New members at Blockbuster ratify first contract

Members at Blockbuster Video in Woodbridge ratifed a new collective agreement in April, 2002. Highlights of the two-year agreement include:

• Wage increases of 18 cents per hour retroactive to November 2001.

• Additional wage increases of 15 cents per hour effective May, 2002; and an additional increase of 15 cents per hour in May, 2003.

• Merit Pay of 45 cents per hour.

• Stronger language covering union security and greivance procedures.

• Educational opportunities and scholarships.

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Members at Britannia IGA ratify new contract

UFCW Canada Local 175 Members at the Britannia Market IGA in Mississauga ratified a new collective agreement in November, 2002. The Members were locked out by the employer for more than 3 weeks, after the company asked for major concessions in pay and benefits.

Our Members maintained strong picket lines for the duration of the lockout. Local 175 has many Youth Members employed at the store who were particularly spirited in their solidarity during the work stoppage. Our Union would like to thank everyone who respected our boycott of all IGA, Sobeys and Price Chopper stores during the lockout. Since our Members have ratified the new contract and are back to work, the boycott is now finished.

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New Loeb agreements means more jobs!

Members at five Loeb stores in the Ottawa-area ratified a new collective agreement in July, 2002. Highlights of the contract include:

• Creation of 30 full-time jobs at the five stores.

• Allocation of 45 per cent of all hours designated full-time.

• Guarantee hours for senior part-time employees increase to 28 hours per week.

• Premium for working shifts on Sunday.

• Increased contributions to the Canadian Commercial Workers Industry Pension Plan to 65 cents per hour.

• Increased premium for workers peforming the duties of lead hand from 50 cents to 75 cents.

• Increased premiums for department managers and workers peforming night duty and relief work.

• Improved Membership Health and Welfare plan.

• New anti-discrimination language.

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Strudex Fibres members ratify new agreement

Members at Strudex Fibres ratified a new collective agreement on July, 2002. Contract highlights include:

• Retroactive wage gains of 80 cents per hour for maintenance workers.

• Across-the-board wage gains of 30 cents per hour in effective date of ratification, wage gains of 35 cents in the second and third year of the contract.

• Increased contributions to health and welfare including the trusteed benefit plan, pension plan and dental plan.

• Improved lanauge covering termination, tool, shoe and bereavement allowances.

• Increased statutory holiday pay.

• Added breaks during heat waves.

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Members ratify new agreement at Brampton Price Chopper following lockout

Members at the Brampton Shoppers World Price Chopper ratified a new contract on December 8th, 2002.

Members voted more than 80 per cent in favour of accepting the company's most recent offer. The 80 Members were locked out on November 21st, 2002, after the company demanded major concessions. Throughout the lock-out, Local 175 urged everyone to boycott all Price Chopper, IGA and Sobey's stores until our Members received a fair collective agreement.

"The majority of the Membership were satisfied with the company's latest offer, which was reasonable and compared favourably with contracts at the other stores," says UFCW Canada Local 175 Director Harry Sutton, "The Union was able to avoid the excessive concessions that were originally demanded by the store owner. This was largely due to the strength and solidarity of our Members during the lock-out."

Local 175 expresses our thanks to everyone who observed the boycott during the lock-out and dropped by the picket lines to offer support and encouragement to our Members. Since our Members have ratified a new agreement, the boycott is now finished.

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Boycott Price Chopper... Again!

Members of UFCW Canada Local 175 at the Brampton Shoppers World Price Chopper were locked out by their employer in November, 2002. The Company was seeking extremely unreasonable concessions including a 3-year wage freeze, contracting-out resulting in layoffs, and a regressionary overtime system. Our Members set up strong picket lines to let the public know how unfair and greedy the employer is acting.

As a result, the Members, Officers and Staff of Local 175 encouraged everyone to boycott all Price Chopper, Sobeys and IGA stores until our Members at Brampton Shoppers World ratified a fair collective agreement. We also asked the public to take their business to other unionized stores such as Food Basics, No Frills, and A&P. Price Chopper is a banner store of Sobeys Food Stores.

Public support for a previous boycott of the Britannia Market IGA in Mississauga resulted in our Members gaining a fair contract.

"It is absolutely disgusting that a highly profitable corporation like Sobeys would seek a 3-year wage freeze from their employees," says UFCW Canada Local 175 Union Rep Paul Jokhu. "Our Members need continued support from the public to get a fair and equitable collective agreement at the Brampton Price Chopper."

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Boycott continues at Sobeys, Price Chopper and IGA

OCTOBER 2002

UFCW Canada Local 175 members at Brittania Market IGA in Mississauga were locked out by their employer in October of 2002. The company demanded extremely unreasonable concessions from our members, including a three-year wage freeze and contracting out of bargaining unit work.

Local 175 is asked everyone to support our members at Brittania IGA by boycotting all Sobeys, Price Chopper and IGA stores until the dispute was settled. Price Chopper is another banner company of Sobeys. We're asking the public if they could afford a three-year wage freeze, as well as other concessions such as 50 per cent employee contributions to their benefits and overtime paid only after 40 hours per week rather than the 8 hours a day our members are currently entitled to.

"In this day and age, it is nothing more than cruel and unreasonable to ask unionized workers to take a three-year wage freeze," says UFCW Canada Local 175 Director Harry Sutton.

"We're demanding the company get back to the bargaining table and negotiate a collective agreement that is fair for our members."

UFCW Local 175 asked consumers to boycott these stores until our members ratified a good contract. During the boycott, consumers were asked to take their business to other unionized stores, including Food Basics, No Frills, Ultramart, A&P, Dominion and Loblaws.

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UFCW Canada supports Guatemalan workers

Since 2001, UFCW Canada has been supporting workers in Guatemala who are struggling for the right to unionize. Our National Union sponsored a delegation of Canadians last year that traveled to Guatemala and worked in solidarity with agricultural labourers and electrical workers who are fighting for union recognition. In the case of the electrical workers, they have been on strike for more than a year for the basic right to organize.

On Saturday, September 21, 2002, UFCW Canada sponsoried a Guatemala Solidarity Fiesta at the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre in Hamilton. All proceeds benefited the electrical workers and their families in Guatemala, who had been living without a wage for more than a year. The Fiesta included Guatemalan music, live entertainment and dancing, as well as a report from the workers in Guatemala. Staff and Members of UFCW Canada Local 175 also participated in the activities.

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Good news for Good Humour-Breyers workers

UFCW Canada Local 175 members at Good-Humor-Breyers in Simcoe are happy and reassured to learn that the company has rescinded planned layoffs and terminations for 106 workers.

The in-plant Union Committee met with company officials to learn the good news on August 1, 2002. Chief Union Steward Wayne Jennings says the weather in the summer of 2002 Increased demand for Good Humor products meaning the company could invest in another production line. The new line will produce products for export to the United States.

Local 175 members and staff were elated to learn that Good Humor will re-invest in the Simcoe plant. "Our members at Good Humor are a very experienced and dedicated workforce," says Local 175 President Wayne Hanley. "Increasing production in this plant is good news, not only for our members at Good Humor, but for the community, company and unionized workers in food production as a whole."

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Fortinos workers end strike

Striking Fortinos workers from all 18 stores in the Toronto and Hamilton areas went back on the job on Tuesday September 3, 2002 after a majority who attended union meetings voted in favour of accepting the company's most recent offer.

The offer, which contains improvements in wages and benefits for both full-time and part-time workers, was accepted by a strong majority – almost 70 per cent – of the membership.

"The hard work by so many dedicated – and determined – picketers and the support of the general public enabled us to better the company's original proposals," says Cheryl Mumford, spokesperson for the union.

Workers had been on strike since August 15, 2002. The strike is the first experienced by Fortinos supermarkets.

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Striking Fortinos workers vote on new offer

UFCW Canada Local 175's negotiating team, which bargained on behalf of more than 4,200 retail food store workers employed at 18 Ontario Fortinos supermarkets, reached a tentative agreement with Fortinos supermarket management in August 2002.

Membership meetings took place on Sunday September 1, 2002, at 9:00 a.m. with registration at 8:00 a.m. Members were asked to vote to accept or reject the company's latest offer.

Pickets were expected to continue until a new agreement could be ratified for the membership. In the meantime, Fortinos striking workers thanked the general public for their support and asked that they continue not shopping at Fortinos supermarkets until the labour dispute could be resolved.

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New talks scheduled for Fortinos members

UFCW Canada Local 175's negotiating team, which represents more than 4,200 retail food store workers employed at 18 Ontario Fortinos supermarkets, was scheduled to meet with a provincially-appointed mediator and Fortinos representatives on Thursday August 29, 2002 in an attempt to resolve the labour dispute.

The Fortinos workers, who had been on strike since August 15, 2002, are seeking improvements in wages and benefits.
Striking Fortinos workers thanked the general public for their support and asked that they continue to boycott Fortinos supermarkets until the labour dispute is resolved.

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Members at Fortinos take strike action

More than 4,200 retail food store members employed at 18 Ontario Fortinos supermarkets began a legal strike at 10:00 p.m. on August 15, 2002.

Members were seeking paid sick days for full-time employees – something they've been asking for over the last 12 years – and an improved short-term disability plan. The previous collectivea greement had no provisions for casual paid sick daysl. The workers were also seeking wage improvements to bring their income in line with other stores owned by National Grocers such as Loblaws and Zehrs.

Informational pickets went up at distribution centres in Hamilton and Cambridge and at the retail stores which are located in Hamilton, Ancaster, Stoney Creek, Burlington, Waterdown, Brampton, Woodbridge, Vaughan and Toronto.

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Negotiations on new Fortinos contract at a stand off

More than 4,200 retail food store workers employed at 18 Ontario Fortinos supermarkets predicted they could strike in the near future – unless the mediation process results in an acceptable settlement.

"We've been meeting since April 17, 2002," says Sharon Gall, Chief Negotiator for the union. "But there has been very little real progress from the members' perspective."

Gall says the membership responded to Fortinos earlier offer to settle by voting overwhelming – 96.4 per cent on June 16 – in favour of strike action to seek contract improvements. On August 11, 2002, a majority of the membership rejected the company's tentative offer which was presented by the union negotiating committee. The two parties were scheduled to meet with a mediator on August 13, 2002. The union had been in a legal strike position since August 9, 2002, at 12:01 a.m. but withheld strike action as talks continued.

"Unless we can reach an offer that is acceptable to the membership very soon . . . a strike is imminent," says Gall.
Several of the stores are located in Hamilton with others in Ancaster, Stoney Creek, Burlington, Waterdown, Brampton, Woodbridge, Vaughan and Toronto.

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Our Union joins peaceful protests in Calgary

Members of UFCW Canada Locals 175 and 633 joined thousands of union members and community activists in Calgary for demonstrations against the G-8 meeting in Kananaskis in July, 2002.

Protests were timed to coincide with the meeting of presidents and prime ministers from the world's eight richest nations. Unions, human rights groups, environmentalists and humanitarian organizations have been critical of the G-8 meeting for its undemocratic and Big Business agenda. The fact the meeting was held under extremely tight security in Kananaskis, an inaccessible area for protestors, showed how world leaders are determined to ignore the voices of regular people.

The Locals 175 and 633 Youth Committee had a particularly strong presence at the Calgary protests. On June 23rd, 2002, they joined the G-6B - an alternative conference on behalf of the world's 6 billion people. The conference brought together trade unionists, community leaders and women's groups from around the world. Later that same day, Local 175 joined about 3,000 protestors for the Peace March. The G-6B conference continued through the week and ended with a mass march through the streets of Calgary. Residents of Calgary and the large amount of police commended the protestors for being focused on their message and peaceful in their actions.

"It is important for our Members to stand up for their rights on a global scale," says UFCW Canada Locals 175 and 633 Youth Committee Representative Matthew Davenport. "The G-8 leaders are making decisions that will affect our jobs, our families and our communities. But they are locked away behind closed doors in Kananaskis, without any representatives of the people. We are here in Calgary united and strong to tell the world that this severe lack of democracy is unacceptable."

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Events in August/September 2002

August 29, Labour Rally - Hamilton

In support of striking Fortinos workers, a pre-Labour Day Rally was planned for Thursday, August 29, 2002. UFCW Local 175 President, Wayne Hanley and Canadian Director Michael J. Fraser were slated to participate in the rally with other Union Presidents.

Warren Smith, President of Local 1005 of the United Steelworkers of America, worked with our Local to co-ordinate a successful rally. Following the rally, the Local held a protest at one of the striking Fortinos sites.


September 2, Labour Day Parade - Hamilton

UFCW Local 175's Scab Mobile which will lead the Hamilton Labour Day Parade as the President of the Hamilton & District Labour Council authorized the UFCW float for the lead position this year.
Union Rep Chris Fuller will demonstrate his Scab-a-Phone and injured picketers will be given a place of honour on the UFCW float.

The Scab Mobile will also featured The Walls of Shame which list the names of Fortinos workers (mainly friends and relatives of store owners) who are undermining the efforts of their striking coworkers by crossing the picket lines and working in the stores.
Support poured in from both local and national unions.

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