Local 2693 organizes crew at
new Bowater sawmill yard

On January 30 workers employed at
Synfuel Services, a division of
Synfuel Technologies, voted 14-2 to
join IWA Local 2693. The Ontario
Labour
Relations
Board issued a
certification
ticket in late
February. The
workers do
contract work
at the Bowater
sawmill in
Thunder Bay,
which is a non-union operation
employing about 100 workers. They
handle yard work, including moving
lumber with forklifts and logs with
950 and 980 Caterpillars. Local
union officer Ken Paquette conduct-
ed the organizing campaign over a
two week period. “It was a hot cam-
paign,” he said. “The manager and
supervisor there have been over-
bearing — they don’t treat people
right. The crew has seen too many
promises broken by the employer
too many times and they just got
fed up and decided to join the
union. The workers want to be treat-
ed fairly and with respect.” Three
persons on the voting list were con-
tested. But it didn’t matter, for certi-
fication purposes as the solid major-
ity voted to go IWA. The organizing
win comes at a good time as Local
2693 members remain on strike at
the Bowater Ignace operation (see
story page eight). One of the key
issues in that dispute is that
Bowater wants to contract out yard
work to a non-union firm. “We hope
this will help lift the spirits of our
members in Ignace in their good
fight with Bowater,” says local
union president Joe Hanlon. Notice
to bargain has been sent to Synfuel
and the company has responded.
Both sides are trying to set up some
dates to begin negotiations. Local
financial secretary Bruce Frost has
met with the crew to talk about a
preliminary set of demands.

Ken Paquette

Civic workers join IWA in town
of Hornepayne Ontario
On January 20, workers at the
Hornepayne Separate School
District in Hornepayne, northwest-
ern Ontario, were certified to IWA
Local 2995. Union organizer Serge
Trudel, who lives in the community,
started the campaign before
Christmas. Seven out of eight
employees (one secretary, two cus-
todians, and five educational assis-
tants) have put job security, seniori-
ty, and wages and benefits at the
head of their demands. Custodians,
who wanted a wage adjustment,
previously went on their own to the
Ontario Labour Relations Board but
were refused an increase. Brother
‘Trudel began to organize in the fall
of last year, in a joint program
_ between the local and national
- union office.

PHOTO BY NORMAN GARCIA
= At the B.C. Women and Children’s hospital Fayth Cabagnot, of Morrison Food Services, casts her ballot.

IWA LOCAL 1-3567 CONTINUES TO GROW WITH HEALTH CARE SERVICES UNITS

Servicing health care workers

AS IWA LOCAL 1-3567 continues to build its pres-
ence in the health care services sector, organizing
thousands of workers under new partnership agree-
ments, (see article page one) greater efforts are taking
place to reach out and consolidate the bargaining

units as they develop.

The local union has reached hiring hall agreements
with Compass, Aramark and Sodexho and their sub-
companies. With these agreements in place, the [WA
has been holding a series of job fairs in the province.
The local has also offered orientation to how partner-
ship agreements function, how grievance procedures
work, what to expect with layoff and recall and how
the probationary periods work. Workers are also given
rundowns on wage rates and benefit sharing cost
arrangements and other aspects of the agreement. To
get a glimpse of the busy activity being conducted,
The Allied Worker was able to get out to a few opera-
tions (see photos pages ten and eleven). Workplaces vis-
ited were B.C. Children and Women’s Hospital in

Vancouver, Ridge Meadows Hospital in Maple Ridge, a
Job Fair at the Holiday Inn in Metrotown, and a visit to
the Renfrew Care Centre in Vancouver — a worksite now
covered under a Sodexho contract, where workers have .
joined the IWA, following the transfer of their contract

from Aramark to the new company.

Taking on Tommy

CHARGES OF UNFAIR labour prac-
tices were heard against the Tommy
Hilfiger corporation in February for fir-
ing four union supporters during an
IWA drive in early December of last
year. IWA Local 400 organizer Joe
Calcara spearheaded the campaign to
bring over 100 workers from the
Tommy Hilfiger distribution centre into
the union. When the boss got word, key
IWA supporters were turfed out. Then
the employer offered $45,000 to the
workers to drop the case and walk away.
They refused.

A journalist from Le Devoir newspaper
in Montreal attended an LRB hearing and
interviewed IWA supporter Tony Ayala,
who along with Jemimah Morales,
Filomena Fabia, and Melanie Esguerra,
were fired. The Tommy Hilfiger lawyer
unsuccessfully tried to have the journalist
removed from the hearings.

Brother Ayala spoke of unfair treat-
ment including unfair wages and being
forced to stand for 8-9 hours a day and
work in a poorly insulated receiving
dock.

The Tommy Hilfiger distribution cen-

To train and educate the members, the local has negoti-
ated a Training and Education Fund into the partnership
agreements which see employers contribute between 10 a
15 cents per hour per employee per regular hour worked.
“This will give our local si;
stewards and joint health and safety committee represen-
tatives,” says local president Sonny Ghag. A two day train-
ing session, involving many newly-elected sub-local com-
mittee and safety reps was held at local union headquarters
in Langley on February 26-27. “We're out there encourag-
ing our new members to get involved,” says local union
financial secretary Brian Harder. Working with Brother
Harder are program coordinator Fred Carroll, second v.p
Earl Graham and organizational director Sue Nielsen.

Hilfiger

ignificant resources to train job

tre, which is servicing an increasing num-
ber of retail outlets accross the coutntry,
employs up to 120 workers in peak peri-
ods, when extended hours are put in.
Workers ship out over 300 orders a day
(with over 6 million articles annually).
“Tommy Hilfiger can belly-up to the
negotiating table, treat their workers better

PHOTO BY ANGELO SANSEVERINO

The Tommy Hilfiger empire is becoming more visible across the country.

and pay better wages and benefits,” says
IWA Canada national first vice presi-
dent Norm Rivard. “We don’t need
Tommy Hilfiger sweatshops in
Canada.”

More hearing dates on the unfair
labour practices are set for March 1
and May 6 in Montreal.

MARCH 2004 THE ALLIED WORKER | 9