Thank you to everyone who donated their time or money to this past year’s Leukemia fundraising efforts across the province. At the 2006 Murray Margarit Memorial Gala held June 23 in Toronto, it gave me great pride to announce that Locals 175 & 633 members had raised an incredible $350,000. Our contribution, the most of any contributor to the National total, helped bring the UFCW Canada total to a record-breaking $1.13 million.

Our tremendous success every year is because of the outstanding efforts of our members, who know that every dollar brings us a step closer to finding a cure. I want to congratulate and thank you for helping bring that cure closer than ever.

I also would like to remind everyone to attend Labour Day activities in their community on September 4, 2006. Many parades, barbecues and other events are already planned. We post any events we receive notice of on our Web site. You can also check with your local district Labour Council.

I hope to see everyone out celebrating this year’s Labour Day – enjoy your summer.

In Solidarity, Wayne Hanley President Local 175 UFCW National Director

Loblaw negotiations

To all Locals 175 & 633 members at Fortinos, Loblaws, RCSS and Zehrs:

I recognize and understand that many of you are concerned with the ongoing negotiations with Loblaw Company. It has been more than a year of bargaining now and I share your frustrations with the company’s inability to provide a fair agreement that respects the hard work of each and every member in these bargaining units.

As we passed the expiry dates for three of the four contracts at issue, the three Local Union committees entered into normal negotiations with an early contract renewal no longer possible. Below you will find some answers to the questions we receive the most as this process continues.

Remember that over 30,000 unionized workers, from UFCW Locals 1000A, 1977 and 175 & 633, are represented in these negotiations and our common goal is to achieve the best contract for each and every one of you.

As always, should you have any further questions, please contact your Union Representative or contact the head office at 1-800-565-8329 or by e-mail at membership@ufcw175.com.

In Solidarity,
Wayne Hanley

Expiry of Current Contracts in Locals 175 & 633

The contracts at issue in the past year’s Loblaw Company early negotiations expire as follows:

Loblaws (Ottawa) – April 29, 2006
Zehrs – July 1, 2006
RCSS – July 1, 2006
Fortinos – June 12, 2007

All contracts – even the expired Loblaws, Zehrs and RCSS agreements – continue in full force until we negotiate a new contract.

Can the company lock us out or can we take strike action?
Although three of the collective agreements have expired, this does not mean that we are in a legal strike position or that the company can lock us out. Before we reach that stage, some steps must be taken:

• We must go back to negotiations and have the conciliation officer present at which time the Union would have to request a ‘No Board Report.’ The legal deadline applies to both the Union and the company.

• In order for us to go out on strike, a strike vote would have to be conducted within the three bargaining units whose contract has expired. If it becomes necessary, strike vote meetings will be scheduled.

What happens to Fortinos workers if the rest of us have a strike vote?

The Fortinos contract does not expire until June 12, 2007. The Local Union’s position remains, as always, that we will continue to negotiate collectively.

Why is it taking so long to negotiate the new contract?

It has been a long time since we started the early negotiations process. Unfortunately, we have not been able to reach a fair settlement during the times we have met as the company’s offers have been unacceptable. The option of an early settlement is no longer available and we are now in regular negotiations. It is quite common, as you know, to go beyond the expiry date in normal negotiations.  We are, however, attempting to schedule new dates.

What happens now?

We continue to press the company for dates to bargain. The three Local Unions continue to bargain together. There will be meetings scheduled for the membership when we reach a memorandum of agreement or conduct a strike vote.

What do we do in the meantime?

It is important that the membership stays united during this period because you know the company will try to divide and conquer. It is also very important that the members do not listen to rumours that are spread by your store management and instead make sure you get the facts.

Bottom Line

If we do not receive an acceptable offer – all three UFCW Locals will conduct a strike vote.

Once dates have been set, the negotiating committees and membership will be advised.

Stay informed. Look for updates on your union bulletin board, through mail outs and on the Locals 175 & 633 Web site page dedicated to the ongoing Loblaw negotiations.

If you have further questions, please contact your Union Rep or call the main office at 1-800-565-8329 so we can put you in touch with the appropriate person.

Westin Hotel

“With the ratification of the renewal Collective Agreement, now is the time for the members at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa to start enjoying the added benefits that our negotiating committee worked so diligently to achieve,” say Regional Director Dan Lacroix.

After meeting in bargaining for what amounted to fifteen days, the membership voted overwhelmingly in favour of the negotiated offer on May 25, 2006.

In addition to adding significant language improvements throughout the Agreement, members will now also enjoy the benefit of sick days in the workplace, paid leave for health and safety training, increased pension contributions and wage increases that surpass those in previous Collective Agreements.

“The hospitality industry has brought about significantly greater workload for our members over the preceding years,” says Regional Director Dan Lacroix, “as each Employer fights to compete with the other, the fallout eventually lands on the backs of our members. There is a disproportionately high number of workplace injuries reported from this industry. These numbers reinforce our argument that these people need to be truly recognized by the employers for the work they do. With the addition of strong new Health & Safety language, we hope to be successful in bringing the workload issues back to reasonable levels.”

Your Independent Grocers (YIG)

Bargaining is well under way for several Your Independent Grocer (YIG) stores in the Eastern Region with Hendriks’, McDaniel’s, Jonsson’s and Ross’ YIG all either well into bargaining or starting in the next couple of weeks. 

This summer should mark a big turn around for the smaller grocery retailers in the area. “We are approaching these negotiations with a view to standardizing and stabilizing the working conditions for our members,” says Chief Negotiator Simon Baker. “The heart and soul of our members’ rights lies in their Collective Agreement, and it is a definite priority for this Local to make sure we negotiate the best possible deal. By running four sets of negotiations concurrently, we strengthen our position at the table, which ensures a better deal at the end of the day – something that all of our members deserve.

Amid concerns that the working conditions at the Imperial Parking locations were deteriorating, a Labour Management Committee has been established to address the concerns of the members.

Meetings are being held monthly or more frequently if required and are so far very productive.

“The Committee is doing a tremendous job for the bargaining unit and our hope is that we can all keep building through this process,” says Committee Chair and Union Representative Simon Baker. “We have already successfully resolved some major safety concerns, as well as other matters we have brought to the table. Also, we have drastically reduced the number of outstanding grievances due in large part to the ability to deal with these issues through Labour Management Meetings.”

The other members of the Committee are Ali Ali Mohamed, Ibrahim Hersi and Chief Steward Benniome Abebe.

No lost time for one year - health and safety milestone<

The 391 unionized workers at Ridgewood Industries in Cornwall celebrated a full year with no lost time as of March 17, 2006.

In recognition, the Joint Health and Safety Committee and the company invited everyone to enjoy a catered Roast Beef dinner on June 12th. In addition to the meal, Dorel Industries donated 6 bicycles as prizes to be drawn at random in recognition of this achievement. Winners were: Deborah Gagnon, Rejean Viveras, Beverly Gagnon, Marcel Wanzer, Carmen Mayer and Rick Wanzer.

Courses Available in your communities

Fall course dates are not available as of yet. Please check the Web site for updates.

Merci à tous ceux qui ont fait don de leur temps ou de leur argent pendant l'année écoulée en faveur des levées de fonds organisées dans toute la province pour la lutte contre la leucémie. J'ai été très fier d'annoncer, lors du Gala Commémoratif Murray Margarit 2006 qui s'est tenu le 23 juin à Toronto, que les membres des sections locales 175 et 633 avaient réuni la somme incroyable de 350 000 dollars. Notre don, qui nous établit comme étant le plus important donateur contribuant au total national, a permis aux TUAC d'atteindre le nouveau record de 1,13  million de dollars.

Notre impressionnant succès, année après année, vient des efforts exceptionnels de nos membres, qui sont conscients que chaque dollar nous rapproche un peu plus de la découverte d'un traitement; je tiens à vous féliciter et à vous remercier de votre aide, grâce à laquelle ce traitement est plus proche que jamais.

Je voudrais aussi rappeler à tous d'assister aux activités de la Fête du Travail dans votre collectivité le 4 septembre 2006. De nombreux défilés, barbecues et autres manifestations sont déjà prévus. Nous affichons toutes les manifestations qui nous sont annoncées sur notre site Web. Vous pouvez aussi vérifier auprès de votre Conseil du travail de district local.

J'espère voir chacun célébrer la Fête du Travail de cette année – passez un bel été

Demeurons solidaires, Wayne Hanley Président, Section locale 175 TUAC Canada et Directeur national du TUAC Canada

YIG

Les négociations vont bon train pour plusieurs des magasins 'Your Independent Grocers' (YIG) dans la région de l'Est; pour les YIG Hendrik's, McDaniel's, Jonsson's et Ross' les négociations sont déjà entamées ou le seront dans quelques semaines. 

Cet été devrait marquer un grand tournant pour les petites épiceries de la région.  « Nous abordons ces négociations en vue d'uniformiser et de stabiliser les conditions de travail de nos membres », a déclaré le porte-parole du syndicat Simon Baker. « Les droits fondamentaux de nos membres se trouvent dans leur convention collective, et pour cette section il est absolument prioritaire d'assurer le meilleur contrat possible. En gérant quatre négociations-cadre simultanément, nous renforçons notre position à la table de négociations, ce qui garantit un meilleur accord final – ce que tous nos membres méritent. 

Suite aux inquiétudes concernant la détérioration des conditions de travail sur les lieux d'Imperial Parking, un comité de consultation patronale-syndicale a été mis sur pied pour aborder les préoccupations des membres. 

Les séances se tiennent une fois par mois ou plus fréquemment si nécessaire, et sont jusqu'ici très productives.

« Le comité accomplit un travail extraordinaire pour l'unité de négociation, et nous espérons pouvoir continuer à aller de l'avant grâce à ce processus », a déclaré le porte-parole du syndicat Simon Baker. « Nous avons déjà résolu avec succès quelques problèmes importants de sécurité, ainsi que d'autres questions dont nous avons débattu. De plus, nous avons réduit de manière draconienne le nombre de griefs en suspens, principalement grâce au traitement de ces problèmes pendant les séances du comité de consultation patronale-syndicale. »

Les autres membres du comité sont Ali Ali Mohamed, Ibrahim Hersi et le délégué syndical en chef Benniome Abebe.

Les 391 travailleurs syndiqués des Industries Ridgewood à Cornwall ont célébré une année complète sans temps perdu en date du 17 mars 2006.

Pour marquer l'événement, le Comité mixte de santé et de sécurité a invité chacun à savourer un rôti de bœuf servi par un traiteur le soir du 12 juin. En plus du souper, les Industries Dorel ont fait don de six bicyclettes comme prix à tirer au sort pour célébrer cet exploit. Les gagnants furent : Deborah Gagnon, Rejean Viveras, Beverly Gagnon, Marcel Wanzer, Carmen Mayer et Rick Wanzer.