Thursday, August 19, 2010

 

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CAMBODIA:
SOLIDARITY WITH CAMBODIAN CONSTRUCTION WORKERS:


Molly first saw this appeal at the online labour solidarity site Labour Start. It comes originally from the Building and Woodworkers International union where more information on this struggle can be found. Interested readers might also like to check out the independent Cambodian news site KI Media.
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Cambodia: Reinstate sacked construction workers
The Building and Wood Workers Trade Union of Cambodia (BWTUC, an affiliate of BWI, has been struggling to organise the KC GECIN Enterprise, located at No.500, National Road 2, Sangkhat Chak Angre Loe, Khann Meanchey, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. KC GECIN Enterprises is a local construction company, owned by Mr. Kim Chhean, a Cambodian national. This company has two main construction producing sites - one located in Prekho, Kandal District and another main site is located in Kilo 10, Khann Russei Keo, Phnom Penh. It employs around 160 workers all in main headquarter and in the two main sites. However, instead of recognising the union and starting a process to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement, the company has resorted to drastic and discriminatory measures as evident by the illegal termination of 25 union leaders and activists on August 13th and another 25 members who had participated in a legitimate trade union seminar.
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THE LETTER:
Please go to this link to send the following letter to the management of the KC GECIN Enterprises in Cambodia.
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We strongly urge you to immediately reinstate the dismissed union leaders and members without preconditions, refrain from intimidating the workers on strike, recognise the union as a primary step that would lead to normalcy in the employee-employer relationship towards settling the industrial dispute through a collective bargaining agreement.

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# posted by mollymew @ 8:46 PM 0 comments

Sunday, August 15, 2010

 

CANADIAN LABOUR MOOSE JAW:
XL BEEF TO BE CLOSED PERMANENTLY:


After over half a year of locking out their employees XL Beef in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan has announced that they plan to close their plant permanently. Molly has blogged before on this lockout and the subsequent boycott of XL Beef products which the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (reluctantly and tardily) agreed to. The story of the closure is given below in a story from the Moose Jaw radio station CJME. Before getting into that, however, there is a lot of behind the scene details about this story that the reader should be aware of. Unions sources are suspicious that XL planned to close the plant all along. If they didn't it would seem like gross incompetence for them to dither about with temporary closures and lockouts as long as they did. If these plans were in the making for this long the actions of the company in carrying out the lockout were more than slightly deceitful and callous. Anyone who would like to say so to the parent company of XL Beef in Calgary can do so via the following contact info:
Nilsson Brothers Inc.
5101- 11th St. SE
Calgary, Alberta
T2H 1M7
phone 403-258-3233
fax 403-806-3849


Molly thinks that the union suspicions are quite accurate. To see why here are some forgotten facts about the plant. The plant originally opened as a joint private/public partnership in 1995 under the name of 'Western Canadian Beef'. At that time the Crown Investments of the Saskatchewan government owned 40% of the equity for God knows how much of the original investment. Management of the plant was turned over to the private partners whose "efficiency" ran it into the ground so that in 1998 the Crown had to take over the entire operation. The remaining 60% of the operation was purchased for $1.8 million with a government loan guarantee for $3 million for operating expenses.


Over the course of the next two years the provincial government also failed to turn a profit from the plant, and, despite the cyclical nature of the beef business, they were convinced they should unload the facility back to the private sector. In the year 2000 they sold the plant to XL Beef for a cost of $1.868 million plus, of course, a government financed loan at low interest rates of $2.368 million. Note this loan as it is important. The loan was to be paid off over 10 years.


Ten years arrived in 2010 !!! During that time the funds available from the loan were still active despite the fact that XL Beef had been in either shutdown or lockout for the better part of a year. The loan was "presumably" for operating expenses that never existed during the time of shutdown. While XL continued to pay back the government at a low interest rate they were able to apply the funds in more profitable ways all the while. When the loan was finally repaid XL had no reason to not go ahead and do what they intended all along ie close the plant. One has to wonder what uses the loan monies were put to over the years, uses remote from ensuring the profitability of the Moose Jaw plant. You gotta love the company accountants.


Let's examine the sale in 2000. The province bought the remained of the plant in 1998 for $1.8 million and sold it again in 2000 for $1.868 million. Seems about even ? Wrong ! Don't forget that the province already owned 40% of the plant in 1998. Selling both the 60% interest and the already owned 40% would have yielded a selling price of about $3 million to break even. Seems like a great deal for XL, and it was indeed.


Let's travel back to 2000 again. Labour activists in Canada are forever enraptured by the NDP and its supposed virtues. In 2000 the Saskatchewan government was NDP under Roy Romanow. In other words the beloved "left wing" NDP engineered a massive corporate giveaway that any conservative government would have drooled over. Here's the then Minister in charge of the sale John Nilson about the supposed benefits of selling the plant to XL:


"Our goals were to keep the company in business, to keep it in Moose Jaw and to prevent further financial loss for the Province"


It's 2010. The company is no longer in business in Moose Jaw. The province incurred a huge "paper loss" by selling the plant for far less than it was worth at the beginning. Given fluctuating interest rates the province may or may not have 'broken even' over the loan guarantees for the past decade. It depends on the fine details of the loan that are not open to public access.


What should have been done at the very beginning of this disaster ? Libertarian socialists as opposed to the statist socialists of the NDP would have seen the plant as a prime candidate for a "mixed cooperative". This would originally have been a tripartite partnership between the workers involved and their union, Saskatchewan beef producers and the provincial government. The monies needed would have come from exactly the same sources as XL drew upon (unless you believe the fairy tale that XL just so happened to have $1.8 million of 'spare cash' hanging around in their safe) ie loans. There should have been an agreement in place for the workers and the producers to gradually buy back the provincial equity. That sort of thing would have been the only way that it could be assured that the plant would remain to service Saskatchewan producers and consumers.


Is this alternative viable now ? Obviously not. There is a conservative provincial government in place in Regina. The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour was seriously reluctant to launch a simple boycott and did little to promote it after its announcement. The city of Moose Jaw is cash strapped and could hardly step in to replace the province. The union representing the workers the UFCW is far too weak in the province to carry out such a thing on its own. Saskatchewan beef producers are cynical and rightfully so. As a side bar to this story I can remember many years ago when an anarchist comrade from Saskatchewan who was also a cattleman attempted to organize a cooperative marketing group for Saskatchewan beef. Who were the main opponents who killed the idea by vigorous campaigning ? Full points if you guessed the NDP government.


All that Molly can say is that a few conclusions can be drawn from debacles such as this. One is that governments, including so-called 'left' governments are by their very nature treacherous, and that one should never depend on them and always keep them under close scrutiny. Another is that a cooperative alternative should always be first and foremost in examining what can be done about economic questions. The whole idea never occurred to anyone's mind in 2000, but if it had the story would have been quite different today.


Enough of the lecture. Here's the story from Moose Jaw.
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XL Beef lays off 200, closes its doors permanently in Moose Jaw
Blames market conditions and lack of collective agreement with union

It's been a very unlucky Friday the 13th for employees of XL Beef in Moose Jaw -- almost 200 picketing workers have been permanently laid off.

A letter from XL Beef says the closure is for business and economic reasons, blaming market conditions and that they still don't have a new bargaining agreement with the union that represents employees at the plant.

"We've maintained all along that we're willing to negotiate, that the people go back to work and negotiate a fair and equitable contract," said Norm Neault, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1400.

"I don't think we've been the ones holding this up by stretch of the means. We haven't taken a strike vote and I guess the company, for the lack of a better word, gave up on that.

"They've got their interest in Alberta which is where their negotiating right now and I think that's on their horizon. I think Moose Jaw has been part of their plans for quite some time now."

Nilsson Bros, the parent company of XL Foods out of Alberta, have declined to comment.
The facility was initially shut down last spring due to market conditions. Employees were supposed to be back to work in the fall of 2009. Just days before they were to return, employees were locked out by XL Beef and a labour dispute began. Union members have been walking the picket line ever since.

The letter from XL Beef says the plant will be permanently closed within 90 days.

While the union tries to get all of the loose ends under control, Moose Jaw's mayor is voicing his disappointment in the decision -- saying this is terrible news for the city.

Mayor Glenn Hagel has been in touch with Nilsson Bros, the parent company of XL Foods in Alberta.

"They called to advise that they were making their decision," he said. "They assured me that there wasn't anything that the City of Moose Jaw did or didn't do that influenced their decision and indicated that their decision was final."

If there is anything that the employees can look forward to, it's the opening of the pork plant -- that facility opens in the new year.


With reporting by Chris Rasmussen, CHAB Moose Jaw.

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# posted by mollymew @ 11:02 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

 

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR- THE PHILIPPINES:
TRIUMPH WORKERS EJECTED FROM PROTEST CAMP:




Since their dismissal last summer workers at the Triumph garment factories in the Philippines have kept up the struggle for decent severance pay against the company. Last May 4 company goons and government thugs came to violently evict them from their protest camp and picket lines. During this time of what is an actual blockade of the factories the workers have prevented Triumph from removing moveable items from the buildings. They have also set up their own production in the protest camp with donated sewing machines and have recently applied to the Department of Labour and Employment for support in starting a producers' co-op for those dismissed. Here's the story of the latest attack by the bosses and the state and the appeal for solidarity with these workers from the Clean Clothes Campaign.
TWTWTWTWTWTWTW
Filipino Triumph Workers Violently Evicted from Picket

On the 4th of May, the Triumph workers in the Philippines were violently evicted from their picket line. More than 200 security forces invaded the former factory grounds, removed the protesting workers and destroyed their action camp. Take action now to support these workers!


The workers have set up another picket line further down the street, continuing their protest against their dismissals since summer 2009.

Write to the Philippine authorities today to call on them to immediately stop further harassment!

Take action now! >> Background >>



An eyewitness account by: Isabelita dela Cruz
May 8, 2010
Dear everyone,

From the workers of Triumph Philippines our solidarity greetings to all.

I would like to make a quick update on the workers situation in the picket line. To date there is an intense operation to totally smashed down our makeshift tent and give up our call for humane livelihood and social justice, by the combined forces of the Taguig PNP, Barangay Security Forces of Western Bicutan, FTI maintenance personnel, Nationwide Security Agency, this is by the directive of Pasig Regional Trial Court sheriff Mario Silvestre and hands of Triumph management.



On May 4, 2010 at around 8 in the morning a total of more than 200 dispersal team arrived in the picket and in a matter of 10 minutes they totally wrecked and smashed down our temporary shelter and livelihood in the picket, they leave us nothing but a horrible and painful experience and casualties. They treated us like criminals and dragged us outside from our Union office, the union files, equipment, and personal things of the workers inside the office was thrown out and put everything like a garbage in a corner of the street. They put an iron sheet barricades guarded by about 50 security guards of Nationwide Security Agency hired by Triumph under the supervision of FTI administration and their President Atty. Ma. Theresa Pinto. About (13) thirteen workers was trapped inside this barricades ( eight (8) at the back entrance of Triumph building were our office is located and five (5) union members in front entrance a more than 1 kilometer Triumph building. Outside the barricades of the front and back entrance of the building other union members are crying but with determination to put up again another makeshift tent at the height of 37 degrees sunlight, where in security forces trying to put all effort to prevent us from erecting another makeshift tent. But with the determination and anger of the workers and our supporters they succeeded to put another shelter of the workers. In front entrance where our livelihood was put up, five sewing machines, scrap materials and textile that we are using in rags , doormats and summer collection making was also thrown out at the corner of the street inside the iron sheet barricades.

Several numbers of vehicle heavily tinted and one anonymous and suspicious man riding in a motorcycle was roving around the vicinity of our picket outside. According to the workers who managed to notice the incident, that this man looks like referring a picture from his cell phone while looking at them. The husband of one union member manages to come closer to this man and notice a gun at his waist but immediately escape from the scene.

May 6 at around 11 in the morning while we are holding consultation with the workers in the makeshift tent 20 policemen of Taguig PNP arrived in the picket they handed their shield to 50 security guards and put a barricade at the street to prevent us from coming closer at the back entrance, and then a shuttle bus was fast approaching and manages to quickly enter the back entrance of the building. The bus loaded with barangay security personnel, Triumph HR personnel, the General Manager of FTI Leasing Department along with the janitorial personnel hired by Triumph and other managerial employees enter the building. After three hours of packing in several big boxes and about hundreds of folders, they loaded it to the bus and escorted by PNP police leave the building, about (15) fifteen minutes the bus went back along with three vehicle escorted by PNP enter again and loaded all the packed materials and equipment and leave the area.

We were shocked by the fast movement of the traitors, I manage to talk with the policemen as well as the General Manager of FTI and according to him they will pull out workers personal belongings, so that they can move freely to eject the remaining movable equipment inside the Triumph building. He said that these personal belongings are the hindrance why they cannot pull out the equipment for they are afraid that if the workers claim the lost of their personal things, they will be accountable for that.
May 7, again we notice that about 30 security guards was deployed in front and back entrance in addition to the already assigned in the area a total of about 50 security and when we check out there were several numbers of policemen roving, so I decided to get the megaphone ride in motorcycle and roved around the FTI while shouting a protest statement. It did help because they were intimidated in their intention to assembly and enter again in the building, and afterwards they leave the area.
At around 10 in the morning on the same day representative from the Department of Labor and Employment came to check if the report of violent dispersal is true and look at the extent of casualties. According to him he will immediately report it to his boss and will recommend and request for a dialogue with Triumph management. With the effort of Congressman Rafael Mariano Under Secretary of DOLE Usec Linda Baldoz set for a meeting with Triumph management on May 13, 2010.

Until now we are still under threat to be dispersed violently, because FTI administration is threatening to forcefully eject remaining equipment, machines and other movable materials inside the former Triumph building. We are leaving now in a more miserable and desperate situation in the picket line. Union files and documents are scattered in the corner of the street.

We appeal to everyone to support us in our struggle, to find justice and condemned the perpetrators on the casualties of the violent dispersal in our picket. We are also in need for financial support in looking for a place and center where we can pick and arrange the pieces of our damaged equipment and files, specially the machines that we are using for our livelihood.

Again on behalf of the Triumph workers in the Philippines and our union thank you so much.
Long Live International Solidarity.

For the workers of Triumph,
Isabelita dela Cruz
Union President
Write to the Philippine authorities today!
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THE LETTER:
Please go to this link to send the following letter to Philippino authorities.
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT-PHILIPPINES
Secretary Marianito Roque
Email: roquemd@dole.gov.ph This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Food Terminal Incorporated
Vice-Chairman/President : Maria Theresa A. Pinto
Email: taspinto33@yahoo.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

TAGUIG CITY HALL
Mayor Freddie Tinga
Email: FT@taguig.gov.ph This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

cc.Triumph International

Dear Madam/Sir,

I write to you today to express my serious concerns about the unresolved labour dispute between Triumph International and the former Triumph workers in Taguig City, who were dismissed in July 2009.

I learned that on May 4, 2010, more than 200 armed security forces entered the former Triumph International factory to evict the Triumph workers who have been protesting against their dismissals since summer 2009. They harassed and injured workers, destroyed picket tents and threw out office material. Moreover, I understand that in addition to the restraining order, the Food Terminal demands 7 million pesos for exemplary damages (approximately 117.000 euros), which includes 1.5 million pesos per month from January on.

The Triumph workers have been protesting for more than 10 months against Triumph International’s failure to follow international labour standards on union rights and massive retrenchments. An OECD complaint is currently taken up by the Swiss National Contact Point for the OECD guidelines. I also learned that meetings chaired by the National Mediation Conciliatory Board have not resulted in any favourable outcome due to Triumph’s refusal to credibly negotiate with the union. The Triumph workers are organised in the Bagong Pagkakaisa ng mga Manggagawa sa Triumph International union (BPMTI).

I call upon you to support the Triumph workers' struggle for a just compensation for their years in service of the multinational, and for respect of their workers' and union rights. In particular I urge you to:

•stop further harassment of the peacefully protesting workers,
•refrain from implementing the temporary restraining order issued on April 23,
•provide support to the former Triumph workers to establish a workers' cooperation at the former Triumph factory.

Yours sincerely,

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# posted by mollymew @ 9:46 PM 0 comments

Monday, April 05, 2010

 

CANADIAN LABOUR-QUÉBEC:

PROVIGO WORKERS LAID OFF ON EASTER WEEKEND IN QUÉBEC:


The other day this blog reported on the call from Loblaws employees in Sudbury for a boycott of the Loblaws wing of the Weston octopus/conglomerate.

The Weston empire seems to have more aliases than I have fingers, and one of them in Québec is called 'Provigo'. It also seems that whatever mask it wears the Weston empire is a particularly nasty piece of (fill in the blank ) to work for. Here's a story translated from the French Radio Canada about the Provigo distribution centre in Québec City managed to maneuver their way into locking out their employees as a sort of 'Easter Present'. The original in French is here. Here is a translation.

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Provigo
400 workers locked out
Photo: The Canadian Press / Jacques Boissinot

Provigo belongs to Loblaws.


Workers in the distribution center Provigo Park Armand-Viau Quebec, have been put on the street by their employer at midnight on the night of Friday to Saturday.

In a press release, the employer alleges that the union did not take its latest offering seriously , filed Wednesday, just hours before the expiry of the collective agreement.

The management of Provigo had given the CSN 48 hours to submit its proposal , called "final" to a vote. But the ultimatum went unanswered.

The union says that the period was too short to call 400 people at a special meeting in the middle of Easter weekend. They accused management of having planned closure.

The period is a pretext for the employer. For two weeks they transferred in volume. The contract ended on March 31 and 30, there were no more cases in the warehouse. There are no surprises. The intentions of the employer were to do a lockout.
- Dany Tremblay, president of the union


Members will vote next Wednesday on the employer's new offer. Provigo said it will maintain its proposal until that date, after which it will lapse.

The workers had rejected a previous by more than 99% two weeks ago, and voted for a strike mandate.

The talks foundered on sub-contracting, wages and working hours. The union workers demanded conditions similar to those offered by competitors such as Metro and IGA.

The management of Provigo supports taking steps to continue supplying the stores serviced by the warehouse, ie Loblaws, Provigo, Maxi and Intermarché in the east of the province.

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# posted by mollymew @ 9:14 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

 

CANADIAN LABOUR-WINNIPEG:
CNIB STRIKERS/LOCKED OUT WORKERS SUPPORTED BY CLIENTS:
The CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind) strike/lockout began yesterday March 15 here in Winnipeg. I have to admit that there is one thing that has always puzzled me about labour law here in Canada. Quite frankly I can't see any advantage to employers being the first to "draw their guns" and declare a lockout on the eve of an impending strike. If anything they should wait until labour "makes the first move" in terms of public support. Labour is certainly always happy to declare that they are locked out as opposed to being on strike, and to me the advantages of this are obvious. Could somebody more familiar with the law enlighten me ?
In any case the union, Local 832 of the United Food and Commercial Workers, has certainly been quick off the bat in garnering public support for their positions. Here, from their website, is a story about how clients of the CNIB have rallied behind the workers that serve them. Rather inspiring actually as management has been rather treacherous to clients in the past while workers have defended them.
Please refer to the Winnipeg Wobbly Blog as well as the Local website for further coverage of this strike.
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Clients who use CNIB Services outraged
Will support striking CNIB staff on picket line.
 UFCW Local 832 members working at Canadian Institute for the Blind (CNIB) will have the support of the people they help in Manitoba on the picket line at 1080 Portage Avenue.

Many of the clients that receive assistance from the staff at CNIB are ready to show their support and walk with them in hopes the remaining issue of paid sick leave can be resolved.
“I think it’s appalling that this strike is taking place. The support workers and everyone on strike have been very good to us, and they were there for us when CNIB closed down our specialty store in 2007. So we want them to know they have our support and hopefully the CNIB will put an end to this strike quickly,” said Eric Mackinder who is a client at the CNIB and the Winnipeg Chapter President for the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians.
The members at CNIB have already agreed to the company’s proposal of a wage freeze in the first year and their proposal of 2.5 per cent in the second year. The unionized staff at CNIB is paid generally $5 less per hour less than other non-profit organizations in the province. The remaining issues are over the reductions to the paid sick leave and long term disability the members have had since their first collective agreement. Both of which the company has stated at the bargaining table are not being abused.

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# posted by mollymew @ 11:09 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

 

CANADIAN LABOUR-TORONTO:
SUPPORT THE CADILLAC FAIRVIEW 61:
Workers at the Toronto Dominion Centre in downtown Toronto, represented by CEP Union Local 2003, have been locked out by their employer since last July 14. Molly last commented on this issue lst December (see here). There is a good recent background article on this struggle here at Rabble.ca. There is also a petition in support of the 'CF61'. The text is given below, courtesy of the CEP Union Blog. To sign this petition please go to this link.
You can also donate to the locked out workers via the following address:
CF61 Hardship Fund
c/o Larry Lynch
Business Manager
CEP Local 2003
105- 2065 Dundas St. East
Mississauga, ON
L4X 2W1
Here's the petition.
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Support CEP Local 2003
Category: Employment
Region: Canada
Target: Cadillac Fairview Corporation
Background (Preamble):
Please if you have a moment, drop by the picket line that CEP Local 2003 has set up surrounding all of the TD Centre on Wellington, King and one street to the south of Wellington.You can find more information at: http://www.xpdnc.com/files/tdc09/generalpubliccommuniquejune15.pdf
or
http://therealcfnews.blogspot.com
or face book group
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=9302&uid=104383668872#/group.php?gid=104383668872
or
http://www.cepunion.blogspot.com
Sending an e-mail to ask Peter Sharpe what happened to the Company Policy on Social Responsibility?
Mr. Sharpe can be reached at SharpeP@cadillacfairview.com .
Petition:
Dear Mr Peter Sharpe
President & Chief Executive Officer
Cadillac Fairview Corporation
I am writing to let you know of my disgust at how Cadillac Fairview Corporation (CFC) is attempting to gut the collective agreement with the Communication Energy and Paperworkers Local 2003. It would seem that CFC is taking advantage of worker uncertainty and insecurity to lower the terms and the conditions of work. One would normally expect this of a Corporation but CFC is wholly owned by the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan. To make matter even worst the last fiscal year was the most profitable with CFC making almost a billion dollars in profit. This is a far cry from a number of other corporations and industries that have been asking for government bail outs.
For the sake of the employees many who have over 20 years service and are response for your continued profitability; I would encourage you, CFC to get back to the bargain table with CEP Local 2003 and bargain in good faith.
Sincerely

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# posted by mollymew @ 10:07 PM 0 comments

Friday, February 05, 2010

 

CANADIAN LABOUR-MOOSE JAW:
AN XL BEEF BOYCOTT -FINALLY:
Last November 24 Molly reported (one of three reports on the subject here at Molly's Blog) on the call on the part of locked out workers at XL Foods in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan for a boycott of XL products. At the time I had some rather harsh words for the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) and their hesitation in calling for such a boycott. That hesitation, I am happy to say, is over, and the SFL has called for a boycott in support of the workers who have been locked out since the beginning of last September. Better late than never I guess. Here's the story from The Canadian Cattlemen.
MJMJMJMJMJMJMJ
Sask. unions call for XL boycott over lockout:
With no new talks in sight to end a lockout at XL Foods' beef processing plant at Moose Jaw, Sask., the province's labour leaders have called for a boycott of the Alberta parent company's beef.

As of Wednesday, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW Canada) Local 1400, which represents 200 employees at the Moose Jaw plant, reported no bargaining dates have been set and XL Foods has yet to respond since the workers voted in October to reject its last offer.

The workers, who have been without a contract since the end of January, came back in September from a five-month shutdown to be greeted by a company-imposed lockout, then rejected an XL Foods contract offer later that month.

"XL Foods locked out those workers to put pressure on them to accept concessions at the bargaining table," the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour said in a statement.

The Regina-based SFL, the overarching body for unionized labour in the province, urged in its statement that consumers "ask where (the) meat comes from" at grocery stores and meat markets, and not to buy if the answer is XL Foods.

"If you are at a restaurant, ask where the beef is coming from; if the answer is XL Foods, consider some other product," the SFL said.

It also recommended that consumers ask those questions every time they buy beef, as businesses may switch suppliers often for better pricing.

UFCW president Norm Neault said recently members have been distributing leaflets with the same general message.

Neault said he had yet to hear from XL but recently had heard from a provincial conciliator.

Unionized employees walking the line at the Moose Jaw facility recently got a boost in picket pay, he said, as affiliated unions in the U.S. raised money to support the locked-out staff.

That news was offset by a recent ruling from the federal Employment Insurance program, which according to Neault said the locked-out workers are not entitled to EI benefits relating to their layoffs beyond XL's originally scheduled recall date of Sept. 28, 2009. The company by that time had announced the lockout.

The UFCW noted that its Local 401 is also currently in talks with XL at the company's Calgary beef plant. UFCW-represented staff at that plant have been working under the terms of their last contract, which expired at the end of March 2009.

Bargaining sessions between the union and XL in Calgary are scheduled for Feb. 23 and 25, UFCW staff in Regina said.

Bargaining is also expected to begin in early 2010 for unionized staff at XL's plant at Brooks, Alta.

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# posted by mollymew @ 9:17 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

 

CANADIAN LABOUR-MANITOBA:
WHO (IF ANYONE) WILL OWN THE PINE FALLS PLANT ?:
Since the announcement of Tembec's intention to sell their paper plant in Pine Falls Manitoba an initial three groups "interested" in the purchase has dwindled to two. One, as previously reported here at Molly's Blog, is an ex-manager who has spun his managerial power through various other corporate entities to the point where he feels that he can raise enough of other people's money to make a bid on his old workplace. Sorta like an upstart bourgeois in 18th century England purchasing a landed title. Mr J.P. Bradette, the potential purchaser in question, has offered to give employees an "equity share". My spider sense starts tingling at this. First question-how many employees ? Mr. Bradette has stated very bluntly that he intends a large number of permanent layoffs (one of the reasons why the present workers are not keen on his plan). Seems more like an attempt to divide the workforce and undercut worker opposition to his proposal than a serious offer.
One also has to ask how much such equity shares would amount to, both in terms of magnitude, in terms of type of share and in terms of relative percentage of the total shares in the company. Anyone with as long a corporate managerial career as Mr. Bradette is, of course, very familiar with how managers often go against the interests of their shareholders. The reason he feels comfortable in this offer, besides the fact that he hopes to pull the teeth of his competitors for the mill, is that he is well assured that any such equity will be both a minor component of the total equity and potential profit and also leave the workers, should they accept such an offer with no control over the future direction of the plant-which might be important if the way od making such a profit involves either selloffs to others or actually making a profit by declaring bankruptcy. It's been done before.
The other proposal on the table, a joint buyout on the part of the workers involved and the nearby Sagkeeng First Nation. This is much more to Molly's liking. An actual producers' co-op seems an impossibility at this time, and this proposal would be optimum in that it would leave control in the hands of local people who would obviously want the mill to stay. I would suggest that the local municipality should also consider joining this partnership. On the part of the First Nation it would be obvious that they should demand preference in future hirings, There should, however, be no layoffs that the other partner to the deal, the present workers, would have to suffer. I would also hope that only a realistic proportion of the $1 million that the Province has promised to the community for the "transition" will be spent on any "feasibility study" ie one that somebody's friends or those that the government of the Province hopes to make their friends will latch onto like leeches. Sorry to say it, but it's my humble opinion that the "consulting" industry is, in the vast majority of cases, smoke mirrors and pickpocketing.
I would also hope that proper legal guarantees be put in place so that there could be no future selloff of the plant, like what happened in the 1990s when it ceased to be worker owned, for temporarily attractive terms. The mill may, indeed, have to be sold in the future no matter who owns it, but this should be only when it is plain that there is no chance of it being self-supporting. For now I would also suggest that the asking price might be diminished by pointing out that any attempt remove portable assets might run into difficulties. No advocacy of anything, of course, aside from the possibility that public peaceful protest might occur in such an eventuality. It should also be made plain, probably by the municipality, that the buildings would not be allowed to sit derelict and rusting away forever. It is within the mandate of a municipality to access penalties and even expropriate any derelict property in their jurisdiction. I'd suggest that such a plain pointing out of the facts might reduce the desire of Tembec's present management to try and charge an inflated price to whomever may buy the plant.
But enough of my own opinions. Here's the story of how things stand today from the Lac Du Bonnet Leader, a local area newspaper.
MLMLMLMLMLMLML
Battle for mill begins
Posted By Marc Zienkiewicz
A battle for ownership of the Tembec paper mill in Powerview-Pine Falls has begun, the Leader learned this week.

Cam Sokoloski, president of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 3-1375 which represents over 250 mill employees, said the union submitted a letter of intent to Tembec this week notifying the company of the union's employee buyout proposal.

The union, in partnership with Sagkeeng First Nation, is also submitting a proposal to the town's Community Development Committee in an attempt to conduct a feasibility study that's intended the bring the buyout to fruition.

"We're going ahead with it — we think this is best option for all involved," Sokoloski said.
Mike Fontaine, economic development officer for the First Nation, said he's excited at the prospect of the mill being community-owned like it was in the 1990s when the first employee buyout took place, prior to the mill being sold to Tembec.

"Sagkeeng is a part of this community and this could be beneficial to everyone," Fontaine said. "We were asked awhile back if we would be willing to explore this and we jumped at it and said absolutely."

Tembec recently put the mill up for sale. It has set a deadline for Feb. 1 for serious purchase offers, with the end of March being its final sale deadline.

If the mill isn't sold by then, the plant will be mothballed, Tembec has said. (Ah, as I said above, "derelict property"-Molly )

John Valley, Tembec's executive vice president of business development and corporate affairs, said the company will only be considering offers that have "real potential" to lead to an eventual takeover.

He did not elaborate as to the criteria the company is using to determine that potential, except to say time is of the essence and anyone putting an offer forward must consider that.
"If someone were to come along and say 'by golly, I want to buy the mill but I still have to get my advisers together and I have no money yet,' obviously we'd have to look at that very carefully," Valley said.

Sokoloski said if the feasibility study goes ahead, the funding for it will come out of the $1million fund recently set up by the provincial government to help the community deal with the aftermath of the recent Tembec labour dispute, which saw nearly 300 mill employees locked out by the company Sept. 1 of last year.

The lockout officially ended Jan. 13 after the Manitoba Labour board intervened. However, the workers are still out of a job and are now attempting to apply for retroactive Employment Insurance benefits.
Bradette's plan a go
 As the union prepares its buyout proposal, former Tembec Vice President of Sales J.P. Bradette is also going ahead with his own purchase plan, Bradette told the Leader this week.

"In addition to offering employees a significant ownership stake in the new company, this proposal will create roughly 180 well-paid union jobs and some 20 staff positions, not to mention the benefits to the community as a whole," Bradette said in a statement written for the Leader.

"The reality at this point is that the employees will have no jobs, no wages, no benefits, and certainly no ownership in the mill, unless a viable offer can be made to Tembec by Feb. 1."

Bradette recently came to Powerview-Pine Falls to meet with the community's chamber of commerce and the union membership as well. His plan, of which no details have been made publicly available, was overwhelmingly rejected by the union membership last weekend, Sokoloski said.

Bradette said he's disappointed the union did not accept his offer.

"My understanding is that the issue was not even put to a vote; a decision as important as this one should be put to a secret ballot," he said in his statement. "I understand that my proposal may not fit with every union member's beliefs. To them I say that your support does not obligate you to accept the equity share and the well-paid jobs that will be created. Out of concern and respect for your colleagues and neighbours however, give them a choice."

Sokoloski recently told the Leader that Bradette's offer was "worse" than the Tembec concessions that led to the original lockout last year.

Bradette said support from the union is key to making his plan a success.

"The support of the employees is only the first of many steps required before the mill can be restarted. Without this support there can be no viable offer, and my concern is that the mill assets will be sold off to cover the shutdown costs, with no hope of a restart," Bradette said.

"I urge all employees and members of the community to think long and hard before ratifying such an important decision. There is still time to act, although the window is closing quickly."

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# posted by mollymew @ 8:00 PM 1 comments

Sunday, January 24, 2010

 

CANADIAN LABOUR-MANITOBA:
WORKERS DISPLEASED WITH PINE FALLS MILL PURCHASE OFFER:
Since the provincial government ruled that the present lockout at the Tembec plant in Pine Falls Manitoba should end and become a "layoff" (see earlier here at Molly's Blog) there have been various offers and suggestions as to how to save the mill. The most prominent has been from a former managerial employee who has managed to leverage his various managerial positions and perks with various companies into real liquid wealth. He, of course, demands at least as many concessions from the workers as Tembec has done.
The other contenders include the Sagkeeng First Nation, the town of Pine Falls and the Tembec employees themselves. The provincial government has committed over a million dollars to "study" the future of the mill (ie throwing/wasting good money at its managerial friends with no expected result). In the end, if there is to be an alternative to the most prominent item on the table it would pretty well have to be a multi-stakeholder partnership including Sagkeeng, Pine Falls, the employees and, yes, the provincial government (such a partnership would be a better place to park money than "studying" the feasibility. Whether such a thing is feasible should be the judgement of one properly qualified government employee working for 2 to 3 weeks (at government speed, less out in the real world) and costing nothing extra because they would simply be diverted from other duties. The proportions of who owns what and who takes on what liabilities would be the main subject of negotiations.
In better times the mill could have easily been purchased by the workers and run as a producers' coop. In actual fact it was once exactly that before it was sold to Tembec in a moment of greed and lack of foresight. The best mixture, in my opinion, for such enterprises is a mixed partnership between a local community and a workers' cooperative. Given the present situation other players, such as private equity and the province will pretty well inevitably have to be signed on if the mill is to viable at all. Once more I emphasize that conversion to producers' coops is best done at times that lack crisis, and that such conversion should be part of the policy of pretty well every union (yes-including the public service one ala the anarchosyndicalists in Spain).
Until that great utopia of foresight...here's the continuing story of the Pine Falls plant from the pages of the Lac Du Bonnet Leader.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Union not impressed with mill offer
Posted By Marc Zienkiewicz
The president of United Steelworkers Local 3-1375 says an offer put forward last week to buy the Tembec paper mill in Powerview-Pine Falls is "worse" than the original concessions that led to the recent employee lockout at the mill.

Cam Sokoloski said J.P. Bradette's offer, put forward at a closed-door meeting Jan. 13, was nothing to get excited about.

"It's worse than what Tembec's offer was," Sokoloski said. "We're still looking at the numbers, nothing's been decided yet. We have a ways to go yet."

Tembec's original concessions included a 35 per cent cut to the union compensation package, including an immediate 25 per cent wage reduction.

Bradette is a former Tembec VP of sales. He currently serves as "principal" for Toronto consulting firm BSC Communications. Prior to his term with Tembec, he served as VP of sales for Ontario Power Generation for four years.

Sokoloski would not give specifics on Bradette's offer, first reported in last week's Leader, but said the union is keeping all its options open. It's working jointly with Sagkeeng First Nation on a feasibility study to see if the mill could become community-owned.

In the meantime, less than half of the mill's 275 workers are still walking the picket line. The lockout officially ended last week, and since then many have left to look for work elsewhere.
Mill workers like Dorian Trethart are sticking around for the time being. The workers officially began applying for their Employment Insurance benefits this week, something they were unable to do because of the lockout.

The union is working with the Community Unemployed Help Centre in Winnipeg to try and convince Ottawa to help the workers obtain retroactive EI benefits to Sept. 1 of last year, the day the lockout started.

If that happens, each worker could get up to $7,000.

Still, Trethart and fellow union member Jeff Dugard aren't holding their breath.

"EI is like an insurance company — they love to take the premiums, but they don't want to pay out," Trethart said. "Been there, done that."

Dugard agreed.
"Just because they're letting us apply is no guarantee they'll give us anything," he said.

In the mean time, Tembec has pushed its purchase deadline back to the end of March. It recently put the mill up for sale, and said if it didn't get purchased by the end of January, the mill would be mothballed.

Ed Gaffray, acting president of the Blue Water Chamber of Commerce, said that's encouraging. The chamber met with Bradette last week.

"It was more of an information meeting to let people know he was serious," Gaffray said.
"Pushing the deadline back does show there's a serious offer there, but time will tell.

Buying a mill isn't like buying a car — there's a lot involved, and it's even more complicated right now what with the economy and all."

The USW picket line headquarters across from the mill will come down in about a week, the union said.

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# posted by mollymew @ 3:46 PM 1 comments

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

 

CANADIAN LABOUR-MANITOBA:
TEMBEC LOCKOUT ENDS:
The lockout at the Tembec plant in Pine Falls Manitoba, which has been ongoing since last September 1, is now over. Molly has blogged multiple times on the subject of this dispute. Today the Manitoba Labour Board ordered Tembec to end its lockout. It is expected that layoff notices will be issued to the workers involved, allowing them to collect EI. This marks the sterling failure of the claims of both our provincial government and local Conservative MPs that they might influence the federal government to allow the Tembec workers to collect EI. Another thing that Molly is at pains to point out is, while the idea of any "influence" over the feds to persuade them to actually help rather than harm workers is ludicrous, it has always been in the domain of the Province to do what they have done today. The Conservatives make no claims about being a friend of labour. Our provincial NDP does. Why wasn't this action taken long ago ? Here's the story about today's ruling from the CBC.
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Lockout at Pine Falls plant ends:
 The Manitoba Labour Board has ordered an immediate end to a prolonged lockout at the Tembec newsprint mill in Pine Falls, Man., CBC News has learned.

The mill has been idle since Sept.1 after the Montreal-based company locked out more than 250 unionized workers and stopped operations. Prior to closing, the company had said it needed "an immediate and significant reduction" in labour costs to stay competitive in the newsprint market.

The United Steelworkers union had applied to the labour board for arbitration in the labour dispute. This morning, the board ordered Tembec to end the lockout, the union said.

Employees on the picket line have just learned of the new development, United Steelworkers union spokesperson Wayne Skrypnyk said.

Not going back to work
 However, unionized employees will not be going back to their jobs in the wake of Wednesday's announcement.

Tembec announced in December that it was putting the mill up for sale and would not be resuming operations even if the lockout was ended.

Skrypnyk said the lockout's end isn't considered a victory for the union workers, but will come as some relief to them as they'll now be issued layoff notices and become eligible for Employment Insurance benefits.

An arbitrator will still be appointed to try and resolve outstanding issues between labour and management, Skrypnyk said.

The mill is about 130 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

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# posted by mollymew @ 7:17 PM 1 comments

Friday, December 25, 2009

 

CANADIAN LABOUR-MANITOBA:
TEMBEC LOCKOUT CONTINUES AS WORKERS REJECT OFFER:
The lockout of workers at the Tembec plant in Pine Falls Manitoba seems set to continue into the New Year as workers there have rejected an offer on the part of the company to change their status from "locked out" to "laid off" in return for concessions that would essentially give up all other rights that they are entitled to. Here is how the matter was reported by the Winnipeg Free Press.
◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•
Union rejects layoff offer at Tembec's newsprint mill in Manitoba:
By: THE CANADIAN PRESS
PINE FALLS, Man. - Hundreds of locked-out workers at a Tembec forestry mill in Pine Falls, Man., rejected Wednesday a company proposal to change the terms of their severance and employment security.

During a meeting Tuesday with two conciliators from the Manitoba Department of Labour, Tembec had proposed changing the lockout to a layoff, an idea the union supported because it would allow its members to collect Employment Insurance.

However, the union said Tembec's offer was conditional on workers agreeing to defer severance pay and give up their employment security rights unless the operations were running at 100 per cent capacity.

"It is clear Tembec has no interest in ending this dispute because it tabled proposals it surely must have known would be rejected outright by their employees, our members," said United Steelworkers union area supervisor Wayne Skrypnyk.

In all, 280 workers have been on the picket line since September in a dispute over wage cuts, and their union has now applied for provincial arbitration.

The union said the company had been seeking wage and contract concessions that exceed 35 per cent.

Tembec announced earlier this month that it was putting the plant up for sale and was prepared to end the lockout, subject to an agreement on some local issues.

Before it locked out the workers, Tembec said it needed immediate and significant cuts in labour costs at the mill to keep it competitive.

Demand for newsprint has dropped across North America because of the recession and changes in newspapers affected by the migration of news and advertising to the Internet.

Tembec is one of Canada's largest forestry companies, with operations in Quebec and other parts of the country, and in France.
◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•
Meanwhile the United Steel Workers have issued a press release which goes into more detail as to why the workers rejected the offer. It also mentions that the rejection was unanimous. To my knowledge no mass media outlet has picked up on this press release. Here it is from the Canadian Newswire.
◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•◘•
Tembec Denies Pine Falls Workers Severance, EI and Workplace Rights:
WINNIPEG, Dec. 23 /CNW/ - Locked-out members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 3 - 1375, at the Tembec Manitoba Newsprint operations in Powerview-Pine Falls, unanimously rejected a company proposal Tuesday to change the lockout to a layoff if workers agreed to defer severance pay and give up their employment security rights unless the operations were running at 100 per cent capacity.

USW negotiators and Tembec met Tuesday with two conciliators from the Manitoba Department of Labour to possibly end the lockout that began September 1, 2009. Two hundred and sixty USW members and 20 members of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union are on the picket line in rejection of wage and contract concessions that exceed 35 per cent.

"It is clear Tembec has no interest in ending this dispute because it tabled proposals it surely must have known would be rejected outright by their employees, our members," said USW area supervisor Wayne Skrypnyk.

The USW has applied to the provincial labour board for Interest Arbitration.

Despite imposing the lockout, earlier this month Tembec admitted to the Manitoba government and the unions that it intends to either sell the newsprint mill or close it down.

"If Tembec agreed to change its lockout to a layoff, our members would be able to collect Employment Insurance," said Skrypnyk. "This would have helped the workers and the community weather the economic storm that has hit the industry."

He added: "Tembec's denial of a workable agreement that would provide workers and their families access to Employment Insurance is heartless, especially at Christmas time."
The USW represents 250,000 workers in all sectors of the Canadian economy.
For further information: Wayne Skrypnyk, USW Area Coordinator, (204) 232-7335

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# posted by mollymew @ 9:04 PM 2 comments

Monday, December 21, 2009

 

CANADIAN LABOUR-MOOSE JAW:
UFCW SOLIDARITY WITH LOCKED OUT WORKERS IN MOOSE JAW:
Looks like it's "celebrating the donations" time here at Molly's Blog. Following the previous article here's another good news story as the UFCW from across the continent have raised $86,000 as a donation for workers locked out by XL Beef in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan. Yeah, I know it's not the centre of the universe, just as here in Manitoba the plight of workers locked out by Tembec in Pine Falls hardly blips onto the world screen. Multiply these isolated incidents in out of the way places to what they actually are, however, and you see a vicious pattern of managerial assault on ordinary workers.
The following is a "good news story", just as the previous 'Operation Christmas Cheer' reported here at Molly's Blog is such a thing. I suppose, however, that I have to get my "grouch" in. It has been some time since the UFCW asked the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour to support a boycott of XL Beef. The SFL spokesman came out with a disparaging statement about the idea, and since that time little has been heard about it. Can anyone say "death by neglect" ? It seems as if the UFCW Union is unwilling to publicly challenge the SFL about their lack of action. Too bad. This is one of the many instances that point to the need for independent voices, not just in Canada's unions but amongst "the left" in general, voices that are not mouthpieces for this or that organization. Too much get swept under the carpet. The SFL should be challenged to say whether it is or is not willing to support such a boycott and to give its reasons if not. My own opinion, for what it is worth is that, given the fact that XL Beef is marketed internationally, that the UFCW should go ahead with a boycott whether they have the support of the SFL or not.
OK, enough preaching. Here's the story from the Moose Jaw Times.
◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘
UFCW stands behind local XL Beef employees:
$86,000 US.
That’s how much United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) from across North America gave local XL Beef employees currently on lock out on Friday.

“It may seem at times this is a fight you’re taking on by yourself, but you’re not by yourself,” UFCW vice president and food processing and packing director Mark Lauritsen told about 60 local workers, who were picketing across the road from XL Beef plant.

Lauritsen said the fight was important not just in Moose Jaw, but to anyone who works in the beef-packing industry in Canada and the U.S.

Lauritsen then presented UFCW Local 1400 president Norm Neault with an envelope containing $86,000, which the union collected from its members in from both countries following a recent sector meeting.

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# posted by mollymew @ 10:55 PM 0 comments

Thursday, December 17, 2009

 

CANADIAN LABOUR-TORONTO:
SOLIDARITY PICKET WITH CADILLAC FAIRVIEW WORKERS:
For many long months the workers employed at the TD Centre in Toronto by the property management company Cadillac Fairview have been locked out. The workers are represented by Local 2300 of the CEP Union of Canada. As the following from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) says there will be an information picket this Saturday at the Toronto Eaton Centre. If you live down Toronto way consider coming out and lending a hand.
===============
SATURDAY: Info Picket at Yonge & Dundas for Locked out Workers – CF61‏:
please forward widely...
***
**All Out – Info Picket for Locked out Workers – CF 61Yonge & Dundas**
Toronto Eaton Centre
Saturday December 19th
12 noon to 2 p.m.
*This past summer, Cadillac Fairview - a multi million dollar company, locked out 61 workers. Some of these folks had 20 years of service or more at the workplace but that did not stop the employer from then firing them all a month later.
Since that time, the workers - also known as the CF 61, have been standing strong and holding the picket line out front of their workplace at the Toronto Dominion Centre.
Now, Cadillac Fairview has gone even further to target these workers by forcing their picket tent to be torn down in the freezing cold of winter.
Join workers, labour, allies, supporters, students and community this Saturday December 19th at 12 noon to 2 p.m. to take this struggle to the heart of Cadillac Fairview’s empire – the Toronto Eaton Centre.
Let Toronto shoppers know that these workers have been tossed to the curb by the biggest Scrooge of them all – the corporate bosses at Cadillac Fairview and we are not going to put up with it!!!
Bring noisemakers, banners, placards, flags etc...
For more information, contact the Support Committee for CF61 at 416-529-9600

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# posted by mollymew @ 9:54 PM 0 comments

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