News, Developments and Information

How to donate to the United Steelworkers Burns Lake Fund to Support Babine Workers and Families

BURNABY, B.C., 24 January, 2012 – The United Steelworkers (USW) announced today the launch of a fundraising campaign and the creation of a trust account to provide support to the workers of Babine Forest Products and their families in the wake of an explosion at the Burns Lake, B.C. sawmill.

“Since the tragedy at Babine Forest Products, we have been inundated with offers of support and assistance from other unions and union members all over the province and right across the country. The labour movement is a family, and union members join all British Columbians in mourning the loss of life and injuries to our brothers and sisters in Burns Lake,” says Steve Hunt, USW Director for Western Canada.

Continue reading How to donate to the United Steelworkers Burns Lake Fund to Support Babine Workers and Families

VALE Flagged For ‘Cold And Hard’ Conduct During Sudbury Strike

Steelworkers have won a major victory against mining company Vale at the Ontario Labour Relations Board. During the union’s year-long strike in 2010, Vale banned USW Local 6500 Vice-President Patrick Veinot from its property, thereby denying members access to him on company property. In a stinging rebuke to the company, the OLRB found that Vale’s conduct was unlawful.

The board has ordered that the company cease and desist.

  Continue reading VALE Flagged For ‘Cold And Hard’ Conduct During Sudbury Strike

Useless Evraz Seniority Lists

There has been a lot of confusion regarding the seniority lists posted on “My Evraz”. They are incorrect for both Steel and Pipe division. After repeated requests from the Union that they be corrected they have not. Either Evraz cannot post the list correctly because of technical issues or they are not interested in making the lists correct on “My Evraz”.

Everyone who wants a correct list please contact your supervisor and ask for a seniority list with only names and start dates  to be posted on your area bulletin boards. You are entitled to them under Article 12.07 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please do not tear them down if they are not behind glass.

Steelworkers Betrayed by Harper Government…..Again

The following column by Ken Neumann, United Steelworkers National Director for Canada, appeared in the December 17 edition of the Hamilton Spectator.

U.S. Steel workers, pensioners and many others in Hamilton are rightfully feeling betrayed, once again, by the federal Conservative government.

The Conservatives’ decision to abandon the court case against U.S. Steel for violating federal law is scandalous, even by the Harper government’s dreadful standards. It represents an historic lost opportunity, the implications of which extend beyond Hamilton to working families and communities across the country.

Continue reading Steelworkers Betrayed by Harper Government…..Again

Memo from Evraz regarding Bonus Payments

The following is a memo mailed out from Evraz that outlines the steps to get paid the recently negotiated Bonus paymet either through payroll or rolled into an RRSP

USW BONUS PAYMENT – 2011

On December 23, 2011, a bonus of $3,000 will be paid to all USW employees who have completed 750 hours of work in the previous twelve (12) calendar months. For those employees who have worked less than 750 hours in the twelve months prior to payment, the bonus will be pro-rated accordingly. You must still be an employee of the company to receive this bonus, actively working, collecting short term disability benefits, maternity/paternity leave or on lay-off status.

Continue reading Memo from Evraz regarding Bonus Payments

Ratification Meeting and Voting Reminder

The Bargaining Committee would like to thank everyone for the great turnout yesterday at the Special Meeting held at the Eagles Club. It was  great to see our solidarity at work!

Everyone should make every effort to cast their ballot tomorrow at lobby/security area of the change room building (Hilton). The voting stations will be open form 5 am to 8 pm.

For those members who were unable to attend the Special Meeting on December 7 there will be a paper copy of the overview of the tentative agreement available at the security desk today and tomorrow during the vote.

Tentative Agreement

The Joint Bargaining Committee (5890 & 6673) and Evraz have reached a tentative agreement.

There will be a information meeting for ratification held on December 7, 2011 at the Eagles Club (1600 Halifax Street) at 7:30 am and 7:30 pm

Tentatively the ratification vote will be held at the plant Security Lobby on Friday December 9, 2011 from 5:00 am to 8:00 pm. This date will be confirmed on Monday December 5, 2011.

 

Bargaining Update

The Joint 5890/6673 and Union Bargaining Committee have agreed to meet with the Company again in an attempt to negotiate an agreement that can be ratified by our local. As of today the Union and Evraz  are looking for dates that work for both parties. As soon as these dates are finalized they will be posted here. These dates will be soon (within 14 days). In the meantime the Union has agreed not to hold any Special Meetings.

Bargaining Update

Since our last bargaining update, your Bargaining Committee has completed 6 more days of bargaining. We have concentrated on all of the monetary issues.

There was a point during these six days where we were hopeful that a new collective agreement could be reached with fair wages and pension increases.

With the Employers latest Wage and Pension proposal we now know reaching a Collective Agreement today is impossible.

They have over the Term of our agreement; offered 4.25% in wages.

They have over the Term of our agreement; offered a Pension increase of $1 dollar.

The only benefit increase they have offered is to maintain our Weekly Indemnity payment to 70% of Job Class 4 effective August 1, 2011.

They have restored our C.O.L.A CLAUSE. SORT OF! They will pay C.O.L.A as they have in the past but they refuse to roll the COLA into the Collective Bargaining Agreement at the end of its term.

They have refused to provide our retires one half of a cent per hour, to fund the SOAR Chapter

We have tried to reach an agreement that we as your Bargaining Committee could recommend for acceptance. We are not close enough to consider that kind of recommendation.

We are in the process of looking at our options we will be in touch very soon.

In Solidarity

Your Bargaining committee

 

Why Unions are Important

The people who have been occupying financial districts in Canadian and American cities are motivated by anger over the glaring economic unfairness that exists in our society. The labour movement welcomes what these young people camping outdoors in tents are saying — because we have said the very same thing for many years.

The 1 per cent who are the mega-rich are getting richer while 99 per cent of us who are ordinary working people fight for a shrinking piece of the economic pie. Since 1976, median earnings in Canada have barely inched up from $44,100 to $45,600 adjusted for inflation. That’s an increase in income of just $1,500 in a third of a century — less than $45 a year in real terms. In contrast, the share of all individual income going to the top 1 per cent in Canada has almost doubled since the 1980s, returning it to the same level as in the 1920s.

Continue reading Why Unions are Important

C.W.S Retro Pay

Evraz has informed the Union that the some of the retro monies to paid out today is incorrect (too low). The Company has stated that there will be a correction made on Monday November 14 to address these shortfalls. If you are owed retro pay please check both payouts and direct any corrections to Roy Chinski in the Pipe Division.

Supplementry Unemployment Benefit

To be eligible for payment from the S.U.B., you must:

[1]      Have a minimum of 18 months of service with the Company.  After 18 months, you earn one week of benefits for each 40 hours (credit point) worked after the 18 months.  There is a maximum of 52 weeks of possible benefit payable and credit points earned.

[2]      Receive an Employment Insurance Benefit in accordance with The Unemployment Act, or in the case that you are ineligible because you have an insufficient period to qualify for benefits under the Act, you must make proof of denial from E.I.  When applying for EI, ensure to request to have a copy of your EI stub issued to you.

[3]      Be laid off and have not refused recall for any reason, in accordance with the Collective Agreement.

[4]      Not be sick or disabled and receiving compensation for such.

[5]      Be an employee with Evraz and have not resigned from the Company.

[6]      Employees must forward their E.I. cheque stubs within five (5) days of receipt.  Employees who save receipts and forward them later will not be eligible for reimbursement. Continue reading Supplementry Unemployment Benefit

Time off to vote in Election

Under the Canada Election Act everyone in Canada has  the right to 3 consecutive hours to vote. The following letter was sent to the Company  to remind them of your rights with a request to post it on the bulletin boards. Please make every attempt to vote, preferably for the New Democratic Party. The USW  had a part in starting the NDP and completely supports them. The NDP is the only party that will protect and preserve working peoples rights in Canada.

Continue reading Time off to vote in Election

Bargaining Update

Non-Monetary

The Joint Bargaining Committees (6673 and 5890) have completed five more days of negotiations with Evraz since the Special Meetings held on October 20. All Non-Monetary issues have been resolved except for two subjects. One joint Article (12.17 transfer to a supervisory position) which address’s time lines and rules for step up or temporary supervisors and Appendix E which address’s Lines of Progression and jobs subject to bumping.

Monetary

Both parties have agreed to meet again on November 9th and 10th and again the week of November 14 for further negotiations. Both parties have agreed that the intent of the next round of negotiations is to achieve an agreement that 5890 and 6673 members can ratify. We anticipate this process to be complete by November 18. The Bargaining Committee’s have made it clear to Evraz that if we can’t achieve an agreement by November 18 then both locals will be returning to their members and considering their options that were discussed on October 20.

REMEMBER SOLIDARITY WORKS!           IF WE STICK TOGETHER WE CAN NOT LOSE!

 

Election Notice

Considering that the Sask Party and their leader are now openly musing about bringing in “Right-to-Work” legislation and considering allowing for workers to have the “option of voluntarily paying union dues” (or opting out) the labour movement  needs to pull out all of the stops to get as many non-Sask Party candidates elected next Monday. This kind of legislation has in the past in other jurisdictions  caused the elimination of Unions which generally lowers every workers rights in the workplace.

Continue reading Election Notice

Bargaining Update

The joint 5890 and 6673 Bargaining Committee just completed 3 more days of negotiations with Evraz. There was some progress made in Non-Monetary issues.

During these three days the Bargaining Committee has been working towards a solution and agreement with Evraz on Articles  5.02, 12.17, 14.14 and 14.15. There are still several other important outstanding Non-monetary issues that need to be negotiated to an agreement. All outstanding Office and Technical issues ( Articles 12.02 (a)(ii), 12.09, 12.10 (l) and Appendix A)  have tentative agreements.

Both parties have agreed to meet again next week on November 1st, 2nd and 3rd to continue negotiations.