Over 1,000 Aircraft Mechanics to be laid Off in April!

Toronto, ON – “Over one thousand highly skilled aircraft mechanics at Air Canada will be laid off this April and the company doesn’t give a damn,” says a disgusted Fred Hospes, IAMAW District 140 Regional Assistant Directing General Chairperson –Western Region.

“The Machinists have been negotiating layoff mitigation decisions with the company for months now and they agreed to everything but at the last minute, they tried to black mail us. It’s bad faith bargaining plain and simple.” Hospes was referring to a last minute decision by Air Canada not to agree to the government-sponsored EI Workshare program unless the union agreed to withdraw from the mitigation programs already negotiated between the parties. “This unethical bargaining tactic was simply requested because Air Canada is not willing to administrate the EI Workshare program,” explained Hospes. “This program would have lessened the blow to our members and the company simply doesn’t care.”

The layoffs will impact Air Canada stations in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Montréal.

The Machinists have continued throughout the weekend in attempts to bring Air Canada back to the table but without success. “We are very concerned for the future of the more than one thousand members and their families who be impacted by this layoff,” said Hospes. “We are currently in consultation with government officials as a result of Air Canada’s unethical bargaining tactic and their decision to flat out reject the Government-sponsored EI Workshare program.”

Food service workers at YVR have reached a tentative
agreement with HMS Host! After months of intense
bargaining, a lockout threat, a strike, and a 6-day
lockout, we’ve reached a settlement that we’re proud of,
addressing job security, wage and pension increases,
transfer rights, and medical benefits. The HMS Host
workers were ferocious in their battle for respect.

Thank you for all your support and assistance during this
roller coaster of a campaign!

Local 40 hopes to continue working together and
coordinating with our sisters and brothers in the unions
at YVR

After a one-day strike by 300 HMS Host workers at YVR www.UniteHereLocal40.org Host locked out all their unionized employees early this morning. All 18 HMS Host food service outlets remain closed, workers are picketing directly in front of the outlets inside the airport terminals today.

We made it clear to the employer that this was a one-day strike and that we wanted to get back to the bargaining table. HMS Host claimed to want to get back to the bargaining table and avoid disruption at YVR–but a lockout was their response.

When 35 HMS Host workers showed up for the start of the early shifts between 5am and 6am today, they went to the Host management office to find out why they weren’t permitted to work. For several hours , Host managers refused to appear and refused to answer the question whether workers were locked out or not. Finally, Unite Here Local 40 received an official lockout notice–4 hours into the workday. BC Fed President, Jim Sinclair, accompanied Host workers as they tried to return to work this morning.

Its unclear how long we will remain locked out, but please stop by our picket lines inside the airport terminals and join the Host workers on the line. Pickets are up in many locations but best place to connect with Local 40 members is on the picket lines at Tim Hortons, Level 3 – Domestic or at the Milestones, Level 3 – Domestic

300 HMS Host food service workers will be on strike as of
5am tomorrow (Wednesday). We will be picketing inside the
YVR terminals and outside.

Local 40 has done everything possible to try to settle
this contract at the bargaining table–since March
2009–but Host is unwilling to provide job security for
their long-time workers. 60 restaurant workers will lose
their jobs immediately after the Olympics. More are at
risk.

HMS Host, a U.S. – based multinational contractor operates
the following food service and retail outlets at YVR:

All 6 Tim Hortons locations
Both Milestones restaurants (domestic and international
terminals)
Harvey’s
Stanley’s
Toast
Palomino’s
Salad and Sandwich
Pacific Grill
Voyages
News II You
Vancouver News
2 HMS Host Warehouses

YVR shouldn’t be a poverty employer. Come join us on the
picket line!

For more info, contact:

Lynn Flandera
UNITE HERE Local 40
4853 Hastings St.
Burnaby, BC V5C 2L1
604-473-4815 office
604-291-2676 fax

Here are the results of the local 20221 Local Executive Elections that were held February 11th 2010;

President: Dave Clark

Vice President Labour Relations: Jason Salchert

YVRAA Chief Shop Steward: Patrick Fisher

GG Fuelers Chief Shop Steward: Elmer Turcios

Secretary /Treasurer: Kevin Mann

And are non executive election results are:

Safety officer YVRAA: Chris Miller

Safety officer GG Fuelers: Ron Chohan

Negotiations Update – ARINC International of Canada bargaining unit

Collective bargaining between ARINC International of Canada and the Public Service Alliance of Canada resumed January 19 to 21, 2010.

The parties agreed and signed off on two (2) additional items (Arbitration and Call-back) bringing up to ten (10) the number of signed off items after four (4) negotiation sessions. There are over twenty (20) issues currently being dealt with where the parties have been holding discussions and exchanging proposals. The Union has approximately ten (10) issues left to present including Hours of Work, Vacation Leave, Insurance Plans, Pension, Duration and Wages.

The next session is tentatively booked for mid-March.

This new unit of approximately 20 members provide, amongst many other duties, technical support for computers and computer networks. They also operate a help-desk responding to customer calls at the Vancouver International Airport.

January 12, 2010

On January 4, 300 HMS Host workers at the Vancouver Airport (YVR) received notice that the company was prepared to lock them out within 72 hours. Host workers have been working without a union contract since March 2009. The lockout notice came unprovoked. Workers had not taken a strike vote or job action.
Surprisingly, Host is prepared to lock out 300 food service workers on the eve of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. YVR will see record traffic from Olympics visitors in the month of February during the 3 weeks of the Olympics and as well as before and after the Games. The Host workers affected by the lockout notice work at 18 food, beverage and retail outlets at YVR. Host committee leader Uli De la Rosa said, “we are the ambassadors for the Olympics visitors. We are the first ones visitors see when they come to Vancouver.”
Host workers are fighting for job security, better wages and improved benefits eligibility. Sixty workers at a Milestones Restaurant operated by Host at YVR will lost their jobs immediately after the Olympics when Host closes the restaurant and opens a White Spot restaurant nearby. Host has told workers the White Spot will be non-union. Wages are also a big issue as many Host workers start at little more than minimum wage.
Host committee leader and Tim Horton’s cashier, Cora Asiatico commented on the lockout notice, “it’s like a slap in the face. All the hard work we put in, it’s going to be down the drain. But we will not be bullied. They can’t hold a gun to our heads and say ‘that’s it for you’.”
Committee leader Kam Ram, working at YVR for 19 years said, “I never expected this from the company. But we are fighters, we are going to fight for this. Those are our brothers and sisters at Milestones. We have to support them for their job security. What’s happening to them can affect any of us.”
On January 9, Host workers held an emergency membership meeting and voted unanimously to defy the lockout threat and stay strong on their contract demands. In preparation for lockout, the Host committee has signed up their co-workers for picket duty shifts.

Please visit www.uniteherelocal40.org for more information.

Negotiations Update – Servisair Inc. bargaining unit (Fuelers)

The second negotiation session between Servisair and the Public Service Alliance of Canada was held on January 7 and 8, 2010.

After only two (2) full days and two (2) half days of negotiations, the employer announced they had been working earlier today on an application for conciliation. The employer stated they needed the help of a third party and wanted a push to get it done.

Your bargaining team was surprised by the employer’s decision. We had placed all our energies towards reaching an agreement but now understand why the employer was distracted from negotiations earlier today.

We had made daily progress until now. Many issues had been resolved in the few days the parties have met and progress was made on many other issues yesterday and today. Agreement in principle was reached on the following issues / clauses:

• Employee Representatives
• Suspension and Discipline
• Staffing Procedure / Job Posting
• Grievance Procedure

We now look forward to reaching a new collective agreement before the conclusion of the Vancouver Winter Olympics and Paralympics with the assistance of a third party.

This new PSAC unit of seventy-three (73) members provides fueling and fueling related services at the Vancouver International Airport. Their collective agreement expired October 31, 2009.

Fellow pension activists,

The Finance Ministers meeting in Whitehorse is over, and we have good news to report:

1) We have shaped these discussions. Today we heard our plan to double CPP benefits, eliminate senior poverty (through a 15% increase to GIS), and introduce federal pension insurance is on the table (along with other options). Finance Ministers were also unanimous on a key point we’ve made — we need a pan-Canadian solution to fix our pension system.

2) In the next few months, we will have our chance to mobilize. Finance Ministers have committed to public consultations on pensions across Canada very soon in the new year. They will take the results of these proceedings to recommend policy options at their next meeting in May 2010. We must fill these proceedings with people willing to speak truth to power. We must bring the pension stories of working people to bear on those wanting to thwart our case for change.

3) Here’s the problem: Finance Ministers think our pension system is fine. Again and again, Finance Ministers reiterated the line that “our retirement income system is in good shape”. That we need targeted improvements for certain disadvantaged groups. They said this on the advice of two pension industry experts, one of whom thinks “the status quo is an option”.

Needless to say, we completely disagree, and we must use the upcoming consultations to challenge this flawed view.

At a time when:

…11 million Canadians don’t have a workplace pension,

…1.6 million seniors qualify for GIS benefits (and therefore earn less than $11,300 per year)

…employers use bankruptcy courts to shirk their pension promises

…average fees gouge a third of workers’ RRSP earnings,

…the status quo isn’t an option!

Sisters and brothers, rest up for now. Because in the new year, we will change the status quo. We will mobilize to ensure retirement security for everyone.

In solidarity,
Joel Harden
Canadian Labour Congress