OFL convention: Upping the ante on Cadillac Fairview

On Thursday at lunchtime, hundreds of delegates marched from the Sheraton Centre to the Toronto Dominion Center, three blocks away, in support of the striking Communication, Energy & Paperworkers Union cleaners and tradespeople at Cadillac Fairview (CF-61) and the striking Steelworkers at Vale Inco in Sudbury.

After returning to the convention from this uplifting, but staid & predicatable, OFL-style march (heavily marshaled in “co-operation” with the police), newly elected President Sid Ryan stood up at the microphone and suggested that we make a return visit on Friday morning at 7:30 and picket outside the two parking garage entrances. That was a breath of fresh air for two reasons. One, there’s almost no spontaneity at an OFL convention. It is always a well scripted, sometimes highly controlled, meeting. Second, Sid was suggesting doing what should have been done months ago because this is one of the vilest disputes that I’m aware of in recent years (my two strikes included). 

Last summer, Cadillac Fairview locked out all 61 workers in the bargaining unit, most with more than 20 years on the job. That was followed by the introduction of replacement workers. Then CF terminated the employment of all 61 and hired the replacement workers (or their company) to scab their work on an ongoing basis. To make matters worse (and perhaps more complicated for some?), the scabs belonged to another union.

My thoughts at the time were that this had to be illegal because if an employer can lock out and then fire its employees without recourse, that could spell the end of the union movement. Frankly, I expected a much stronger reaction from the labour movement months ago but it never happened although there has been strong solidarity from various affiliates and other groups.

But it did today when about 300 supporters met up at the TD Center to bring attention to the cause of the CF61 and put some pressure on Cadillac Fairview. We picketed the parking garage entrances, chanted, made lots of noise and promised to keep the pressure up on CF. 

Check out some of the pictures from Thursday’s rally here. The march photos can be found here. 

Considering the number of complex challenges (unionized replacement workers, union pension plan investments in CF, the size of the TD Centre complex, etc), this provides an excellent opportunity for Sid Ryan and the new team at the OFL to “show their stuff” and help in finding a settlement for this dispute.