Author: TorySand

CAW unionized employees of Evraz Camrose Works, a pipe manufacturing plant, picketed May 5 after contract negotiations broke down only two days earlier.

By Mark Crown/ Camrose Canadian

More than 100 Camrose pipe workers are playing the waiting game as recent contract negotiations broke down last week.

At 9 a.m. May 5 Evraz Camrose Works locked out 105 Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) unionized employees at the Camrose facility.

Negotiations broke off May 3 after the two sides could not come to any form of settlement to ratify a new agreement.

Larry Luckwell, president of local 551 for CAW, said the two sides differed on issues of wage increases for current workers and concessions of pension and retiree benefits for future workers.

“Evraz is seeking to extract concessions from our contract and is refusing to provide a fair and reasonable monetary settlement,” he said. “Evraz is also seeking to remove our defined benefit pension plan and retiree benefits for future employees.”

Continue reading Deadlocked

A letter to the editor to the Estevan Mercury newspaper from Alan Murray regarding the upcoming review of Saskatchewan Labour laws

My wife and I sat in the car outside our polling station this last provincial election and discussed how each of us would cast our vote. Not being very involved in politics, but strongly believing in the importance of exercising her right to vote, she wanted to know why I was choosing to vote for the NDP, when her choice was otherwise. This is what I told her:

I really feel there is no good choice. I am voting for the NDP because I feel they are the better of the two evils. I don’t like the NDP’s platform, spending like wild men, similar to the old Conservative ways of the past Grant Devine era, but I feel better about that than the Saskatchewan Party option.

I explained how I like many of the things Brad Wall is putting out front in his campaign, but it is the hidden issues I believe are coming and he is not telling us about them. What I like is the responsible spending of our money, commitment to health care and even the essential service legislation, it just needs a dispute mechanism, as the courts have ruled, and it is good to go. What I am afraid of, is Brad’s personal attack on unions and how this is going to affect the Saskatchewan labour laws.

Continue reading Why is Brad Wall attacking Unions and what does it mean to everyone who works in Saskatchwan

A message from the Canadian Auto Workers regarding the attack from Evraz on workers and retiree’s.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

At 9:00 am this morning Evraz in Camrose Alberta locked out our CAW members because they wouldn’t sell out new hires or take an inferior wage settlement. At the heart of this attack is the removal of our defined benefits pension plan and retiree benefits for future employees, but make no mistake the fight is bigger than that as it is an attack from a multinational conglomerate on working people and the middle class. All in the name of corporate greed and insatiable profits.

The attack comes to you next from your employer so we need to stay strong and support the Camrose Local 551 workers. Please drop by or send your support, further info will follow over the next few days.

Thanks,

Todd Romanow | National Representative

Canadian Auto Workers

The following is a message sent today from Todd Romanow, a representative of the Canadian Auto Workers regarding the attack on workers and retirees in Camrose.

The company gave us their final offer tonight which still includes new hires losing the DB (Defined Benefit Pension)plan and retiree benefits. The deal monetarily is substantially lower than the deal they did in September with the Steelworkers in Regina and Calgary. We gave them an offer of settlement with still some room to move before the deadline on Saturday but it looks like they will not counter or even meet with us and are intent to force a lockout to get the two big concessions. We will keep trying tomorrow but other than giving them what they want I don’t see us avoiding a dispute here that could last awhile. They have given our people paid leaves from now until the deadline so as to empty the plant as of tonight.

The following are the concessions demanded and the attack on retirees in Camrose Alberta

1. Removal of the Defined Benefit pension plan for new hires and institute a Defined Contribution (5%) plan
2. Removal of the retiree benefits for those who cant retire before 2020 (this  pension plan is 1/3 less than 5890/6673’s  due to having these benefits)
3. Removal of the  double time clauses and making it a requirement to work 40 straight time hours per week before overtime is applied
4. Removal of the vacation bonus system
5. No roll in of the  COLA clause to base wages

As well Evraz is proposing no base wage increases over the next three (3) years

(Pittsburgh) — The United Steelworkers (USW) today lauded the decision of the Mexican Supreme Court to restore legal recognition to Napoleon Gomez, General Secretary of the National Union of Mine, Metal and Steelworkers (Los Mineros).

The Court’s Second Chamber ruled 3-1 that the Mexican Labor Secretary acted illegally when he withdrew legal recognition from the union leader in 2008.

“This is a major victory for Los Mineros and all Mexican workers,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard.

Continue reading USW Welcomes Restoration of Legal Status to Mexican Labor Leader