News, Developments and Information

Women Of Steel

Our National Women’s Conference “Working Women, Working Union” will be held November 14-16, 2012 at the Holiday Inn, Toronto, Yorkdale.

The conference theme this year is “Working Women, Working Union”. We will reflect on the progress to date on achieving equality – is there a union advantage? We will identify the steps women and women’s committees are taking to move the equality agenda forward and together develop strategies to organize and engage women to advance our objectives at the bargaining table and through political action.

Continue reading Women Of Steel

Steelworkers Supporting The United Way

Brothers & Sisters once again displayed their support for the community this morning during a shift change at Evraz with a successful kickoff breakfast to a month long fund-raising campaign for the United Way that was said to be the most successful ever. Your donation or pledge supports 32 different charities or can be directed to a charity of your choice. Last year our members gave $51,000 locally to this cause that was matched dollar for dollar by the Company. Your support does make a difference.

Chubb Card Update

As everyone should already know Evraz has stated they intend to implement a time clock system or “Chubb card” system starting on October 21. There have been many questions from many members regarding this new system and how it is going to address issues such as shift start-end times, changing clothes, clean up time and overtime. There is a meeting scheduled on October 11 involving  both Pipe and Steel Seniority, Shift and Overtime Committee’s and Evraz. Evraz representatives have stated they intend to address all of this issues with reliable answers.

There will be an update on this subject on October 12 or October 11. Please check back here.

A quote from Leo Gerard

“We are as reasonable as anybody when employers want to approach us reasonably and want to talk about how to benefit our members, but let me tell you this. Any Company that has it’s heart set on killing our Union or hurting our members, any Company like that needs to know, that this Union and it’s members will fight in solidarity till our very last breath if that’s what it takes. We will last one day longer.” –

 Leo Gerard, USW International President

Benefit Society Update

There was a general meeting held on September 20 open to all Benefit Society members in locals 5890, 5917 and 6717 to report on recent events and to elect new officers to adminster the fund.

The following brothers were elected:

President- Vasco D’Ameida

Vice-President- John Forster

Treasurer- Tory Sand

Steelworkers Not Affilated with America Income Life

It has come to the Local’s attention that some of our members have been receiving phone calls from a company called American Income Life. The person calling claims to be representing the United Steelworkers out of BC and is offering extra life insurance to our members for a fee. The USW does NOT endorse this company in any way. The Union is unsure how they have obtained a list of members names and phone numbers. We want to assure our membership that the Union does not sell or distribute in any way, or at any time, lists or partial lists with the personal information of our members. The USW takes the privacy of our members very serious and holds this information in the strictest confidentiality.

In Solidarity!

USW District 3 & 5890 Executive

The ‘new’ Saskatchewan: Oklahoma North?

Of the litany of proposed changes contained in the Saskatchewangovernment’s Consultation Paper on the Renewal of Labour Legislation in Saskatchewan,the most pernicious is the suggestion that employees be allowed to opt out of paying union dues, yet still receive the full benefits of union membership. This idea is dangerously reminiscent ofU.S. right-to-work (RTW) laws that already pervade the American south and have recently been proposed in northern states likeWisconsin andIndiana.

If this is the direction the current government wants to move, then it is incumbent that the people of Saskatchewan recognize what the adoption of RTW laws entail, because it will not only affect union members, it will affect all workers in our province, unionized or not.

Continue reading The ‘new’ Saskatchewan: Oklahoma North?

Drug and Alcohol Reasonable Suspicion Workshop

Locals 5890 and 6673 (Calgary) attended a workshop in Regina on September 17 to educate stewards in the process of assessing and  determining impairment. This workshop has provided stewards the knowledge to properly and effectively recognize a worker that may be under the suspected use of drugs or alcohol in the workplace.  It is important for our Union stewards and OHS members to be proficient in assessing workers for impairment. The local believes that in the past Evraz has overstepped it rights to test members for drugs and alcohol. The purposes of the training is to keep our workplace safe from drugs and alcohol and to protect our members from unwarranted and unreasonable submissions to testing.

Membership & Benefit Society Meetings

A Local 5890 monthly Membership meeting will be held on Sept 17th at the Regina Union Center, 2709 12th Ave. at 7:30pm sharp. Agenda will be the presenting of financial reports. The swearing in of new members. Reports from committees, schools and conferences. Unfinished business and new business that arises.

A Benefit Society meeting will be held on Sept 20th at the Italian Club, 2148 Connaught St. at 7pm. Agenda will be the nomination of new Executive positions to the Society. Explaination of new By-Laws. Q & A. * (Only Benefit Society Members will be allowed at this meeting)*. Meaning if dues for the Society are deducted from your check then you are a member.

Please make every effort to make it to one of these meetings.

In Solidarity!

Signing Kronos Card Sheet

The Local would like to advise the membership that members have the OPTION of not signing the Kronos Card Implimentation sheet after having your picture taken. Your Local has concerns with how this system is being set up and questions about the requirements of employees that we are still seeking answer for from the Company. We ask that if you do refuse to sign the sheet, be polite and respectful.

Shop Stewards Training

Level #1 Stewards Training will take place Oct 18-19th 2012. If your are interested in becoming a Steward in the Local. Please perpare the following before or for the Sept 17th/2012 membership meeting to attend the upcoming training . You need to be a sworn member in good standing with the USW and submit 10 signatures of fellow members, signed and dated supporting your request to become a Steward.

As a Union rep and activist you will play an important role in building a united, organized and involved membership in your workplace. You will be a communicator, organizer, problem solver and leader in the Union.

The Local encourages Brothers & Sisters to step forward at any time to join and volunteer as Stewards or Commitee members. Together!…We are bigger, better and stronger.

In Solidarity!

United Steelworkers Benefit Society Release

To all members of United Steelworks Locals 5890, 5917, 6717

As some of you are now aware there has been a misappropriation of funds from the United Steelworker Benefit Society. The processes that are in place to safeguard the Society’s funds worked properly and the misappropriation was detected.

The Directors of the Society acted immediately and requested an audit. The audit determined that a misappropriation of funds had occured and the individual responsible has now resigned from all positions held within the USW along with two other members of the Society that were asked to resign and both have done so.   Continue reading United Steelworkers Benefit Society Release

Evraz implementing Kronos Chubb cards

Evraz is implementing a Knonos Chubb Card system starting October 21th 2012. The Company will be requiring all employee’s to obtain this card with their picture on it. A representative from Human Resources will be at Security in the Operations Building beginning Sept 10th/2012 from 5am-8am to take employee’s pictures. The Local will be discussing this new card system in a meeting with the Company on Sept. 10th as well

New Top Officer

With a unanimous vote of confidence by the Local Executive, we would like to welcome Brother Vasco D’Almeida as the new Vice President of 5890.  We ask the members to extend your support to Brother D’Almeida as he transitions into his new role.

Local Audit

This Local and the USW Benefit Society have been undergoing an audit by the USW International that was completed earlier today. The Local executive has been assured by the auditor Betty Bailey, that intial indications show all funds are accounted for within 5890. A final report with recommendations will be forth coming from the auditor later this fall. Until such time the Benefit Society funds have been temporarily frozen pending further direction from the International. If you have any questions please contact Sonny Rioux, USW Staff Rep. at the Regina Steelworkers Office 569-9663.

Resignation of Ian Gretchen

The Union would like to inform the membership that Ian Gretchen has tendered his resignation as President along with all other committees and functions within the Local. In keeping with the local by-laws of the USW, Corey Liebrecht now holds the position of President. The vacancy for Vice President will be filled accordingly by the Local Union Executive ASAP.

In Solidarity

The Saskatchewan government is trying to rewrite all our labour laws. And fast

And their changes would impact everyone. They’re threatening to swing labour laws firmly in favour of employers — and that means all the rights and protections we’ve worked hard to achieve for Saskatchewan families could be erased overnight.

We’ve built a prosperous economy based on fair labour laws, hard work and the ability of unions to speak out for workers. It’s the Saskatchewan way, it’s a balanced approach — and it’s working.

We only have until July 31 to tell the government to keep it working. Have a read of the information included in the tabs above, and then add your voice in our efforts to protect workers and families.

via Homepage | The Saskatchewan Way.

Surveillance Camera Grievance Update

Corey Liebrecht c.liebrecht@usw5890.com

UPDATE: This grievance has moved to step #3 and was discussed during a meeting with Human Resources (HR) held June 28th. During that meeting it was agreed to place this file in Abeyance. This means we have granted the company 60 days from this date to respond further. During this time, the Union has continued gathering information to strenghten its position on this file. Anyone wishing to make a written statement pertaining to this group grievance is encouraged do so. Please submit it to a Steward or Executive member of the Local.

Stop Harper’s low-wage plan

Following is the opinion of Hubich, president of the Saskatchewan Federation  of Labour, along with his provincial and territorial counterparts.

It has become clear that the federal government, supported by a number of  employer organizations, has a plan for transforming Canada’s labour market in  ways that will profoundly hurt Canadians.

It’s a four-prong strategy which includes the dramatic expansion of the  Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), the erosion of Employment Insurance,  raising the country’s retirement age, as well as a systematic effort to  undermine the ability of unions to stand up for the rights of working people and  improve their standard of living.

Continue reading Stop Harper’s low-wage plan