Could be that "Look what we did for you". "We tried our very best, but that is the way it goes sometimes. "There is only so much we can do, management has right too you know."
Hey, it does not matter the union, the routine is the same.
Lets see what ufcw 1518 has to say in the very end. I'll bet I'll be right.
As one rep once said to me-"You win some, you lose some".
Lets see if the talk of ufcw local 1518's is all smoke and mirrors and no action.
Lets all put on our 3D glasses to see all the smoke and mirrors of ufcw local 1518.
Fellow members do not get caught up in their political and psychological warfare rhetoric. Remember rhetoric is the art of effective or persuasive speaking etc.
Keep Pounding on your union. Make them accountable in the public domain. Don't let them come out smelling like a rose, for I fear they are beginning the smoozing, to do just that.
aboutunions
UFCW: Spare the muscle Save the Face
In April of 2002, warehouse workers from Lomans Warehouse in Langley B.C., received what some sources refer to as a piece of paper. On that paper was the workers' name and a short bodied message that read something like: As of September 28th, 2002 your services will no longer be required. That piece of paper was layoff notices for 250 long term employees. With that began the fight to save the warehouse jobs.
MFD has been covering the twists and turns of a most unusual dispute.
The warehouse workers are represented by UFCW Local 1518 and the first indications from the union, about the layoff notices had the workers believing there wasn't a damn thing they could do to reverse what the union seemed to touting as inevitable. In 1992, UFCW 1518 had entered into a 10yr agreement with Lomans Warehouse and for all intents and purposes, on September 28th, that ten yrs was up. It seemed the workers were expected to pack up, whether or not the door hit 'em on the ass on their way out, no-one seemed to care.
Something went wrong or right, depending on one's perspective. The workers started asking questions. They started writing letters to their union. They started stomping their solidarity and insisting on representation. They were not prepared to just give up. The workers insisted on an invitation to the 1518 retail conference in Harrison Hot Springs in May. Being first refused, two days before the event UFCW extended the much in demand invitation. For their efforts and on the last day of the event, one warehouse steward was allowed an audience in front of the 300 (or less) anxious_to_go_home conference participants.
The workers were ready for some direct action but were assured by Local 1518 dudes that the Case of the Common Employer, which had been filed with the LRB was all that could be done, was the only hope, and anything over and above that would only jeopardize their chances. It looked like the 'ole sit up and shut down was in full force. Not entirely taken with that method, the workers asked for publicity. A union public relations representative was assigned, however it was somewhat conditional, the union insisted that taking the dispute public would only do harm. After much more foot-stomping by the workers, the union agreed to support a leafletting campaign, but it too was conditional. The workers were going to have to pay for their own leaflets. It would come from a support fund made up of the workers own money.
While all this was taking place, the Case of the Common Employer, still before the LRB, was delayed, the employer had filed a counter claim, effectively stalling that process. A mysterious Memorandum of Agreement surfaced, which the union told the workers would give them the right to legally strike the employer. Things were looking up, or is that down? Depends on one's perspective.
The MOA was struck down by the LRB. The union then filed for reconsideration of that decision, it too was struck down by the LRB, another win for the employer and another blow to the workers. The Case of the Common Employer has been post-poned til Sept 16th, 12 days before the warehouse doors are set to be locked by the company.
This brings us to where the workers are today, 3 months after it began and less than 2 months before the company plans to end it. Since being refused funding for leafletting the workers have engaged the unions' co-operation to pay for the leafletting, of course, with conditions. The leaflets distributed by the workers must be the official leaflet, as opposed to say a leaflet that's a little more poignant.
Recent developments indicate Local 1518 has stepped up it's end of the financial support for the workers. The union is funding a very intensive leafletting campaign. It is allowing expenditure reimbursement for the workers to reach other communities in the province. The union has committed living out compensation for a group of five workers to go to Nelson B.C. It is sponsoring a worker to travel to Prince George B.C. to address the Council of Canadians, a citizens' watchdog organization which has taken an interest in the workers plight.
While all this activity demonstrates a surprise financial committment by Local 1518, fondly referred to by some workers as "the UFCW econo-fight", it still leaves some very big unanswered questions. Why has the union waited until the "end of the road" to pull out the pocket book? The workers hopes are now pinned on a 53 page document and all the supporting evidence the union has presented to the LRB and an intensive *Don't shop at Save-on* campaign. Nowhere in this plot to save the warehouse jobs, has there been a concerted effort on the part of the union to pull out the big guns, 8000 union brothers and sisters from the retail sector. So the most pressing question?
What are they waiting for?
The good news AU, is the workers have maintained a solid core and have kept this issue in front. They are busting their butts and it could be alot easier and far more effective if some solidarity was applied. The leafletting is having positive results but it seems a slow and painful process. The employers are annoyed but seem to have adopted a just wait it out approach.
What are they waiting for? While we may wonder about this it should be remembered that waiting is the consistent characterictic. The words sound good, but are any of the 250 listening anymore?
Pro-active members are taking the hint and will,I believe, continue to remind the UFCW that "we are the union".
I think the Local 1518 leaders don't really know what to do with the workers from Lomans. I think that they were hoping these workers would just walk quietly off to oblivion, but as the pressure has mounted and the workers' activism has continued, the union's leaders have felt compelled to do something. Maybe the union is hoping that the well-intentioned but mostly ineffective Council of Canadians will lull them to sleep for the next couple of months.
Actually, I shouldn't be dissing the CoC. Now is a golden opportunity for them to show that they can do more than just talk to each other about the corporate assault on working Canadians. Maybe they can actually do something tangible to help the workers at Lomans in their fight for their jobs.
Nothing is going to help workers more than the realization that we have far more power than the employers. Todays union leaders contribute to this rediculous notion that our employers are "the masters" and we the workers are the "slaves". And this has most workers feeling powerless.
Marx once said "religion is the opium of the people" well I thinks it's just a fair to compair todays unions as the drug of choice for working people. Rather than educating members on their true power they contribute to the disempowerment of workers because an unmotivated workforce is one that also feels powerless to hold their union leaders accountable.
WE the workers hold all the power because we make up the majority of the population. DUH! We hold the balance of power during elections, we are the customers for the business's stores/shops etc and it's our needs that should be first. The only thing that prevents us from realizing our true potential is greed. How many of our own members shop at Walmart because they can save a buck or two? this is what's killing us more than anything. It's this greedy unwillingness to sacrafice for the greator good that has 1% of the worlds population controling 90% of the worlds wealth.
The Loman workers can still save their jobs if, and only if all union members accross the province let OFG know that if that opperation close's down they will loose their business. STOP SHOPPING AT OFG! DUH!. If 40% of their business dry's up over night how long before they're begging the UFCW to join them at the table? If workers in the store "work to rule" and refuse to work unschedualed shifts how long before OFG caves? Not long at all. And don't think Safeway and Loblaws won't sit up and pay attention either.
Where the cart falls off the wheels is getting workers, particularly part time OFG workers to understand that even though it puts the employer at risk, the willingness to put your employer at risk is your only true leverage. If we stand up one at a time employers and union leaders alike can pick us off, but if we all stand up together nothing can sit us back down.
We are the power source, we are the customers, we are support base for public office, we pay the law makers saleries, we pay for everything! It's ours! All of it! We are the masters and the only chains that bind us, are of our own creation.
"The UFCW Econo-fight" has merely reached another embarrassment threshold. In keeping with their policy of doing the right thing only when the embarrassment threshold reaches critical levels, do we see action. Once again it has been breached and so more talk.
Why leave real action to this late stage is a big question for many. "The UFCW Econo-fight" seems to have blown it's budget on legal manoeuvers that have been, so far, unsuccessful if not questionable.
According to the holder of the purse strings, in his July 31 letter to the warehouse members, Ivan Limpright advises that more will be spent chasing the MOU decision to the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
At the same time we have had difficulty getting any dough spent on real communication to the public. A warehouse member had to spend his own time and money getting a leaflet put into a local newspaper. Word has it that $130 got him 3,000 leaflets inserted into the paper. Sounds like good value to me. We have repeatedly questioned why this has not been continued??? All I can tell you is that it has not. The union re-imbursed the member.
The embarrassment threshold had been breached and so they had no choice.
Is there good news? There are some words which bear repeating which may turn into good news. From the July 26,2002 letter from Brooke Sundin to Angie Schirra, Secretary Treasurer, BC Federation of Labour, "Moreover, as of the week of July 29, 2002, Local 1518 members employed in OFG's retail food stores, as well as our Union's members from Safeway, will join the warehouse members in further expanding our leafleting campaign."
Although it is not mentioned in this letter, the word is that retail should not leaflet their own store.
The invite to retail is not mentioned in Ivan's letter to the warehouse membership five days later. It does say in bold copy, "What is of utmost importance is to make sure we get as many members as possible taking part in the leafleting campaign that is taking place." It advises us to
"Please see Tony Evangelista for more information".
No contact information of any kind is given.
I also enjoyed Ivan's empathy regarding overtime:
" We realize there is ongoing frustration with having to work overtime when the Collective Agreement says it is voluntary." Most interesting when the LRB ruling does not mention the word overtime once in their ruling regarding illegal work practices. The legal analysis on the ruling,from UFCW's law firm, mentions the word 5 times.
"The UFCW Econo-fight" is about to spin out of their control. They know it and I think the embarrassment threshold got crossed once again. Warehouse members have a hard time deciding who has screwed them the most, UFCW or the OFG/Loman shell game. So far it looks and feels like both.