Bargaining with Ghosts
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Les s avec ans-c ulottes campus • community • cuL tuRE September/October 2013 Birthing Levellers since 2009 VOL. 6, NO. 1 PICKET CASTS SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICE SECTOR WORKER WOES “Unjustly fired” Shoppers drug mart worker fights for reinstatement, due process Sam Heaton nate them…You can’t just dismiss somebody because Activists held pickets at the you feel like it.” Ryan added Shoppers Drug Mart at 455 that he is “not aware of any Gladstone Avenue from Sept. allegations that led them to 6 to 8 in support of “Ryan,” decide to terminate me.” a member of the Industrial Ahmed Hertani, a del- Workers of the World (IWW) egate with the Ottawa-Out- union who claims he was un- aouais branch of the IWW, justly fired from the store. (Ry- says the union had to contact an’s real name is being with- Service Canada to be told held to protect his identity.) that the provided reason for The picketers held signs Ryan’s dismissal was “unsuit- and distributed leaflets to the ability.” No specific incidents public calling attention to or details were cited. what they describe as an un- Hertani believes that Ryan Industrial Workers of the World picket outside Shoppers Drug mart at 455 Gladstone Ave. Photo: Darryl Reid just firing, and calling for Ry- was fired after “trying to open all about good teamwork.” ing eroded every day, on a union has experienced suc- an’s reinstatement at the store. a dialogue with his co-work- According to Ryan, his pay local, national and global cess with previous pickets A former merchandiser at ers to improve workplace at Shoppers Drug Mart was level,” said Hertani. targeting instances of wage the store, Ryan alleges that he conditions.” The response of slightly above the minimum “Constant fightingtheft, and that other workers was fired suddenly on July 16 Shoppers Drug Mart manag- wage, which he says still falls against the upper echelon of in Ottawa have reached out following a reduction in his ers, says Hertani, “was to start below the poverty line. society is the only way we, as to the chapter. weekly hours over the pre- cutting hours” and “eventual- Poverty Free Ontario es- workers, are going to main- “After our last victory ceding months. Though he ly fire him abruptly one day.” timates the poverty line at tain our rights in society.” over at another store, we had been at the store since Ryan says that there are a an annual wage of $19,719 The Leveller contacted had people call us afterward it opened, Ryan says he was number of issues in the work- as of 2011. Ben Gunter, the owner of and say ‘I read on your web- provided with no explana- place that need remedying, Activists at the picket the Gladstone Ave. store, site that you won against tion for his termination. and that his way of approach- connected Ryan’s efforts of whose only comment was this employer. I had the FEATURE “The employer has a ing these problems was to restitution to the overall is- that Ryan’s firing is “an in- same thing happen to me at BUILDING duty to fairness, to a fair emphasize that employees sues faced by workers today. ternal matter” which he this employer. How could hearing, a duty to warn an “need to work together to re- “We’re living in a world right could not discuss. you have possibly won? CITIZENSHIP employee before they termi- solve issues,” adding that “it’s now where our rights are be- Hertani said that the That’s amazing!’” BLOCKS PAGE 3 BARGAINING WITH GHOSTS RIDDELL ME TAs and CIs begin negotiating new collective agreements THIS Samantha Ponting Partridge, co-chief steward and The union is tasked with gaining table.” sary administrative and leg- PaGE 5 bargaining committee mem- raising this and other issues As public sector employ- islative measures.” GREEN Contract instructors and ber of CUPE 4600 Unit 1, rep- with the administration, ees, workers at Carleton face With Bill 115 legislated teaching assistants at Car- resenting teaching assistants. while confronting a provin- the difficult task of negotiat- in 2012, removing the rights EXPLOSION! leton University are bargain- Partridge says a major of public sector unions rep- ing new contracts, with their concern facing Carleton’s resenting teachers to col- PaGE 7 collective agreements having teaching assistants is equity lectively bargain contracts, LES SANS- expired Aug. 31, 2013. The in the workplace. “Equity is Chris Hurl, CUPE Unit 1 vice- the provincial government CULOTTES two bargaining units of the a major issue for TAs, espe- president external and bargaining has demonstrated its will- Canadian Union of Public cially concerning interna- committee member, said the provincial ingness to suspend the col- Employees (CUPE) Local tional students who would government “has tended to be a bit lective bargaining rights of PaGE 10 4600 seem eager to expand like to TA but are not al- public sector workers within POLITICAL their horizons beyond bread- lowed to.” He said domestic of a ghost at the bargaining table.” a coercive legal framework. and-butter monetary issues. students often receive prior- In light of this political BACON However, the union must ity when awarded TAships. climate, the union must contend with a ghost sitting “The overall theme is “look at the members PaGE 11 on the university administra- that international students cial policy mandate to de- ing with management that who are treated the worst, CONSPIRACY! tion’s side of the bargaining are seen as a way for uni- crease the real wages of pub- can easily “pass the buck” and try to do the most for ANTS! table: the increasingly inter- versities to make money, lic sector workers and limit to the provincial govern- them,” said Partridge. ventionist Ontario Liberal to cover the province’s eco- public spending. ment, said Hurl. “These ac- According to Partridge, government. nomic downloading on the Chris Hurl, CUPE Unit tors [government] have no “international students are PaGE 12 “We always have to re- university. They want to 1 vice-president external accountability at the table.” a growing vocal component HUMANItarIAN spond to what the employers bring in more international and bargaining committee In 2012, Duncan Watt, of our union, and we are HYPOCRISY and political bosses are do- students and charge them member, said the provincial vice-president of finance paying attention to that.” ing. But that doesn’t mean more money and use that government “has tended to and administration at Car- “They are treated worse. PaGE 13 our aims differ,” said Kevin to pay for its costs.” be a bit of a ghost at the bar- leton, shared a letter from A principle of equity is that Ontario Finance Minister we want our members to be ELECTRIC Dwight Duncan with the treated equally well.” BARRACUDA campus’s unions. The letter Partridge said that during informs the university that this round of negotiations, PaGE 14 “the fiscal plan provides the union intends to re-ex- THE SHANGHAI no funding for incremental amine and strengthen article compensation increases for 4, the anti-discrimination SPECIAL new collective agreements.” clause within the collective It reads, “for two years, agreement, as mandated by PaGE 15 collective agreements the general membership. HOROSCOPES should not allow for in- The union is seeking creases in compensation. to add “the issue of gen- This includes wages, perfor- der identity to the non- mance pay, and benefits.” It discrimination clause, so continues, “as the 2012 Bud- people can choose how get states, where agreements they present and identify cannot be reached that are in terms of gender with- consistent with the govern- out being discriminated ment’s plan to eliminate the against,” said Partridge. deficit, the government is prepared to propose neces- CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 CUPE on the move. Photo: CUPE 4600 www.leveller.ca Lev•el•ler noun I’m a 1 Historical: During the English Civil War (c. Leveller! 1649), one who favoured the abolition of all rank and privilege. Originally an insult, but later embraced by radical anti-Royalists. 2 One who tells the truth, as in “I’m going to level with you.” 3 An instrument that knocks down things that are standing up or digs up things that are buried or hidden. 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