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Canada Post abruptly shut down operations across the country Tuesday evening, locking out some 50,000 workers just as rotating strikes ended in Canada’s two largest cities.
In a brief statement, the corporation said it had accrued roughly $100-million in losses since job action started and that the shutdown will affect urban centres. It did not say whether rural mail delivery would continue.
Quote: “I see it as a manoeuvre on the part of the corporation to try and get the government to legislate us back to work and legislate some type of unfavourable collective agreement on to us, as opposed to allowing the free and collective bargaining process to work itself out,” said Gerry Deveau, CUPW national director for the Ontario region.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canada-post-locks-out-strik...
CUPW had to expect a lockout - the railways and the CBC showed how that worked in response to rotating job actions.
There will obviously be legislation now (which will give the NDP a free and safe opportunity to vote against...). Then there are at least four possibilities: 1. Binding arbitration, with or without mediation-arbitration. 2. Binding arbitration with "directions" from parliament (they did that a couple of times in the 90s, where they require the arbitrator to provide for a competitive business, with some "balancing" BS about looking after workers...). 3. Impose a contract straight out (this is very rare, but with a Harper majority, they may go berserk). 4. Just require them to keep bargaining after strikes and lockouts are banned (very rare), maybe with the help of new mediators.
In these difficult circumstances, and without a powerful labour movement threatening solidarity strikes etc., I'd be hoping for #1 as the least of evils (particularly mediation-arbitration). It's a process which traditionally favours the side which is looking for the least radical changes. But it will be very difficult to deal with the "modern mail" system (or whatever it's called) which the union has put on the table for health and safety reasons.
With my luck, it'll be #5 that happens.
The unions at Canada Post and Air Canada are fighting a rearguard action
Margaret Wente
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail Published Jun. 14, 2011 2:00AM EDTWhich is worse, a mail strike or an airline strike? I’d say an airline strike. It’s bound to make flying even more miserable than it already is. But I won’t miss my junk mail at all.
The union battles at Air Canada and Canada Post are watersheds. They are not mainly about pay. They are about something far more valuable – pensions. Management and unions are fighting over a lucrative entitlement that is slowly disappearing from the private sector. Union leaders portray this as nothing less than a battle for the middle class.
If you’ve got a pension plan like the one these workers have, it’s probably the most valuable asset you own. It’s probably worth a lot more than your house. A good defined-benefit (DB) pension plan will pay out a guaranteed amount of money – often a handsome sum – for 20 or 30 years. Who wouldn’t want one?
But across the private sector, these plans are slowly disappearing....
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/the-unions-at-canada-post-a...
Profits before people at Canada Post
By GORDON MacDONALD
Wed, Jun 15 - 4:54 AM
A recent photo in the media showed a pregnant Canada Post letter carrier in Cape Breton delivering mail. Canada Post chose to cancel this worker’s medical benefits because it didn’t get its way when the Canadian Union of Postal Workers issued its 72-hour strike notice on May 30. That decision was difficult to make, but necessary due to the unreasonable rollbacks Canada Post was demanding.
By cancelling all our benefits, Canada Post showed its true colours — and how it would treat the workers if they didn’t have a union. It didn’t stop there. Canada Post cancelled all scheduled leave and vacations; anyone on sick leave had to go back to work (if they wanted to get paid) and their medical benefits were gone. These actions directly affected 56,000 workers, our families, our children, our health and our paycheques.
One might wonder why a corporation of this size, which the workers have helped make profitable for the last 16 consecutive years, would do this to its employees. I will tell you why. Canada Post has just invested $2.5 billion in modernizing the post office and wants to reduce the workforce by thousands. It wants to do this on the backs of the workers by trying to negotiate huge rollbacks in our collective agreement, all in the name of bigger profits.
Postal workers have helped Canada Post make $1.7 billion in profits in the last 15 years. We save the public money and want to save the public post office. Our negotiators have consistently said Canada Post should expand service, expand door-to-door delivery, and create a safe and healthy work environment.....
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Letters/1248540.html
Sorry to say, but this is a troubling comment coming from a trade unionist.
Once the conciliation period has ended, the collective agreement in its entirety no longer exists. That's why the union is free to strike, or ban overtime, or slow down, or work to rule, or hit-and-run (as CUPW decided to do). And the employer is free to do the same - it can lock out totally, or partially, or rotating. It can also cancel selective parts of the collective agreement. That's what Canada Post did here. It's economic warfare. I've seen it happen many many times (posting new rules, new wages, new benefits). It's part of the game. I hope the union was ready for all this. The next challenge will be legislation.
..i don't understand why you find this troubling unionist. could you elaborate please? is it because you think he's being naive?
I won't answer for Unionist but to me it appeared he didn't understand labour relations and contract law.
..maybe he didn't understand but that paragraph was in context. macdonald asked "why a corporation of this size, which the workers have helped make profitable for the last 16 consecutive years, would do this to its employees."
The union will be holding a press conference at 11 am EDT at its national office and will be making additional statements then.
The actions of CPC management in locking out postal workers nation-wide are irresponsible. There is now a considerable amount of mail in the system that will not be delivered.
Canada Post is reneging on its responsibility to the public to deliver mail that has been paid for. We committed to deliver pension and social assistance cheques and we intend to fulfil that commitment.
This is a totally counterproductive response to the Labour Minister’s request to resume operations.
Canada Post is claiming that it has lost $100 million. Their constant “No” at the bargaining table is costing them dearly. If they want to stop losing money, they need to negotiate instead of attacking their workers.
We have contacted the mediator to arrange an immediate meeting with Deepak Chopra. More to follow.
http://www.cupw.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/1165/la_id/1.htmTrying to appease the pay masters I would imagine;-)
NH
Fair question. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, because I'm reluctant to be critical of a union (and one of the finest and most principled ones around) while it's on strike. But let me explain:
1. I don't know if he's being naive. That's possible. Did he realize that management has the full right and power to change all the rules once the freeze period is over? If he didn't, that's troubling.
2. More likely, he does know this, and is pointing to how bad Canada Post is being. But that's slightly disingenuous, and it kind of counts on the public not realizing that this is part of the game, fully legal, etc. A couple days ago, the union accused the employer of lockout, because they were reducing mail service. Well, sorry, but when you go on strike, what do you expect - that the employer isn't allowed to do likewise? It's not an accusation that draws much blood. It would be almost like saying - "we struck Winnipeg yesterday, and the employer isn't paying our Winnipeg members!!! But they have made profits, so they can afford to!!"
In my respectful opinion, the union ought to stick, publicly, to the real issues, which it has been presenting and emphasizing extremely well - the same issues that drove the impasse and the strike in the first place. Deploring temporary tactics that the employer uses only diverts from that - in fact, it may ironically give the Harper government more ammunition to say, "Look, the workers are suffering, even the sick and infirm, we need to intervene to bring this to an end".
..txs unionist. i still don't see it as troubling. but more important is that it looks like legislation will come down. what's your read on labour's mood. i can't tell other than the election showing an increased polarization.
June 15, 2011 - 11:00
Urban Postal Unit Negotiations (2011) / Media Release
For Immediate Release
OTTAWA – The national president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers responded to a nation-wide lockout today by calling on the recently hired CEO of Canada Post, Deepak Chopra, to change his negotiators’ tune.
“We want to arrange an immediate meeting with Deepak Chopra,” said Denis Lemelin, National President of CUPW at a press conference today.
“At this meeting, we will request three things:
1. We want Mr. Chopra to make a public commitment that CPC will permit our members to deliver social assistance cheques. This was an initiative of the union.
2. We want Mr. Chopra to agree to reinstate our contract and we will return to work and keep negotiating. We have already made this offer.
3. We want Mr. Chopra to provide CPC's negotiators with a new mandate. Until now their only mandate has been to say 'No' to our proposals such as health and safety solutions, and make demands for major concessions on issues such as sick leave and lower wages for new workers.”
CUPW points out that Canada Post’s “No” is, by their own admission, costing them dearly. “They are claiming that our rotating strikes have cost them $100 million in 12 days,” said Lemelin. “It would cost them much less to deal with us fairly and negotiate a contract.”
http://www.cupw.ca/index.cfm?ci_id=13215&la_id=1
The problem Unionist, as I presume you are aware, is that the whole game is fundamentally rigged. If the union was allowed to exert its economic power and bring this nasty Crown corporation to its knees then the system would be worth defending.
However in strikes where the unions have been nimble enough and focused enough to cause economic harm to any business be it a Crown or Air Canada then they are met with government intervention. Any time the boss has the upper hand like in Sudbury well then the system will allow the strike to carry on until its natural economic conclusion.
I find this a highly technocratic viewpoint, and one based on the implicit assumption that the employer and the employees are on a level playing field. "Part of the game, fully legal" it may be, but it borders on churlishness to suggest that the strikers are being disingenuous because they complain to the public about the intentional infliction of personal suffering on thousands of employees by an employer whose management staff don't have to worry about losing their own medical benefits, pensions, and sick leave.
Where there is no collective agreement in effect, the workers in any given enterprise may be treated like shit - all quite legally and "part of the game", but it doesn't mean they have no right to appeal to public opinion over the injustice and mean-spiritedness of the employer.
This has become a battle for public opinion, and there's nothing disingenuous about explaining to a public that is largely ignorant about industrial trade unionism what hardships are imposed on the workers as a price for daring to go on strike.
Of course they have a right. Please don't read things into my post that aren't there. What I question is the utility, to the workers and their struggle, of such an appeal to the public. The fully predictable response is, "Well, call off your strike and everything will be back to normal" - and then the government rides to the rescue.
My opinion was that rather than painting the employer as mean, they should concentrate on the issues which led to the impasse - because, even when the very temporary scrooge-like behaviour of the employer is over, those issues will remain to be dealt with, not just by CUPW, but by workers as a whole. Convincing everyone that Canada Post is being evil to sick people accomplishes what, exactly?
Um, the main hardship imposed on striking workers is that they stop earning pay. To add that "they stop getting benefits too" achieves what, exactly - when it is the workers themselves who have chosen (very properly) to initiate this stage of warfare? It might draw more blood if the union had declared: "We have decided to maintain service and continue bargaining, even if it takes a long time", and then been hit by a lockout, or a cut-off of selective benefits, etc. That's not what happened here, and I don't see this as eliciting public sympathy. That sympathy will come in the usual way - by showing working people that our fight is your fight, we're all in this together.
Unionist's point reminds me of what I was thinking a couple of summers ago when the Toronto municipal workers' union complained that the employer was "bargaining in public" by talking to the media during the strike. It seemed tertiary to the main issues and did nothing to gain any much-needed public support for the workers.
Um, yes it is what happened here! The union proclaimed a "strategy of minimizing disruption of service to the public, while applying pressure to CPC management to negotiate". The union maintained service while staging rotating strikes and continued bargaining; the employer has now shut down the operation and escalated the war by harrassing the workers and withdrawing their benefits.
And the strike was not something the workers "chose" - they were compelled to strike, and the "choice" to go to war was as much made by the employer as by the union, if not more so.
Gordon MacDonald took the opportunity to point out to the public how CPC "would treat the workers if they didn’t have a union". I don't find that sort of message troubling in the least. It's certainly going to attract more support than arguing for bargaining table issues like "Improvements to Appendix P and other measures to address Group 1 staffing".
June 15, 2011 - 16:45
Urban Postal Unit Negotiations (2011) / Bulletin
Negotiations Bulletin no. 68
Honks and doughnuts. On the picket lines, these are two signs that we have public support. Every Local that has taken part in a rotating strike has reported overwhelming support from the public. Loud and constant car honking has been a feature of our picket lines. CUPW picketers report they have been offered words of support, coffee, and doughnuts.
But support for CUPW does not begin or end with noise and round cakes. Support on our picket lines has been growing. The public is supporting our fight and opposing Canada Post’s lockout.
The Canadian Labour Congress, representing about 3 million workers has written us a letter of support, and has been providing concrete assistance.
Our Sisters and Brothers in the Union of Postal Communication Employees, a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, are actively supporting our struggle, in spite of the fact that Canada Post is threatening to discipline them for showing their solidarity. PSAC members have marched in several rallies showing their solidarity.
CUPW and the Communications Energy and Paperworkers have a solidarity pact. They are putting this pact into action by joining us on the picket lines.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees has spoken at our rallies and continues to stand with CUPW members.
Locked out CUPW members have joined striking CAW Air Canada members on picket lines.
The Canadian Federation of Students have been loud, proud, and enthusiastic supporters of CUPW. In addition to voting for a strong resolution supporting us at their Annual General Meeting, they organized a wonderful solidarity demonstration that wound its way through the streets of Hull and ended up in front a postal office.
The Halifax and Dartmouth Labour Council held a door to door mail drop, with leaflets supporting our struggle. They are organizing a support rally. The Greater Toronto Workers Assembly has organized a leafleting and has joined us on the picket lines.
In Ottawa a new group, People 4 Postal Workers, has been organizing and coordinating support for CUPW.
Labour Councils and Federations of Labour have passed resolutions and sent letters supporting CUPW. A number of Federation of Labour and labour council Presidents have joined us on the picket lines.
Acorn Canada, an independent national organization of low and moderate income families, has written us a letter of support. So has the Council of Senior Citizens of British Columbia, and the Congress of Union Retirees.
CUPW has support internationally. Union Network International, our global Union, has written a letter of support and has expressed their willingness to assist us. The National Association of Letter Carriers in the US, is providing us with important information. COURAGE, a labour federation representing public sector worker in the Philippines, has sent us a solidarity message. And PALTEL, our sister Union from Palestine, was one of the first organizations to express their support and solidarity.
CUPW members are not alone. We have support.
To see a full list of support letters, please go to our web site.
In solidarity,
Denis Lemelin
National President and Chief Negotiator
More bad news:
Canada Post back-to-work legislation ready within 48 hours: labour minister Posted on Wed, Jun 15, 2011, 1:26 pm by Julian Beltrame
The federal government is preparing back-to-work legislation for Canada Post, setting the stage for a resumption of mail service as early as next week.
Labour Minister Lisa Raitt informed the House on Wednesday she was tabling notice of intention to introduce back-to-work legislation, meaning the bill could be up for a vote next week.
Canada Post workers demonstrate outside a sorting facility in Ottawa June 15, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
“(The strike) is now affecting the Canadian economy and it has an effect on third-party Canadians who are not part of this dispute, but are the ones who are suffering from the hardship,” Raitt said.
http://ipolitics.ca/2011/06/15/canada-post-locks-out-city-workers-nation...
June 15, 2011 - 18:30
Urban Postal Unit Negotiations (2011) / Bulletin
Negotiations Bulletin no. 69
Today, the Conservative government of Stephen Harper served notice they intend to introduce back-to-work legislation, denying 48,000 postal workers our right to free collective bargaining.
This action of the government is an unnecessary, unjust and counterproductive act designed to support the attack on our rights, benefits and working conditions by Deepak Chopra and the rest of Canada Post management. It is part of a broader, world-wide attack on the rights of working people by the right-wing governments and the business community.
UnnecessaryThere is absolutely no justification for the introduction of this special law. Throughout our 12 days of rotating strikes, we ensured that the public continued to receive a high level of postal service. It was Canada Post management that decided to escalate the impact of the dispute, by first reducing delivery to three days per week, and then moving to a national lockout, which resulted in a complete shutdown of service. As the owner of Canada Post, the government had the option of instructing CPC management to resume service to the public, and continue negotiations. Instead, the Harper government chose to attack postal workers.
UnjustThis action of the government is totally unjust for many reasons. It is a denial of the most fundamental right that working people possess; the ability to collectively negotiate terms and conditions of their employment with the right to strike over unresolved differences. The legislation is also an action taken against a union which has followed all of the legal requirements imposed by the law that governs collective bargaining.
Instead of respecting our rights, the government is intent on imposing a law which may permit an arbitrator to impose a whole new set of rules designed to reduce labour costs at the expense of our health and safety, and the well-being of ourselves and our families.
CounterproductiveCUPW will never give up the struggle for decent working conditions, financial security and justice, for ourselves and for future generations of postal workers. Any attempt to deny us our hard-fought contractual rights will be met with fierce and sustained opposition. Postal workers will never give up the struggle for justice for ourselves and others.
Protest and ParticipateAcross the country, CUPW will be organizing protests against this unnecessary, unjust and counterproductive law. This may take the form of rallies at CPC facilities, picketing the constituency offices of Conservative MPs or leafleting the public. Please contact your local to see how you can join in the defence of your rights.
Keep strong and proud.
The Struggle Continues.
In solidarity,
Denis Lemelin
National President and Chief Negotiator
http://www.cupw.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/13235/la_id/1.htm
Quote: Canadian Union of Postal Workers Local 580 president Godwin Smith explained to union members who their picket captains were, and organized groups to make sure all entrances to the plant were blocked.
Supervisors were allowed in groups of five, one group every 45 minutes.
The national union office had told locals “to be prepared just in case something like this happened,” Smith said. “It’s a good thing they took that initiative.”
Many pickets were wearing neat letter-carrier uniforms because they only learned of the lockout when they showed up for work.
Several blew little plastic whistles, causing a constant shrill noise outside the plant.
Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/Picket+lines+organized+Alta+Vista+mail+sorting+plant/4949976/story.html#ixzz1POXtB7fe
If the workers were "compelled to strike", then they were sorely lacking in brains and tactics. There's no such thing as workers being "compelled". We reflect, we analyze, we innovate all the time. And if we analyze that we can't win a particular battle, we choose another front to fight on. No one "compels" us to do anything.
That's a strange debate to initiate. Workers will always have a defence organization, as long as they choose to, as long as they resist, as long as they remain strong. The fundamental task facing workers in Canada is to find ways to achieve tangible solidarity in their struggles. It is not to win the sympathy of the so-called "public". No one will sympathize with workers who engage in battles without a clear aim, and without lining up all possible allies in advance.
I see. That's what you think led to the impasse, and the strike and lockout? Come have a beer with me sometime and I'll tell you stories about a lifetime of strikes, avoiding strikes, winning strikes, losing strikes. It's not about press releases and packaging.
Right now, the unfortunate fact is that workers have no allies in parliament. That must change, and we need to put that on the agenda. Right in this thread, I see progressive well-meaning people who will be content when the NDP (and maybe the Liberals!) cast their pointless votes against back-to-work legislation. But they're not allies. Not even a little bit.
Quote: The NDP will oppose the back-to-work legislation at Air Canada, and is criticizing Canada Post for quickly going to a lock-out.
Speaking after a caucus meeting, NDP Leader Jack Layton said that it’s not up to workers at Air Canada to pay the price for the millions of dollars in bonus packages that have gone to the bosses at Air Canada.
“The working folk who make that airline run took huge cutbacks to keep it afloat, and then we have the CEO walking away with millions and now wanting to take away the pensions they were counting on for their retirement,” Mr. Layton told reporters. “It’s the wrong approach, and the government is backing the wrong side.”
Mr. Layton blamed the Harper government for the situation at Canada Post.
“It’s very disturbing to see a government shut down our postal service,” Mr. Layton said. “At least they’re standing by while their Crown corporation does that. We think that’s wrong.”
The NDP said the union’s “rotating expressions of discontent” didn’t shut down the service, and that there is no need for legislation on that front.
“These things should be resolved at the bargaining table,” Mr. Layton said.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-vows-to-legislate-an-end-to-canada-post-labour-dispute/article2062021/
..discussions must be occurring at various levels re the possibility of defying the government. as a member here i believe babble owes caw and cupw a show of solidarity. instead of bickering and sniping.
Submitted by Steven. on Jun 16 2011 09:33
Following weeks of rolling strike action, Canada Post locked out its 50,000 workers on the night of 14 June. Here follows an exciting personal account of workers fighting back and locking managers in in Edmonton.
Yesterday at the Post Office: June 15th 2011 By P. GageLast weekend Canada Post declared a series of service cuts that reduced the Letter Carrier work week down to three days a week. On the first day of the service cuts there were several early morning actions where hundreds of Letter Carriers showed up for work and demanded to deliver mail that had piled up inside their depots. In Edmonton several depots took this one step farther by sitting down inside the depot and refusing to leave. Several other depots rallied outside and marched around outside their workplaces.
Following these actions the Canadian Union of Postal Workers held a demonstration on Whyte Avenue where over 300 Postal Workers marched on Depot 9, one of the largest and most militant depots in the city. When the workers arrived at the depot they used the password on the door, which had not been changed, to storm the depot with camera phones in hand. Again the workers staged an occupation with management locking themselves in their office to hide from the angry mob. Workers with cameras photographed piles of mail stuffed into the depot exposing Canada Post Corporations lie that there was no mail to be delivered.
Workers banged on the walls to make noise, flipped over trash cans to use as drums and banged on metal racks with sticks. This episode went on for a while before the crowd retired to Gazebo Park down the road for speeches and a short rally. Although rowdy, the event was entirely non violent if not very confrontational. Many workers said afterwards that this day was the best moment of their lives, but the day was not even yet over.
Across town the facilities still operating were extremely tense with major confrontations reported with management across the board often involving groups of workers. As the afternoon wore on the public was told that the Air Canada Workers were about to be legislated back to work. Emboldened by this move and in retaliation for militant action across Canada by Postal Workers the Canada Post Corporation locked the CUPW out at 9:15pm.
As the workers filed out of the plant they noticed that about ten members of management were staying behind, many putting up tarps over the windows so no one could watch them operate mail equipment. Incensed the crowd went on to erect barricades out of metal construction fences at the back gates, they turned around any trucks coming in and parked a 5-ton Canada Post vehicle in the truck gate and padlocked the mail inside.
Several hours later the management team started sending their people out to go home. The pickets locked arms and chanted “no one in, no one out”. Management was informed that the workers sincerely hoped management had brought pyjamas. The bosses looked dejected. Then the police arrived. They sincerely wanted to not have to intervene but said we couldn’t hold management forever and at some point it became unlawful confinement and suggested we open up negotiations.
The pickets decided that an apology was in order from the Labour Relations team and Senior Management. If one person from the top of the management team came out and announced to the crowd that they were sorry for disrespecting the picket line that evening and the previous week during the rotating strikes the workers would not stop them from crossing the line in order to leave. Management categorically refused. Our next offer was to have them come out and walk through a small gap in our lines and board cabs waiting outside. Their personal vehicles were to remain outside and over 100 angry postal workers would see them off. We agreed on a path of travel, the crowd agreed to stick to where they were and heckle.
When management left the building they quickly veered to the right and made for a gap in the side of the building walking past their personal vehicles but not entering them. The police officer in charge was visibly displeased at them breaking the agreement. The crowd surged forward with camera phones in front jeering and heckling the bosses as they left the building. The event was rowdy but no one was even shoved, the workers remained disciplined, not by some outside force but by their own rank and file members giving each other encouragement.
This day was the high water mark in years of struggle for several militants in the Post Office and there is no doubt we will carry this story with us for the rest of our lives. But it is also just the beginning. Yesterday workers got a taste of their own power and made the first step towards taking back control over their own work. This won’t end with a new collective agreement and it will continue when we all walk back into the post office with our heads held high.
http://libcom.org/news/locked-out-workers-anger-grows-canada-post-16062011
June 16, 2011 - 18:30
Urban Postal Unit Negotiations (2011) / Bulletin
Negotiations Bulletin no. 70
Meeting With ChopraToday, we met with CPC president Deepak Chopra and other members of the CPC Negotiating Committee. We discussed all of the major issues that remain in dispute and the problems associated with CPC's bargaining strategy during the last eight months of negotiations.
We explained to Mr. Chopra the movements that the Union has made on both our demands and management's issues.
We also reviewed the mandate of the post office under the Canada Post Corporation Act and stressed the need to improve both labour relations and service to the public.
Mr. Chopra discussed the financial losses incurred by CPC as a result of the national lockout and our rotating strikes and stated management would be re-evaluating its position.
Time For DecisionMr. Chopra has a major decision to make during the next few days. It is clear that the parties are still far apart because of CPC's demands for concessions and their refusal to address the proposals of the union on issues such as health and safety, staffing and service expansion. If Canada Post management has the will, there is still a way to negotiate an agreement. The parties are both completely aware of the issues.
There is still time to negotiate if CPC wants to.
Postal Workers Can Be ProudOn behalf of the CUPW National Executive Board and National Negotiating Committee, I wish to congratulate every member of the Union for your courage and discipline during our rotating strikes and CPC's national lockout. This has been a long and difficult eight months of negotiations.
Throughout this process, we have demonstrated, time and time again, that our greatest strength is the commitment and resolve of the membership, 48,000 strong, proud and determined.
In solidarity,
Denis Lemelin
National President and Chief Negotiator
http://www.cupw.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/13245/la_id/1.htm
epaulo or unionist, need advice. How the hell do I respond to this, posted on Facebook by a friend to my plea to support CUPW and CAW:
The supergenerous pay scales + benefits, job security, and pension plans (being able to retire at 55 on full pension? what??? I'll be working till i drop, IF I'M LUCKY!!!) are so out of whack with what the average non-unionized worker gets (ie mostly everybody in the middle and lower classes) that they seem as greedy and self-serving as their evil capitalist overlords.
The rhetoric is over the top. And I know it's not the fault of unionized workers that those non-unionized workers are being screwed but how to effectively dispell this kind of thinking among people who generally consider themselves progressive?
Also, as a retired PSAC member, I know that if I collect my pension (not much since I only worked for 5 years or so with them) at earkt retirement, I would take a reduced pension payment. Isn't that standard?
De Friend them.