CHECKOUTCHECKOUTThe Newsmagazine for Members of UFCWThe Newsmagazine for Members of UFCW Locals 175 and 633Locals 175 and 633

VVolume X, No. 2 Summer 2001olume X, No. 2 Summer 2001

Say No to WSay No to Wal-Martal-Martpage 4page 4

Negotiations UpdateNegotiations Updatepages 6 to 10pages 6 to 10

Leukemia UpdateLeukemia Updatepages 7,14,16pages 7,14,16

Scholarship WScholarship Winnersinnerspage 1page 111

Organizing VOrganizing Victoriesictoriespage 1page 111

By-Law and Policy ConferenceBy-Law and Policy Conferencepage 13page 13

YYouth Newsouth Newspage 15page 15

Canada Post Corporation Publication Agreement No. 1501380

Buy UFCW

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On The CoverThe newest unit of Local 175 - Prince Arthur Hotel in Thunder Bay. Locals 175 and633 Organizing Coordinator Mark Flannigan and Union Rep Serge Castonguayrecently unionized 81 employees at the hotel.

UFCW Canada Members Make These Products: A&W, Adams Antique, Alberta Premium, Allen’s, Beatrice, Bianca Collection, Bick’s,Bittner, Black & Decker, Black Velvet, Blue Water Seafoods, Bon-EE-Best, Brie Extra,Budweiser, Buoy-O-Boy, Burnett’s London Dry, Butterball, Cadbury, Calvin Klein, CanadaDry, Captain Morgan, Cara, Carnation, Catelli, Cavendish Farms, Chef Boyardee,Clearwater, Club Monaco, Coca-Cola, Coorsh, Dack’s, Delisle, Dockers, Dutch Mill,Everfresh, Everready, Five Roses, Fleishmann’s, Gilbey’s, London Dry, Great WesternBeers, Habitant, Hartt, Heinz, Hellmann’s, Hires, J&B, Janes Family Favorites, Jell-O,Kodiak, Kool-Aid, Kraft, Labatt, Laura Secord, Lawrey’s, Levi’s, Life Savers, Lilydale,Lipton, Lucerne, Maple Leaf, Maxwell House, McCain, Melitta, Minute Maid, MMMuffins,Molson, Monarch, Montclair, Moosehead, Nabisco, Nabob, National Sea Products,Naturalizer, Naya, Nestea, Northern Reflections, O’Keefe, Old Dutch, Olymel, Omstead,OXO, Pam, Parma, Pepsi, Piller’s, Pillsbury, President’s Choice Tomato Clam Cocktail,Primo, Prospector, Ralph Lauren, Red Rose, Robin Hood, Roots, Rubbermaid, Salada,Schenley, Schneiders, Seagrams, Sealy, 7-Up, Shopsy’s, Silverstein’s, Smirnoff, Sprite, St-Hubert, Star Brand, Sunrise, Swift, Swiss Chalet, Taillefer, Tan Jay, Tenderflake, Thrifty’s,Town Club, U-Bake, Vachon, Weetabix, Welch’s, York Farms and many more...

UFCW Canada Members Also Work for These Employers:A&P, Abex Friction, Amity Goodwill, Apex Security, Aradco, Avis, B.C. Fruit Packers, Bata,The Bay, Beaver Lumber, Best Western, Bilopage, Bitove, Bolands, Brewers Retail, BrownShoes, Budget, C.S. Brooks, Canada Malting, Canada Safeway, Canadian Forces Bases,Canadian Linen, Canadian Tire, Canam Steel, Cargill, Carriere Foods, Central Park Lodge,Charlesburg Consumers Co-Op, Charlevoix Casino, Charterways Transportation, ComfortInn, Conpak Seafoods, Co-Op Atlantic, Cott, Cuddy Food, Days Inn, Delta Hotel, DominionTanners, Ensign Security, F.B.I. Brands, Federated Co-Op, Fletcher’s, Flin Flon Hospital,Food Basics, Fortino’s, Four Seasons Hotel, G.U.S. Canada, Galco Foods, Group 4 C.P.S.,Gulf Seafoods, Hertz Canada, Holiday Inn, Home Depot, Homewood Hospital, HowardJohnson, Hub Meat Packers, Hudon & Deudelin, IGA, Inner-Tec, J.S. McMillan Fisheries,James Doyle, Jean Coutu, Kraft Canada, Lewisporte Wholesalers, Lilydale, Loblaws, Loeb,Long Range Seafoods, Manoir Richelieu, Maple Lodge Farms, Maxi, Metro, MetropolSecurity, Miracle Food Mart, Mitchell’s Gourmet Foods, National Grocers, No Frills, NovaScotia Textiles, Oland Brewery, Olymel, Omstead Foods, Oshawa Foods, Overwaitea FoodGroup, P&H Foods, Paragon, Protection, Peak Manufacturing, Pharma Plus, Provigo,Quality Meat Packers, Radisson, Ramada Inn, Real Canadian Superstores, Sheraton,Shoppers Drug Mart, Springhill Farms, St. Boniface Hospital, Sunrise Poultry, Super CStores, Super Fresh Food Markets, Sweet Ripe Drinks, Tilden, Venice Bakery, Versa, VikingSeafoods, Wackenhut, Western Glove, Western Grocers, Westin, Weston Bakeries, WilliamNeilson, Wink Industries, XL Beef, Y.I.G., Zehrs, Zellers and many more...

Wayne Hanley

President’s Message

For most people LabourDay is day of transition fromthe days of summer as webegin to prepare for thehectic pace of the fall. Va-cations are over, kids areback in school and workthat piled up during our timeoff now has to be tackled.

The fall season is also abusy period for the staff andstewards of Locals 175 and633. In addition to their reg-ular workplace duties, thefall is a time for stewardsand staff to attend weekendeducational seminars heldthroughout the province.

The fall steward seminarsheld during September, Oct-ober and November are im-portant for all members ofour Locals for they providean opportunity for our stew-ards to take courses whichwill allow them to performtheir job more effectively.Steward training, health andsafety, public speaking,computer, and dealing withmanagement courses, bet-ter prepare our stewards todeal with management innegotiations and serve ourmembers in their work-places.

The seminars also providestewards in their respectiveregions a chance to meetand discuss matters whichare affecting their work-places. Officers and staff ofthe union are provided withfeedback on issues whichare important to our mem-bers and it gives us anopportunity to learn what isimportant to the member-ship and confirm what theywant and expect from ourunion. It also allows us theopportunity to update stew-ards on UFCW activities.

The fall also provides stew-ards from across the pro-vinces the opportunity to ap-ply to attend the stewardsscholarship program at Lo-cals 175 and 633 Trainingand Education centre inMississauga. This weeklong intensive course notonly provides stewards withan opportunity to gain moreknowledge on the role of thesteward but also gives theminsight into their union andthe labour movement inCanada.

At times being a stewardmay seem like a thanklessjob but stewards are thecornerstones of our union.

They are our eyes and earsin the workplace and by at-tending the seminars theyacquire the skills and toolsnecessary to be an effectivesteward. An effective stew-ard means better workplacerepresentation for the mem-bership and in turn meansbetter contract enforce-ment. By knowing theircontract and fighting griev-ances stewards are betterprepared to make proposalswhich will improve theircontracts in future negotia-tions.

I encourage all stewardsnew and experienced, toattend the steward semi-nars in their regions so thatwe may continue to buildour union and provide ourmembership with the repre-sentation they so justly andrichly deserve. To find outmore about the fall stew-ards seminars or the stew-ards scholarship program,please contact you unionrepresentative or your localunion office.

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WHY IS WAL-MART SO CHEAP?Because it costs your job, your union

and your communityWal-Mart is currently the mostprofitable corporation in theworld. It is also one of themost anti-union employers inNorth America and one of thebiggest human rights abuserson the planet. The reason whytheir products seem so cheapis because Wal-Mart refuses torecognize the right to a fairwage, safe working conditionsor the right to join a union.

Wal-Mart products are cheapfor consumers because Wal-Mart employees in Canadaand around the world are treat-ed like slaves. Don't believeit? Read on…

The vast majority of Wal-Martproducts are manufacturedunder sweatshop conditions inLatin America and Asia. Inthese factories, child labour isrampant, unionization is pro-hibited, wages are below thepoverty level, and sexualharassment of workers is com-monplace.

Wal-Mart contracts out produc-tion to the lowest bidders inter-nationally - many of which aremilitary dictatorships and drugtraffickers. These contractorsset up sweatshops in what arecalled "free trade zones,"where unions are illegal, thepay is terrible, conditions areextremely dangerous andworkers are routinely threat-ened with violence and impris-onment.

Wal-Mart is fully aware of thissituation - in fact they wouldn'thave it any other way. Andwhen Wal-Mart is questionedon their horrible human rightsrecord, the company consis-tently lies. For example, Wal-Mart continues to get many ofits products from sweatshopscontrolled by military dictatorsand drug lords in Burma, eventhough the company publiclystates that it does not do busi-ness in Burma.

The vast majority of workers inthese factories are teenagegirls, who are subjected to dis-crimination, violence and sexu-al assault in the workplace.And in China, Wal-Mart con-tracts out production to sweat-shops where workers are heldunder 'indentured servitude' -amodern term for slavery.

Wal-Mart is also one of themost anti-union employershere in Canada. Each andevery time Locals 175 and 633have tried to help Wal-Martemployees unionize, the com-pany has used threats, intimi-dation and store closures toscare and misinform workers.And when Wal-Mart employ-ees are subjected to unfairtreatment or dangerous work-ing conditions, the company'sresponse is to discipline or ter-minate the victim.

Many Wal-Mart employeesmust endure a total of eight

anti-union videos as soon asthey are hired and any workerwho favors unionization isquickly fired. The UFCW hasfiled more than 250 chargesagainst Wal-Mart for unfairlabour practices in the UnitedStates alone.

Wal-Mart doesn't just bully itsown employees - Wal-Mart is athreat to all unionized workers,small businesses and localcommunities everywhere.Every time Wal-Mart opens anew store, unionized workersand their communities comeunder serious threat. Why?Because the very heart of Wal-Mart's strategy is to underminelocal businesses, unionizedworkers and small communi-ties.

By selling products at or belowcost, Wal-Mart forces smallbusinesses and unionizedworkers into a competitiverace to the bottom. Instead ofhigh-quality, unionized prod-ucts, Wal-Mart sells merchan-dise that is manufactured inthe Third World under ex-tremely repressive conditions.And when it comes to yourcommunity, Wal-Mart openlysupports backwards measuressuch as privatized educationand environmental de-regula-tion.

So how can unionized workersand neighborhood businessescompete with Wal-Mart? The

contd. next page

To President Wayne Hanley UFCW Local 175

Dear Brother Hanley,

As Chief Steward and a mem-ber of the negotiating commit-tee, I once again have thepleasure to tell you that Local175 is alive and doing verywell in Perth, Ontario.

We at Hendricks’ YIG in Perthhave just ratified a new 3-yearcollective agreement, whichafforded the members manynew standards plus substantialwage increases. Luc Lacelleis our Union Rep and also ournegotiator at the bargainingtable. With a strike mandate of93%, Luc was able to obtain acollective agreement far bey-ond our membership expecta-tions.

After five days of negotiations,we had reached a standstill onFriday, June 15th. At 3pm,Luc in his wisdom made a boldmove and gave the companythe ultimatum and by 6pm wehad an agreement that was

acceptable. The new agree-ment contained letters ofagreement, formation of alabour-management commit-tee, plus new and stronger lan-guage. Luc also eliminatedthe bagger classification in thepay scale. This gave one em-ployee a $2.90 per hour payraise.

Luc exemplified trade union-ism to its highest height andhas shown that UFCW Local175 will represent its member-ship to the fullest possibleextent. As Chief Steward, I amproud and lucky to have Lucas our Union Rep and I feelthat the UFCW has the bestrepresentation of any union inPerth.

Don Portwine, Chief Steward

PS - A special thanks to Terryin our Ottawa office. She al-ways fulfills my requests, ofwhich there are many.Thanks, Terry.

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short and simple answer is -they can't. That's why unionsand communities are bandingtogether to stop Wal-Martonce and for all.

The UFCW has been verysuccessful in some instances,especially in British Columbia,in actually stopping Wal-Martfrom opening up shop in theirtowns. UFCW Local 1518 hasorganized Community Coa-litions Against Wal-Mart inB.C., bringing together labour,churches, young people, envi-ronmental groups and socialservice organizations to fightWal-Mart's encroachment onlocal communities. TheUnion's strategy is to pressuremunicipal politicians to stopindustrial re-zoning of landpurchased by Wal-Mart, there-by blocking the company frombuilding their infamous 'BigBox' stores.

But the most important way tostop Wal-Mart's abuse ofworkers and communitiesstarts with you. If members ofLocals 175 and 633 simplytake their hard-earned dollarselsewhere, Wal-Mart wouldfeel the heat over night. Thinkabout it - do you want quality,union-made goods or do youwant cheap, low-quality prod-ucts that were made and soldon the backs of slave labour?The answer is clear - remem-ber…Buy Union, Buy UFCW, and definitelyDON'T shop atWal-Mart! contd. next page

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To President Wayne Hanley UFCW Local 175

Dear Brother Hanley,

I have just about completedmy participation in the Dis-tance Education EvaluationProgram (DEEP).

Apart from the vast amount ofinformation which I often need-ed to process before I couldget started on a particularquestion, I found the coursemost useful and obviously verychallenging. It not only de-mystified computer jargon andprocedure, but opened awhole new window onto theworld of labour with sites suchas ‘Labour News.’

It was quite a thrill to send anattachment for the first time. Itwas also very easy to get side-tracked, for as one’s capabili-ties increased so did one’sboldness. I often spent hourssearching the web rather thandoing an assignment.

I’d like to thank you and yourcolleagues for making thisproject available. I’d also liketo convey a special thanks toAndrea for her patience andexcellent way of making thingseasier to understand. I dohope the course will be offeredon an ongoing basis howeverslowly participants completethe assignments.

Thank you once again.

Sincerely,

Sister Jean Klee

To President Wayne HanleyUFCW Local 175

Dear President Hanley,

I am taking the course taughtthrough UFCW Local 175called ‘Internet and E-mail: ABrief Introduction.’ One of theassignments is to send you ane-mail and talk about thecourse.

This course has been an inter-esting venture for me. I actu-ally think that a lot of the infor-mation that was presented tome in the course was stuff thatI already knew. I felt that thiscourse was too simplified forme. I think it was more de-signed for an individual thathad little or no experience withthe Internet and E-mail.

I think it should be continuedas a regular course, but I thinkthat it should be advertised asa course for Beginners.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Ruth Eigenbrood

Local 175 members at theHuntsville District NursingHome ratified a new collectiveagreement in June with signif-icant wage increases, a payequity plan and stronger jobsecurity and grievance claus-es.

Highlights of the new agree-ment include an across theboard pay increase of 2.5% inthe first year, 2.5% in the sec-ond, 3% in the third and 10¢per hour in the fourth year.There are very strong clausescovering Personal EducationLeave, Pay Equity and griev-ance arbitration. Employercontributions to the dental andpension plans have also in-creased.

Negotiating the agreement forthe members at the NursingHome were Joyce Vicaire,Pam Langford, BettyannHaslehurst, Sandra Ezeard,Irene McKay and Union RepArchie Duckworth.

Members at St. Peter's DayCare Centre in Hamilton re-cently ratified a new collectiveagreement with increases inwages, employer contribu-tions to membership educa-tion and a new pension plan.

The new agreement includesan across the board payincrease of 2% in the first yearand 1.75% in the second year.

NNeggotiationsUPPDDAATE

cont’d. nnext ppg.

Current News onLocals 175 and 633

Web-SiteCheck out the new

current messages at:www.ufcw175.com/news

A new and current message each weekday

covering everything fromnegotiations to politics to

member services

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The employer will also con-tribute to first aid and CPRcourses for members. Thecompany will now contributeto the CCWIPP pension planat the rate of 65¢ per hour forevery member.

Negotiating the agreement formembers at St. Peter's DayCare were Maria Thring,Paula Cercone and CentralWest Director Harry Sutton.

Local 175 Members at MapleLeaf Poultry in Bramptonratified a new collective ag-reement in April with wageincreases, better benefits andvacation entitlements, andstronger contract language.

Highlights of the new agree-ment include across the boardpay increases each year ofthe three year contract. Allmembers will be entitled tomore vacations, dental anddrug benefits. Job securityand Union access to the work-place have also been im-proved.

Negotiating the agreement forthe members at Maple Leafwere ?.

Members at Michel's Ba-guette in the Toronto EatonCentre recently ratified a newcollective agreement withwage increases for both full-time and part-time members,stronger contract languageand new employer contribu-

Negotiations ccontd...

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Hamilton and OshawaWalkathons Raise Money for Leukemia Research

Locals 175 and 633 members raised lots of money, gotsome exercise and had loads of fun in the HamiltonWalkathon on June 10th and the Oshawa Walkathon onJune 17th, Father’s Day. There were barbeques, greatprizes and Spike paid a visit to the delight of kids young andold. Congratulations to all our members for donating theirtime, sweat and money to the Leukemia Research Fund ofCanada! Here are some pictures from the Walkathons.

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tions to membership benefits.

The agreement includes an-nual wage increases, lumpsum payments and a higherstarting rate. There is also aretroactive shift premium dat-ing back to January 1st thisyear. The employer will alsocontribute $250 every year tothe Local 175 Training andEducation Fund.

Negotiating the agreement forthe members at Michel'sBaguette were Errol Jamesand Joe Fita and Union RepsFernando Reis and Joe De-Melo.

Local 175 members at theCaressant Care Nursingand Retirement Home inFergus ratified a new collec-tive agreement last monthwith wage increases, strongerlanguage and better holidaysand benefits.

Highlights of the new agree-ment include an across theboard pay increase of 2% inthe first year, 2% in the sec-ond and 1% in the third year.Members will also enjoy moreholidays and increased em-ployer contributions to benefitplans.

Negotiating the agreement forthe members at the FergusRetirement Home were Bren-da Montgomery, ShirleyGoodwin and Union RepsAngus Locke and Rick Wa-uhkonen.

Negotiations ccontd...

cont’d. nnext ppg.

A member of Local 175 wasrecently reinstated followingan arbitrator's ruling that AxisLogistics wrongfully dismissedthe employee. The memberhas worked as a full-time re-ceiver at Axis since 1996 andfrequently volunteers for over-time. Management has de-scribed the employee as "agood worker" who "did a goodjob." But in August last year,the member was fired for sim-ply voicing his concerns overnew overtime rules.

At a regular day shift meetinglast summer, managementintroduced new rules coveringovertime breaks. There wereabout 100 members at themeeting, including the grievor.A supervisor announced thatemployees were previouslyentitled to two 15-minutebreaks during a 4-hour over-time shift, but that the compa-ny would now pay for only onebreak. Regular practice wasfor two paid breaks for every4-hour overtime shift.

As soon as the notice wasmade members began ques-tioning the new rule, whichamounted to pressuring em-ployees to skip one of theirbreaks during overtime.Those who spoke pointed outthat if an employee workedtwo 2-hour overtime shifts,they would get both paidbreaks. Sensing disapprovalfrom the members, the super-visor suddenly cut the meetingshort and said the new rulewould stick whether members

liked it or not. At that point, thegrievor said that employeesshould not work overtime. Themember did not raise hisvoice, stand up or make aspeech, but simply said thatno one should work the 4-hourovertime shift if breaks werenot going to be paid for. Butmanagement viewed his con-cern as ‘incitement to illegallystrike’ and soon after terminat-ed the member. When Axisrefused to reinstate the mem-ber, Local 175 took the matterto arbitration.

In the ruling, the arbitratoragreed with all of the Union'sarguments, especially thatthere was no evidence that thegrievor either intended to in-cite a work stoppage or that hehad any influence over his co-workers. The member wassimply pointing out that thenew rule would force employ-ees taking overtime to worklonger for less pay. In fact, thearbitrator concluded "he wasexercising the right of freespeech as part of what hadbeen until a moment earlier aninvited discussion with a sen-ior supervisor." As a result,the member was reinstatedwith full retroactive pay andseniority.

Locals 175 and 633 alwaysfight hard to get membersback to work who have beenwrongly terminated. It is animportant reason why yourUnion has one of the bestmembership service recordsin Canada.

Member Reinstated at Axis after Local 175 Wins Arbitration

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A new collective agreementwas recently ratified by mem-bers at Hendrick’s Y.I.G. inPerth with significant wageincreases, strong contract lan-guage and enhanced benefitsand vacation scheduling.

The new agreement elimi-nates the bagger classifica-tion, thereby winning thesemembers a $2.85 per hourpay increase. This is in addi-tion to across the board wageincreases of 30¢ per hourevery year for part-time mem-bers and 20¢ per hour everyyear for full-timers. There arealso lump sum payments formembers of up to $150 everyyear. Language has been im-proved to make the jointlabour-management commit-tee and summer vacationscheduling more responsiveto our members.

Negotiating the agreement forour members at Hendrick'sY.I.G. were Don Portwine,Roy Carriere, Simon Bakerand Union Rep Luc Lacelle.

Local 175 members at LoebPembroke ratified a new col-lective agreement in May witha No Harassment policy,across the board wage in-creases and a new group in-surance plan.

The two-year agreement in-cludes a 40¢ per hour payincrease for both part-timeand full-time members andannual lump sum payments of

Negotiations ccont’d...

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Outstanding MembersRecognized for theirContributions to Local 175

Local 175 recently recognized two outstanding membersfor their longtime dedication to the Union. Pictured aboveis Walter Krasnozon, a member at Maple Leaf Pork inBurlington for nine years, receiving his retirement gift fromCentral West Director Harry Sutton. On Sutton’s left isPlant Chairperson Steve Welch and on Brother Kras-nozon’s right is Chief Steward Peter Popovich.

Jim Hough, anotherdedicated Local 175member at Maple LeafPork, recently receiv-ed his 20-year pinfrom Director Sutton.Brother Hough is theformer President andSecretary-Treasurerof UFCW Local 1227and continues toassist Local 175members as the WSIBRep at Maple Leaf andthe Secretary-Trea-surer of the Union’sOntario ProvincialCouncil.

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up to $100. The No Harass-ment policy protects membersfrom aggressive or violentbehaviour from managers orother employees. Vacationentitlements have also beenimproved for both part-timeand full-time members. A newgroup insurance plan hasbeen introduced with extend-ed medical coverage, lifeinsurance, vision care anddental coverage.

Negotiating the new agree-ment for members at LoebPembroke were LoyalCampbell, Duane Pastway,Union Rep Linval Dixon andEastern Director Dan Lacroix.

At the end of July, Local 175members at Hurley Corpora-tion at Pickering Town Cen-tre ratified a new collectiveagreement with significantwage increases, better bene-fits and more vacations.

Highlights of the new agree-ment include across the boardwage increases and higheremployer contributions to theGroup Benefit plan. Memberswill also be entitled to morevacations under the new con-tract and there is stronger lan-guage on seniority and Unionsecurity.

Negotiating for the membersat Hurley were Craig Arnesonand Union Rep Mike Bren-nan.

Negotiations ccontd...

Local 175 recently settled apolicy grievance with BetterBeef concerning coordinatedbenefits for married and com-mon law members. The policygrievance stemmed from anindividual grievance in which amember was not receivingtheir full payment of benefitsbecause their spouse was alsoa member at Better Beef.Before the Union filed thegrievance, Better Beef hadbeen denying couples thechance to coordinate their indi-vidual benefits. When the em-ployer refused to settle thegrievance, the Union took theissue to arbitration.

The employer was not allow-ing couples to coordinate ben-efits such as vision care andother health care benefits.The Union immediately point-ed out that such practice wasa violation of the collectiveagreement, as well as the On-tario Human Rights Code onthe basis of marital status.

The Union expanded the indi-vidual grievance into a policygrievance because they sawthe opportunity to ensure com-prehensive benefits for morethan 100 couples working atBetter Beef. As Locals 175and 633 Legal Counsel Na-veen Mehta explains, "Thissettlement will ensure that theemployer pays full benefits tohundreds of our members whoare couples in the same work-

place."

Union Rep Angus Locke wasvery well prepared going intothe hearing, thereby avoidingmany days of costly arbitra-tion. As the Union's case wassolid, Better Beef settled, theappropriate benefits were paidretroactively to the grievor anda guarantee of equitable treat-ment for all our members wasmade.

It is significant that an individ-ual grievance has resulted infair treatment for all our mem-bers at Better Beef. If not forthe determination of one mem-ber and the strength of Local175, the employer likely wouldhave continued to violate thecollective agreement and On-tario Human Rights Code.

Our Union is winning fair andjust treatment for our membersevery day and we set a prece-dent for upholding the humanrights that everyone is entitledto in the workplace.

Local 175 Wins Coordinated Benefits for Members at Better Beef

Locals 175and 633 -

Using OurStrengths

to BuildYour

Future

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Scholarship WinnersLeft: Local 175 member Emily Gibb has won the2001 UFCW Canada scholarship. She has workedas a cashier at Safeway in Fort Frances for thepast three years. In addition to graduating withthe highest academic average in her class, Gibbhas traveled to many countries as the treasurerand French Horn player for the Fort Frances HighSchool Band. She has been very active in drama,badminton, the yearbook committee, Ukrainiandancing and tutoring students in Math andChemistry. On top of all this, Gibb also volunteersat her church as the Assistant Director of the jun-ior choir.

“I’m very excited about receiving this scholar-ship,” says Gibb, “In addition to being honored, Iknow that it will go a long way toward helping meachieve my educational goals.”

Gibb will be starting an Engineering degree atQueen’s University in Kingston next month.

To Wayne Hanley,President, UFCW Local 175

Dear President Hanley,

I would like to enthusiastically confirm myacceptance of the 2001 UFCW Canada scholar-ship. I know it will go a long way toward help-ing me achieve my educational goals.

Sincerely,Emily Gibb

Right: Local 175 member Katie Costello is arecipient of the Union’s McKay-Thompson-Hoebink-Gibson scholarship. Costello is a mem-ber at Pharma Plus Store #02105. Pictured hereis a very happy Costello receiving the scholar-ship from Vice President Mona Bailey.

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The Organizing Department ofLocals 175 and 633 have beenvery busy organizing morethan 350 new members acrossOntario. The new units rangefrom grocery stores to hotels tothe health and beauty industry.Many of the new members arewomen and young people.Mark Flannigan, OrganizingCoordinator for the Union,says that job security andwages have been the mostimportant issues for the newmembers.

In all cases, employees ap-proached Local 175 to ask forassistance in unionizing theirworkplace and bargaining afirst contract. Flannigan ex-plains how most people whoask the Union to help them or-ganize have heard great thingsabout Local 175 from friendsand family. Our Union has oneof the best reputations in Can-ada for membership servicing

and strong collective agree-ments, and is a leader in theretail, food and commercialsectors.

One of the most recent organ-izing victories was the PrinceArthur Hotel in Thunder Bay.Local 175 now has 81 newmembers in the hotel's bar-gaining unit. Racine Indep-endent, a retail grocery store inCasselman, was successfullyorganized in June with 66members. Members at Racinewere particularly attracted tothe Union because they need-ed fair treatment and real jobsecurity. Loeb Cumberland inOrleans was organized in Fe-bruary with a total of 128 newmembers who have alreadyratified their first contract. Andemployees at Spadoni Leasingin Thunder Bay and NorthAmerican Lumber in Fort Fran-cis also joined Local 175 earli-er this year.

Union Rep Rick Wauhkonenorganized 86 new members atApollo Health and Beauty inVaughan, the first Local 175unit in the cosmetic industry.Employees at the facility,which makes bath soaps, werevery concerned about jobsecurity following a number ofwrongful dismissals. As a re-sult, Waukhkonen says thatthe new members were veryenthusiastic about joiningLocal 175, with more than 50people signing Union cards inless than four days. Betterwages and benefits were twomore reasons why the mem-bers chose to join our Union.As you can see, Local 175 isexpanding across many differ-ent industries and is continu-ously organizing new and di-verse groups of members.Congratulations to all ournew members and welcometo your Union!

New Organizing Victories for Local 175

Local 175 Members at Ball PackagingKeep Summer Cool

With this summer’s recent heatwave, the 150 members ofLocal 175 who work at BallPackaging in Whitby have beenbusy manufacturing beer andpop cans which hold the bever-ages that help keep us cool.

Main production of the bever-age cans are for Molson Brew-eries and Pepsi Cola and themembers produce more than amillion cans a day. The planthas recently undergone a majorretooling which cost the compa-ny $10.5 million, to produce

cans which are easier to drinkfrom. This in turn should bringBall Packaging more cus-tomers. Earlier this year, mem-bers re-elected their plant com-mittee and ratified a new collec-tive agreement. With the newagreement, Local 175 membersat Ball Packaging have worked18 consecutive years without awork stoppage.

Pictured here, left to right, areSteve Lucchi, Ball PackagingPlant Chair and Dean McLaren,Vice Chair.

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2001 By-Law and PolicyConference

Close to 300 Locals 175 and 633 Stewards andStaff participated in the very successful 2001By-Law and Policy Conference, held at theRegal Constellation Hotel in Toronto from April28-29. Local 175 President Wayne Hanley andthe Union’s Staff and Executive reported ontheir progress throughout the past year to makeLocals 175 and 633 even more effective innegotiations, membership servicing and organ-izing. All resolutions and by-laws were passedunanimously and delegates came togetherthroughout the weekend to share experiencesand forge bonds of solidarity. New initiativeswere supported in the areas of human rights,youth empowerment and the fight to stop vio-

lence against women. All those in attendenceparticipated in big fundraising activities to raisemoney for leukemia research, food banks andwomen’s shelters. Everyone also enjoyedsome great entertainment by the bandLegends, as well as charity casinos, raffles anddinners.

“We are proud of our Union Stewards and Act-ivists for working tirelessly to serve their broth-ers and sisters in the workplace and beyond,”says President Hanley, “Together, we can ex-pand, become even stronger and reach out tothe people who need our Union the most.”

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Leukemia Fundraising Across Ontario

Above: The Annual Locals 175 and 633 Hockey Tournament, on June 15th and 16th this year, raised$10,700 for the Leukemia Research Fund of Canada! The UFCW West Team won the tournament thisyear. On the left, Central West Director Harry Sutton presents the trophy to Shane Dawson,Assistant to the Canadian Director. On the right, Union Rep Chris Fuller presents the trophy for bestgoalie to Brother Scott Dutcher, a steward at Pepsi, accepting on behalf of the Local 175 team.

Left: Ted Dawes, a Local 175member at Minute Maid inPeterborough, recently raised$627 for leukemia research byshaving his head. BrotherDawes was out of town for theUnion’s leukemia walkathons,but showed his dedication tothe cause by getting membersto sponsor his new haircut.Way to go, Ted!

Right: UnionRep Teresa

Magee serveshamburgers

and hotdogs toLocal 175

members atCargill Meats

in Toronto,during the

Union’s AnnualLeukemia BBQ

on June 20th.

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"Know your rights." That's what Local 175Union Steward Timothy Deelstra at Nabiscohas to say about working these days. "…Fornot only is it intimidating for young workers toconfront management with problems at work,but often there are overwhelming stereotypesand myths about what can happen if you doenforce your rights". As a result, Timothy hasbecome active in understanding his collectiveagreement and other laws in his workplace. Atthe age of 21 Tim is already a steward, a mem-ber of the Locals 175 & 633 Youth Committee,and a participant in the UFCW Canada YouthInternship Program. "The problem with youngworkers however, is that some just let stuff justroll over them. They argue that because theyare part-time it doesn't really matter. They con-tend that if a manager tells you to do some-thing, you just do it, regardless of whether it isunsafe, regardless if it is against your rights". Inshort, many young people do not understandthat having a union ensures your rights, yoursafety, and your dignity. So…as Timothy says,"know your rights!" The following article isTimothy Deelstra's account of the 2001 UFCWCanada Youth Internship Program.

2001 UFCW Canada Youth Internship

Recently, I attended the first portion of theYouth Internship Program, which was estab-lished by UFCW Canada. I first heard of theprogram as a result of my participation in theLocals 175 & 633 Youth Committee. The pro-gram had been explained to me as an educa-tional and thought-provoking experience - areal hands on way to learn about the union andto communicate that knowledge to other mem-bers, especially younger ones. So far I've com-pleted the first leg of the internship, a two-weektraining session at Locals 175 & 633 Trainingand Educational Centre in Mississauga, with athree-day field trip to Ottawa. We spent the firstweek in the "classroom," learning about anddiscussing the union and the role youth cantake in it. On the second week we went toOttawa where we visited the Canadian Labour

Congress and spent a day on Parliament Hill.While on the hill, we were joined by NDPMember of Parliament and UFCW Canadamember, Bev Desjarlais. She took us aroundparliament and, as a result, we were able to sitin on the NDP caucus. We also took in ques-tion period in the House of Commons, an inter-esting look at the way our Government works.

This internship program is a very important toolfor UFCW Canada to get young membersinvolved in their Union. It could not be moreimportant to stress to the younger generationscoming up that they need to be involved so thatthey can take an active hand in what happensto them, to have a voice and not passively allowemployers to dictate what they will do andbecome. With more and more youth enteringthe workforce, this is increasingly necessary.That is why programs that educate and empow-er youth, like the Locals 175 & 633 YouthCommittee and the Youth Internship Program,are so important. I've already picked up a realsense of purpose as well as the understandingthat the union is a valuable institution, which weneed to fight to maintain and expand. TheUFCW is recognizing that youth are the futureand I am proud to be a part of an organizationthat finally realizes the importance of youthinvolvement.

Editor’s Note: The Youth Internship is fundedby UFCW Local Unions across Canada andone of the big advantages is that Locals 175and 633 employers contribute to the program.

Local 175 Union Steward Tim Deelstra

Youth News

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Locals 175 and 633 Members Donate$175,633 to Leukemia Research!

Members and Staff of Locals 175 and 633 presented a cheque for $175,633 to the LeukemiaResearch Fund of Canada, during the 12th Annual UFCW Canada Leukemia Gala. Themoney was raised by Locals 175 and 633 members who organize walkathons, bowlathons,concerts, raffles, hockey, pool and golf tournaments for leukemia research every year.Locals 175 and 633 raised more money this year than any other UFCW Local Union inCanada! The June 22nd Gala was a huge success, with a special visit from former Can-adian Heavyweight Champion George Chuvalo and a live concert by Canada’s Blue Rodeo.Congratulations to our members for their dedication to finding a cure for leukemia.

17

Members of Local 175 atDanone Inc in Mississaugarecently ratified a new collec-tive agreement with substantialgains particularly for part-timers and sales people. In avery unique settlement, part-time wages will now increaseto match full-time rates. Andthis is on top of an across theboard wage increase of 2% inthe second year, 2% in thethird and immediate signingbonuses ranging from $300 to$500.

In the food and retail indus-tries, the matching of part-timeand full-time wages is indeedan innovative victory for mem-bers of the Union. Employersoften pay part-time workersmuch less than full-timers andlimit their benefit entitlements.That's why the strength andpower of Local 175 in negotia-tions is so important - to pro-tect and fight for the rights ofpart-time workers and full-time

members alike. All the mem-bers at Danone will also besharing substantial gains ininsurance benefits, pensionsand the Union's Training andEdu-cation Fund.

Another unique part of the col-lective agreement at Danoneis that it covers sales people,in addition to our members inthe distribution centre. Thevast majority of sales people inNorth America are not union-ized and work under some ofthe most vulnerable condi-tions. They are rarely entitledto benefits and often work oncommission, with no guaran-tee of an hourly wage. But thisis not the case at Danone - ourmembers include both salespersonnel and warehouse em-ployees. The new contract in-cludes wage increases for ourmembers in sales, as well asbenefits, group insurance anda 13% increase in mileage ex-penses.

These are big gains for ourmembers. "Our Union mustprioritize the gaps that existbetween full-time, part-timeand extraordinary workers incollective bargaining," saysLocal 175 president WayneHanley, "These are the peoplewho need Unions the most."

Members of Locals 175 and633 have proven once againthat we are a Union that fightsequally hard for all workerseverywhere - part-time, full-time and sales people alike.Negotiating this strong agree-ment for the members atDanone were Cliff Kostyniuk,John Toner and Cathy Smit,along with Union Rep MikeDuden. Congratu-lations tothe negotiating committee andall our members at Danone formaking Locals 175 and 633 aleader in the Canadian labourmovement!

Local 175 Wins Innovative Gains for Members at Danone

Local 175 retirees are organizing their own chapter to bring together seniors who havebeen active in the Union and their workplaces. The first meeting of the Local 175 RetireesChapter will be on September 24th at 7:30pm, at the Union's Hamilton office on 412 RennieStreet. Jim Montgomery, former Local 175 Executive Board member and recent retiree, isorganizing the meeting. He plans to start monthly social gatherings where Local 175 re-tirees can get to know one another and have some fun. Montgomery also hopes to starta retirees Travel Club where members can plan vacations together.

"As the largest local union in Canada, I know there are many Local 175 retirees who wantto continue socializing with their brothers and sisters in the years to come," explains Lo-cal 175 President Wayne Hanley, "After all, these are the people that have made Local 175the strong and effective Union that it is today." If you are retiring or know of a Local 175member who is retiring, contact the Union office at (905) 821-8329 or 1-800-565-8329.

Local 175 to Start Retirees Chapter

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Change of Address?Don’t leave it up to your employer...advise us of your address changeIf you are moving or planning to move, please fill out the form below and mail it to us at UFCW Locals 175and 633, 2200 Argentia Road, Mississauga, ON L5N 2K7. Or call us at 1-800-565-8329.

Name........................................................................... Unit Number............................New Address..............................................................

...............................................................

..............................................................Phone.........................................................................E-mail.........................................................................

Education NewsThe Training and Education Department of Locals 175 and 633 has been busy offering coursesfor members across the province. Steward Scholarship programs, Labour College certificates andGrade 12 Equivalency courses have been very successful in attracting enthusiatic members.Local 175 members also played an important role in the 2001 UFCW Canada Youth Internship.“When it comes to membership education, our Union is one of the most active in Canada,”says Local 175 President Wayne Hanley, “We are proud to make educational development areality for our members and their families - that way, we can all grow together.”

Locals 175 & 633 Steward Scholarship ProgramJune 3rd to June 8th

Front Row (l-r): Diana Dignard, Barb Wilford,Valerie Ann Capitan, Heather Pinsonneault, Cyn-thia Pilon and Lisette Poirier. Middle Row (l-r): Richard McIntosh, AndrewStephenson, Victor Carrozzino (Local 175 Train-ing and Education Coordinator), Doug McQuillan,Shawn Knight, Nadine Lazzari (Local 175 Admin-istrative Assistant) and Bob Drouin. Back Row (l-r): Dimas Botelho, Nigel Goddard,Robert Smith and Rose Marie Francis.

2001 UFCW Canada Youth Internship ProgramMay 27th to June 2nd

Front Row (l-r): Susan Taylor (Local 1252), Hea-ther Poirier (Local 1288P) and Travis Vellacot(Local 401). Back Row (l-r): Dave Killham (UFCW CanadaTraining and Education Coordinator), Mark Hen-nesey (Local 248P), Tim Deelstra (Local 175),Trista Ross (Local 832), Charity Dawn Arsenault(Local 864), Danielle Burlock (Local 1000A),Elizabeth Rose Camp (Local 401) and Karma Pu-cyk (Local 401).

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SecretaryTreasurer’s

Message

MASTHEAD

As you know, Labour Day is atime to celebrate the victoriestrade unions have fought forand won in Canada over theyears, which have helpedimprove the standard of livingfor us all. It is a time to cele-brate and demonstrate ourstrength and solidarity asunion members across Can-ada and as members of Locals175 and 633.

Yet, the Ontario governmentrecently announced that theyare determined to rain on ourfestivities on September 3rd.Bill 147, new legislation thatwill dramatically change theEmployment Standards Actand seriously threaten thelives of working families acrossthe province, will be enactedon September 4th - the dayafter Labour Day.

Bill 147 will allow employers tointimidate workers to work 60hours a week without overtimepay and could limit vacationsto one day at a time. Thiscomes on the heels of othermoves by the Harris govern-

ment to attack health and safe-ty protections that are in placeand limit our fundamentalrights to join a union and par-ticipate in collective bargain-ing. In fact, the only protectiona worker has in Ontario thesedays is a union and a strongcollective agreement. Buteven this is in jeopardy be-cause the upcoming changesto the Act will threaten the freeand fair collective bargainingprocess and will make it moredifficult for unions to organizenew members.

What Bill 147 amounts to is tilt-ing the balance of power infavor of Big Business androlling back our rights asunionized workers. This issuereally is about you, your fami-lies and your communities.Even though you belong to aunion, you probably havefriends or family members whodo not. Bill 147 means thatnon-union workers will havevery little power to refuseunsafe work, to take a vacationor to get paid anything morethan minimum wage. But this

legislation will go even further.Our democratic right to organ-ize the unorganized, to fight forhuman dignity in the workplaceand to bring home a livingwage for you and your family,will be continuously attackedby the Harris government.

So what can we do to stop thislatest attack? The answer:Have the best Labour Dayever and prepare to take theprogressive gains and accom-plishments of our memberseven further. Our Local Unionis the backbone of Canadianlabour and we will not be intim-idated by the government'srefusal to listen to the voices ofworking families. Your Unionis more than ready for thestruggle ahead and we willfight to protect as many work-ers as possible in the work-place and in your communi-ties. I hope all our membersare enjoying a good summerand have a safe and happyLabour Day weekend!

Jim Andress

Return postage will be paid by:United Food and Commercial WorkersLocals 175 and 6332200 Argentia Road,Mississauga, Ontario L5N 2K7

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