Home
Forums
Your Union
Ontario Loblaw workers vote 97% for strike mandate
Forums
Your Union
Ontario Loblaw workers vote 97% for strike mandate
Ontario Loblaw workers vote 97% for strike mandate
| page: prev 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 next | |
| Author | Message |
|---|---|
| AnoneMouse |
Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:52 am
|
|
Joined: 08 Oct 2010 Posts: 8 |
@Rose
This is absolutely amazing. You have certainly made me feel totally useless in making any attempt at becoming a shop steward and trying so somehow have better representation. I miss my days as a shop steward with CUPW - that was a REAL union. |
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
| Rose Knows |
Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 12:40 pm
|
|
Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 310 |
Most shop stewards in loblaws are appointed by management or the field rep. It is a real joke. UFCW is the poster child for a company union. More often than not the union steward is also a department head. Talk about conflict of intrest.
Rose Knows UFCW Local 175/633 |
| Back to top | profile :: pm :: e-mail |
| wm pasz |
Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 2:57 pm
|
|
Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 1219 Location: Toronto |
That's a great summation, UncleK, of the state of the UFCW. I don't really know why Ontario maintains the prohibitions against company unions in the Labour Relations Act. The UFCW meets the definition and has even taken labour-management collusion to shocking new levels - all with the blessing of the OLRB. The nepotisim and cronyism that Rose speaks of are natural offshoots of unions that become corrupted. When there's no higher ideal to work for, it's every man for himself and gangs of like-minded self-serving leeches form to look after their shared interests rather than those of the members.
I'm hopeful, as I have always been on the heels of these sell-outs, that members take stock of their options and do something to liberate themselves from the clutches of these bogus unionists but I have some cautionary advice (please take this in the spirit in which it's intended) and maybe a suggestion for a new approach that might hold out some promise. Decertification and joining other mainstream unions are paths that are almost certain to lead nowhere. There are too many members, too much turnover, too many stores and a very narrow window of opportunity for this to happen. The UFCW and its corporate buddies will oppose any efforts in this direction with the usual scaremongering, vilification and oppression of reformers and legal maneuvering that have worked well for them in the past. Don't count on the OLRB for help either. It's proven remarkably UFCW-friendly over the years. Many of its officers and vice chairs are hoping for lucrative mediation gigs with Wayne, Kevin and the boys once they retire from their government gigs. The decision in the Blasdell case a few years ago left me persuaded that they'll side with the UFCW-Loblaw tag team against the members even if they have to twist the law into knots to make it happen. As the ranks of the part-timers and the casualized workforce continue to grow, there will be other obstacles. Many of your new co-workers can't stand the UFCW and, by extension, the whole concept of mainstream unionism. I've spoke to many younger ex-employees over the past few years and their experiences are really infuriating. They've never met a steward or union rep. They received little or no training in important matters like dealing with rude customers (facing a long line up of surly people is really demoralizing for a 16 year old in her first job), ergonomics (I've seen countless young cashiers doing things that will cause them a lot of pain down the road), health and safety to name a few. They are hassled by supervisors to work more hours than they can handle (many have told me that despite originally indicating that they could only work 12-16 hours per week - about all that many full-time students can handle in a week - and being told that was OK, they would receive frequent phone calls from supervisors badgering them to come in). This, while watching older workers pleading for more hours but never getting them (because 28 is the max). I've heard stories about people not getting paid for attending staff meetings, not getting paid for the half hour or so that they spend cashing out and cleaning up their stations at the end of a shift, putting up with supervisors who are bullies, being denied breaks, and a litany of other abuses that are exactly the kind of thing we've been told unions exist to prevent. These young people are not just sour on the UFCW, they're sour on unionism in general and they're going to take these impressions into their future jobs. It doesn't bode well for mainstream unionism, that's for sure. And it doesn't bode well for any campaign intended to replace the UFCW with some other mainstream union. On this latter point we need also to consider that the mainstream unions are not going to step up to represent disenchanted UFCW members. Their leaders have sat around with their thumbs up their asses for the past two decades, knowing fully well what has been going on and turning a blind eye all in support of their misguided notions of solidarity. None of them want the expense and political fallout of what would be considered by the OFL and CLC to be a "raid" on sister union. Then there is the whole additional problem of what else is lurking within the UFCW organization. I've said it before in these pages and I'll keep saying it that over a decade ago a prominent UFCW local president told me that this union had made its bed with thieves and leeches who had gotten their hooks in its major pension plan. These guys don't just go away or stop their looting. As we've seen in the US, they infest entire organizations and it's damned difficult to dislodge them. Whoever inherits the UFCW inherits these vermin. Given this array of obstacles, thousands of fully committed people could spend entire lifetimes fighting and end up nowhere. So reforming the UFCW is a non-starter. Replacing it with some other mainstream union is similarly a non-starter because no other union will step up to the plate. Your hope may lie in doing something totally different, totally outside the box. Something that rejects the current systems and processes for labour-management relations and basically says, "screw this - we're not going to bother trying to work within it because it's a game that's rigged against us". I'm not sure this would look like but it would involve setting up your own parallel or alternative organization - maybe a network of empowered members at the stores - that basically stands up for members and their issues in whatever way makes sense at the time. It's something we've talked about off and on over the years and who knows, maybe the time is right. There's not much left to lose and it might be something that strikes a chord with the younger members who aren't going to get excited about anything that involves bringing in another crew of aging white guys with golf bags. It's something to think about. It would likely be more effective in dealing with local issues but as local groups get stronger and the network grows more connected, it's possible that larger issues might be tackled successfully this way. (To whoever it was that asked why there would be separate ballot boxes for full and part-time staff - that's an old trick. You don't want the part-timers - who are more likely to vote for the deal - mixing with the full timers in the line up at the ballot box. They might get talked into changing their vote. It's not always a big deal which is why in some cases they haven't segregated the two groups but at times where a large number of pissed off full timers are expected to be lining up, you're more likely to see this practice.) _________________ Time is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. You don't need anything else. - Malcolm X |
| Back to top | profile :: pm :: www |
| Rose Knows |
Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 6:25 pm
|
|
Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 310 |
I agree with you. trying to effect change from within the UFCW will not work in the forseable future and decertification will only bring about more of the same if the membership is complacent.
York University professer David McNally was using a brillent consept called flying squads made up fellow trade unionest and progressive orgainzations such as the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty OCAP. If a union member was getting stonewalled by the union leadership, fellow flying squad members would pool there resourses to bring about a desirable outcome. Rose Knows UFCW Local 175 633 |
| Back to top | profile :: pm :: e-mail |
| unionnow |
Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 3:49 am
|
|
Joined: 05 Feb 2006 Posts: 695 Location: Gettin the Hell out of retail |
I can't say I understand what goes on up in Canada but I found the buyout language pretty interesting.
$70,000 to walk away with a pension at 55? I would seriously consider taking that especially as severance being paid weekly till it runs out. That's pretty good on the tax angle. There must be a bunch of older workers on the books they want to move off the books. I know a bunch of the younger ones took the buyout down here when it was offered, 32K which turned into 15K after the g got their share. That deal stunk and the economy crashed shortly thereafter. Most of them are wishing they had their old job back now. 70K if paid out weekly and then moving into monthly payment of your earned pension credits is a good deal if you can walk into another job. Other than that its typical UFCW. My spell check still says FUCK when I spell UFCW. _________________ “The burden against Damascus. ‘Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap. (Isaiah 17:1-2) |
| Back to top | profile :: pm :: e-mail |
| John Briley |
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 3:12 am
|
|
Joined: 21 Nov 2007 Posts: 704 |
Quote: Zehrs/RCSS Strike Postponed — New Vote to Be Held
08/10/2010 Download this Media Release MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO- Oct. 8, 2010 - Late last night, UFCW Locals 175 & 633, the Local Union representing approximately 1,700 workers at Zehrs Great Canadian Food Stores (GCFS) and Real Canadian Superstore (RCSS) in the Essex-Lambton-Kent counties, made the difficult decision to postpone the strike that was scheduled to start at 12:01 a.m. The company has applied for an Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) supervised vote. The union has extended its strike deadline until such time the government supervised vote has been conducted and concluded. Further, the negotiated settlement presented at the previous meetings will not be lessened in any way for this new vote, and the current collective agreement will remain in force until that vote is held. The approximately 1,700 involved workers are represented by UFCW Locals 175 & 633 and employed at nine Zehrs GCFS and RCSS stores in the Chatham, Sarnia and Windsor areas. -30- For more information, please contact UFCW Canada Locals 175 & 633 905-821-8329 Does anyone have any updates as it pertains to the following: Quote: The company has applied for an Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) supervised vote. The union has extended its strike deadline until such time the government supervised vote has been conducted and concluded.
|
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
| sceptical |
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 2:41 am
|
|
Joined: 05 Oct 2010 Posts: 9 |
Whenever the re vote is held I hope the intelligent workers in South Western Ontario vote no to the contract in even stronger numbers so the duped people in the rest of Loblaw see what improvements the stores who rejected the contract get when a final settlement is eventually reached. If this contract is the best our union can do then something is definitely wrong with the state of unionized labor in this country. Is there a union out there with any real strength? Our dues are not worth the effort put forward by our leaders.
|
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
| AnoneMouse |
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 1:22 pm
|
|
Joined: 08 Oct 2010 Posts: 8 |
sceptical wrote: Whenever the re vote is held I hope the intelligent workers in South Western Ontario vote no to the contract in even stronger numbers so the duped people in the rest of Loblaw see what improvements the stores who rejected the contract get when a final settlement is eventually reached. If this contract is the best our union can do then something is definitely wrong with the state of unionized labor in this country. Is there a union out there with any real strength? Our dues are not worth the effort put forward by our leaders. It's too late NOW! We blinked and that will cause irreparable harm for a long time to come. We re-vote today and I expect the contract offer will be accepted due to the scaremongering by management AND the effin UFCW - standin' up for our rights my effin arse. Spoke to a union bullshit rep a couple of days ago, who said the union didn't know anything about management paying 7.5 hours and transport to Sarnia for people to cast their vote. I'm told (I vote today) the returning officer from the OLRB wasn't even asking for ID, just a name - that's bullshit man. Where's the seriousness in all this? Lastly, as if it's not enough that the night crew gets treated by management as third-class citizens, they get treated the same by the union. Why wasn't there a convenient time for them to cast a vote. Four fuckin hours before or after their shift starts or ends before a polling station is open!! It's time the night crew gets better treatment by BOTH sides. |
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
| sceptical |
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 1:58 pm
|
|
Joined: 05 Oct 2010 Posts: 9 |
Well good luck to you Anonemouse at least you have passion about your situation - unlike so many apathetic "what can we do" types in the rest of Loblaw. No one looks at the big picture in these contract votes - just what's there today! The company and the union are totally in bed with each other that's obvious. I have been telling anyone who will listen in my store that we all need to go to the next union meeting and raise hell about the lack of improvements in the contract let alone how it was presented to the members and all the concessions. We should be getting much more for our union dues!!
|
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
| cmartin |
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 2:08 pm
|
|
Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Posts: 244 |
Hello all.
With all the talk centered around the stores lately, us poor souls in the warehouse don't get much attention, but I thought it might be worth mentioning that yesterday we gave the union a %98.5 strike mandate. I'm not sure of the number of people that voted, but I think it's in the %40 range, higher if you don't include our part-time (they never show up). |
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
| sceptical |
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 2:23 pm
|
|
Joined: 05 Oct 2010 Posts: 9 |
Keep up the fight everyone - the CBC in Windsor is sending a reporter to cover the revote so all is not lost - if ever there was a union friendly media outlet it is the CBC - maybe they can hold the union's feet to the fire!!You can contact the reporter at charlsie.agro@cbc.ca She wants to interview people. Good Luck everyone,give 'em HELL!!!!
|
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
| sceptical |
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 2:32 pm
|
|
Joined: 05 Oct 2010 Posts: 9 |
Hello cmartin, why are you just having a mandate strike now? Didn't you have a vote earlier? If it was a strike mandate you will now be set up like the rest of us - told how difficult the negotiations are the toughest ever all Walmart types at the table blah blah blah! Then at the last minute a settlement will be reached and it will be presented as the best thing since sliced bread and all the gullible members will accept it because number 1. They will be told you will be on strike for a long time if you vote to strike. 2. This is the best they could get and it is really a good contract. 3. You will be given very little time to read and understand the contract before being pressured to vote. 4. Questions about the contract will be discouraged. Welcome to contract presentation 101 for the UFCW or how to sucker the membership into an unwanted and undeserved contract that the company and the union cooked up together! Just what did the union get this time!!!!
|
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
| cmartin |
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 5:38 pm
|
|
Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Posts: 244 |
It was a strike mandate vote. Our contract expired back in July, and I suppose up until now talks were progressing okay, now that they are past most of the language issues, it's the big ticket items that they have stalled on. We haven't had a wage increase in a decade, and loblaws wants it to stay that way. We are told that the company would also like to remove our (full-time) work guarantee, and add in the ever popular 2 tier wages & benefits.
|
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
| sceptical |
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 6:02 pm
|
|
Joined: 05 Oct 2010 Posts: 9 |
Gee that sounds exactly the same as the progression of the Zehrs RCSS and GFS negotiations. Same song and dance every time and every new contract is worse than the last. Good Luck to you all, you will need to be strong and willing to vote for a strike in a strong way and hold your union reps accountable. If you vote for strike by a strong majority they have no choice but to withdraw services. Then you will get Loblaws real offers not the phony ones the union presents in collusion with the company.
|
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
| sceptical |
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 6:17 pm
|
|
Joined: 05 Oct 2010 Posts: 9 |
AnoneMouse how did the vote go at your voting place? I keep looking all over the net for info but nothing yet!
|
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
Home
Forums
Your Union
Ontario Loblaw workers vote 97% for strike mandate
Forums
Your Union
Ontario Loblaw workers vote 97% for strike mandate
|
Page 7 of 8
page: prev 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 next |
||