Effective July 1, 2005, the following monetary improvements will occur as a result of your collective agreement:

• Across-the-board wage increases for Schedule ‘A’ of 3.1 per cent.
  
• Dental contributions increase to 30 cents per hour.
  
• Company contributions to CCWIPP increase to 62 cents per hour.
  
• If no hot meal is available, any employee required to work two or more hours beyond his/her regular shift will receive $8.50.

Effective July 1, 2005, the following monetary improvements will occur as a result of your collective agreement:

• Wages increase by 3 per cent.
  
• Shift premium for those scheduled on Third Shift (nights) improves by 5 cents per hour, to 45 cents per hour.
  
• The premium for extended health care increases by 4 cents to $1.17 per hour.
  
• Contributions to the UFCW Trusteed Dental plan increase by 2 cents per hour to bring the total premium payment to 33 cents per hour.
  
• Company contributions to CCWIPP increase by 4 cents per hour.
  
• The tool allowance increases by $15 per year for a total of $230.

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Effective July 1, 2005, the following monetary improvements will occur as a result of your collective agreement:

• Wages increase by 25 cents per hour to the top rates for all full-time and part-time workers.
  
• Reminder:
  
  • Night Crew shift premium is 95 cents per hour.
    
  • The new company-paid benefits include vision care for full-time workers.
    
  • The company’s contribution to the dental plan is 25 cents per hour for all hours worked to a maximum of 40 hours per week.

Firestone officially opens an on-site training centre

Article posted: July 25, 2005

On July 14, 2005, the Firestone Textiles plant in Woodstock celebrated the grand opening of their new on-site Training & Development Centre.

Staff, management, and guests from the community and the Union were on hand to tour the new facility and discuss expectations of the program. Guest speakers included Local 175 South West Regional Director Ray Bromley and UFCW National Rep and Co-Chair on the Textile Human Resources Council (THRC), Jean-Pierre Olivier.

The Firestone facility is the first of its kind to open among several textile plants with training centres in development. Staff members from the THRC were on hand to describe the new facility and the types of programs that will be offered. The THRC is the organization that, along with support from Local 175, created the professional and personal development courses offered to Firestone workers at this centre.

President Wayne Hanley is a member of the THRC Board of Directors. “The members at Firestone will have access to the courses offered through their union at their new training centre as well,” says President Hanley. “We look forward to co-operating with the THRC and Firestone on this project. The support from everyone has been great and I have high hopes for the success of this program.”

“The Training Centres are really the cornerstone of the program we have,” says John Saliba, Executive Director of the THRC. “The training sites actually enable workers right in the textile plants to have access to these programs right on the shop floor. This way they can get around hectic work schedules and the problem of having textile companies outside major urban areas.”

The integrated, structured approach to training includes essential skills training, technical training, textile manufacturing skills training, personal development programs and professional development programs.

Other guest speakers included:

· Michael Harding – Mayor of Woodstock
· John McQuade – General Manager of Firestone Woodstock.
· Jaggy Anand – President of Firestone and
· Ernie Hardeman – Oxford MPP

Arbitration victory at Cancoil

Article posted: July 25, 2005

An arbitrator ordered a Cancoil worker returned for his former position after his employer transferred him to another department against his will.

The employer posted the notice of job openings, for which it received applicants. Subsequently it removed the posting and informed the grievor, who had not applied, to report to one of the posted positions on the next day. The arbitrator ordered the company to repost the position and return the grievor to his previous regular job.

Toronto Star article on Canadian pension plans

Article posted on: July 25, 2005

Last Friday, the Toronto Star published a short article in their business section on the problems facing all Canadian pension plans:

UFCW Local 175 realizes that the members of this union work hard over many years to earn their pensions and we will continute to do our best to ensure each of your pensions is there for you when you retire.

Maple Lodge worker wins $1,500 arbitration award

Article posted on: July 21, 2005

An injured worker received $1,500 in damages after an arbitrator ordered the employer to honour the minimum four-hour pay period in the collective agreement.

The grievor was being accommodated on light duties and compensated by the WSIB for the loss of four hours of an eight-hour shift. The employer contended that it was not necessary to pay the four-hour minimum because the WSIB was already paying her a four-hour loss of income benefit.

The arbitrator agreed with the union’s position that the company could not discriminate because the worker was receiving WSIB payments and ordered it to pay both damages for past inequities and a four-hour minimum on all future shifts.

Locals 175 & 633 News Release on the Metro Inc. purchase of A&P Canada

Article posted on: July 20, 2005

Mississagua, ON – Locals 175 & 633 of the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW), representing almost 19,000 unionized Ontario workers employed by A&P Canada, expect to see very few, if any, changes to the day-to-day operations of A&P stores across the province following Metro Inc.’s purchase of the grocery retailer.

“I believe that Locals 175 & 633 members working at A&P will be well-served in the long run by this purchase,” says Wayne Hanley, President of Local 175. “Both A&P and Metro operate with similar business plans focusing on full-service quality supermarkets, which indicates consistency of management for this transition and in the future.”

As a result of the purchase, Locals 175 & 633 UFCW will now represent more than 20,900 workers across the province in approximately 258 Metro-owned stores, including Loeb, Super C and the newly purchased A&P locations including banner stores Food Basics, Dominion, The Barn and Ultra Food & Drug Mart. In the GTA alone, Locals 175 & 633 represent more than 5,400 workers in 69 A&P-owned stores.

“Local 175 has a long labour relationship with Metro that will benefit our members and we anticipate a smooth integration of these companies,” says President Hanley.

Senior management at A&P assures that business will continue as usual as it relates to all areas of A&P Canada.

Local wins awards for communications

Article posted on: July 19, 2005

Every year labour associations in Canada and the U.S. distribute awards to various unions to recognize excellence in membership communications.

This year, the Canadian Association of Labour Media (CALM) presented the awards “for outstanding achievement” to Locals 175 & 633 for:

• Best audio-visual production for membership and education: “Your Union at Work”

• Best flyer or brochure: “Yes we will organize Wal-Mart.”

Additionally, the International Labor Communications Association (ILCA) bestowed:

• A Second Award - Non-periodical Editorial Excellence: “Yes we will organize Wal-Mart.”

• A Third Award - Non-periodical Editorial Excellence: “Repetitive Strain Injury”

Plus the following Web site awards:

• First Award for General Excellence

• Second Award for Best Design

• First Award for Best Navigation

“We’re pleased and proud that these initiatives were judged so highly by panels of experienced labour communicators,” says President Wayne Hanley. “Our goal is to continually improve membership communications and it’s gratifying to know we’re succeeding.”

Regency Plastics worker reinstated

Article posted on: July 5, 2005

At a manufacturing plant, a worker challenged his “suspension” and “unjust discharge.” During his shift, he had allegedly argued with his supervisor, to the extent he was asked several times to leave the plant. At a subsequent meeting, which took place with the assistance of an interpreter, he requested a “lay-off.” When the company refused the request he subsequently quit his job, according to the employer.

When the union rep spoke with the grievor’s wife, however, she made clear his desire to return to his job. The rep therefore filed a grievance on behalf of the member challenging the “unjust discharge” and noting that the grievor did not quit. The legal test of “quit” requires that an employee can only lose the benefits of his job, under a collective agreement, by some objective acts which show that he really means what he says and that he appreciates the significance of what he is doing.

The arbitrator found that the grievor did not quit and therefore ordered that the grievor to be reinstated to his job by June 20, 2005, without loss of service or seniority.