Published By american income life & national income life LETTER canada Labour Advisory Board October 2013 Vol. 14 No. 6

News from the Newfoundland and Labrador Association CLC, Federations of Public Employees (NAPE/NUPGE) in & National St. John, went on strike April 10. They are employed by the Canadian division of the Unions Anheuser-Busch InBev brewing corpora- tion, which has after-tax profits of more than $9 billion. endorsed a national consumer boycott against a number of imported brands of Delegates representing the Labatt beer and called on the company to former and the return to the bargaining table. “This is a Communications, Energy and Paperwork- David and Goliath struggle between about ers unions met over Labour Day weekend 50 local workers and the world’s largest in Toronto to give formal approval to the multi-national brewing corporation trying creation of Unifor, the largest private sector to force its employees into a race to the bot- union in Canada. More than 4,000 delegates tom,” said CLC President Ken Georgetti. attended the historic founding convention “Canadian workers and their unions are of the new 300,000-member union created not going to stand idly by and allow this out of the merger of the CAW and CEP. to happen.” The workers, members of the According to union officials, thousands

more watched the convention through on- line live streaming. Jerry Dias, a veteran of the Canadian Auto Workers, was elected Unifor’s first president. “Unifor is here be- cause it’s time to stop playing defence and it’s time we started to play offence,” said Dias in his fiery inaugural address at Uni- for’s founding convention in Toronto. “It’s time to stop reacting and it’s time to start setting the agenda.” He said the union would welcome workers excluded from col- lective bargaining and would devote 10 per- cent of its revenues to organizing. In another major merger an- nouncement, the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) and the United CLC President Ken Georgetti. Flickr.com photo used under Creative Commons from ahblair. Steelworkers (USW) signed a tentative james williams, General President Emeritus - International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Chairman - AIL Labour Advisory Board VICTOR KAMBER, Vice President - American Income Life Insurance Company, Executive Director - AIL Labour Advisory Board ROGER SMITH, Chief Executive Officer - American Income Life Insurance Company, President - AIL Labour Advisory Board DENISE BOWYER, Vice President - American Income Life Insurance Company, Secretary - AIL Labour Advisory Board Dave Barrett, Former Premier of Province of , Honorary Member - AIL Labour Advisory Board Debbie Enstedt, Vice President of International Public Relations - American Income Life Insurance Company Pg 2 LABOUR LETTER agreement to join forces. TWU represents nearly 13,000 members in telecommunica- tions, cable TV and call centre locations in Canada. The USW has 225,000 members in many economic sectors. “Our goal was to build a merger that focuses on concrete action here in Canada starting on day one, and that is also global in reach at the same time,” said TWU National President Lee Riggs. “Together we’ve built an innovative, flexible merger agreement that blends the best of both of our unions,” said USW Na- tional Director Ken Neumann. “The TWU membership will be leaders in our union in Canada,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. The Building Trades of Alberta offered condolences to families affected by the devastating floods in Southern Alberta and pledged skilled union members would volunteer to help rebuild Calgary and oth- er locations. “Our members have the skills Pictured left to right; Former AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt-Baker, AFL-CIO that are needed to get Calgary and South- President Richard Trumka and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler. Flickr.com photo used ern Alberta moving again – and to get under Creative Commons from AFGE. people back in their homes. We will put those skills to good use,” said the council, you see it in person and understand the International which represents 75,000 members. The impact it has had on people’s lives,” stated Building Trades reported coordinating Ken Jones, President of the Southern Al- Labour News with the City of Calgary and the Premier’s berta Building Trades Council. The Build- Office “to get the union volunteers to the ing Trades of Alberta has made a $285,000 AFL-CIO held a historic con- places where help is needed most.” “It’s donation to the Red Cross Alberta Flood vention in September in Los Angles to hard to comprehend the devastation until Relief efforts. change the direction of labour relations in America. Declaring the “labour movement must be broad and inclusive,” the AFL- CIO invited “every worker in the United States to join the labour movement either through an affiliate or through Working America,” the federation’s non-profit af- filiate. American labour will create new forms of union membership outside col- lective bargaining, and create a structure where non-union workers can partici- pate in the governing of the AFL-CIO. The federation will also create a “student membership.” The AFL-CIO and affili- ated unions should deepen their relation- ship with worker centres, organize college campus workers and create “new forms of membership.” President Richard Trumka and Secretary-Treasurer Elizabeth Shuler were re-elected by acclamation. Ethiopi- an-born Tefere Gebre was elected Execu- tive Vice President to replace Arlene Holt Flooding in Calgary. Flickr.com photo used under Creative Commons from waynerd. Baker who retired. LABOUR LETTER Pg 3

below the poverty line. The campaign to raise the minimum wage is sponsored by a coalition of groups, including the Toronto and York Region Labour Council and the Workers’ Action Centre. The groups plan similar days of action across Ontario on the 14th of every month in advance of next spring’s provincial budget, when the Wynne government is expected to weigh in on the matter. NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair said he would increase corporate taxes, but not tax the super-rich and will not in- crease personal income taxes. The NDP’s electoral platform also promises cuts to business subsidies, such as in the oil and gas sector. Mulcair recently told the news media that an NDP government would fund universal day care and invest more in post-secondary education and aborigi- nal education. But he ruled out taxing the very rich. “If you look at the combined Australian Council of Trade minimum wage to $14 an hour. Among federal and provincial rate in several prov- Unions President Ged Kearney said the the prominent unions participating in the inces, it’s over 50 per cent,” Mulcair said. proposal by the new Coalition Govern- events were Ontario Public Service Em- “With regards to personal income taxes, ment to abandon wage increases for up to ployees in Toronto who joined in two ral- it’s not on the table to increase them. That 350,000 workers in aged and childcare was lies. Ontario’s minimum wage has been is a consistently held position.” Mulcair “a betrayal” of some of the country’s lowest frozen at $10.25 an hour since 2010. Un- spokesman George Smith would not say paid workers. “Aged and childcare workers der the Mike Harris Conservative gov- whether the NDP might consider hiking do a very tough job and are paid very little ernment, it was $6.85 an hour for nine the GST or rolling back the Conserva- and any move to deny their pay increases years before the Liberals began to raise it tives’ boutique tax credits to pay for in- demonstrates a worrying lack of under- in 2004. The minimum wage remains well creases in social spending. standing. Aged care is one of the most important and difficult jobs there are, yet aged care workers are amongst the lowest- paid,” she stated. Kearney noted the indus- try is largely staffed by women. She said the action is in direct conflict with Tony Abbott’s commitment that no worker would be worse off. “Mr. Abbott didn’t want to talk about workplace policy before the election and now we see he wants to tear up an agreement that will deliver a pay rise to some of our most important and lowest-paid workers,” she charged. National & Political Events Community, activists and la- bour groups staged rallies across Ontario on Saturday, September 14 in a call for the provincial government to raise the NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair. Flickr.com photo used under Creative Commons from meantux. Pg 4 LABOUR LETTER

News from collected the five-year agreement provides a wage in- $40,000 from its locals throughout the crease of 2 per cent in the first year retroac- Canada’s Unions country that was donated to the Canadian tive to March 2013, wage increases of 2.5 Red Cross to help out the victims of the per cent in the second and third years and Sweeping changes to public Lac-Mégantic rail tragedy. “I understand 3 per cent in the fourth year and 3 per cent service pension plans proposed by Al- the population’s suffering and they can rest in the fifth year with Cost of Living Al- berta Finance Minister Doug Horner assured that they can count on our support,” lowance (COLA) protection of up to 5 per were sharply criticized by leaders of the said Rex Beatty, President of the Teamsters cent. The agreement also provides a 20 cent province’s public sector workers. The Canada Rail Conference (TCRC). “We per hour increase to Health and Welfare or unions charged that workers under Al- must remain vigilant in assuring a proper Pension Plan contributions as determined berta’s public service pension plans would assessment of this incident, including any by the membership. “I think this agreement have to work longer to retire, and when root cause contributing factors.” Although benefits both sides,” explained IAM Dis- they retire their benefits will be reduced the TCRC does not represent MMA Rail- trict Lodge 250 Directing Business Repre- under Horner’s plans. In addition, their road employees, the union represents almost sentative Walter Gerlach. The 40 members retirement incomes would fall more all of the workers who operate trains for the include engine fitters, mechanics and ma- rapidly behind inflation. They said in a main rail carriers as well as short lines. The chinists. Seaspan Vancouver Drydock is the joint statement that “any pension benefit accident occurred July 6 near Lac-Meganitc premier maritime repair and overhaul facil- changes should be left to the employee in Quebec when an unattended 74-car ity of the Port of Vancouver. and employer representatives to negotiate freight train derailed. Multiple tank cars after shared governance is put in place.” exploded with the blast killing scores of Unifor, the new union created Joining in the statement were leaders of people. Roughly half of the downtown area, by the merger of the Canadian Auto Work- the Alberta Federation of Labour, the more than 30 buildings, was destroyed. ers with the Communications, Energy and Canadian Union of Public Employees Paperworkers union, recently concluded (Alberta Division), the Alberta Union of International Association of a new four-year agreement with General Provincial Employees, United Nurses of Machinists Local Lodge 692 ratified a Motors on behalf of some 2,700 workers at Alberta, the Health Sciences Association new collective agreement with Seaspan the CAMI Automotive Plant in Ingersoll, of Alberta, and the Alberta Colleges and Vancouver Drydock, a division of Seaspan Ontario. According to the union, the pact Institutes Faculties Association. Marine Corporation. The union reported includes a $3,000 signing bonus and annual lump sum payments of $2,000 in each of 2014, 2015 and 2016. About 300 temporary workers also will be hired to full-time jobs. Unifor National President Jerry Dias called the new agreement “a beachhead in the union’s campaign to win good, permanent jobs in Canada’s increasingly precarious jobs market.” “This was not an easy round of negotiations, but the committee man- aged to carve out some important victories, including breaking the company’s reliance on temporary work,” Dias said. The union, however, agreed to a company demand to move new employees into a defined contri- bution pension plan. CAMI workers manu- facture the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles.

LaboUr Letter provided through

Protecting Working Families Seaspan Vancouver Drydock. Flickr.com photo used under Creative Commons from AaverageJoe. www.ailife.com AGENDAcanada october 2013

of the RCMP, the strike was crushed and its would open up the financial information of leaders rounded up for kangaroo style court- labour organizations to the general public and house hearings. The heavy hand of the Cana- employers. The list goes on and on. We know dian state only emboldened Winnipeg’s work- these are the problems. We continually ask ing class to deliver what can only be described ourselves “what’s to be done?” as a middle finger response: they elected strike At its founding, the Winnipeg Labour leaders William Ivens, John Queen, and Council outlined its mission: It is a body of David Sauer George Armstrong to the Manitoba Legis- representative men banded together for mu- President, Winnipeg lature in 1920, and to the Canadian House tual protection and educational purposes; a Labour Council of Commons, J.S. Woodsworth in 1921 and body at once in touch with every condition of A.A. Heaps in 1925. the labour world, and a strong arm in case of a These early political victories are constant strike or trouble in the ranks. Winnipeg reminders that as we approach our 120th an- The core basics of this union outline has Labour Council niversary, the Winnipeg Labour Council, like not changed in the last 120 years. Celebrates 120 all labour organizations across the country, has It may appear workers have tough times an obligation to involve itself in the political ahead, but that is not a foregone conclusion. Years process. Our predecessors spent time in prison We have the ability to act now and ensure gov- to achieve their goals. Remember that as we ernments retreat in their attacks on our labour Winnipeg, meaning “Muddy Waters” in approach every political battle ahead of us. movement. We have the ability to have mil- Cree, has been known as a place of sharing Unions across North America are well lions of conversations across North America and congregation. As Canadian expansionism aware that union and worker rights are the with our members about how our unions have pressed westward, working people from across first types of laws to be attacked should con- succeeded in making our lives better. We’ve Canada, the United States, and Europe con- servative and right wing governments take the worked hard before, toiled under more difficult verged on Winnipeg. Its incorporation as a city reins of power. Governments create open shop circumstances and still came out on top. If you in 1873 solidified its place as the “Gateway to policies wherein workers are permitted to ride need any more convincing that ours is a just the West” and its strategic location drew work- free on the bargaining gains made by unions cause, 1919 General Strike leader, J.S. Wood- ers of all type and stripe. without contributing their fair share, therefore sworth said it best: On March 3, 1894, ten unions assembled weakening labour. These same governments “What we desire for ourselves, we wish to form an organization that would help en- are working to institute laws restricting labour’s for all. To this end, may we take our share in hance the livelihoods of Winnipeg’s workers. right to freedom of speech and the right to ad- the world’s work and the world’s struggles.” The Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council dress issues important to our members and the That was then. Think how far we’ve come. (WTLC) gathered workers from the scaffolds, community. Laws are being introduced that Now think about how much farther we can go. bakeries, print shops, abattoirs, railways, and warehouses. Within one year of its establish- ment, the WTLC helped form the Indepen- dent Labour Party, a pre-cursor of the contem- porary New Democratic Party, and elected a rail worker, Charles Hislop, to Winnipeg City Council. Though a small victory, it was the first shot that rang out declaring: “Labour is here!” A quarter of a century later, the mettle of Winnipeg’s working people faced its greatest test: the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919. For six weeks, 36,000 union and non-union workers shut down a city that was at the AIL’s 25 Years in Canada time Canada’s third largest (imagine shutting AIL will be celebrating 25 years in Canada at many Canadian Labour Council meetings this year down modern day Vancouver for that length and thanking labour for its support. In the left photo, AIL’s Leo P. Vandenbussche (right) offers cake of time). Their demands for union recognition observing the company’s 25th anniversary to Council President David Sauer during the recent were met with billy clubs and batons swinging meeting of the Winnipeg Labour Council. Leo addressed the Labour Council delegates and spoke in a society already plagued by inflation, unem- about AIL’s 25 years in Canada supporting Labour. In the right photo, Carl Pursey, President of the ployment, poor working conditions and wages, PEI Federation of Labour (right) congratulates Darrell Dorey, AIL Maritimes Representative and Spanish Flu, and fatigue from the Great War. UNIFOR member, on AIL’s milestone. After the deaths of two strikers at the hands Pg 2 AGENDA

AIL Joins Labour Day Events AIL representatives participated in numerous Labour Day events held around the country last month. In the left photo, AIL’s Steve Orcherton (right) stands with President Darryl Walker of the BC Government and Service Employees Union at the Victoria Labour Council’s Family Labour Day event. In the center photo, at the Saskatchewan Labour Day party, UFCW members Robin Page (left) and Jacqueline deVooght (right) AIL Public Relations host the UFCW booth. In the right photo, AIL Public Relations Representative Fran Christie (far right) and family members gather at the AIL booth while attending the BC Federation of Labour’s Labour Day Event in British Columbia. AIL representatives are members of UFCW 1518.

UFCW’s Joe Hansen Labatt Strikers Fight for Justice Re-elected AIL has actively supported the Labatt Brewery strikers by providing them with food on the picket line and AIL’s Leo P. Vandenbussche (left) congratulates marching with them. In the left photo, AIL’s Melissa Lively (right) stands with striker Laurie Hibbs. In the United Food & Commercial Workers Union President right photo, AIL’s Randy Stockley joins Derm Hearn, Ivan Burry and Donny O’Brien on the picket line. Joe Hansen (right) on his re-election at the union’s The workers, who have been on strike since April 10, are resisting company demands for a two-tiered recent convention in Chicago. Vandenbussche is a collective bargaining agreement. member of UFCW Local 1518.

Sculpture Erected for Layton Sheet metal Local 437 AIL’s Daryl Barnett (left) and AIL Vice President Anniversary Debbie Enstedt meet with Ontario Federation of Steelworkers Cited for Labour President Sid Ryan during the unveiling Operation Christmas Support Sheet Metal Workers Local 437 in Saint John, New of a life-size bronze sculpture of the NDP Leader Brunswick, recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Jack Layton at the Toronto waterfront. The event AIL Ontario PR Representative Cassandra Robinson In honour of the event, AIL donated a television as marked the second anniversary of the passing of (center) presents a plaque to representatives of a doorprize. In the photo, AIL’s Darrell Dorey (left) Layton. The sculpture welcomes visitors to the the for the union’s support of delivers the TV to the lucky winner. newly minted Jack Layton Ferry Terminal. Barnett Operation Christmas Cheer, which assists needy reports that AIL was “a proud platinum sponsor of families during the holidays. AIL supports Operation the tribute and loved being able to share Jack's Christmas Cheer which Robinson started on her message with future generations." own as a volunteer program.