Respect and Dignity come to B.C.
Harrison Hot Springs, a resort east of Vancouver, is host this week to over 300 UFCW 1518 Power Source and guest speakers, including Bruce Rollick, Union Pension Actuary and Jim Sinclair, B.C. Fed president. The bargaining conference is a prelude to negotiations with Safeway and the Overwaitea Food Group in B.C, in the 2003.
Recent negotiations between UFCW Canada Locals and major retail food chains have seen workers on strike for over 7 months in Thunder Bay, with Safeway threatening to pull up stakes and leave the market if workers do not accept the employers final offer. Workers in Thunder Bay voted no to the companys' final offer yesterday, May 7th. An agreement reached between the company and the union, sent Local 832s' contract dispute with Safeway into binding arbitration. Alberta and Saskatchewan Westfair workers saw their agreement decided in Toronto by Canadian Director Michael Fraser and when the deal came back they gained little more than "respect and dignity".
UFCW 1518 president Brooke Sundin is confident Safeway will bring its' demands for concessions to B.C. and drag OFG with them. His address to the conference puts employers on notice that workers in B.C. are prepared and will not accept concessions:
"I tell you this morning in the strongest possible terms, what has happened in Thunder Bay and Manitoba will not happen here in British Columbia,"
What has happened to UFCW members in Thunder Bay and Manitoba tells us only one thing...Canada Safeway is coming to British Columbia for a fight and they will drag Overwaitea/Save-On into that fight with them," he continued
The only thing I can say to Safeway is this...if you are coming to British Columbia to pick the same fight you did in Manitoba and Thunder Bay, you had better bring a step ladder and your lunch...because you aren't big enough to win a fight with Local 1518 members, and the fight is going to take a whole lot longer than you think."
Despite the recent rejection of a dues assessment, Ivan Limpright also assured the 1518 Power Source they are in a good position to take on the employer.
UFCW Local 1518 Secretary Treasurer Ivan Limpright reaffirmed today that the union is very well-positioned to achieve substantial improvements in a new collective agreement, during negotiations with the major food retailers in 2003.
Besides wage gains, UFCW 1518 will be looking for respect and dignity in the workplace.
Limpright also talked about union members' right to be treated with dignity and respect, in addition to being compensated fairly by the hugely-profitable corporations they work for.
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UFCW Local 1518 Secretary Treasurer Ivan Limpright reaffirmed today that the union is very well-positioned to achieve substantial improvements in a new collective agreement, during negotiations with the major food retailers in 2003.
Are these kinds of pronouncements from UFCW officials common prior to bargaining or is this "fighting spirit" something new?
Members should make note of those words and remind their leaders if there is any backsliding as bargaining gets underway.
Ivan may think that Remote but the fact is Sundin will already be looking for a rack to hang his concession coat on. The Canada-U.S. Softwood lumber dispute's hit the B.C.interior hard, the junior clerks now outnumber the pre rad's in the lower mainland [zone #1] and Paterson's established a secondary retail structure to fall back on to lesson the blow from a strike. At $80 a week I doubt the UFCW has any intention of succeeding. I think they're setting people up to fail with that little amount of strike pay and what we're hearing now is rehtoric and nothing more.
Talk is cheap and talk is all we're ever gonna hear from the self appointed leadership of 1518. "respect and dignity" appears to have worked in the other western provinces and you'll see that bannor of smoke and mirrors flying high here too. 1518 members don't need a respect and dignity clause as much as they need the removal of that disgraceful "shop steward...is an observer and not a participant" clause in section 21.03. And amending sections 16.01, 17.03 and 19.12 would also help a great deal in leveling the major power imbalance in UFCW shops between stewards and management.
Sundin once said to a group of Stewards in Vernon "I may be sleeping with the employers but I'm keeping one eye open" well we'll all find out soon enough if he has in fact fallen victom to a little shut eye or if he's just given in to the employers bedroom charm.
Mr Limpwrights Fighting spirit rhetoric is just that A pile of Stinking BS!. I have heard Mr Limpwrights. words before. He was Our cheif shop steward at LOMANS. The Overwaitea foods warehouse. And 12 years ago I heard. The Famous" Live to fight another day" Speil. Dont worry Boys we have Lots of "Torpedoes" to shoot ....... Then as Usual the UFCW vanished. Push came to shove they cried" Uncle" and faster than you could say sasafrass, there they were telling us Its Ok We will get them next time. well Mr Limpwright there Is NO next time for the brothers Who Voted you steward then Promoted your fat lazy arse Into the executive. .. YOU have completely forgotten your brothers at the warehouse. My guess is your position in the executive was Guaranteed when You sold Your brothers Out. well at least you still have a Job ya fat $%^&*$%^&! The members at lomans recieved their Lay off notices 3 weeks ago. Still No sign of Don wilson Ivan Or Brooke, I guess they are gettin ready to decide who to sell down the river next 
edit = T S we have made it an MFD rule to attack the idea not the person. 
Day 3 at the conference.
K .. I'm a 1518 member and this is getting scary. Isn't this Brooke shaking 'da hand of the guy who signed up for respect and dignity in Alberta? 
HEY MIKE, SHOW US THE MONEY
That's the look of two people who know that act#1 is only now starting in the year long theater production. "laying the seeds" it think it's called. "playing the role" will be act #2 no doubt.
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Are these kinds of pronouncements from UFCW officials common prior to bargaining or is this "fighting spirit" something new?
Oh it's not new at all.
Remember the '96 lock-out Scott?
The MR's rallied the troups with "give 'em an inch and they'll take a mile" "no concessions" "blah blah blah" right up until the machine sold the mile for a nice pocketful of dues.
After the 5 weeks on the picket line I think I remember the confusion most. Couldn't figure out what the hell happened. One day there was no way in hell we were going to give in to company demands and the next day the machine had made a complete about face, recommending acceptance of the concessionary offer.
Caught everyone way off guard. On purpose? You decide. 
How's the Lomans leafletting campaign going?
I've just been given some free time [by my old friends no doubt ] and I would like to spend it outside OFG/Coopers/Buylow/Urban fair/Price Mart stores informing people about the dispicable way Loman employees are being treated and perhaps suggest alternative purchasing to support the workers there. Anyone know what's happening? E-mail me and lets hook up and pass along some leaflets so I can get started ok.
Are the Loman's employees employed by Overwaitea? I don't know the history here but my observations are that they were Overwaitea employees up until around 10 years ago. Can Someone give me the straight goods on these members. Sorry for any ignorance on this subject. I would like to become more informed. Thanks.
Scott here's the leaflet, paper away and don't forget you have the ufcw K-mart Supreme Court ruling behind you. You are allowed to paper nearly everything. 
!!!!!
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Are the Loman's employees employed by Overwaitea?
The ufcw 1518 has a case before the LRB, hoping to turn around an LRB decision from '92. The '92 decision put Lomans as a successor of the OFG agreement with the supposed purchase of the warehouse. Since that time it appears to everyone except OFG and Lomans that in fact OFG is still the employer. These workers lives are in the hands of the LRB.
siggy, all I get is a box with an x in it
by the way, why didn't 1518 make the above case back in '92, why are they waiting until now????this is the kind of ineffective leadership I've been talking about for years.
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siggy, all I get is a box with an x in it
That's Brooke signature.
Seriously, can't help you. It takes me to the leaflet. I will email you a copy K ..? Incoming......
From the leaflet:
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These 250 people will lose their jobs simply because company management says they can do their work cheaper by contacting it out to others at lower wages.
Is that a Freudian slip? 
Should it not be contracting? 
weiser...I have the leaflet now but I want to know if I can correct the spelling mistake and if I can leave off the information regarding 1518? I flat out refuse to hand out anything that refers to Brooke Sundin as President of 1518. Can you let me know?
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