Checkout December 2008

VOLUME XVIINO. 4DECEMBER2008

THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MEMBERS OF LOCALS 175 & 633 UFCW CANADA

Labour Day Celebrations. . . page 5

Local UnionElection Results . . . page 21

59393-1_CheckOut:Dec2008 11/17/2008 2:48 PM Page 1

2008 Member Achievement Awards Announced..................................

President’s Message.............................................................................Secretary-Treasurer’s Message............................................................. LOCAL 175

PresidentShawn Haggerty

Secretary-TreasurerTeresa Magee

RecorderBetty Pardy

Executive AssistantsRay BromleyJim HastingsHarry Sutton

UFCW Local 633President

Dan BondySecretary-Treasurer

Marylou MallettRecorder

Neil Hotchkiss

Provincial Office2200 Argentia Road

Mississauga L5N 2K7905-821-8329 Toll free 1-800-565-8329

Fax 905-821-7144Benefits Representatives

Sherree Backus,Joanne Ford

Benefits Intake RepresentativeOrsola Augurusa

Legal CounselVictoria Shen

Communications RepresentativesCheryl Mumford, Jennifer Tunney

Servicing RepresentativeLien Huynh

Health & Safety RepresentativeJanice KlenotLegal Counsel

Marcia Barry, Michael Hancock,Rebecca Woodrow, Natalie Wiley

Legal RepresentativeFernando Reis

Organizing RepresentativesRoy Etling, Rick Hogue,

Steve Robinson

CENTRAL EAST REGIONDirector

Luc LacelleUnion Representatives

JehanAhamed, Mona Bailey, John DiFalco,Anthony DiMaio, John DiNardo,

Emmanuelle Lopez, Angela Mattioli,Rob Nicholas, Dave White

SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONDirector

Sylvia GroomUnion Representative

Judith BurchServicing Representatives

Brenda Simmons, Mark Stockton,Mario Tardelli

People

Fundraising

5

CONTENTS

2

CENTRA412 RenHamilton905-545Toll freeFax 905DirectorPaul JokUnion RMatt DavJoe DeMDan SerServicingSam Ca

EASTER20 HamiOttawa K613-725Toll freeFax 613DirectorDan LacUnion RSimon BPaul HaDaniel MServicingJacques

SOUTH124 SydKitchene519-744Toll freeFax 519DirectorRay BroUnion RWendy AJulie JoRick WaRepreseMike Du

NORTHLakehea21-929 FThunder807-346Toll freeFax 807DirectorHarry SuUnion RColby F

TRAININCoordinaKelly NiEducatioGeorginDerek J

PublishISSN nCHECKof LocaUnited

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24Negotiations

10

3

4

Labour Day

25Youth

8

Training + Member Education Program

21Local Union Election Results

Web sitE-mail:

Supporting Members through good times & bad..................................

Arbitration & Grievance Resolutions 12

Workplace News

14The Westin Ottawa members are at your service:They spare no effort in taking care of guests........................................

16

26Community

59393-1_CheckOut:Dec2008 11/17/2008 11:06 AM Page 2

In the month of September of this year, a series of81 special election membership meetings wereconducted for members at locations all across theprovince.

At these meetings, all members had the opportunityto elect the Officers of their Local Unions. I ampleased and honoured that you have re-electedSister Teresa Magee and I as your Local 175Secretary-Treasurer and President, respectively. We are both fully committed to arenewed program of building and strengthening our Local Union for the benefit of you,the members. We dedicate ourselves and the Local’s staff to providing outstanding serv-icing and representation, facilitated through ongoing organizing initiatives.

A complete listing of your recently elected representatives is printed on page 21 of thisissue of Checkout. These are your co-workers who help establish the policies and priori-ties of the Local Unions and ensure that the Officers and Staff of the Locals continue toprovide excellent representation on your behalf.

This issue also includes a report on the 2008 Labour Day celebrations. On Monday,September 1, hundreds of UFCW Locals 175 & 633 members came out to join fami-lies, friends, co-workers and other trade unionists at events throughout Ontario.

For many, the annual celebrations include at least two generations, and for some fami-lies the tradition has been continuing for at least a decade or more in Canada. Thereare families who have continued to participate in the trade union movement and cele-brate Labour Day here, after immigrating to Canada from countries around the globe.Other families are especially happy to celebrate Labour Day – and the benefits thatUnion membership brings – because they may not have had the right or ability tobelong to a Union in their birth countries.

In 2008 in Ontario, however, these celebrations are bittersweet because we know thatgood-paying Union jobs are disappearing at a horrendous rate, several thousand overthe last few years and 55,000 in July of 2008 alone. Ontario has lost the largest num-ber of these, and it appears to be getting worse. Corporations that demand greaterprofits, regardless of the cost to the workers, their families or the local communities, area frequent cause of these layoffs. Cangro is one example. It was owned by Kraft Foodsuntil 2006. Then the assets of the company, which included about 800 employees,were sold off to two private American equity firms – Sun Capital Partners Inc and EGCapital Group LLC.

Cangro’s Exeter plant, which processed vegetables, closed in May. The one in St.David’s, which canned peaches, pears, mandarins and mixed fruit, closed in June. As

DECEMBER 2008

CAL 175Presidentaggertyreasurera MageeRecordery PardyssistantsBromleyastingsy Sutton

ocal 633Presidentn BondyreasurerMallett

Recorderotchkiss

al Officetia RoadL5N 2K765-832921-7144entativesBackus,ne FordsentativeugurusaCounselia ShenentativesTunneysentativen Huynhsentativee KlenotCounselancock,ie Wileysentativedo ReisentativesHogue,obinson

REGIONDirectorLacelle

entativesDiFalco,DiNardo,Mattioli,e White

REGIONDirectorGroom

sentativeh Burchentativesockton,Tardelli

CENTRAL WEST REGION412 Rennie StreetHamilton L8H 3P5905-545-8354Toll free 1-800-567-2125Fax 905-545-8355DirectorPaul JokhuUnion RepresentativesMatt Davenport, Tim Deelstra,Joe DeMelo, Linval Dixon,Dan Serbin, Kelly TosatoServicing RepresentativeSam Caetano

EASTERN REGION20 Hamilton Avenue NorthOttawa K1Y 1B6613-725-2154Toll free 1-800-267-5295Fax 613-725-2328DirectorDan LacroixUnion RepresentativesSimon Baker, Chris Fuller,Paul Hardwick, Marilyn Lang,Daniel MercierServicing RepresentativeJacques Niquet

SOUTH WEST REGION124 Sydney Street SouthKitchener N2G 3V2519-744-5231Toll free 1-800-265-6345Fax 519-744-8357DirectorRay BromleyUnion RepresentativesWendy Absolom, Kevin Dowling,Julie Johnston, Angus Locke, Roy Reed,Rick WauhkonenRepresentativeMike Duden

NORTH WEST REGIONLakehead Labour Centre21-929 Fort William RoadThunder Bay P7B 3A6807-346-4227Toll free 1-800-465-6932Fax 807-346-4055DirectorHarry SuttonUnion RepresentativesColby Flank, Dean McLaren

TRAINING & EDUCATION CENTRECoordinator of EducationKelly NicholasEducation RepresentativesGeorgina Broeckel, Laurie DuncanDerek Jokhu, Ashleigh Vink

Published six times yearly.ISSN no. 1703-3926CHECKOUT is an official publicationof Locals 175 & 633 of theUnited Food & Commercial Workers.

3

Local 175 Elections:Thank You to ALLOur Supporters

. . . continues on next page

Pres

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SHAWN HAGGERTY

Web site: www.ufcw175.comE-mail: [email protected]


I too am honoured, likePresident Haggerty, tohave been re-elected bythe members of Local175.

Let me begin by assuringyou that the Officers,Directors and Staff of bothLocal Unions are awareand prepared to meet themany issues that will chal-

lenge us over the next four years.

Of paramount importance is the maintenance of good-pay-ing jobs. We will do all we can, as a Union, to protectthese jobs and we will continue our aggressive organizingcampaigns to unionize unorganized workers, and improvetheir wages and benefits too. Through membership growthand education, we can create a better future for Locals 175& 633 members – and for all working people.

On the page opposite, you can read about the LocalUnion's recent successful organizing campaign for the work-

Good Jobs and Organizing arePriorities for 2009

ers at Wing's Asian Specialty Foods. In 2009, we willcontinue to reach out to even more unorganizedworkers to bring them the benefit of good Unioncontracts.

At the same time, our governments – both provin-cially and federally – need to create innovative pro-grams and initiatives that will keep good jobs inCanada and establish new ones in leading-edgeindustries. They need to enact better laws to ensurethat foreign owners act responsibly to sustain goodjobs and enhance – not destroy – local communities.The Ontario government needs to re-enact card-based certification for all job sectors so that workerswho wish to belong to a Union are afforded thatopportunity.

Together, we can build a sustainable economy with acomfortable lifestyle for all working families. In clos-ing, on behalf of the Officers and Staff of Locals 175& 633, I thank you for your recent vote of confi-dence. Please accept our best wishes for a joyousholiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous2009.

4

. . . continued from previous page

President’sMessageMessage

Secretary-Treasurer’sMessage

TERESA MAGEE

a result, nearly 300 UFCW Local 175 members becameunemployed. Losing the security of these good jobs, andthe camaraderie that resulted from many years of workfriendships with co-workers, has been hard on these mem-bers. Local 175 is doing everything possible to assist themin obtaining new employment.

But there is only so much that one Local Union, no matterhow strong, can accomplish. We also need to see muchmore leadership from our elected governments, so thatworking people are not constantly being harmed by theireconomic policies. The federal government in particularneeds to show leadership to restrict foreign takeovers of ourindustries, unless they are linked to specific job guarantees.We also need more tax incentives and innovative programsto create new, sustainable “green” jobs, as Europeans are

doing. More “green” investment can better harnessour natural resources – such as land, water, wind,sun and human innovation – and create new worksectors. With some leadership, we can create highly-skilled, good-paying jobs in renewable energy, inalternative cars and fuels and in high-performancebuildings. Through innovation, and the retrofit ofhomes, plants and office buildings, we can reduceour reliance on non-renewable energy sources andcreate good jobs that can’t be outsourced to otherparts of the world.

Unless the government acts now, we will continue tolose the good-paying jobs that have ensured a com-fortable lifestyle for working families in Canada.


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Some of the 170 members who work at WHL Management Limited Partnership (Wing’s Foods)participated in their first Labour Day parade after receiving certification to be represented byLocal 175 on August 11, 2008. Wing’s, which has two Toronto plants, produces fortune cookies,won ton skins, noodles and various sauces for restaurants and supermarkets.

LABO

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5DECEMBER 2008

LOCALS 175 & 633 MEMBERS, TOGETHER WITH THEIR

FAMILIES AND FRIENDS, TURNED OUT IN HUGE NUM-BERS TO CELEBRATE LABOUR DAY 2008.

ON SEPTEMBER 1, MEMBERS JOINED SEVERAL THOU-SAND WORKERS WHO MARCHED IN THE TORONTO

PARADE. HUNDREDS OF OTHERS ATTENDED THE

HAMILTON PARADE AND PICNIC THAT FOLLOWED AT

DUNDURN CASTLE PARK.

IN CORNWALL , WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES

ENJOYED A GREAT DAY. SOME PARTICIPATED IN THE

WELL-ORGANIZED PROGRAM THAT FEATURED CLOWNS,FACE PAINTING, FIRE TRUCKS, A SMOKE HOUSE, A

FAMILY BBQ, ELECTRIC TRAIN RIDES AND GAMES FOR

CHILDREN – AND OTHERS JUST HUNG OUT WITH

FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS. VOLUNTEERS AND PARTIC-IPANTS RAISED $3,000 FOR LEUKEMIA RESEARCH.

IN OTHER CENTRES, MEMBERS CAME TOGETHER TO

CELEBRATE WITH PARADES, PICNICS AND GAMES FOR

THE CHILDREN .

Labour Day 2008

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8

TRAINING It’s all over the news media these days: good Canadianjobs are being lost across the province and throughoutCanada. Members are suffering as a result of thesemany layoffs and closures, which span the provincefrom Windsor to Niagara Falls and even up toThunder Bay.

In 2008, in July alone, Canadians were hit by thebiggest monthly job loss – 55,000 – since the 1991recession. Thousands more good jobs have graduallydisappeared over the last few years. You only have tolisten to the news, or glance at a newspaper, to knowthat there is no sure sign of “a light at the end of thetunnel.”

Locals 175 & 633 are always commit-ted to helping members, especiallywhen it’s needed most in these “badtimes” of frequent closures and layoffs.We do not abandon members in theirhour of need. Locals 175 & 633 workwith the provincial government’sMinistry of Training, Colleges &Universities (MTCU) to provide labouradjustment services to members wholose good Union jobs to restructuring,lost production or closures.

“As a Union it is our duty to assist thesemembers for as long as it takes to complete the adjust-ment process . . . even after they are no longer activemembers,” says President Shawn Haggerty. “We helpthese former active members enroll in workshops towrite resumes and practice job interviewing skills,access training and look for other meaningful employ-ment. Those who are successful in finding new employ-ment may no longer be Local 175 or 633 members.But nevertheless, we are committed to assisting them foras long as help is needed. It’s the right thing to do.”

Labour Adjustment is a coordinated program to provideservices to workers who have lost their jobs or are atrisk of losing their jobs. The first thing we do as aUnion is attempt to negotiate a closure agreement withthe employer. We try to obtain enhanced severancepackages – or at the very least – pressure the employer

Suppor t ing Members through good t imto provide funds for the adjustment process. This nor-mally involves setting up a committee to coordinateactivities for the affected workers. The goal of labouradjustment is to provide services to workers that willenable them to find meaningful employment, self-employment or access to training opportunities. TheUnion takes an active role throughout the adjustmentprocess to ensure the needs of members are met.

Labour adjustment is not a new phenomenon. We havebeen doing labour adjustment work with our memberssince the early 1990s. Currently we have active labouradjustment committees in Windsor (Qualicaps/Pharmaphil), Niagara Falls (St. Davids Cangro),

and Exeter (Cangro). Our past com-mittees included Cargill (Guelph)which closed with 77 per cent of thelaid off members being adjusted andRowanwood Retirement Residence(Huntsville) where 90 per cent of thosewho accessed services are now adjusted.

Where a closure is less than 50 peopleor an Action Centre/Committee is notpossible, we will work with areaproviders to offer services to the affectedworkers. Recently, Rathburn PriceChopper and Avon Sportsware, whichare both located in the Greater

Toronto Area, announced closures. These memberswere referred to the community agencies in their area.All members involved in a closure of one of our Locals175 or 633 workplaces continue to have access to alltraining and education programs offered by our LocalUnions’ Training & Education Centres in both Missis-sauga and Hamilton, as well as Online courses.

We are – and will remain – strongly committed to help-ing laid-off members in any way we can, for as long asthey need assistance.

Thanobtaforwa

The Copenful inare anewfor aCounworkthey’learnthrouTrain

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“AS A UNION IT IS OUR

DUTY TO ASSIST THESE

MEMBERS FOR AS LONG AS

IT TAKES TO COMPLETE THE

ADJUSTMENT PROCESS . . .EVEN AFTER THEY ARE NO

LONGER ACTIVE MEMBERS,”SAYS PRESIDENT SHAWN

HAGGERTY.

VISIT: WWW.UFCW175.COM TO VIEW ONLINE AND

OTHER COURSES, WHICH ARE AVAILABLE WITHOUT

CHARGE TO MEMBERS AND LAID-OFF MEMBERS –AS WELL AS TO THEIR FAMILIES.

YES,IF Y


DECEMBER 2008

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Thanks to the support of our Local Unions, laid-off workers areobtaining the assistance, knowledge and skills they need to moveforward to a better future.

The Cangro St. Davids Action Centre in Thorold officiallyopened on July 9, 2008. In just over two months, it was success-ful in “adjusting” 47 per cent of its 130 workers. This means theyare already working full or part-time, or had decided not to seeknew employment. Another 13 former active members signed onfor a four-week computer program through the Niagara LiteracyCouncil, which will provide both the skills and new insights thatworkers need to plan and secure good new employment. Oncethey’ve completed these courses, they may choose to continuelearning and upgrading their skills, either with the Local Union orthrough other programs offered with Ontario’s Ministry ofTraining, Colleges and Universities.

The Cangro Exeter Action Centre opened in a building adja-cent to the 102-year old plant, shortly after the latter ceasedoperation in late May, 2008. As of September 7, the Centre hadsucceeded in “adjusting” 59 per cent of the former active mem-bers. The laid-off workers have also been kept “enthusiastically”busy with Local 175’s ABCs of Computers course.

“People were ecstatic about the computer courses,” says theCentre’s coordinator and former member Sherrie Davidson.“Nine out of 10 students were computer illiterate at the begin-ning, but everyone really enjoyed the course. The Local 175Instructor, Derek Jokhu, was a big hit!”

AND

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–

YES, THERE CAN BE A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE UNEMPLOYMENT TUNNEL:IF YOU’RE A LAID-OFF LOCAL 175 OR 633 MEMBER

Carmen Levine, a former member and 30-year employee withCangro St. David’s, is a peer helper at the Action Centre, whichshares space with the Canada Employment Centre in Thorold.

Members of the Cangro Exeter Adjustment Committee below are,from left: Monica Shurgold, Chairperson; Barb Hartman,Company Committee Member; Sherrie Davidson, Action CentreCoordinator; Michelle Bennewies, Union Committee Member;Martin Doornekamp, Company Committee Member; WendyAbsolom, Union Representative; Helen Vincent, Union CommitteeMember; Ray Brown, Union Committee Member; Gayle JonesSmith, MTCU; June Ferguson, MTCU.


PEOPLE

2008 Membe r A ch i e vemen t Awa rd WPRESIDENT SHAWN HAGGERTY HAS ANNOUNCED THE

WINNERS OF THE 3RD ANNUAL LOCALS 175 & 633ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS.

IN RECOGNITION, EACH RECIPIENT RECEIVES A $500CHEQUE, WHICH IS MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH A

PARTNERSHIP WITH AMERICAN INCOME LIFE (AIL)CANADA . THE 2008 WINNERS ARE: SUE AMSBURY,SHERWIN FLIGHT, HEATHER MCGREGOR AND JASMIN

UPTON.

Sue Amsbury was selected for her dedication to fund-raising for leukemia research. She is a 14-year memberfrom Minute Maid in Peterborough. During that timeshe has been a Union Steward and also a NegotiatingCommittee member.

Her greatest passion for the past seven years, however,has been in the role of fundraising coordinator for theannual Ted on the Roof event. Each year, Ted is assistedby the local fire department to climb onto the roof ofMorello’s YIG where he camps out to raise money forleukemia research. In these last seven years, Sue, co-worker Ted Dawes – plus numerous fundraising commit-tee members and other helpers – have raised morethan $72,000. Because of their efforts, children andadults with leukemia are living longer and enjoying abetter quality of life.

Union Rep Chris Fuller nominated Sue for the award.He wrote: “As I prepared this nomination letter, it pro-vided me with the opportuni-ty to reflect on SisterAmsbury’s tremendous com-mitment to her Union andher fundraising efforts forleukemia research. I am cer-tainly proud of SisterAmsbury who typifies thecaring spirit that is shared byso many UFCW Locals 175& 633 members.”

Sherwin Flight, ofLiberté NaturalFoods in Bramptonwas chosen for hisleadership andadvancement of theUFCW.

He has worked there,mostly in shipping andreceiving, for the pastthree years. When hisco-workers startedtalking about the needfor a Union, Sherwin decided to do some onlineresearch. Subsequently he called Local 175 for assis-tance in organizing his workplace.

Sherwin says getting involved with the Union affectedhim positively, both personally and professionally.Self-described as “once a quiet person, even a littleshy,” he says the Union Organizing Campaign gothim to open up and talk to more people both insideand outside work. He participated in certificationhearings before the Ontario Labour Relations Boardand also with Howard Hampton in a media confer-ence related to the need for card-based certification.

At work, Sherwin and his colleagues appreciate thebenefits of belonging to a good Union. He cited jobsecurity, a grievance procedure, wages and benefitsthat are spelled out in the collective agreement, andof course, the wide array of educational opportunities.

He says: “I use every chance I can to spread thisinformation to people that may not be as fortunate asI am to be a member of such an incredible organiza-tion. I actually have my own stack of organizing fly-ers. I often take them with me when shopping andhand them to employees of the stores, or leave themaround on shelves to encourage other workers tocontact the Local 175 Organizing Department.”

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Sue and Ted, with leukemiamascot “Spike,” at the 2008Ted on the Roof event.

Sherwin never misses an opportunity totalk about the benefits of Unionmembership.

Do you know someone who needs a good Union?

Call 1-800-565-8329 (UFCW) or log on to www.ufcw175.com to learn how toenforce the laws that protect you in your workplace.Ask for the Organizing Department.

10


DECEMBER 2008

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Heather McGregor of Sarniawon the Outstanding MemberAchievement Award for hercontributions to the community.

She has worked as a cashier atFood Basics #868 for thepast three years while attend-ing secondary school. Heatherspent the last ten years danc-ing with the non-profit SarniaShowstoppers. She was activewith various fundraising initia-tives for this group, such ascharity bingos and park clean-ups after concerts and festivals.

Heather recognizes that danceis a wonderful outlet for youngpeople, but one that it is unaffordable for many fami-lies. So she became involved with Harmony, which pro-vides dance classes for youth – with no fees, waitinglists or prerequisites. Harmony requires students to “payit forward,” by giving back to the community, hour forhour, for the dance instruction that they receive.

Heather has an impressive list of accomplishments,awards and other volunteer activities. Some of theseinclude competing in the Big Brothers Dragon BoatFestival and doing volunteer fundraising for the BoxingClub for at-risk youth. She has given motivationalspeeches at the Hanna Memorial Elementary School. AtSarnia Collegiate Institute, she participated in the anti-smoking campaign and was a volunteer tutor.

She has receivedawards from more thana dozen organizationsincluding the Kinsman(High Ideals &Citizenship), YMCA(Volunteerism in theArts) and St. ClairConservation Authority(Environmental Aware-ness). She says: “Myaim is to teach our

youth that success is not the result of spontaneous com-bustion; you have to light yourself on fire.” She is cur-rently in her second year at McMaster University, study-ing psychology, behaviour and neuroscience. Theaward money will be useful for educational expenses,as she is planning to pursue a career in research ormedicine.

Jasmin Upton was selected forenhancing and achievingimprovements in health & safe-ty in her workplace.

She has worked at FoodBasics store #888 (formerlyA&P) in Simcoe for aboutseven years. When she wasasked to become the certifiedHealth & Safety member forher workplace, she readilyagreed. “I want to ensureeveryone is safe,” she says.

Jasmine says her focus is always on health & safety.During her entire forty-hour workweek, she is constantlyon the lookout for hazards and takes action to correctthe problem whenever she sees anything that couldpose a danger to her co-work-ers. She also does a safetyinspection every month, andparticipates in the Joint Health& Safety Committee meeting.She ensures that any concernsthat members raise, or hazardsthat she spots, are reported tomanagement. Then she followsup to ensure the problems arefixed.

“It usually involves a lot of little things,” she says, “butit's important to me that people are made aware ofpolicies and hazards so they know how to work safely.”Her nominee and coworker, Jamie Smithers, says:“The people that Jasmin works with are more to herthan just co-workers . . . they are treated like part ofher family. And in Jasmin's book, “family” health andsafety is paramount.”

ty to

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how to

Heather is a volunteer danceteacher with Harmony. It is acommunity-based music and artsprogram with a mission to boostthe self-esteem of Sarnia’s youth.It is readily accessible to allyoung people.

Jasmin is the certified H&Smember at her Food Basicsworkplace in Simcoe.

Heather also won a Workers’ Health &Safety Centre contest for creating this poster.

“IT’S IMPORTANT

TO ME THAT PEO-PLE ARE MADE

AWARE OF POLI-CIES AND HAZARDS

SO THEY KNOW

HOW TO WORK

SAFELY.”

11


12

GRIEVANCES

Achieving a good UnionContract is just the first stepto better working conditions.

It is essential that everyone reads and under-stands the agreement and remains vigilant toensure that the employer respects its terms.

If you feel your employer is not living up tothe contract, please speak to your Union

Steward, and when appropriate, be preparedto file a grievance. It is sometimes the only

way you can be assured the benefits that arepart of your Union contract.

On these two pages are specific situationswhere your Union was successful in enforcing

the terms of the collective agreement,through the grievance and arbitration

procedure.

Arbitrator requires companyto pay worker

At Good Humor Breyers in Simcoe, a member was reimbursedfor pay from what had originally been a three-day suspension.

The Union said the suspension was without just cause because onDecember 18, 2006, the grievor had called in to report his illness,which was the correct procedure. The supervisor phoned the work-er’s home several times during the day but was unable to speakwith him. They met together at work the next morning. The workersaid he had been very ill with what he thought was food poisoning,but had not seen his doctor. The supervisor said he did not believethe grievor had been ill and was going to take the matter to thedisciplinary committee, which resulted in the three-day suspension.The company claimed that the grievor had the onus of proving hewas ill by providing medical evidence, which he had failed to do.

The Union refuted the company’s arguments, specifically sayingthat the grievor’s failure to answer the phone or return the super-visor’s call was not proof that he was not ill. The Union also said

that the company cannot fault the grievor for failing to bring in a medicalnote because it did not ask for one. The Union concluded that the compa-ny did not show that the grievor was guilty of blameworthy conduct.

The arbitrator agreed with the Union. She found that the grievor was illon the day in question and was therefore entitled to be absent fromwork. She directed the company to reimburse the worker for any wageslost as a result of the three-day suspension and to remove the suspensionfrom the worker’s personnel file. Factors noted that led the arbitrator tomake the award included: the brief one-day nature of the illness; thecompany’s failure to notify him that medical evidence was required orthat his absences were being scrutinized. Additionally, the grievor had acredible friend who had witnessed his illness and was able to corroboratehis version of events.

Union wins vacationscheduling grievance

The Union won a grievance on behalf of members at Pinty’s DeliciousFoods in Port Colborne.

The past practice, for at least eight years, had been to maintain separatevacation schedules so that sanitation workers were not part of the generalplant-wide limit as to when vacations could be taken. When managementdecided to lump these workers in with all others in the plant for vacationscheduling purposes, some of the workers lost the ability to choose theirpreferred vacation period, which they had been able to do previously.They asked the Union to file a grievance on their behalf.

Although the company said the change in procedure was simply an exer-cise of its management rights, the Union said that the legal doctrine ofestoppel stops management from doing what it would normally have thelegal right to do. Estoppel is based on the notion that a party cannot goback to insisting on its legal rights after it has, by words and actions, ledanother party to believe that it would not enforce these legal rights.

The arbitrator agreed with the Union. He said because of the longstand-ing past practice, the employer cannot now insist on enforcing the con-tract as written, without the consent of the Union. As the employer didnot raise the issue during the last round of bargaining, the arbitratorsaid the current vacation schedule practice must continue, unchanged, forthe life of the current collective agreement.

A rb i t r a t i on & Gr i e van ce Re


GRIE

VANC

ES

13DECEMBER 2008

counted if the company received a “quality” doctor’s note, offer-ing verification of the reasons for the absences. Between theperiod of September 1 and October 11, 2007, the grievor hadbeen absent from work for 17.4 hours, bringing his undocument-ed absenteeism rate to 12.4 per cent. In total, he was absent foreight of the 17 days he was scheduled to work, although he didproduce a doctor’s note to explain some of the absences.

The collective agreement provides that a doctor’s note isrequired for absences of more than three days and theEmployer’s Absence Policy reserves the right of the company torequest supporting documentation for an absence. The company,however, did not ask the grievor to provide a medical note, nordid it advise the grievor that the note provided was unsatisfacto-ry. Therefore the arbitrator ordered the company to compensatethe grievor and to remove the discipline from his record.

Members gain extrashift pay

Local 175 filed a grievance on behalf of ten members who workat the Maple Leaf Poultry plant in Brampton. It said thecompany violated the collective agreement by not calling thegrievors to work on the deboning line for the processing of arush order. Instead, the company designated workers with lessseniority, alleging that the grievors lacked the skill and ability toperform the work required.

The arbitrator dismissed the grievances of six of the workers,saying that there was no evidence that they had sufficient recentexperience to do the job. He allowed the grievances of the otherfour, however, stating that their several months experience onthe auto deboning line of two to three years ago indicated theycould probably do the job. He required the company to pay eachof these four grievors for seven hours wages at the rate theywould have been paid had they been assigned this work.

Member at Smuckers Foodsawarded six days pay

A full-time member filed a grievance seeking six days of pay as compensa-tion for work she said should have been offered to her in March, 2007. It hadbeen given to another employee with lower seniority.

The grievor was classified as a fork-lift operator, but had been working as alead hand and formerly as a sanitation worker. She filled out AbsenceApproval Forms to request vacation during the annual plant shutdown period,writing: “will come in for sanitation.”

Although she was offered a half shift as a fork-lift operator, no one offeredher work in sanitation. Instead the work was performed by at least oneemployee with less seniority than the grievor.

Articles in the collective agreement allow the employee to revert vacationscheduled during shutdown and state that employees in a classification withthe most plant seniority will have preference of the work available in thatclassification.

The company scheduler, Ms. Butler, said the grievor was not eligible to workuntil two weeks after the announced shutdown, unless she cancelled hervacation. Miss Butler also stated that once an employee had declined a dayor afternoon shift, the company’s practice was to not call them back to offeran “immediately following” night shift.

The Union rep disputed Ms. Butler’s evidence on past practice. The arbitratorsaid it was the company’s responsibility to schedule work in accordance withthe seniority requirements of the collective agreement and therefore thecompany should have fulfilled the grievor’s clear request to reverse her vaca-tion claim if sanitation work became available. He ordered the company tocompensate the grievor for six shifts at the sanitation rate in effect at thetime.

Arbitrator awardsthree days pay

A member was suspended for three days, without pay, due to frequentabsences.

According to company records, the grievor had an absenteeism of 9.42 percent, whereas their target was less than four per cent. Absences were not

e Reso lu t i on s


14

WORKPLACE

NEWS

The Westin Ottawa members arThey spare no effort in taking care of

Whether it’s reception, front desk, diningareas, kitchens, offices, housekeeping,stores room, receiving or maintenancethese members do their upmost to exceedguest expectations.

Last year, a guest services agent at thehotel, Fiby Labib, was recognized withthe prestigious Star of the City award forexceptional customer service. She wasamong a few front-line workers nominat-ed from across the city for this OttawaTourism Award, but just one of the morethan 250 members at the hotel who areexceptionally dedicated to making everyguest’s stay a memorable experience.

The hotel just celebrated its 25th anniver-sary on October 23, 2008. Approxi-mately 25 of the hotel’s 350 employeeshave worked at the hotel from the time itopened, which attests to the successfulworking partnership between the Unionand company.

Situated on the famous Rideau Canal withstunning views of Parliament Hill andsteps from the Byward Market, the WestinOttawa is committed to being yourhaven for renewal and rejuvenation. Local175 members are there to make it hap-pen. For more information about thehotel visit: www.westin.com/ottawa andfor a comprehensive list of things to seeand do in Canada’s capital visit:www.ottawatourism.ca.


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Enjoy a special UFCW friends and family weekend rate of $119traditional or $149 deluxe.

Offer valid from December 1, 2008 thru to March 31, 2009 andis subject to availability.

Quote reference #UFCWFF when making the reservation andpresent UFCW ID at check-in.

15


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16

FUNDRAISING

Numerous Summer and Fall Events collecTHE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY OF CANADA

(LLSC) WILL RECEIVE ANOTHER $64,739.58IN DONATIONS, THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF

UFCW LOCALS 175 & 633 MEMBERS.THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL THEY

CONTINUED THEIR FUNDRAISING EFFORTS TO

ADVANCE RESEARCH TO FIND A CURE FOR LEUKEMIA

AND OTHER BLOOD-RELATED CANCERS.

ON THE NEXT FOUR PAGES ARE NEWS AND PHOTOS

ON SOME OF THESE OUTSTANDING FUNDRAISING

ACHIEVEMENTS.

FISHING DERBY NETS $1,258

On July 20, the Wheatley Harbour fishing derbywas a big hit with fisher people of all ages.

It was organized by Mike Collins of Holiday Selectin Windsor. He was assisted by Union Rep JulieJohnston and numerous staff from his workplace.Local 175 President Shawn Haggerty and Secretary-

Treasurer Teresa Magee travelled from Mississauga tosupport the weekend event. It raised $1,258 for leukemiaresearch.

Michelle Young won a fishing rod and tackle box for thelargest catch by an adult. She is a friend of members DenisKendell, Zehrmart store # 571 and Sue Pare, Zehrmartstore # 571, both in Windsor. Travis Young took theintermediate prize.

Other activities, in addition to fishing, included face paintingand games provided by the CAN and Youth Committees.

Wheatley Harbour is located at the outlet of Muddy Creekon the North Shore of Lake Erie, about 60 kilometres eastof Windsor.

MEMBERS AT SMUCKER FOODS OF CANADA (BICKS) IN

DUNNVILLE DONATE $1,209

The majority of the 220 members who work at the plantcame out to support a BBQ event on July 24 & 25.

Holiday Inn members Waldo Puello, (front) along with Steve Belanger andRobert Fabiano, joins Spike and young friends at the derby.

Assistance at the event was provided (from right) by President Shawn Haggerty andUnion staff, who were reps Tim Deelstra, Kelly Tosato (absent from photo) and SamCaetano with the help of Youth Committee member Jason Hanley of MembershipRecords in Mississauga.

CanadBuckmExecut


74 GOLFERS ENJOYED A DAY AT THE FOX GLEN

GOLF CLUB IN MCGREGOR

The 9th annual Windsor Golf Tournament onSaturday, August 9, 2008, netted $5,100 forleukemia research.

It was organized by Executive Board members NeilHotchkiss, A&P store #341, Dan Bondy, A&Pstore #141and Brad Wigle, A&P store #139.They were assisted by Union Rep Julie Johnston.The event wrapped up with a great dinner featuringentertainment by the comedian, Sean Patrick.McGregor is about 25 kilometres south of Windsor.

Supporters of the McGregor tournament included, from left: Executive BoardMembers Neil Hotchkiss, Dan Bondy, Tim Kelly and Brad Wigle, as well asUnion Reps Angus Locke and Julie Johnston (absent from photo).

THE ANNUAL THUNDER BAY GOLF TOURNAMENT,ON JULY 26, 2008, COLLECTED $3,000

This 10th annual Leukemia Golf Tournament for Locals 175& 633 members and friends provided good golfing, greatweather, tasty food and some terrific prizes. All 50 peoplewho participated had a wonderful time.

LOCAL 175 HELPS CELEBRATE PORT COLBORNE’SANNUAL CANAL DAYS WITH A BBQ LUNCH

On August 2, South Central Region staff organized afundraiser in the Food Basics parking lot in Port Colborne

FUND

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17DECEMBER 2008

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Canada Malt members, from left: Bill Arvelin, Rick Romick, Dale Simon and ErnieBuckman enjoyed a golf day together. Dale is also a member of the Locals 175 & 633Executive Board.

The Locals 175 & 633Youth Committee mem-bers (in red), pho-tographed with Local175 President ShawnHaggerty, providedvolunteer assistance atthe BBQ. They were:Michael Yager, PepsiHamilton; LeeJohnson-Koehn,Fortinos store #67;Shawn; Mark Stockton,Local 175 Union Rep;Jennifer Johnston andJason Hanley, Local175 staff.

and raised $562.58.


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18

FUNDRAISING

RIDE FOR A CURE GIVES $13,115 TO LEUKEMIA

RESEARCH

The 4th annual UFCW Ride for a Cure – was anotherthundering success! This year’s participants helped toraise $13,115 for leukemia research, bringing thefour-year total to $35,828. “What a tremendousgroup of people we had here today,” commentedPresident Shawn Haggerty. “For these people tobrave the rain instead of staying dry at home, reallyshows we have a great event and participants that arecommitted to this important cause.”

The day’s ride,held on August 9,attracted 47 ridersand volunteers. Itincluded TerraCotta, Chelten-ham Badlands,and HockleyValley. Ridersstopped for lunchat the Loretto Innwhere BarryMailloux, won the32” Toshiba TV atthe lunch time raf-fle. Barry is areturning riderwhose family has been affected by cancer. At the endof the day, he donated the big TV back to the Unionto raffle off at their next event.

For a complete report on the day’s events, visit:www.ufcwrideforacure.ca or [email protected]. Next year’s ride isscheduled for Saturday August 8, 2009.

BETTER BEEF BBQ COLLECTS $1,450

At Cargill Meat Solutions (formally Better Beef) inGuelph, the Union committee organized a BBQ thatraised $1450 on August 14 and 15.

Prize winners at the event were Jan Ekiert (day off with pay),Dave Ward ($100 Future Shop gift certificate) and RonRipley ($35 Beer Store gift certificate).

MEMBERS DONATE $2,016 AT TORONTO BBQ

On August 15, 2008, members at Quality Meat Packers(QMP) and Toronto Abbatoirs Limited (TAL) enjoyed aBBQ, which contributed $2,016 to the LLSC.

It was organized by the Union committee members FrankMenezes, Plant Chairperson; Nuno Flamino, TAL ChiefSteward and QMP Chief Steward, John Caldeira, whowere assisted by Union Representative Dan Serbin andServicing Representative Sam Caetano.

It was a dark and rainy Saturday . . . but spiritsremained high at the 4th annual Ride For A Cure.

The committee members (front row) were: Sharon Daudlin, Recorder; and RickDaudlin, Chief Steward. Back row: Chris Watson, Plant Chair; Dave Grennon,Plant Vice Chair and Shawn Jones, Steward. They were assisted by Union RepsRoy Reed, Rick Waukonen and Mike Duden.

Numerous Summer and Fall Events collec

The winBolton.


2009, at the same location.

FIRST DUNK FOR A CURE IN BURLINGTON RAISES

$7,144

Members at the Maple Leaf Foods processing facili-ty in Burlington were enthusiastic participants in aninnovative fundraising initiative there.

It took place on September 25, 26 & 29. Membersdonated $3,577 from the purchase of tickets for thedunk tank, head shave and raffle for prizes whichincluded a 32” LCD TV and a day off with pay. Thecompany provided BBQ food and matched the mem-bers’ donations to bring the total contribution to$7,144.

6TH ANNUAL BASEBALL TOURNAMENT RAISES MORE

MONEY FOR LEUKEMIA RESEARCH

On Saturday, August 23, the Locals 175 & 633 Hit for ACure – its 6th Annual Slo-Pitch Tournament – was held atCanadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden, just west of Barrie.On a bright sunny day, there were a few home runs on thediamonds but none were bigger than the one hit for theLLSC. It raised the most money to date – $3,500!

Second place went to Mash 479 with members from A&POrillia. Third place went to the Pirates with members fromQuality Meats, Toronto. More news and photos atwww.ufcw175.com.

GOLF EXTRAVAGANZA NETS $26,500

The 6th annual Golf For A Cure Extravaganza was held onSeptember 13, at Innisbrook Golf and Country Club inBarrie. One hundred and twenty seven golfers participatedin this year’s event, which contributed $26,500 for leukemiaresearch.

This year’s special guest was Heidi Hayes, a young movieactress who was diagnosed with leukemia in February of2008. Heidi spoke about her treatments. She gave everyonea closer insight into what this terrible disease is all aboutand how money raised by UFCW members helps in the fightto ease suffering and to find a cure.

Next year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, September 12,

FUND

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19DECEMBER 2008

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collect $64,739.58 to benefit the LLSC

The winning team was Gang Green with members from the Vera M. Davis Centre inBolton.

Members threw balls or punches to activate the dunk tank.

Putting contestwinner, Peter Chauvin,(on right, shown withtournament organizerJerry Clifford andspecial guest HeidiHayes) generouslydonated his prizeclubs back to theUnion to raffle offat a future event.


20

MORELOCAL

NEWS

Locals 175 & 633 Memberspart ic ipate in his tor ic conferenceMore than 2,000 UFCW leaders and activists fromacross North America pledged to devote themselves toa unity program that strives to grow the InternationalUnion to three million members by 2018.

UFCW International President Joe Hansen issued thecall for a renewed, aggressive, and coordinated com-mitment to doubling the size of our Union’s member-ship in the next 10 years. His message was delivered onthe second day of the UFCW’s Sixth Regular Conven-tion, held in Montreal from August 18 to 22. He said:“We must have a program that unites us together, thatcombines our resources, that has a strategic plan toguarantee that we coordinate our actions and build onour strengths. That is the One Union, One Voice pro-

gram. That is the foundation of our future.”

The One Union, One Voice program involves UFCWmembers and officers looking far beyond their LocalUnions and taking an active role in issues and cam-paigns that affect the Union and the worker movementas a whole. “Our Local Union is committed to enthusi-astically embracing President Hansen’s ambitious chal-lenge,” says Local 175 President Shawn Haggerty.

“There are hundreds of thousands of workers inCanada who want and need a Union. Working withother Locals throughout Canada, together with theNational Office, we can reach our objective of makingUFCW Canada 500,000 members strong by 2018.”

Earlier this year, members elected delegates to represent them at the UFCW International Convention, which is held every five years. Under the UFCW International constitu-tion, each Local Union is entitled to send a fixed number of delegates, based on its membership. Locals 175 & 633 – with more than 50,000 members – form the largest groupof UFCW members and therefore made up approximately 25 percent of the Canadian delegates. Many of our delegates appear (in yellow) in the photo excerpt above.


DECEMBER 2008 21

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2 0 0 8 E l e c t i o n R e s u l t s *F o r L o c a l s 1 7 5 & 6 3 3(Official results as of November 7, 2008)

Local 175

President – Shawn HaggertySecretary-Treasurer – Teresa MageeRecorder – Betty Pardy

Vice Presidents:HOPE Sector/Central RegionVP #1 Jim MontgomeryVP #2 VACANT

HOPE Sector/Eastern RegionVP #3 Karen Vaughan

HOPE Sector/North West RegionVP #4 Kimberley White

HOPE Sector/South West RegionVP #5 Harry Sutton

Industrial Sector/Central RegionVP #6 Virginia HaggithVP #7 Jim HoughVP #8 Joe PereiraVP #9 Frank MenezesVP #10 Fitzroy ReidVP #11 Lionel MacEachern

Industrial Sector/Eastern RegionVP #12 Lynn JillingsVP #13 Jean Patenaude

Industrial Sector/North West RegionVP #14 Dale Simon

Industrial Sector/South West RegionVP #15 Bruce DosmanVP #16 Don SchmidtVP #17 Chris Watson

Retail & Service Sector/Central RegionVP #18 Rick Alagierski

VP #19 VACANTVP #20 Tony MorelloVP #21 Toni PettittVP #22 Colleen CoxVP #23 Lee Johnson-Koehn

Retail & Service Sector/Eastern RegionVP #24 Scott MolnarVP #25 Sandra Proulx

Retail & Service Sector/North West RegionVP #26 Cheryl Henry

Retail & Service Sector/South West RegionVP #27 Bryan BraithwaiteVP #28 Tim KellyVP #29 Carolyn Levesque

At Large/Central RegionVP #30 Brian Ogilvie

At Large/Eastern RegionVP #31 Louise Summers

At Large/North West RegionVP #32 Barbara Carr

At Large/South West RegionVP #33 Marc Praill

Local 633

President – Dan BondySecretary-Treasurer – Marylou MallettRecorder – Neil Hotchkiss

VP #1 Brian KozlowskiVP #2 Tony NigroVP #3 Brad Wigle

*Nominations and elections were conducted, over-seen and have been finalized in accordance with theInternational Constitution and the Local UnionBylaws. John Hurley: Election Chairperson


22

MORELOCAL

NEWS

L o c a l s 1 7 5 & 6 3 3 m e m b e r ss h a r e e x p e r t i s e a t N D F C o n f e r e n c eUFCW Canada’s National Defence Fund was estab-lished in 1986 as an optional fund to which bargainingunits could choose to affiliate individually, with a smallweekly contribution guaranteeing higher strike pay andother financial support in the event of a work stoppage.Intended originally for the often-volatile packinghouseand other industrial workplaces, it became a popularoption anywhere in the Union where strikes or lockoutswere likely.

NDF members meet annually to participate in events,sectoral meetings, and presentations. According to theNDF’s administrator, Bryan Neath, the NDF is not onlygrowing at a rapid rate – more than 6,300 membershave voted to join the optional fund in the last twoyears alone – but is also more reflective of the Union indemographic, regional, and sectoral terms than it hasever been. Of 45 local unions in Canada, 27 havemembers who are affiliated with the NDF, and half ofthe fund’s 35,000 members work in retail.

Numerous Locals 175 & 633 members, including Paul Sihota of Delft Blue/Grober(at podium) and Chris Watson of Better Beef (on right) made presentations at theconference.

Local Union wins Labour Communication AwardsOnce again this year, the International LaborCommunications Association has selected Local 175from among Local Unions throughout North Americato receive three of its prestigious awards.

The Local won “First Awards” for Best News Story –Long and Tough Negotiations are now theNorm in Grocery Industry; Best Graphic – YourUnion: Taking Labour Education to NewHeights; and Best Campaign Web Site –

www.ufcw175can.ca.

Additionally, the Canadian Association of Labour Media(CALM) chose Local 175 to receive its “Best Poster” awardfor Labour Rights are Human Rights!


In October, Brother RayBromley was appointedExecutive Assistant to thePresident. He will now beresponsible for UnionOrganizing, as well as for theSouth West Region.

Effective Monday, October 6,2008, Laurie Duncan joinedthe Training & EducationCentre as an EducationRepresentative. She hasworked for Local 175 for eight

years, in various capacities in Hamilton, ThunderBay and most recently in the Mississauga office.

Dean McLaren has been appointed UnionRepresentative for the North West Region.Formerly, Dean was anEducation Representative withthe Locals 175 & 633 Training& Education Centre inMississauga.

On September 1, 2008, at the annual North WestRegion Thunder Bay Labour Day Picnic, UnionRepresentative Colby Flank was recognized as“Labour Person of the Year.”

“Colby certainly deserves this award,” says Local175 President, Shawn Haggerty. She hasalways done an outstanding job of defending therights of workers, first as a Local 175 memberand steward at Canada Safeway store #681 andmore recently, since October 1998, as a UnionRepresentative.

Staff news

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23DECEMBER 2008

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Colby Flank (left) receives plaque fromLabour Council Representatives.


24

NEGOTIATIONS

CFSU Ottawa ratifies collective agreementThe approximately 80 members working at the Canadian Forces Service Unit (CFSU) in Ottawavoted to ratify a new 44-month contract at a meeting held September 16, 2008.• Wages increase by between 12 and 20 per cent, in relation to classification and pay band.• Members can now bank overtime to take as paid time off and workers assigned to carry the duty

phone after regular hours and on the weekend receive four hours time off in lieu, or a $70 paymentper seven-day shift.

• Part-time workers receive two weeks salary entitlement in lieu of notice in the event of layoff.• The negotiating committee increases to three bargaining unit members for the next negotiations.• Workers benefit from improved vacation entitlement.• New language addresses military leaves of absence for those who are members of the Reserve and

provides full-time workers with family-related paid leave, to a maximum of five days per year.• The employer agrees to distribute available hours of work based on seniority, giving priority to both

part-time and full-time members of the bargaining unit.• Other language improvements address grievance procedures, layoff and recall, medical notes, an

increase to $75 for the safety footwear allowance and enhanced uniform provisions for Self-HelpHousing (SHHO) Handymen.

Union Negotiating Committee: Joe Joseph, Kevin McLeod and Union Reps Jacques Niquet andRob Nicholas.

P&H Foods members vote on two-year dealOn July 13, 2008, workers at the P&H Foods poultry processing facility in Hanover ratified a new con-tract. The 290-member bargaining unit secured the following improvements:• All wages increase by 3 per cent effective June 2, 2008 and another 3 per cent effective June 1, 2009.• New language addresses technological change and job security, and workers with less than one year

of service receive two weeks vacation at 4 per cent of their annual earnings.• Company contributions to the Canadian Commercial Workers Industry Pension Plan (CCWIPP)

increase to 95 cents per hour effective September 1, 2008. In addition, the company will contribute 2cents per hour toward the CCWIPP Stabilization Fund effective September 1, 2008, and 4 cents perhour effective July 1, 2009.

• Members with 22 years service or more receive six weeks paid vacation. In addition, Family Day isrecognized as a statutory holiday.

• Employees receive an improved safety wear allowance of $150, effective one month after ratification,and $160 effective July 1, 2009.

• A tool allowance of $550 will be provided to engineers and the maintenance tool allowance increasesby $50. Effective June 1, 2009, the tool allowance for both engineers and maintenance will be $600.

• Workers benefit from improved health & welfare coverage including:- Chiropractic coverage of $500, effective September 1, 2008.- Increased Clinical Psychiatric care coverage of $500, effective June 1, 2009.- The addition of Homeopathic coverage to a maximum of $200, effective September 1, 2008.

• Effective September 1, 2008, Life Insurance and AD&D coverage increase to $40,000.• Other language establishes that the Union and company will meet to discuss the feasibility of imple-

menting 10-hour shifts and a committee will be established to create a wellness plan.• The company will contribute $8,000 per year toward the UFCW Training & Education Fund.

Union Negotiating Committee: Bruce Dosman, Leif Gade, Doug MacKinnon, Sheila Weppler,Lorne Whittaker and Union Rep Angus Locke.

AMCO workers achievefirst contractOn July 27, 2008, new members working atAMCO Storage in Leamington, voted on theirfirst collective agreement. The 20-member bar-gaining unit benefits from a number of improve-ments including:• A new wage scale with increases ranging from

50 cents per hour to $2 per hour and an addi-tional signing bonus of $200.

• A 2 per cent annual lump sum.• One paid sick day, improved vacation entitle-

ment, a boot allowance and vision care cover-age of $150 per 24-month period.

• Additional language establishes:- Just cause protection;- Steward representation;- Seniority rights;- Grievance and arbitration procedure;- Job posting guidelines;- Reporting allowance and;- Health and safety language.

Union Negotiating Committee: Ray Collard andUnion Rep Kevin Dowling.

FOR ALL THE MOST

RECENT UFCW NEWS,INCLUDING MORE

UP-TO-DATE AND

DETAILED INFORMATION

ON NEGOTIATIONS, VISIT

OUR WEB SITE:W W W.U F C W175.C O M


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From September 29 to October 3, 2008, 11 young mem-bers of Locals 175 & 633 participated in the YouthLeadership Development Program (YLDP) at the Training &Education Centre in Mississauga.

This year’s program featured two of the Locals’ youthcommittee members – Laura Morton and Mike Mattioli– in the role of instructors. They covered topics such asOrganizing, Globalization, Health & Safety, Youth Activismand Politics.

Our Local Unions offer this program to ensure that youngworkers know about their Union and its functions, and canbe more involved as young workers. The goal is a strongand vocal youth membership who are educated, informedand involved in every aspect of their Union.

To better strengthen our great Union, we must reach outto members of all ages and backgrounds. This is especial-ly true for today’s youth. They will need the skills andknowledge to ensure good jobs and working conditionsfor the workers of the future.

By being involved in their Union, members can ensure thechanges that will benefit everyone in our Local Unions.

Youth are motivated by the 4th Annual YLDP

Front Row: from left: Sylvie Pascoa,Maple Leaf Poultry; Jenna Padgett,Loblaws store #1052; Dilson Lopes,Maple Leaf Poultry. Middle Row:Shanekia Morgan, Compass GroupBrampton; Marianne Brisbois, FoodBasics; Amanda Moncrieff, Loblaws;Laura Morton, Instructor. Back Row:Georgina Broeckel, Local 175Instructor; McKenzie Pinese, DresdenIndustrial Ridgetown; Steven Guy,Maple Leaf Consumer Foods; Atif“Rick” Qamar, Budget Car Inc.;Michael Rapson, Sun Valley Foods;Lance Fulsom, O’Reilly’s YIG.

Top photo: President Shawn Haggertyand Secretary-Treasurer Teresa Mageepresent certificate to Shanekia Morgan.

Middle photo: Lance Folsum, StevenGuy and McKenzie Pinese.


26

COMMUNITY

CAN SUPPORTS SRI LANKAN EXHIBIT

On behalf of UFCW Canada Locals 175 & 633Community Action Network (CAN), staff participated inthe Call of the Conscience photographic and documen-tary exhibit.

This landmark event featured short films of various seg-ments of Sri Lanka’s history. The exhibit was officiallylaunched at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall on August 23,2008.

Local 175 has been supporting Sri Lankan workers inthe Greater Toronto Area. It has organized workplacesand bargained collective agreements to guaranteerights for Sri Lankan members at work. In addition,CAN has been a long time sponsor of the Sri LankanDemocracy Forum, a grassroots network of Sri Lankanpeace and Human Rights activists, working in solidaritywith their supporters.

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Local 175 Representatives Lien Huynh and Jehan Ahamed (far left and far right)with Event Organizer Manoranjan Selliah and UFCW Canada NationalRepresentative Kevin Shimmin.

LOCAL 175 SUPPORTS SOMALI SOCCER TOURNAMENTS

For the third year in arow, Local 175 spon-sored the Somali SoccerTournament, hosted bythe Somali OntarioSports & CulturalAssociation (SOSCA).The event featured 17teams from Canada,the USA and Europe.

The semi-final matches,on Saturday, July 12,2008, saw Wembly United (UK) defeat Banaadir(Toronto, Weston) and Cardiff (Wales) win out over lastyear’s champion, Dahabshil (Norway).

On Sunday, a large crowd watched Cardiff triumphover Wembly, and be awarded a World Cup replicatrophy.

Next year’s July tournament finals are scheduledonce more for the Centennial Park Stadium inEtobicoke. For more information or to join/form ateam, please contact Union Representative JehanAhamed at the Mississauga Provincial Office.

During the same week, the Local Union also sup-ports the Somali Youth Tournament at Esther ShinerStadium in North York.

Aden Mahad , assisted with the tournament,along with his co-worker, Ali Younis. Bothare members from National Car Rental indowntown Toronto.

Would you like to receive E-news bulletins, as well as e-mails related to your workplaceor sector? We are gathering e-mail addresses from members to build lists that are workplacespecific, so that we can send out notifications for ratification votes, proposal meetings and otherimportant information. Just go to www.ufcw175.com and click on “Sign up for e-mail” to registerfor this free service.


COMMUN

ITY

27DECEMBER 2008

r k : Ma k i n g A D i f f e r e n c e i n t h e C ommun i t y

CAN BBQ A POPULAR EVENT FOR BOTH

ADULTS AND CHILDREN

Saturday, July 26 at the Boyd Conservation Area inVaughan was the venue for the second annual Locals175 & 633 Community Action Network (CAN) BBQ,which ran from noon until 4 p.m.

Despite a torrential midday downpour, complete withthunder and lightning, the day was a total success.Members and their families enjoyed camaraderie, goodfood and entertaining games. Photos and info on thegames, which were organized by the Locals 175 & 633Youth Committee, are on the back cover of this issue ofCheckout.

The Boyd Conservation area is located at 8739 Isling-ton Avenue, about 8 kilometers north east of Canada'sWonderland.

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1

Return postage will be paid by:

United Food and Commercial WorkersLocals 175 and 6332200 Argentia RoadMississauga ON L5N 2K7

Canada Post Corporation Publication Agreement No. 40064671

LOCALS 175 & 633 YOUTH COMMITTEE CONDUCTED A BUSY

ACTIVITY PROGRAM, WHICH INCLUDED A COLOURING CONTEST,BALLOON ANIMALS, MUSICAL SQUARES, A SHOE KICK, “SIMON

SAYS” AND “WHAT TIME IS IT MR. WOLF.” FACE PAINTING WAS

ONCE AGAIN A POPULAR EVENT DURING THIS ANNUAL BBQ.

CAN BBQ: Youth Committee organizeda fun-filled activity program for all ages


Documents

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