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Build Ng for Tomorrow’S Jobs Progress Report United Steelworkers National Policy Conference Toronto, 27-29 April 2010 Build ng for tomorrow’s jobs Progress report on the USW’s 2007 National Policy Conference Building from Workers First Progress report on the USW’s 2007 National Policy Conference the 2007 National Policy Conference, the resolutions that were adopted by USW members became the official policy and direction of the USW in Canada. The following report outlines the accomplishments and progress thatAt has been made in the last three years to support these resolutions These resolutions fall into seven categories: Jobs and the Economy; Environment and a Sustainable Economy; Benefits and Public Services; Health and Safety; Equality Rights; Building Power and Strategic Alliances; Communication, Education and Organizing. Contents Jobs and the Economy 4 Anti-scab (A1) 4 Canadian Wheat Board (A3) 4 Bankruptcy legislation – Companies Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) (A4) 4 Industrial strategy (A6) 5 Log exports (A8) 5 Oppose TILMA (Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement) (A9) 6 Skilled trades (A10) 6 WESTAC (A11) 6 Resource policy (A13) 7 Globalization (A16) 7 Crisis in manufacturing (A18) 8 Saving manufacturing jobs (A19) 8 BUILDING ...for tomorrow’s jobs • USW National Policy Conference 2010 1 Progress report on the USW’s 2007 National Policy Conference Environment and a Sustainable Economy 9 Saskatchewan forestry (B5) 9 Sustainable forest (B6) 9 Environment (B7) 10 Benefits and Public Services 11 Child care (C1) 11 CPP and taxes (C2) 11 Employment Insurance (EI): vacation and severance pay (C4), and level of EI benefits (C5) 12 Pension indexing (C6) 12 Maternity leave (C8) 12 Health coverage for retirees (C9) 13 Prescription drugs (C10) 13 Supporting Medicare (C12) 13 Security of pensions (C13) 14 Health and Safety 14 Employee and family assistance (D4) 14 B.C. workers’ compensation (D10) 15 Westray (D12) 15 Ontario workers’ compensation (D13) 15 Infectious disease (D14) 16 Psychological harassment (D15) 16 Blame the worker health and safety programs (D17) 16 Fatalities (D19 – also covers D2, D3, D8) 17 Occupational disease (D20 – also covers D6, D9) 18 Health and safety manuals (D21 – also covers D5, D18) 18 2 BUILDING ...for tomorrow’s jobs • USW National Policy Conference 2010 Progress report on the USW’s 2007 National Policy Conference Equality Rights 19 Work and family balance (E1) 19 Older workers (E2) 19 International Women’s Day (E3) 20 Harassment (E4) 20 Violence against women (E5) 20 Status of Women Canada (E6) 21 Women’s and human rights committees (E7) 21 Disability rights (E8) 21 Pay equity (E9) 22 Building Power and Strategic Alliances 22 Colombia (F1) 22 Latin America (F3) 23 Aboriginal rights (F6 – also covers F8) 23 United Way (F7) 23 Iraq and Afghanistan (F9) 24 Global alliances (F10) 24 Union-community alliances (F11) 25 Political action (F12 – also covers F2, F5) 25 Employee security (G3) 26 Literacy (G7) 26 Union counselor (G16) 27 Youth involvement (G19) 27 Whistle blowers (G20) 27 Communication, Education and Organizing 28 United Transportation Union (H1) 28 BUILDING ...for tomorrow’s jobs • USW National Policy Conference 2010 3 Progress report on the USW’s 2007 National Policy Conference Jobs and the Economy Anti-scab (A1) USW actively participated in the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) lobby for Bill C-257, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (replacement workers). While all New Democratic Party (NDP) and Bloc Québécois Members of Parliament (MPs) voted for this anti-scab legislation, many Liberals (including labour critic, Mario Silva) who had supported it on the first two readings voted it down on third reading. USW is now supporting C-386, a bill introduced by the Bloc that is very similar to C-257. 2007 resolution: BE IT RESOLVED THAT the United Steelworkers Canadian National Policy Conference calls for the passage of and enforcement of anti-scab legislation in the federal sector, and, if in the event that the current session of Parliament fails to pass the law currently in front of it, to continue its efforts to lobby Parliament until the provisions are made law. Canadian Wheat Board (A3) The USW supports the Canadian Wheat Board. The USW supports the NDP, which has led the parliamentary fight to defend the Wheat Board. 2007 resolution: BE IT RESOLVED THAT the USW fully support the CWB in its present form as the best economic system in place for protecting Prairie farmers. Bankruptcy legislation – Companies Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) (A4) Too often, when an employer goes into bankruptcy, members and their families are last on the list to receive the compensation they deserve. During this economic downturn, the USW has consistently taken the position that unpaid wages and pension obligations should receive top priority in bankruptcy proceedings. Since the last National Policy Conference, building on a proposal developed in collaboration with the NDP, the 2009 federal budget extended the Wage Earner Protection Program to include severance and termination pay. Unfortunately, this coverage is still limited to a maximum of four weeks’ insurable earnings. 2007 resolution: BE IT RESOLVED THAT the USW oppose the use by companies of the Companies 4 BUILDING ...for tomorrow’s jobs • USW National Policy Conference 2010 Progress report on the USW’s 2007 National Policy Conference Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) to blackmail workers into giving concessions; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the USW oppose the use of CCAA to open contracts and force unions to negotiate; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the USW take the position that labour rights trump corporate rights under CCAA proceedings. Industrial strategy (A6) USW has advocated a range of policies to strengthen the steel industry. Some of these policies, such as “Buy Canadian” requirements for public infrastructure, would make our economy more self-reliant. USW also endorsed the attempt by Lakeside Steel, a Canadian company, to buy US Steel’s facilities in Canada. 2007 resolution: BE IT RESOLVED THAT the USW oppose the de-industrialization of Canada by monopolies; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the USW support the strengthening of the Steel industry so that Canada can develop a self-reliant economy, not subject to the latest whim of the corporate agenda. Log exports (A8) USW continually campaigns against log exports by: ϐϐ Lobbying B.C. politicians ϐϐ Presenting briefs to governments and communities ϐϐ Supporting the B.C. NDP’s opposition to log exports, and ϐϐ Supporting local groups such as the Save Our Valley Alliance and the Wilderness Committee. Steelworkers strongly opposed the B.C. government’s decision to allow Western Forest Products to remove private lands from its tree-farm licence. A USW representative now sits on the B.C. Timber Export Advisory Committee where we continue to learn more about log exports and advocate against them. 2007 resolution: BE IT RESOLVED THAT USW re-affirm its total opposition to the export of unprocessed logs including pine beetle wood. BUILDING ...for tomorrow’s jobs • USW National Policy Conference 2010 5 Progress report on the USW’s 2007 National Policy Conference Oppose TILMA (Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement) (A9) The USW opposes legislation such as TILMA, which currently exists between B.C. and Alberta, because it circumvents labour and environmental legislation. USW staff wrote a letter critiquing TILMA that was printed in The National Post and participated in a Council of Canadians news conference the day before TILMA came into force for local governments. We also testified at Queen’s Park against the Ontario Labour Mobility Act, legislation that will have some of the same negative effects as TILMA. USW will continue to oppose such legislation in other jurisdictions throughout Canada. 2007 resolution: BE IT RESOLVED THAT the USW oppose the use of the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement between British Columbia and Alberta or any similar legislation planned between other provinces; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the USW oppose the enacting of this type of agreement to circumvent appropriate labour and environmental legislation; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the USW call on all provincial and federal governments to not allow such agreements to take effect without going through the legislature or parliament. Skilled trades (A10) To ensure that manufacturing and other skilled jobs remain in Canada, and to address the looming skills shortages, the USW has promoted apprenticeships through collective bargaining, sector councils like the Canadian Steel Trade and Employment Congress (CSTEC), and provincial federations of labour. In all of these areas, we have advocated a central role for unions in the apprenticeship system. 2007 resolution: BE IT RESOLVED THAT the National Office in conjunction with both District and Local rank and file representatives coordinate a process in each province that places the union at the forefront of the development of skilled tradespersons; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the results of this process be communicated throughout the union and that resolutions be presented to the next National Policy Conference. WESTAC (A11) USW is no longer a participant in WESTAC. After reviewing the cost and discussing it with the Local Union, it was decided that at a time of economic crisis, it was too 6 BUILDING ...for tomorrow’s jobs • USW National Policy Conference 2010 Progress report on the USW’s 2007 National Policy Conference costly to continue. However, as the primary benefit of participation is to monitor developments in the transportation sector we concluded that if a report on the transportation industry was needed, the USW Research Department could provide it. 2007 resolution: BE IT RESOLVED THAT the United Steelworkers find ways to continue to actively participate in WESTAC. Resource policy (A13) The USW continually advocates for governments to only provide access to Canada’s resources under terms that generate domestic jobs, training and investments.
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