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..my thoughts exactly!
Striking Air Canada workers condemn company's 'overkill'
By Valerie Fortney, Calgary Herald June 15, 2011 6:17 AM
Astrid Metzler isn't one of those people with an irrational dislike of balloons. "They're fine at a party, at a celebration like a birthday or retirement."
When she walks in Tuesday morning to see balloons adorning Air Canada's check-in and baggage dropoff counters at the Calgary International Airport, though, she's livid.
"They're thumbing their noses at us," says the Air Canada customer service employee -who calls herself a "junior," thanks to her 23 years with the company. "I mean, what does that say, party balloons everywhere?"
Quote: "This strike is about three things: pensions, pensions, pensions," says Rabbitte, the Calgary district chairman for the Canadian Auto Workers Local 2002 and a 27-year Air Canada customer relations employee.
"We don't want to be out here, our customers don't want us to be out here," says Rabbitte, who, like his fellow strikers, can cite, to the last penny, the millions in benefits and compensation paid to the company's CEOs and executives over the past few years. "But we're going to be upbeat and try to remain positive."
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Striking+Canada+workers+condemn+company+overkill/4948200/story.html#ixzz1PLk1oN4P
Federal Labour Minister Lisa Raitt will put on notice legislation Wednesday to force striking Air Canada service employees back to work.
In a press release Wednesday morning, Raitt said she would introduce the Continuing Air Service for Passengers Act, which will be debated in the House of Commons on Thursday, for the sake of the economy.
Some 3,800 Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) members have been on strike since midnight Tuesday after failing to reach an agreement with the airline on wages and pensions.
"Our government is concerned about the effect this strike will have on Canada's economic recovery and on Canadians," Raitt said.
"That is why tonight, we will put legislation on notice to ensure continuing air service for passengers."
The move has drawn the ire of CAW, which says the government is infringing on its members' labour rights.
"This action by the government is a clear interference with the right to free collective bargaining," said CAW national president Ken Lewenza.
"The speed at which this legislation has been tabled points to a very real collusion by the Conservative federal government and Air Canada to strip workers of their rights.
"This is a deplorable model for labour relations for this country," he added. "It sets a dangerous precedent when the government can get involved in the collective bargaining of workers employed by a privately owned, for profit-company."
Raitt, however, said that after failed meetings with both parties, she was left with no choice.
"My preference has always been for the parties to resolve their own labour dispute and negotiate an agreement," she said. "Since this has proven impossible, our government must act to protect the public interest."
The strike caused dozens of flight delays and a handful of cancellations on Tuesday.
Link to Article
Legislation - utterly predictable. Now the trick will be to read the details. If the bill gives "direction" to an interest arbitrator, it could herald a giant attack against labour. I hope the CAW and indeed the CLC, FTQ, CSN etc. are ready for this.
This is not the beginning. The Local 6500 strike in Sudbury was over the same two tier pension issue. Those brave workers were basically starved into submission with an extended strike.
The union movement sat on its hands and mouthed nice platitudes about solidarity. The other side is not stupid they get the fact that they can dismantle the collective agreements one agreement at a time and the union movement will sing solidarity forever. Where is the mobilization by the CLC? Where was it when they beat the crap out of Local 6500 or in BC the HEU and BCFMWU. The rich have us all on the run because there is no solidarity. The current leadership of our unions is more concerned with court imposed fiduciary obligations to their members than defying unjust laws.
The federal government is considering denying Air Canada employees their Charter right to bargain freely. The government knows that it can do that under our legal system because even if like in BC they are found to have breached the Charter the courts will not unring the bell on any imposed settlements. So CAW can take them to court and in 5 or 6 years the SCC will say bad government here is your slap on the wrist. But by then the two tiered system will have been in place for 5 or 6 years.
Its either stand together or fall apart as a movement.
Has the NDP announced there support for back to work legislation yet?
Caissa, that is so not on - they will be in solidarity with the workers!
- Snipped -
Layton called the back to work legislation for both CAW and CUPW draconian. It was a brief soundbite on the 5 pm CBC Radio 1 newscast. He mentioned that talks should continue at the bargaining table and something about the $$$ discrepancy between executives (bonuses) and employees/workers (earning $11-12 an hour). I imagine that last bit was just a general statement about wage discrepancies because that hourly rate is little more than minimum wage in many provinces.
Quote: Striking workers said the airline has cut flights so that they can put out a message that departures are leaving on time.
They were joined on the picket line for about 25 minutes by other airline workers on Wednesday morning, but the supporters left when security personnel began videotaping them.
Between 200 and 300 baggage handlers, mechanics and cabin service cleaners stopped working for about 25 minutes starting around 9 a.m., said Boyd Richardson, a spokesman for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
Pasqualini was bolstered by a Maltese-Yorkie cross dog named Ella, who had a sign with “ON STRIKE” tucked into her bandana.
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1009053--air-canada-baggage-handlers-cleaners-walk-out-to-support-strikers?bn=1
Ken Georgetti writes Labour Minister Lisa Raitt
Published: June 15th 2011
Source: Canadian Labour Congress
The Honourable Lisa Raitt
Minister of Labour
House of Commons
Dear Minister:
On behalf of the over three million members of the Canadian Labour Congress, I am writing to protest your unprecedented interference in the collective bargaining process with Air Canada and the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW-Canada).
It is regrettable that one of your first actions in this labour dispute is to give notice of your intent to introduce back to work legislation, less than 24 hours after the strike commenced. Air Canada continues to operate. There is no national interest at stake this early in the dispute, and no discernible impact on the economy of Canada as a whole after only 24 hours.
The speed at which you have intervened can only suggest a government bias in favour of the employer and a lack of respect for free collective bargaining. There is no incentive here Minister, with your actions, for the employer to return to the bargaining table and negotiate.
Your role as Minister is to foster the process of collective bargaining and not get directly involved in any dispute. For collective bargaining to work, the parties themselves must willingly negotiate. Your actions have removed the employer's obligation to negotiate which will only serve to further poison already acrimonious labour relations.
Sincerely,
Kenneth V. Georgetti
President
http://www.teamstersrail.ca/TCRC_News_June_15_2011.htm
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Using legislation to force employees back to work will not bring labour peace or prosperity to Air Canada, says the Alberta Federation of Labour.
"The only way to secure a good long-term future for any employer in a dispute with its workers – whether it's Air Canada or Canada Post – is for the two parties to reach a deal together," says Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, which represents 145,000 workers.
"Using back-to-work legislation removes the incentive for the employer to come to the table and negotiate. With the hands of the workers tied, the employer can impose an unjust and unpopular deal that fails to address the issues that led to the dispute," says McGowan.
"This is simply a recipe for more problems down the road. We all know that corporations work best when management and employees work together. It was the willingness of Air Canada employees, including the members of the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) Local 2002, to work with management and make sacrifices that helped the airline survive the recession. Instead of interfering in negotiations, the federal government should be staying neutral and helping both sides reach a deal they can live with, now that the airline is doing better," he says.
"After less than 24 hours of strike action by customer service and reservations agents - and with no flights being cancelled and little disruption reported - the government's claim that there is a threat to the national economy lacks even a shred of credibility."
Meanwhile, McGowan said he was "profoundly disappointed" that Canada Post had forced a nationwide lockout of members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).
"The mail was getting through, even if delayed as a result of rotating strikes. The union is still willing to negotiate. Forcing a nationwide stoppage is a reckless move," says McGowan.
"This makes no sense – unless the federal Tories have a different endgame in mind for Canada Post. We fear that the Conservative-appointed managers at the corporation are not trying to save Canada Post, but are trying to destroy it, in order to justify the privatization of our public postal service," he says.
"Privatization of the postal service will mean two things for Canadians – poorer services and higher prices. It will mean one thing for the corporate friends of the federal Tories – a chance to profit at the expense of citizens."
http://www.afl.org/index.php/Press-Release/air-canada-back-to-work-legislation-slammed-by-alberta-labour-leader-afl-also-fears-for-future-of-canada-post-at-hands-of-federal-tories.html
Whoop de doo. Whatever that means.
Hold the line, a letter from Georgetti has been sent and they are quaking in the halls of power.
..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.
I sincerely hope you are right. I have been in exactly those kinds of discussions at the highest levels and it is why I am so fucking cynical.
..i know i'm right shoveler. it's the results i'm not sure of.
..i'm cynical as well and i believe i came by it honestly. but there are times like this, what is going on in europe & a cupw strike, i see as windows of opportunity.
My first real activist role was fighting back against Mini-Wac and watching Pennyfarthing turn into the Kelowna Accord. Union activists are the real deal however politicians are politicians in any organization.
Union Members Demonstrate Outside Labour Minister Lisa Raitt's Office June 15, 2011, 1:50 PM EST
Hundreds of local union members and supporters will demonstrate outside Federal Labour Minister Lisa Raitt's Milton constituency office today at 3 p.m.
Demonstrators are rallying against threatened back to work legislation for both Air Canada and Canada Post workers, which would strip workers of their collective bargaining rights.
The CAW has set up picket lines at Air Canada serviced airports across the country. CAW members at Air Canada went on strike on June 14 at 12:01 a.m.
Rally: No Back to Work Legislation
Labour Minister Lisa Raitt's Halton Constituency office
86 Main Street East
Milton, ON L9T 1N3
http://caw.ca/en/10388.htm
..mine was joining a left group and handing out leaflets outside the wpg post office explaining the actions that were happening in the toronto post office. i was impressed by the level of struggle in cupw so applied to work there. and there my personal growth exploded and flourished.
We owe them solidarity. We do not owe them "a show of solidarity".
After decades of watching the labour movement stumble and fall; place its faith in political chimera; showing loyalty to "my union" (plus raiding and counter-raiding) instead of to workers as a whole; ritually go on strike when the clock strikes midnight and just as ritually go back to work when the bosses' government tells you to; then I think it's time to do some thinking.
There may be "discussions ... at various levels re the possibility of defying the government", but what would that mean? Should we just wait and watch for those who have never defied the government to come up with some instant game plan?
As we've seen, the unions don't even have enough strength, organization, and plain nerve right now to make a gesture of respecting picket lines, because of the risk involved.
The CLC is terminally incapable of doing anything more heroic than writing a letter - a cowardly craven letter at that. Listen to this:
Translation: "It's a bit too early to crush the workers' fundamental right to withhold their labour!"
Or this:
Ah! So fascist repression of workers is an ineffective way of getting to a good collective agreement! Thanks, Ken, for your sage advice, which must have the Harpocons rolling with laughter in the halls of power.
And what would "defying the government" mean? For how long? With whose support? With what precise aim? And was all this foreseen a couple weeks ago, with alternative game plans ready to go?
If any union today has the principles, traditions, and spirit to stand up to the forces of wealth and power, it is CUPW. The rank and file of the CAW has similar traditions. I support their struggle unconditionally and have tremendous faith that they will follow whatever program of resistance and struggle that is put forward.
My only question is: Who will put forward that program?
Is the NDP caucus willing to fillibuster the back to work legislation?
..you've laid the difficulties out well unionist. and what to do about this is a tough question to answer. i'm thinking we can't look to the georgettes for leadership nor can we look to political parties. that's obvious.
..once again i point to the arab spring and the europe revolution as our way out. what i see but don't fully understand is that there is a level of dissatisfaction amongst people that nobody predicted or saw coming. so quickly did they come together ready to make change. i am so ready for this and i know i'm not alone by any stretch of the imagination. so i look for the slightest opportunity for a spark to happen. maybe this is that moment maybe not. i gotta hope it is and that we don't have to wait for things to get even worse before we do what's necessary.
“We’re witnessing a concerted effort by the new Harper majority government to weaken the rights of workers and the influence of their unions.”
Quote: “If they get away with this, I’m afraid we’ll see the assault on labour rights spread across the country like a grass fire,” said Clancy.
“The labour movement must stand shoulder-to-shoulder across the country and fight against Harper’s ideological attacks,” said Clancy.
“We must give meaning to labour’s old adage that ‘an injury to one is an injury to all.’ These legislative attacks don’t just impact postal and airline workers. A bad labour law, regardless of what workers and what jurisdiction it covers, has a negative impact on the entire labour movement.”
Clancy also urged Canadians to think about the broader impact this attack has on society as a whole. “Unions have always fought to improve the quality of life for all families. A weaker labour movement will lead to more job insecurity, fewer rights and benefits and greater income inequality for all workers.”
http://nupge.ca/content/4356/harper-government-provoking-confrontation-l...
Amen to that, epaulo13 - and thanks for keeping everyone here updated on the latest developments. I broke my own personal pledge by initiating that discussion at a time when (as you point out) we should just be offering solidarity. But somehow it seems that it's never the right time for that discussion. Few union leaderships are willing to lead or even tolerate it for long. CUPW I think is one of the exceptions. I'll be looking for that spark along with you. I just hope the fire extinguishers don't come out too quickly.
ETA: By the way, if this government's past is any guide, the legislation will name an arbitrator and impose "final offer selection". That will require all the skill the union(s) have, and all our solidarity, to turn into a status quo result, let alone a victory.
I was in Victoria in 2003 with tens of thousands of like minded people, the majority with union connections but also many non union advocacy groups as well. I then watched my wife's union and the union I represented get chewed up and spit out as the BC Fed called for calm until 2005 when we would throw the bums out. No need for civil disobedience just play the game and everything will be fine.
I sincerely believe that over the next few years the 20 to 35 age cohort in this country is going to say enough is enough and when that happens it will not be Georgetti or Sinclair leading it. I hope to be sitting with them in solidarity being awed by their success and democratic spirit.
"We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with CAW members and all Air Canada workers and urge you to show these workers the respect they deserve and negotiate a fair deal, including good pension benefits." - James Clancy, NUPG national president.
Ottawa (13 June 2011) - The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is pledging its support and solidarity for CAW members who work at Air Canada and are currently on strike across the country.
Wisconsin student activist Peter Rickman, one of the founders of We Are Wisconsin, joined National President Clancy on the picket line.
http://nupge.ca/content/4355/nupge-supports
..i started this tread unionist.
Economic and Social Crisis in Canada: The Assault on Public Services
..i have some ideas for it but i want to focus on this right now. but we can have that discussion there if you want.
edit to add: i got a bad feeling about the legislation....
The Conservative government will introduce legislation Thursday to force striking Air Canada workers back on the job, but the opposition NDP is expected to block attemps to speed its passage.
The bill is expected to be introduced just after noon ET, following Thursday morning's question period. (The House of Commons is not sitting Friday to accomodate the NDP's convention in Vancouver, so Thursday's proceedings will more closely resemble a Friday timetable, and will likely adjourn mid-afternoon.)
As MPs began their discussions on Thursday morning, the first order of business was not the substance of the bill itself, which cannot be debated on the day it's introduced, but rather a government motion to expedite the passage of the legislation.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/06/16/pol-back-to-work-debate...