CANADIAN LABOUR NEWFOUNDLAND:

TROUBLE IN PARADISE

It is a very old story out in Newfoundland way. Fish processing companies come and go, opening, closing and reopening elsewhere. All, of course, to keep labour costs as low as possible no matter what the effect on local communities.

The Ocean Choice International company is cut from the usual cloth. They have recently laid off 400 workers in Port Union and Marystown. This has come along with a "request" to the Newfoundland government to grant the company permanent exemption to ship fish outside of the province for processing. In return the company "promises" to double the number of jobs in Fortune, another fishing community, and by some miracle make them year around. The likelihood of them holding to this promise is about the same as a snowball gambling in the netherworld.

Laid off workers and their supporters gathered at the Paradise Newfoundland headquarters of Ocean Choice to voice their own demands. The workers are represented by the CAW affiliated Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union. Look to their website for more news of this dispute. Here's the basic story from the CBC. Molly has to say that she is doubtful about the good faith of the opposition politicians who addressed the rally.

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Protesters rally at OCI headquarters
Labour leaders, opposition politicians address crowd
By Rob Antle, CBC News
About 150 protesters gathered at Ocean Choice International headquarters in Paradise Tuesday to rally against the company.

Former fish plant workers bussed in from Port Union and Marystown to hear labour leaders and opposition politicians deliver broadsides against OCI.

George Feltham, an inshore fisherman and a vice-president with the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union, condemned the company.

"This is not only an attack on plants, this is an attack on the fishery as a whole," Feltham said.

FFAW president Earle McCurdy said the industry is at a "fundamental turning point" right now.

More than 150 people, waving placards and chanting slogans, protested at OCI headquarters on Tuesday. (Rob Antle/CBC)He said the fight against plant closures must continue.

"The company, the union and the provincial government have a responsibility to leave no stone unturned to do everything possible to save those jobs, save those plants, save those communities," McCurdy said.

'Moaned, whined and sooked'
Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour president Lana Payne slammed the company, saying Ocean Choice "moaned, whined and sooked" about a request from the provincial government for more information.

On Monday, OCI officials said that critical comments by Fisheries Minister Darin King were hurting the company's reputation with its global clientele.

But Payne said the real damage came when OCI laid off 400 people at its Port Union and Marystown facilities weeks before Christmas.

Workers want the shuttered fish plants reopened. They also want the government to deny OCI's request for exemptions to ship unprocessed fish out of the province.

The company is promising to nearly double the number of jobs at its fish plant in Fortune, and make those jobs year round, if the province grants its request.

The government has already turned down OCI's request for permanent exemptions, but no decision has been made on temporary ones.

Protesters propped placards against the OCI headquarters building at the end of Tuesday's rally. (Rob Antle/CBC)The company is sharing information with the government, and a decision on that could be made within weeks.

Opposition reaction
The leaders of the province's two opposition parties spoke in support of the protesters' cause.

Liberal Leader Dwight Ball accused the Tory administration of lacking vision on the fishery.

"This Dunderdale government has not been proactive, nor have they been creative," Ball said. "They have not been strong advocates for strenghtening our fishery."

NDP Leader Lorraine Michael said Fisheries Minister Darin King took a step in the right direction when he turned down OCI's request for permanent exemptions last week, but pledged to keep his feet to the fire.

"The resource belongs to the people," Michael said.

CANADIAN LABOUR MANITOBA:

'MANITOBA MIKE' MAYBE:

American film maker Michael Moore has a long history of supporting the cause of labour, and some of his support has been to Canadian unions such as during the Vale strike in Sudbury. That strike is, of course, now history, but Vale has "rewarded" the workers at its plant in Thompson Manitoba for not going out on a wildcat solidarity strike by...closing down their operations in Thompson thereby throwing 100s out of work and essentially gutting the economy of the town. As Moore says in his blog posting this "economic development" is being financed at least in part by "economic development" grants from the federal Conservative government. Some development !

Here's Moore's well written and entertaining blog posting on this subject. It's nice to see that this province occasionally gets at least a little notice. Please be aware that I do not share Moore's enthusiasm for the NDP, though I guess in the context of American politics even a right leaning social democratic party like the NDP looks good.

TMTMTMTMTM
Why I Support the People of Thompson, Canada -- And You Should Too
By Michael Moore

To people down here in the U.S., Thompson, Canada and its fight with the Brazilian mining giant Vale may seem very far away.

It's not.

(Don't be embarrassed if you need a map to find Thompson, though -- blame the U.S. media, which will only tell you about Canadians if they have some connection to Justin Bieber.)

Right now Thompson is fighting a frontline battle in a war that's been raging for the past 30 years -- the global war of the world's rich on the middle class. It's a war the people of Flint and all of Michigan know much too well. It's a war going on right now in Wisconsin. And it's a war where the middle class just won a round in Egypt. (You probably didn't know -- because the U.S. media was too busy telling you about Justin Bieber -- that Gamal Mubarak, son of Egypt's dictator and his chosen successor, worked for years for Bank of America.)

Here's what's happening in Thompson, and why it matters so much:

Canada isn't like the United States -- it's still a first world country, where corporations are supposed to exist to benefit people, not the other way around. They don't just have universal health care -- they even have something called the Investment Canada Act, which says multinationals like Vale can only invest in Canadian industries if it will benefit all of Canada. I know, crazy!

The mine in Thompson used to be run by Inco, a Canadian corporation that made peace with unions and shared the wealth. When Vale bought Inco in 2006, they signed a contract with the government setting out what they would do to benefit Canadians.

Immediately afterward, Vale violated the contract and went on the attack -- forcing miners in Sudbury, Ontario out on the longest strike in their history. And now in Thompson they're trying to shut down the smelting and refining operations that have made the city a major economic hub of the province. Meanwhile, the Conservative government of Stephen Harper -- think of George W. Bush with a Canadian accent -- is actually helping Vale do this to their fellow citizens, with a giant $1 billion government loan which Vale is using to move jobs out of Thompson. Moreover, the largest institutional investor in Vale is Blackrock, an investment firm which in turn is owned by several of America's bailed-out banks ... including Bank of America.

So this is about one thing and one thing only: killing the social contract of Canada. Vale and the Harper government don't want a future where Brazil gradually becomes more like Canada. Instead, they want a future where Canada becomes Brazil. And not just Canada: the corporations' plan is that the Third World will become the Only World.

That's why people everywhere need to support Thompson. As Niki Ashton -- the MP who represents Thompson and the second-youngest woman ever elected to the Canadian Parliament -- says: "It Was Flint Yesterday, It's Us and Wisconsin Today, and Tomorrow It's Going to Be Everyone."

And that's why I'm proud to feature Ashton and voices of the people of Thompson on my website. And it's why I'm asking you to watch their powerful video, hear their stories, and share them with everyone you know.

Regular people across the world are standing up right now and saying "No!" to the future they have planned for us. We won in Egypt. We're waking up and fighting back across the U.S. Let's all stand with Thompson and make it the place where we turn the tide in this awful war. As Kamal Abbas, one of Egypt's most important union leaders, said in a video message to Wisconsin: "We stand with you, as you stood with us."

(Confidential to people of Thompson: we're not saying Americans will only help if you promise to introduce us to Justin Bieber. We're just saying, you know, it couldn't hurt.)

AMERICAN LABOUR:

NO TO LAYOFFS AT BIG Y GROCERY:

The following appeal for solidarity with American grocery workers comes from the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union.

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Take Action: Grocery Workers Need Your Help!‏

Workers in Connecticut and Massachusetts NEED YOUR HELP on Facebook and Twitter!
The Big Y grocery company has been buying A&P stores and reopening them as Big Y stores in Connecticut--and has barely hired back any of the experienced, long-time A&P workers who were already working in those stores. At the same time, Big Y has laid off many of its own workers and has encouraged full-timers to take voluntary layoffs.

It's terrible any time someone loses a job, but when a company is expanding--what sense does that make? Why get rid of experienced workers from our communities, only to hire new ones to replace them? Full time OR part time, these grocery jobs should all be good jobs--jobs that offer good wages and benefits and a path to advancement.

We're forced to ask: Why, Big Y? What kind of a company does Big Y want to be? The kind that rewards loyal, hard-working employees? Or the kind that lets them--and their customers--down? The kind that creates good middle class jobs in our communities, or the kind that destroys them? The kind that offers a real path to advancement for part-timers and full-timers alike? Or the kind that offers only low wage, dead-end jobs?

Please help us support these laid-off workers and fight for good middle class jobs. With your help, we want to hold Big Y accountable--by asking Why, Big Y?

Please join us in asking the tough questions on Big Y's Facebook page and Twitter feed, like:

►Why did Big Y lay off so many of its own workers, and ask others to take voluntary layoffs—when the company is expanding and hiring?
►Why did Big Y refuse to hire back most A&P workers when it re-opened old A&P stores under the Big Y banner?
►Why is Big Y making these tough economic times even tougher for working families?
►Why won't Big Y listen to loyal A&P shoppers--who’ve asked repeatedly for Big Y to re-hire the A&P workers who customers have come to regard as family?
►Why won’t Big Y reward years of hard work and loyalty, so full-timers AND part-timers alike can have the opportunity they deserve?

Just ask any of the above questions--or Why, Big Y? on Facebook or Twitter to show your solidarity with laid-off Big Y workers.

You can find Big Y's Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/bigyworldclassmarket

And Big Y's Twitter feed is: @BigYFoods

Thank you so much for all your help on this, and please spread the word--we can't fight for good jobs at Big Y without you!

CANADIAN LABOUR MONTRÉAL:

MONTRÉAL WORKERS FIGHT REFINERY CLOSURE:

Shell Canada announced earlier this year that they would be closing their Montréal East oil refinery and converting it into a "distribution terminal". This means a reduction of the workforce from about 800 people to a low of perhaps 25 ie layoffs for about 97% of the workers employed there. Needless to say the workers, represented by Local 121 of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP Union) have been fighting this tooth and nail. To date they have achieved a temporary injunction preventing the closure of the plant until it is certain that a buyer cannot be found.

The union is considering various courses of action as the time on this injunction is running low. What seems to be missing is an obvious alternative. Molly will get into this later. For now here's a story from the CBC about the opposition to the refinery closure.

CLCLCLCLCL
Union vows fight to save Montreal refinery

Shell Canada plans to convert its Montreal East refinery into a distribution terminal after negotiations to sell the 77-year-old facility failed. (Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)
A boycott, a petition and political pressure are among tactics that union leaders are considering to stop Shell Canada from dismantling its Montreal East oil refinery.

Shell said Monday it will go ahead with plans to convert the refinery into a distribution terminal after negotiations with a potential buyer fell through.

The 77-year-old refinery employs 800 people, while a distribution terminal would require only 25 to 30.

"It's frustrating," union president Jean-Claude Rocheleau said Tuesday. "We just can't lose all those jobs."

Rocheleau said there's enough public support in Quebec for a petition, and another boycott of Shell products is a possibility. The union organized a one-day boycott in June.

"It's easier to do because there are so many gas stations," he said.

Shell and Delek US Holdings, which had offered to buy the refinery, renewed talks last week to see if they could resolve issues that led to a breakdown of negotiations earlier this year. Shell had previously rejected Delek's offer of $420 million.

However, the talks broke off with both companies saying they did not intend to discuss the sale further.

Injunction in place
Rocheleau said he believes Shell doesn't want to sell the refinery and have it continue operating. "We have to convince Shell it's better for them to sell their refinery than keep running a terminal," he said.

The union obtained an injunction in July that prevented Shell from dismantling the refinery while the possibility of a sale remained alive.

"We will continue to comply with the injunction," said Shell spokesman Larry Lalonde, adding it expires around Sept. 10.

In the meantime, the company will continue working on regulatory approval to convert the refinery into a distribution terminal, Lalonde said.

Shell would need the Quebec government's approval to shut down the refinery and Rocheleau said he wants to make sure the union is consulted.

Natural Resources Minister Nathalie Normandeau has to decide if Shell has done everything it can to sell the refinery, he said, adding that environmental regulations also have to be respected if the closure goes ahead.

Denis Lebel, federal minister of state for Canada economic development, said the federal government won't get involved in a business decision between two companies.

Rocheleau also expressed concern that the refinery's 500 unionized employees could be locked out by Shell. The two sides are in contract negotiations regarding layoff procedures and protocol for closure of the refinery.

In a lockout, unionized employees would lose a layoff premium based on the number of years of service, Rocheleau said.

Shell said it will treat workers fairly during the closure. "We recognize that it's a difficult time for them and our intent is to be fair with them," Lalonde said.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/08/03/shell-refinery-union.html#ixzz0vsQzxC6i

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It appears that Shell has merely been going through the motions of obeying the injunction and searching for a buyer for the plant as the following item from the CEP Union website says. Note also the further clarification of the number of workers compared to the CBC item.

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Union to fight Shell conversion of refinery to terminal;

Move would result in loss of almost 500 high-paying jobs, CEP says


Published Postmedia News
By Allison Lampert
MONTREAL - Government regulators will come under intense union pressure to stall Shell Canada Products's plans to convert its east-end Montreal refinery into a terminal, labour leaders say.

The plans for a terminal, which would result in the loss of almost 500 high-paying jobs, are inevitable after negotiations ended with potential buyer Delek US Holdings, Inc., Shell says.

Union leaders say they're asking Quebec to use provincial laws governing environmental protection and oil products to make the conversion more difficult for Shell. For example, Shell cannot demolish its oil refining equipment when it converts to a terminal, which would receive refined oil from both domestic and international markets.

"It's clear that we are going to use these tactics to stop the conversion," said Jean-Claude Rocheleau, president of local 121 of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada.

The conversion to a terminal will eliminate all but 25 to 30 jobs at the site, which is now staffed by about 500 unionized workers and an additional 250 temporary, full-time employees. The workers, including engineers, welders and technicians, earn about $80,000 a year, on average, Rocheleau said.

"This will make Quebec poorer," he said.

Larry Lalonde, spokesman for Shell, which operates 280 company-owned retail outlets and a wholesale business in Quebec, said any delays to the permit-approval process could result in shortages.

While Shell doesn't need to demolish parts of the plant, it is seeking government approval to modify certain pieces of equipment for the terminal.

"We need to get moving on the conversion," Lalonde said. "Otherwise supply would be tight."

Shell intends to cease production at the refinery in mid-September and would like to have the terminal running by November, he said.

"But this is all pending regulatory approval, of course."

At a time when companies are operating modern, efficient refineries in oil producing regions like Qatar, Lalonde said, it would cost Shell more than $400 million in capital upgrades to properly run the 130,000 barrel-per-day crude processing facility in Montreal. The refinery now processes crude oil imported from Portland, Me.

"This refinery, in particular, is 77 years old," he said. "It is an old facility. It is not commercially viable for Shell to keep running it as is."

Lalonde said Shell had searched unsuccessfully for a buyer for more than a year. While Shell was asking for a sale price of around $150 million to $200 million for the refinery alone, the best offer from Delek would have included the refinery plus the sale of parts of Shell's resale and wholesale businesses, he said.

But Rocheleau dismissed the sales process as a sham. The potential buyer, Delek, was found by a special committee of union and political representatives, not Shell, he said.

"It's clear that what they always wanted to do was to convert the refinery into a terminal," he said.

CLCLCLCLCLCLCL

Of the tactics that the CEP Union has proposed only the idea of a boycott will actually impact Shell directly. Further lobbying would be the least useful as the government, in the absence of any evidence of public pressure would almost inevitably wash its hands of the whole matter, saying that "it has done all that it could" with the previous injunction.

About the only thing likely to give Shell serious pause would be an implied threat that the process of dismantling/refitting (chose one) might be disrupted either by blockade or by an actual occupation of the premises. Nobody should expect the union to actually "threaten" such a thing, but one could hardly accuse them of a violation of the law if they were to simply mention to both their membership and the public the many instances in recent Canadian history where such tactics were successfully used by a variety of workers in a variety of disputes. No need to "advocate" any such thing. Just a little "background information", that's all.

To be honest, however, I personally think that this particular struggle is unlikely to succeed given the age of the plant and the implied costs of upgrading it. Not that the plant couldn't be made viable given enough time and gradual refitting. But, as the above article says, any buyer would pretty well have to be in possession of at least some of Shell's wholesale and retail revenue to finance such upgrading. By the "letter of the law" ie the injunction Shell is under no compulsion to part with that part of their business, and their actions have shown that they most certainly will not.

The problem with this search for a new operator is the same problem that continually reoccurs in many industries. All this is being done in an atmosphere of crisis where a company is threatening shutdowns and massive layoffs. The workers involved in such situations are in a position where their bargaining power is considerably reduced. To my mind there should be a long term approach, rather than coasting through "good times" with an I'm all right Jack attitude and only reacting in times of crisis.

To my mind a long term solution would obviously be a nationwide federation of co-ops involved in the energy sector. Sure there are co-op gas bars across the country. In Québec they are operated under the 'Sonic' brand owned by the Coop fédérée. In the whole of Canada, however, the only co-op refinery is in Regina Saskatchewan. There should be many more. Not that the Regina refinery was the most pleasant neighbour at times. I remember well how the closer you lived to it the fouler the air was. I understand things are a bit different these days. I understand that cooperatives are a provincial responsibility under Canadian law, but I don't see how this could prevent various provincial federations from coordinating their efforts - the very essence of a federation- without being formally linked. I would suggest a mixed producer/consumer co-op model. The present gas outlet co-ops are exclusively consumer owned. I would also suggest that the demonstrated long term success of the co-op model in Canada says that it is a viable alternative to statist solutions such as the late unlamented PetroCan or to simply letting the multinationals run the show in the accustomed way.

That, of course, is a long term prospect. It is, however, an attractive one for many reasons, not to just protect jobs or to reduce the cost to consumers. In the immediate future of the situation in Montréal the idea of a co-op refinery is not as outré as it may seem. Difficult yes, but not impossible. Québec already has a vast cooperative network with large financial resources. It also already has a network of retail co-op outlets. Why not consider this option ?

CANADIAN LABOUR HAMILTON:

SIEMENS WORKERS RALLY AGAINST PLANT CLOSURE:

At the end of last month workers employed by Siemens Canada in Hamilton Ontario rallied at the Canadian corporate headquarters to protest the closing of a plant that has 100 years of history in that city and its relocation to North Carolina. NC essentially "bought" the plant with the promise of $22.75 million in grants and tax breaks and an additional $120 million in low cost loans. In return Siemens said that they would invest $135 million in their new facilities. Note that the government largess exceeds the promised investment by $7.75 million. Pretty sweet deal if you can get it. Oh, and don't forget that North Carolina is a so-called "right to work" state where it is much harder for workers to unionize.

The Siemens company has a long and not very glorious history. Leaving aside its "ancient history" as a supporter of the Nazi party in Germany in recent years it has been embroiled in multiple bribery scandals across the world. It has also, of course, as a "paragon of free enterprise" been the recipient of untold millions in government giveaways in many countries. Sometimes, however, they don't get away with the silverware. In 1999 they were ordered to repay 18 million pounds in grants in Britain after they closed one of their state sponsored "enterprises".

The Hamilton plant is probably doomed as Canadian governments are unlikely to offer up the amount of corporate welfare available stateside. Nor should they. The present dispute is more about severance conditions than anything else. In "response" to the demonstration reported below the company retaliated by moving up the date of closure from July 2011 to April 2011 when their present collective agreement runs out. There is, of course, little to be done from now to then except continue the argument between the union and the company. As the closure date draws nearer, however, workers at Siemens might look to how workers at GM in Windsor in 2009 , also represented by the CAW, managed to extract better conditions by occupying the plant that was due to close. This tactic has also been quite successful in many other workplaces in recent years.

The workers at Siemens are represented by Local 504 of the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW). Here's the story of the demonstration from their website.

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Mass Demonstration at Siemens Canada Head Office

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CAW Local 504 members who work at Siemens Canada's gas turbine facility in Hamilton, Ontario held a mass demonstration outside the company's headquarters to protest plans to close the plant and move work to North Carolina.

They urged the highly profitable company to reverse the decision or find alternate work for the long-time Hamilton facility. Failing those options they demanded the company sit down with the CAW to finalize an equitable settlement.

The company has announced plans to close the gas turbine plant in July 2011.

"We're getting increasingly frustrated at this company's callous attitude towards its workforce, so this could be the first of many similar events if things don't change," said CAW Local 504 President Randy Smith. "We continue to receive strong support from our brothers and sisters at IG Metall in Germany, the metalworkers' union which represents Siemens workers there, who believe there remains a strong future for the Hamilton facility as well as gas turbine facilities in Germany."

"After more than 100 years of commitment from this workforce in Hamilton it's a disgrace the way the company is treating these highly skilled workers," said CAW National Representative Tom Rooke. "They should treat these workers with the dignity they deserve - this is a corporation that's making billions in profits each year worldwide."

"It's time for this corporation to come back to the table and negotiate a fair and equitable agreement for these workers," said Rooke.

CAW President Ken Lewenza said Siemens is a world-wide producer that has benefited from government support and procurement contracts, including here in Canada. "Siemens should not forget that it owes its success to its productive workforce, including our members at the Hamilton facility," Lewenza said.

Failing the possibility of finding alternate work to keep the plant running, Lewenza said the union is demanding a fair settlement agreement, that to date Siemens has been unwilling to consider.

CAW Local 504 represents approximately 350 hourly and salaried members at Siemens in Hamilton.

AMERICAN LABOUR CALIFORNIA:

SOLIDARITY WITH LAID OFF NURSERY WORKERS:

The following appeal for solidarity with laid off nursery workers in the USA comes from the United Farm Workers.

ALALALALAL
Stand in Solidarity with Laid Off Nursery Workers

Nurserymen’s Exchange is one of the nation’s largest wholesalers of nursery plants. Until recently they employed a work force of around 300. The situation at Nurserymen’s Exchange wasn’t great. There were ridiculous quotas, injuries and other problems, but workers still stuck around because it was a least a steady paycheck. Then in early July they laid off nearly half of their employees. Many of these workers were long time employees who worked with the company for decades.

Twenty-nine year employee and team leader, Lourdes Patino was one of these 132 laid off workers. She tells us to add insult to injury, the company told the employees the reason they were laid off was because there was no work for them, but in reality the company wanted to hire out of town labor contractor workers so they could pay cheap wages and no benefits. Lourdes told us she knew this because “on our last day, management told us they would give us the phone number of the farm labor contractor so we can talk to him and he could hire us to work again, paying us minimum wage and no benefits. I think it’s not fair for us because they want to bring us back to work for the minimum wage.”

Shortly after they were laid off, the workers contacted the union and we are doing all we can to help them get their jobs back. Help us take a stand to hold corporations like this accountable. A bad economy is not an excuse for sleazy behavior. Won’t you help?

ALALALALAL

THE LETTER:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to Nurserymen's Exchange in California.

ALALALALAL

I am deeply disappointed in your company for laying off nearly half of your workforce--many of whom were with your company for decades. This is simply immoral. A bad economy is not an excuse for sleazy behavior. Trying to cover your company by paying workers the minimum compensation that the law requires you to pay anyway does not satisfy your responsibility to these workers.

Mass layoffs and then hiring back cheaper labor contractor workers is outrageous. Especially as it is reported that to add insult to injury, "on our last day, management told us they would give us the phone number of the farm labor contractor so we can talk to him and he could hire us to work again, paying us minimum wage and no benefits."

Immediately recall or rehire these 132 workers who have stayed loyal to your corporation through ridiculous quotas, injuries, foreman pressure and more.

CANADIAN LABOUR:

PROTEST CANADA POST CALL CENTRE PRIVATIZATION:

Plans on the part of Canada Post to privatize its customer service call centres have stirred up protests from the workers involved. Here is the basic story from the CBC.

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Planned Canada Post cuts draw union's ire

Plans by Canada Post to privatize its customer service call centres in cities across Canada are drawing fire from one of the country's largest unions.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), representing more than 165,000 public-sector workers, has pledged to combat the move, which is expected to result in the loss of 300 jobs across the country.

Call centres in Fredericton, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Edmonton are affected. The centres handle telephone inquiries from the public about postage rates and parcel tracking.

Canada Post's National Philatelic Centre in Antigonish, N.S., will also close, affecting about 70 jobs. The centre sells stamps from several other postal agencies around the world.

The Crown corporation said on Thursday that decreasing mail volumes prompted the cuts, which are slated to take place in 2011 after selected workers' contracts expire.

No full-time workers will be laid off, and the call centres will not be outsourced to overseas locations, a Canada Post spokesperson said.

In Manitoba, as many as 30 temporary employees at Canada Post's Winnipeg-based call depot will not have their contracts renewed. About 70 other permanent staff will move to other jobs with the Crown corporation.

Data for the other centres was not immediately available.

Privacy concerns raised
PSAC spokeswoman Janet May told CBC News that the changes are part of a broader effort by Canada Post management to move the company further toward complete privatization.

"Canada Post is in its 15th year of profit," May said. "So to an average Canadian, does it make sense that part of your postal system is getting privatized?"

The union said it also worries about the loss of people's privacy if they have to offer up personal information to a private company — especially if the call-centre work is outsourced to a U.S. company.

"I'm not sure that Canadians are ready to see their postal service become an information collection agency for the American government," said Robyn Benson, PSAC's executive vice-president for the Prairies.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/04/01/man-canada-post-cuts-call-centre.html#ixzz0kA223Zrt

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Here's how the situation is viewed by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) who represent many of the workers employed in the customer service call centres. Here's the press release from their website.

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Canada Post to privatize 300 contact centre jobs across Canada

Ottawa—The Public Service Alliance of Canada, the largest federal public service union in the country, will be taking swift action to prevent Canada Post from privatizing an important part of its operations. Yesterday, the crown corporation announced that it would outsource its contact centres and the National Philatelic Centre, resulting in the elimination of more than 300 jobs across the country.


Affected locations include:

Edmonton
Ottawa
Winnipeg
Antigonish
Fredericton
“This obsession with privatization will badly damage the quality of the Canadian postal service as well as the communities it serves,” said Robyn Benson, the PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President for the Prairies. “Many regions in the country will lose local contact with Canada Post as well as jobs that are important for the local economy,” she added.

For Benson, the privatization of Canada Post’s answering services also raises the question of protection of confidential information provided by Canadians.

“I’m not sure that Canadians are ready to see their postal service become an information collection agency for the American government,’ Benson said. “If an American company answers calls for Canada Post, then the U.S. Patriot Act gives the government access to all information the company collects. Is that what Canadians want?”

Richard Deslauriers, the National President of PSAC component, the Union of Postal and Communications Employees (UPCE) said this type of economic reasoning will bring Canada Post closer to a complete privatization.

“The privatization of Canada Post has always been an objective of the current management and the conservative federal government,” Deslauriers said. “The slippery slope of partial privatization of services will end up with Canada Post in the hands of private companies and Canadians will be deprived of a service they have relied on for decades”.

The PSAC represents more than 166,000 members across the country including 2,000 at Canada Post.

To arrange media interviews:

Alain Cossette, PSAC Communications, 613-293-9210

CANADIAN LABOUR- SUDBURY:

CALL FOR BOYCOTT OF LOBLAWS:

Sudbury apparently has more than one labour dispute going on. The management of National Grocers have decided to close their warehouse in Sudbury. As if the prospect of losing one's job was not enough the workers were offered the bare legal minimum in terms of severance pay. The RWDSU union (the UFCW affiliate, not the more radical Western Canadian RWDSU who actually list the Canadian IWW in their links) who represent them are protesting this action and are calling for a boycott of Loblaws. Loblaws is, of course, part of the international Weston empire, and it goes under many aliases. These include Superstore, Great Food, Zehrs, Maxi & Cie, T & T Supermarket, Provigo and others. See this link for full details including their franchises. A local Sudbury boycott has little chance of success. A national (or international ?) one might be more likely to succeed. Of course the ultimate 'deal maker' would be an occupation of the warehouse before the goods were removed. Here's the story from the Sudbury Star.

SLSLSLSLSLSLSL
Union calls on citizens to boycott Loblaw products

Posted By JESSY BRUNETTE, FOR THE SUDBURY STAR


Sudburians who want to show their support for National Grocers employees based in Sudbury who are losing their jobs should boycott Loblaw products in protest until the company improves its severance offer, say the workers.

"We're calling for a boycott of all President's Choice and No Name products and telling everyone to shop at Metro," said Bruce Lawrence, who has worked for 38 years at National Grocers.


Lawrence said the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union has always worked well with National Grocers in Sudbury.

"Why are they treating us like this now?" he asked.

Lawrence and the union are upset Loblaw is offering one week's pay for each year worked up to a cap of $25,000.

"Basically, the company has offered the minimum wage for employment standards," said Derik McArthur, the union's Northern Joint Council president. "They can't offer anything lower because it's against the law."

McArthur said the last day of work for union members will probably be April 24.

"Loblaw has once again shown its lack of caring and compassion for its employees, their families and the communities they operate in," he said.

"Generally, a company will pay employment standard severance if they are going out of business. This is certainly not the case for Canada's largest food retailer."

McArthur said the severance offered here is lower than what displaced workers in southern Ontario received.

The union and Loblaw met last week to discuss the pay.

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"They said this is the new direction the company is taking," McArthur said. "Oddly enough, on the same day, there was a bakery in Quebec, a Westons bakery that is connected to Loblaw, that said in a press release they were to receive well above the standard requirements and relocation assistance.

"We're not asking for anything more than what everyone else is getting. We're asking for equality."

Julija Hunter, Loblaw Companies Limited's vice-president of public relations, said Tuesday details of severance packages are confidential and it would be inappropriate for the company to comment.

"We thank our colleagues for their dedication and appreciate their hard work," she said. "We have honoured the terms of our collective agreement with the union and provincial labour laws."

In early March, Loblaw Companies Limited announced it was closing its massive National Grocers warehouse on Lorne Street, throwing more than 125 people out of work. The union represents 107 of the warehouse's employees.

Loblaw Companies said it was making the move to realign its distribution centres from five facilities to four in Ontario.

The Lorne Street warehouse supplies non-perishable food to Loblaw-affiliated stores across northeastern Ontario, including stores in Greater Sudbury, New Liskeard, Manitoulin Island, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins. Store banners include Real Canadian Superstore, Your Independent Grocer, Freshmart and Valumart.

The union held a rally at the Lorne Street warehouse. Horns were honking, people were yelling and songs about unions and replacement workers blared outside the warehouse during the demonstration.

Darrin Paquette has worked at National Grocers for 24 years and said he is "very disappointed" with the severance pay.

"We were counting on something similar they offered to the branches in southern Ontario," Paquette said.

Paquette added the support received from the community yesterday was great.

"We've got the Steelworkers here and lots of horns," he said. "The people who are driving by seem to be supportive."

At 33, Steve Patay has to find a new job to support his two young boys. He has been working at the warehouse for 15 years.

"It's just horrible, they are not giving us enough notice," Patay said. "They are giving us the bare minimum and it's leaving a lot of the guys high and dry. Lots of people with families work here. It's not enough time to put anything in order.

"All the others branches had a year or six months notice. And it's literally nothing here."

AMERICAN LABOUR- CLEVELAND:

A BOSS YOU WANT TO KEEP:

Most bosses you want to get rid of. This boss is one the workers want to keep. I'm speaking of the suit manufacturer Hugo Boss. Over three hundred workers in Cleveland are being threatened with layoffs because Hugo Boss wants to close the factory and relocate to places of cheaper labour. Their union Workers United isn't taking this laying down, and has been waging a long campaign to pressure the company to keep the facility open. This action has enlisted the support of many celebrities, especially actor Danny Glover, and it seems to be having an effect. Here's the story and appeal from Workers United.

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Tell Hugo Boss to keep making suits in the USA
Hugo Boss says it needs to close its U.S. suit factory in Cleveland and fire more than 300 dedicated workers. They say they want to make suits more cheaply in Turkey or Eastern Europe. They don’t even claim the Cleveland factory is losing money -- they just say they need to make a bit more money.

We are already making a difference in the fight to keep this plant open. When we joined Danny Glover and asked celebrities not to wear Hugo Boss on the Oscar Red Carpet, they listened. Hugo Boss wrote, “Due to the recent boycott spearheaded by actor Danny Glover, our wardrobing efforts were significantly diminished for this year’s Academy Awards.”

Recently faced with the threat of a formal National Labor Relations Board complaint, Hugo Boss has agreed to return to the bargaining table. But we need to keep the pressure on Hugo Boss not to close the plant as planned on April 27. Sign this petition, and we'll make sure it gets to Hugo Boss, its investors, and to celebrities who still need to get the message that it’s best to be UnBossed.

Read more…

http://www.thewrap.com/article/labor-strife-follows-hugo-boss-red-carpet-14938
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/oscars/7394612/Oscars-2010-Danny-Glover-calls-on-nominees-to-boycott-Hugo-Boss.html
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/taking_down_the_boss_OEnYmTrCBpF44QITpECbaP HBHBHBHBHBHBHB

The Petition:

Please go to this link to sign the following petition demanding that Hugo Boss' Cleveland factory remain open

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Petition to Hugo Boss, investors and stars:

We the undersigned urge Hugo Boss and the Permira fund that controls Hugo Boss to keep the Boss suit factory in Cleveland, Ohio open. Preserve the jobs of over 300 dedicated employees who contribute to the company’s revenues, dividends and profits. We urge celebrities to continue supporting the Hugo Boss workers by remaining UnBossed. Don’t wear Hugo Boss clothing to public events and ceremonies. We urge pension funds and other investors in the Permira private equity fund that owns Hugo Boss to press Permira and Hugo Boss to keep the Ohio factory open.

AMERICAN LABOUR:

SUPPORT HARVARD WORKERS:

You know times are hard when the layoffs even reach the groves of Academe. Such is the case in the hallowed halls of Harvard University in Boston, and the anarchists of the Boston Anti-Authoritarian Movement (BAAM) are organizing to give support to the embattled workers. Here's the story from the pages of the Anarkismo website.

@L@L@L@L@L@L@L

Support Harvard Workers: Calling All Anarchists
Come out to demand "No Layoffs!" at the world's richest university
Calling all Anti-Authoritarians and Anarchists:

The Boston Anti-Authoritarian Movement is calling on our friends and comrades to join us at the rally for Harvard Workers, March 25, 5pm at the Holyoke Center, a Harvard Administration Building (1350 Mass. Ave, next to Au Bon Pain, steps from the Harvard T). This action is a part of an ongoing No Layoffs Campaign launched this summer, organized by various militant members of the Harvard unions. Anarchists have participated in the No Layoffs Campaign since the beginning, and have a good relationship with the campaign's organizers, who have asked us to come out in full force, and to bring out our colors.

Thus, we are calling for anti-authoritarians to come and walk the picket line with us. Bring your black flags, and wear your bandannas around your necks (please). These events have been peaceful so far, there is no need to dress in black bloc, but a clear demonstration that anti-authoritarians support the Harvard workers will send a nice message to the Harvard Corporation. We want to scare Harvard, not its workers. Another suggestion is to wear the clothes you'd wear to work; a small attempt to demystify ourselves in the eyes of our fellow workers (but really, wear what you want). BAAM will also bring fliers about why anarchists support Harvard workers against their management, which we can give to our fellow workers on the picket line to explain why we have the flags and whatnot. As for targeting passers-by with information about our ideas and our groups, in Harvard Square, that's just a waste of time.

“The No Layoffs Campaign is sticking to our clear demands: No layoffs, no furloughs, rehire the laid-off workers...Last year Harvard laid off hundreds of employees. Between the layoffs, and an early retirement “offer” made amid constant threats of job cuts, there are now 340 fewer workers in clerical union jobs than there were last year. Outsourced custodians have also been pushed out of their jobs. Dining service workers recently endured a January with virtually no salary or any unemployment benefits. Clerical workers face mandatory furloughs and the conversion of full-year positions into “seasonal” jobs, meaning summers off without pay, or any ability to collect unemployment.

With a still-massive endowment of $26 billion, Harvard does not need to make these hurtful cuts! Union activists call on Harvard to open its books and try to prove they are necessary. Recently five union members in the Sackler Museum were told they will be laid off July 1. This may be Harvard testing the waters to see if they can impose another mass layoff. Campus workers will not accept the loss of more union jobs!”

More info about No Layoffs Campaign: http://harvardnolayoffs.blogspot.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=731580069&ref=mf#!/event.php?eid=333146782863&ref=mf

More about BAAM: http://www.baamboston.org

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-PAKISTAN:
SUPPORT HOTEL WORKERS IN KARACHI:

The following is from the international union federation, the IUF.
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Tension Escalates At Pearl Continental Karachi as Workers Contest New Management Brutality
Tension is building to a crisis point at the notorious Pearl Continental Hotel in Karachi, Pakistan, as 4 elected union leaders continue to resist their illegal dismissal on February 24 by refusing to leave the hotel and union members and supporters maintain a vigil outside.




The sit-in and supporters' camp outside the luxury establishment have been continuously maintained for three weeks following the dismissal of four officers including the union President, Vice-President and Vice-Chairman. The dismissed leaders and the growing number of supporters outside have vowed not to move until the illegal dismissals are withdrawn and the hotel management agrees to negotiate issues unresolved at the hotel since 2002, including previous sackings of other union officers and members.




For eight years management has been brutally and systematically seeking to destroy the Pearl Continental Karachi Union through anti-union dismissals, intimidation, violence and false imprisonment (background). In 2002, three union leaders were illegally jailed for months while management and the police conspired to link them to various alleged criminal acts. In 2009, after 7 years of vilification and false accusations, their cases were thrown out of the courts in a decision which declared that "Doubt prevails in every nook and cranny of this case."



In 2003, the Committee on Freedom of Association of the ILO determined that grave violations of union rights had been committed by the hotel management and local authorities.and instructed the government to fully investigate the incidents of police detention, violence and harassment of union members.




Neither the hotel management nor the government of Pakistan has responded to this decision. Eight years on the union continues to struggle for legal recognition of its rights. Because the union's demands have been pending before the labour court and the labour department since 2002, no union officer can be legally terminated without the authorization of the labour court.




The February 24 dismissals triggered a response born of 8 years of frustration, with the dismissed officers refusing to leave the hotel until they were reinstated and supporters including family members, fraternal unions, social and human rights activists showing continuous support outside. On March 1, police assaulted the supporters outside the hotel, including women and children, holding them in detention. They were released following a protest action outside the prison - and returned to the supporters' camp.




Management is pressing for new police action through the use of warrants and new court orders, but the depth of support for the Pearl Continental workers has left the police hesitant - for now - to forcibly remove the officers inside or assault the supporters outside the hotel.




The IUF Pakistan office has mobilized wide support to press for restraint by the police and civil authorities and to resolve the conflict through negotiations. International pressure is urgently needed. Please write the hotel management and the parent company to tell them to withdraw the latest dismissals and to begin negotiations to resolve all outstanding issues.
Eight years of assaulting and repressing union members and officers, censure by the United Nations' ILO and continuous human rights violations is enough!

CLICK HERE to send a message to the hotel management and to the parent company
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The Letter
Please go to this link to send the following protest letter to management at the Pearl Continental Hotel. Or click on the link above.
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To
*Dr. Salim Mehmud
Senior Executive Advisor
Pakistan Services Limited


*Zulfiqar Malik
General Manager
Pearl Continental Hotel Karachi
Dear Sirs
In 2003 the United Nations' ILO determined that serious violations of trade union rights had occurred at the Pearl Continental Karachi hotel, and called for the anti-union practices to be rectified.



I am outraged to learn that management stils refuses to recognize the Pearl Continental Hotel Workers' Union and that on February 24 four elected office bearers were dismissed - illegally, because the union's charter of demands from 2002 is still pending due to management's hostile attitude towards the union. Attempts to forcibly remove the dismissed officers and disperse their many supporters outside will only worsen the situation and cause further reputational damage to the hotel.



I urge you to immediately withdraw the suspensions and to enter into good faith negotiations with the Pearl Continental Karachi Workers' Union.
Yours sincerely

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-RUSSIA:

RUSSIAN AUTOWORKERS CALL FOR WORKERS' CONTROL:

Here's an item from the Moscow News about a recent protest by autoworkers at the AvtoVAZ works in Russia. Note that, as usual, the protest was in response to planned layoffs. Note also that it gathered far more participants than expected. Molly would also like the reader to note that the "official" union response ie calling for nationalization is very much beside the point. the plant is, for all intents and purposes, nationalized already, and the demand for workers' control by "union activists" is far more relevant than nationalizing an already nationalized company.

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AvtoVAZ protest prompts inquiry:

Ayano Hodouchi
A protest rally by 2,000 AvtoVAZ car workers on Thursday prompted the state corporation running the factory to threaten to fire troublemakers, while President Dmitry Medvedev reacted to workers' complaints of mismanagement by announcing an inquiry into state-run companies.

The protest, organized by the Edinstvo, or Unity, trade union, went off without incident, although many more than the planned 500 participants attended. Union leader Pyotr Zolotaryov called for AvtoVAZ to be nationalised, and union activists said the plant should come under workers' control.

AvtoVAZ, which is controlled by state corporation Russian Technologies, announced last month it was sending workers on an enforced furlough for August and slashing hours and wages in half starting in September. The company has denied it has plans to fire 26,000 employees - one-quarter of the workforce at its giant plant.

Analysts fear there may be social unrest in Tolyatti, a city of 700,000, on a much larger scale than in Pikalyovo, a small Leningrad region town where Prime Minister Vladimir Putin intervened in June to get three factories reopened and back wages paid.

Vladislav Kapustin, minister of industry, energy and technology in the Samara region government, said that AvtoVAZ did not need any more state support for the time being. "AvtoVAZ makes as many cars as it sells," Kapustin told RIA Novosti, adding that the situation may worsen in the case of a second wave of the economic crisis many analysts fear will come this autumn.

Kapustin also said that regional authorities planned to offer extra part-time work to 22,000 AvtoVAZ employees to make up for short-time working.

Russian Technologies chief Sergei Chemezov, a close ally of Putin's, told reporters in Ankara last week that he is confident AvtoVAZ sales would grow again in August. "In July, sales volumes expanded by 12 per cent to 15 per cent, in August, that figure will grow even more," RIA Novosti quoted Chemezov.

Chemezov slammed the workers' protests as "provocative", adding: "There are people who are not at all happy that we are in the factory. They have been asked to leave."

He reiterated that mass layoffs would not take place at the factory if sales recovered and the market stabilised, Vremya Novostey reported.

AvtoVAZ's press service declined to comment on Monday on who the company wanted to dismiss.

On Thursday, Medvedev removed Chemezov from a presidential committee for economic modernisation, the Kremlin's press service said. Vedomosti reported that his removal may have been due to the fact that he was not an active enough participant in the committee, according to sources close to the Kremlin.

Seemingly putting more pressure on Chemezov, Medvedev on Friday ordered a probe into the activities of state corporations, including Russian Technologies. According to the Kremlin website, Medvedev ordered Prosecutor General Yury Chaika and the head of the Kremlin's oversight department, Konstantin Chuichenko, to investigate the activities of state-owned corporations, and in particular, the use of state funds.

The probe may be aimed at addressing workers' complaints, rather than preparing any drastic changes.

"A change of management is possible but not very likely," said Ivan Bonchev, an auto industry analyst at Ernst & Young.

"It is one of the options, but not the most likely one."

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-SCOTLAND:

HELP SAVE DIAGEO JOBS:

Molly had no idea that at least part of her favourite industry, the booze industry, was so cartellized- as the list of the following brands for Diageo makes plain. Ah, the sadness, and even sadder that the company is thinking of terminating the jobs of so many who have done so much to bring pleasure to the masses across the world. Here from the international union, the IUF, is an appeal for solidarity against these cuts.

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Unite Fights Back as Drinks Giant Diageo Celebrates Good Times by Axing 900 Jobs in Scotland:

IUF UK affiliate Unite is campaigning in response to the announced destruction of 900 jobs across Scotland by transnational drinks company Diageo. Diageo, whose spirits, beer and wine brands include Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan, Baileys, J&B, José Cuervo, Tanqueray, Guinness, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines, and Bushmills Irish whiskey, is hugely profitable, with rising sales and margins by all its leading brands. Total profits for 2008 were over 3.6 billion USD, the company spent nearly 1.5 billion buying back its own shares and the CEO pocketed over USD 8.2 million in pay.

To squeeze yet more money for shareholders and top executives, the company has announced the elimination of 900 jobs through closure, outsourcing and redundancy at the John Walker packaging plant in Kilmarnock, Port Dundas distillery in Glasgow and three other sites.

Few if any other jobs are on offer in the communities targeted by Diageo for closure and redundancy.

Unite is vigorously fighting back, with marches, rallies and pressure on politicians.

To support their struggle visit the Unite campaign site for the latest campaign news and click here to send a message to Diageo CEO Paul Walsh through labourstart's support page.
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THE LETTER:

Please go to the Labour Start link above to send the following letter to Diageo management.

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Dear Paul Walsh
We are deeply concerned to learn of the major job losses you have recently announced as a result of the proposed closures of both Kilmarnock packaging plant and the Port Dundas distillery and cooperage, together with rest of the package of redundancies and outsourcing on other sites at Shieldhall, Hurlford and Elgin. With profits in excess of £2bn last year, there can be no justification for these measures which will decimate the affected communities in Scotland and by so doing, will cause irreparable damage to the reputation of the Johnny Walker brand. We therefore urge you to reconsider your proposals and to work closely with the trade unions to agree an alternative business plan that will guarantee a sustainable future for all.