCW Canada organizers across the country, both on the national staff and from local unions, step up efforts to bring union membership to Wal-Mart workers, the British Columbia Labour Relations Board (RCLRB) has ruled against the employer's anti-union practices. On May 8, the BCLRB found Wal-Mart Canada guilty of unfair labour practices for interfering with the formation of a trade union in Quesnel, B.C. UFCW Canada Local 1518 representatives have been working with a former Wal-Mart employee in Quesnel, and complained to the labour board after Wal-Mart took "extraordinary" measures to attempt to undermine growing support for the union.
"We are pleased with the board's decision, and congratulate Local 1518 for its determination in taking this matter before the board," says UFCW Canada national director Michael Fraser. "It exposes the lengths to which Wal-Mart management will go to block its employees from exercising their rights under the law. In this case, they interfered with every worker's right to decide - free of intimidation and coercion - to join, or not join, a union."
The decision comes as UFCW Canada organizers are stepping up the campaign to take on Wal-Mart. National staff from across Canada gathered in Toronto for a strategy meeting late in May, and local union staff and officers met this past week. New materials for a national campaign - including a website dedicated to answering Wal-Mart workers questions and airing their problems - are being developed.
"UFCW Canada has already been contacted by Wal-Mart workers across the country interested in learning more about union membership," says Mark Flannigan, Wal-Mart organizing coordinator. "National and local union organizers are answering their questions, and active campaigns are underway in several provinces."
"Taking on Wal-Mart - the largest retailer on the planet - is going to be a long, difficult, but ultimately worthwhile battle," Fraser says. "We ask everyone in the Canadian labour movement and in the movement for social justice to join us in spreading the message. If you know someone who works for Wal-Mart, let them know we're ready to help them. Wal-Mart workers deserve the dignity and respect that come with union membership." Details : Mark Flannigan, UFCW Canada

New contract at Houston Rexall

UFCW Canada Local 1518 members who work at Rexall Drugs in Houston in northern British Columbia have won a new three-year collective agreement, retroactive to January 1. Highlights include a retroactive wage increase with an annual raise of 2%, addition of member's birthday as a holiday, improvement to maternity and parental leave, expanded funeral leave provisions, prescription drug plan 100% employer-paid, a "family responsibility" clause that guarantees members five days per year unpaid leave to attend to family issues, and more. The agreement also includes language that entitles members to be eligible for merchandise prizes and display contents, such as gift baskets, T-shirts, give-away jackets, and other items.
Local 1518 president Brooke Sundin congratulated the Houston Rexall Drugs members on the successful outcome of their negotiations. "Thanks to the members of the negotiating committee for their work on behalf of the members, and to the members at the store for supporting their committee," he said. "One of the most basic and important things we do as a union is to negotiate superior wages and benefits than those found in non-union workplaces, and this is another good example of what a union can accomplish with its members." Details: Tom Fawkes, Andy Neufeld, UFCW Canada Local 1518

		Union and other leaders from across Canada gathered in Winnipeg on May27 to pay tribute to Bernard Christophe, retired president of UFCW Canada Local 832 (see "Bernard's Legacy", Directions 2.16-17. "Bernard's greatest achievement on behalf of the working men and women of Manitoba is taking a union of 700 members and building it into the largest private-sector union in the province with more than 16,000 members," UFCW Canada national director Michael Fraser told the audience.

The evening's guests included Manitoba NDP premier Gary Doer, UFCW Canada national director Michael Fraser, UFCW international president Doug Dority, and former British Columbia NDP premier Dave Barrett.

First agreement at Alberta hatchery

UFCW Canada Local 1118 has negotiated a first collective agreement for a newly-organized poultry hatchery in Edmonton.
The 23 new members at the Lilydale Hatchery have won wage increases of up to $3.50 for general labourers, says local president Albert Johnson. "The average wage increase is $1.80 for all employees, or $2.22 for labourers alone," he says. "They now also have health-and-safety language, hours-of-work protection, and a grievance procedure."
A new vacation schedule means members at the hatchery will be eligible for two weeks after one year, three weeks after four, four after nine, five after 15, and six after 20 years. Details: Albert Johnson, UFCW Canada Local 1118

Support for labour code amendment

Even though most UFCW Canada bargaining units fall under provincial labour jurisdictions, a bill before Parliament to amend the federal labour code deserves out attention and support, says UFCW Canada national director Michael Fraser.
"I believe that Bill C-328 (An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code "to prohibit employers from hiring replacement workers to perform the duties of employees who are no strike or lock-out"), introduced by the Bloc Québécois, is an important piece of labour legislation, and deserves active support.
While this would have no bearing on anti-scab status in most UFCW Canada-represented workplaces, members under federal jurisdiction - including grain-handling and interprovincial transport workers - would be affected. A petition urging MPs to support the bill has been sent to local unions, encouraging them to join in the groundswell of support for the federal anti-scab legislation. To obtain copies of the petition or the proposed legislation, contact the UFCW Canada national office. Details: Bob Linton, UFCW Canada

P.E.I. seafood workers in first contract

About 350 members of UFCW Canada Local 864 have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a first agreement that will bring them a wage increase of about 20% over its three-year span.
The members work at two Polar Foods lobster-processing plants in Prince Edward Island. About 200 members work at a facility in Beach Point in southeastern P.E.I., while the other 150 are located in Souris.
Local 864 representative Ray Gallant says the contract not only raises worker's wages, but contains "excellent language, a good severance package, clothing allowance, and an increase in their benefits package. Another important gain for members is that they will now be participating in the Canadian Commercial Workers Industry Pension Plan, or CCWIPP. Details: Ray Gallant, UFCW Canada Local 864

Details on Olymel agreement

As reported briefly in the last issue of Directions (3.05), about 1,000 UFCW Canada Local 1118 members employed at the Olymel S.E.C./L.P. pork-processing plant in Red Deer, Alta. ratified a new agreement on April 14. The contract was opened for renegotiation a year early, with most members receiving a $2.45 per hour increase over the term of the agreement. Most workers with more than two years of service received increases of $1.20 on April 14.
"This agreement brought a return to the base rate, plus a recognition of a skills system of pay," says Local 1118 president Albert Johnson. "Gone is the hated class structure, returning to a two-year progression with a $10.55 start rate and a base of $12.00 per hour for employees with 24 months of service, increasing to a $13.25 base in the final year of the contract."
Johnson reports major language and other improvements, including fully-paid company benefits (for employees with 12 months of service) for parental and maternity leaves, up to 52 weeks; boot allowance rises to $110 per year, and freezer apparel allowance to $220 per year; 2¢ per hour into the education and training trust fund; and language regarding new HACCP procedures that could interfere with shift start/end times and breaks, being subject to the grievance and arbitration process.
"This is a major step forward in the pork industry after the devastating results of the 1997 pork industry negotiations," Johnson says. Details: Albert Johnson, UFCW Canada Local 1118

UFCW Canada members recognized

The community at large in Saskatoon has recognized the fundraising efforts of UFCW Canada members in the city on behalf of the Leukemia Research Fund of Canada.
At a ceremony on April 28, Local 1400 president Paul Meinema (left) and Local 248P president Albert Belfour (right) jointly accepted the Volunteer Saskatoon Award for a workplace volunteer program.
Like UFCW Canada members everywhere, members in Saskatchewan give a great deal of time and energy as volunteers, and participate in a wide range of events and activities. Recent sold-out fundraisers include an annual golf tournament and entertainment events.
"The members of both locals should be proud of this award," Meinema says. "Unions do not exist just in our workplaces. We are an important part of our community."

Labour magazine has special subscription offer for UFCW Canada members

Our Times, Canada's independent labour magazine, is making a special subscription offer to UFCW Canada members - for every new subscription raised, a minimum of $5 will be contributed to leukemia research. Here's how to take advantage: go to the Our Times website at www.ourtimes.ca, and navigate to the subscription page. Use the online secure order form to subscribe for one year, two years, or to obtain an organizational subscription for your local union. An individual one-year subscription at $25 will earn $5 for the LRFC, two years at $44 will contribute $10. Just be sure to put "UFCW Canada" next to your name in the first line in order to qualify. Organizational subscriptions will earn $10 and $20 respectively. You can also take advantage of this offer by e-mailing [email protected], or by phoning 1-800-648-6131 (in Toronto, 416-703-7661) and identifying yourself as a UFCW Canada member. Have a favourite site you would like to share? Please e-mail [email protected].