CAW Road Transport Council Blog

Bus driver attacker to be jailed indefinitely

2012-03-08T00:02:00.002-08:00

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2011/07/25/edmonton-mattson-dangerous-decision.html

Garbage truck drivers fired for speaking out about camera

2012-02-22T18:07:00.000-08:00

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/02/22/bc-camera-garbage-fired.html

CAW Local 114: NDP Motion re: Caterpillar/Papiers White Birch

2012-02-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

CAW Local 114: NDP Motion re: Caterpillar/Papiers White Birch: To: All CAW Leadership and Activists across Canada Please forward the following motion to your contacts and call your MPs for support. In So...

ITF Action Alert

2012-01-24T10:37:00.000-08:00

To all affiliates,

Friends, as you may be aware despite Walmart being the biggest employer in America, it has been reported that workers employed by Walmart subcontractors are being subjected to unfair and unjust working conditions.

We understand that warehouse workers who unload goods within the Walmart supply chain, are working on occasion for less than minimum wage, are not compensated for overtime, have no health insurance, holiday or sick days and are often contracted through temporary labour agencies even if they have been working at the same facility for years.

Now these workers are fighting back. In a bid to stand up for their basic human rights, workers at a warehouse in California filed a Federal law suit in September 2011 based on the company's failure to meet the minimum requirements under US wage law. Since that time these 70 workers have reported being threatened and harassed and have now been told they will lose their jobs on 24 February.

As transport unions working side by side with warehouse workers across the world, the ITF is calling on the ITF family to show Walmart that workers on the global supply chain are watching their actions closely and they don't like what they see.

Sign this petition now to show Walmart that transport workers stand beside their brothers and sisters working in American warehouses >>
http://www.change.org/petitions/stand-with-daniel-lopez-tell-walmart-to-stop-abusing-warehouse-workers

The petition calls for Walmart to put in place a responsible contractor policy obligating contractors it does business with to observe certain standards to protect workers. This would mean a living wage, benefits and a guarantee of respect for workers' legal rights.

In solidarity,

David Cockfroft
General Secretary
ITF
http://www.warehouseworkersunited.org/index.php?id=1

CAW Local 114: Reward offered after bus driver is sexually assaul...

2012-01-16T13:03:00.000-08:00

CAW Local 114: Reward offered after bus driver is sexually assaul...: Reward offered after bus driver is sexually assaulted - News1130

Local 114 Members Attend Road Transport Council

2011-12-21T13:56:00.000-08:00

By Brothers Rick Toombs and Maurice Mills (Brinks BC)

Left to right: Loomis Unit Chair Mario Santos, Local 114 President Gord McGrath, B & L Shop Steward
Chris Sheaves, G4S Shop Steward Dale Quinn, CAW Local 114 Union Rep Mark Misic, Brinks
Bargaining Committee Member Maurice Mills, Brinks Bargaining Committee Member Rick Toombs,
CAW Local 114 Secretary-Treasurer Bill Gaucher, G4S Chief Steward Don McIver, and CAW-Canada
President Ken Lewenza. Missing from the picture: CAW Local 114 Union Rep Harry Moon and CAWCanada National RepGavin McGarrigle.

http://cawlocal114.tripod.com/caw_council_report_brinks_final.pdf

CAW ROAD TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL ELECTION RESULTS

2011-12-14T23:46:00.000-08:00

Meeting Minutes and Financial Report

2011-11-23T04:58:00.000-08:00

April 28th Meeting Minutes

RTC October Financial Report

President's Road Transport Council Report

2011-11-17T19:42:00.000-08:00

Click the image above to read the President's Report.

Road Transport Newsletter Volume 4

2011-11-17T19:35:00.000-08:00

Click on the image above to read the latest newsletter.

B.C. Greyhound bus passengers exposed to TB

2011-11-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/11/04/bc-greyhound-tuberculosis.html

DDOT Drivers Refuse To Work: ‘They’re Scared For Their Lives’

2011-11-05T04:47:00.001-07:00

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/11/04/d-dot-drivers-refuse-to-run-routes-bus-riders-stranded/

ITF Action Week October 11-14th, 2011

2011-10-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

CAW Locals from across Canada jointly participated in the annual International Transport Workers Federations (ITF)

Week of Action. Our CAW Campaign took place from October 11^th through 14^th this year.

“Fatigue Kills”; “Organizing the Unorganized”; “Waiting Time is Working Time” ; “Manufacturing Matters”; “Conditions in the Road Transport Sector”

have been some of the past campaigns that are specific to the transportation industry that still need attention.

This year’s campaign will deal with each of the past themes as well as “Safety Now” and “Decent Work”.

In Canada what is very important to our industry is supporting Canadian workers and “Made in Canada Matters”.

During this “Week of Action”

We need for Canadians of all sectors of the economy to recognize “Made in Canada Matters”. In the transportation sector we need to be building,

servicing and operating Canadian made equipment with Canadian workers. Good jobs mean more local freight from raw materials, suppliers,

feeder plants, production facilities to retailers. More quality jobs would support the need to better transportation networks for these workers.

It all works hand in hand for the Canadian economy and more importantly for you and your neighbours!

Our union is calling on all levels of government to adopt Buy Canadian policies for all public purchases - one of the important policy tools to

help protect manufacturing jobs and encourage regional economic development in Canada. Buying Canadian helps save good jobs and builds stronger communities.

Professional drivers around the world will be driving home the message to their employers – “Respect and Safety Now”, “Waiting Time is Working Time”, “Hours at Work need to be Compensated” and “Manufacturing Matters”!

Workers internationally can support each other by doing a better job of supporting their own economies locally and telling these multi-national corporations and the supporters of a world economy that communities matter! “Our Communities Matter”. This campaign is about thinking globally and acting locally.

Our CAW Local 114 ITF/CAW canvassers included Don McIver, Dale Quinn, Eric Phillips, Morteza Maleki and Greg Gates and they handed out amongst other material surveys for the Taxi Industry and for the Road Transport Sector on issues commonly experienced throughout the globe by all workers in these sectors.

All in all it was a great experience for our members to get involved with again theis year and they have a lot of great and interesting ideas for next year’s campaign.

Bill Gaucher

CAW Road Transport President

Coordinator for CAW/ITF Campaign in BC

Click here to view Dale Quinns report on our involvement in this year's ITF Campaign.

Click here to view Eric Phillips Report

Click here to see the Taxi Driver Survey

Click here to see a copy of the 2011 Road Transport Survey.

Halifax, B.C. yards win shipbuilding work

2011-10-20T04:46:00.000-07:00

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/10/19/pol-shipbuilding-announcement.html

B.C. teen slain on bus remembered

2011-10-20T04:44:00.000-07:00

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/10/19/bc-jamie-keheo-funeral.html

CAW Transportation Policy 2011 Video

2011-10-19T09:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a video from Tim Cheung CAW Local 2002 Vice-President

CAW Local 114: Youth arrested after Kamloops bus driver beaten

2011-10-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

CAW Local 114: Youth arrested after Kamloops bus driver beaten: Union President Gord McGrath and Local rep Harry Moon are in Kamloops today following yet another apparent incident of violence towards tran...

Save the B.C. Transit Workers: Issues Poll

2011-10-12T06:27:00.000-07:00

Save the B.C. Transit Workers: Issues Poll: The Kamloops Daily news is running a weekly poll. Please support our brothers and sisters in Kamloops by voting Transit as the Top Issue in...

CAW Local 114: Bus Driver Injured in Altercation

2011-10-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

CAW Local 114: Bus Driver Injured in Altercation: A CAW Local 114 bus driver was injured in a fight October 7, 2011 in Kamloops B.C. One person was arrested and the member was treated and i...

Road Transport Call Letter

2011-09-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

http://cawlocal114.tripod.com/call_ltr_dec_council_2011.pdf

CAW Road Transport Council Blog: How to Make it Move

2011-09-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

CAW Road Transport Council Blog: How to Make it Move: How to Make it Move: Action Plan Items for Discussion Share our Vision: Bring an endorsed statement to CAW and Quebec Councils for ad...

Bus drivers to vote on one-year contract extension

2011-09-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

The union representing Metro Vancouver bus drivers has reached a tentative contract with Coast Mountain Bus Co.

The Canadian Auto Workers Union Local 111 and Coast Mountain, a subsidiary of TransLink, reached a memorandum of agreement for a one-year extension of the existing contract which expired April 1, along with letters of understanding on key workplace issues and resolution of grievances.

CAW Local 114: A Labour Day message by CAW National President Ken...

2011-08-31T20:42:00.000-07:00

CAW Local 114: A Labour Day message by CAW National President Ken...: Labour Day has always offered working Canadians a chance to step back and reflect on our collective achievements. Workplace safety rules. De...

CAW Road Transportation Conference 2011 Call Letters

2011-08-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

English Version French Version

Report from ITF Sweden Conference‏

2011-06-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

Please find a summary report of the ITF Conference I attended in Sweden.
http://cawlocal114.tripod.com/itf_report_june_2011.pdf

Bill Gaucher

Secretary Treasurer

CAW Local 114

First Floor, # 326 - 12th Street

New Westminster, BC

METRO Bus Split in Half on 288 South

2011-06-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/110623-bus-in-major-wreck-on-288-south

Workers at Fedex in India to take strike action

2011-06-23T12:24:00.001-07:00

http://www.itfglobal.org/global-delivery/index.cfm/newsdetail/6115/region/1/order/1

B.C. Greyhound bus collision kills 1, injures 2

2011-06-22T13:15:00.001-07:00

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/06/04/greyhound-bus-accident.html

Bus veers into swamp after hitting moose

2011-06-22T13:13:00.001-07:00

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/06/22/bc-greyhound-bus-moose.html

Unions protest outside FedEx site

2011-06-22T12:50:00.001-07:00

http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/news/2011/06/21/unions-protest-outside-fedex-site.html

Mansour Osanloo leader of the bus workers' union in Tehran, is finally free.

2011-06-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

The online campaign we waged by LabourStart four years ago was one of the largest they ever did. We are enormously pleased to learn the good news.

You can read an account of his release here.
There is have full coverage of workers' struggles in Iran here.
You can hear Osanloo's voice - in a one minute interview Eric Lee did with him in London five years ago here. (The first minute is Osanloo speaking in Farsi, followed by a translation.)

The struggle waged by trade unions around the world - especially the International Transport Workers Federation - kept the pressure up.

Osanloo was never forgotten and now he is free.

Please take a moment to sign up to the current LabourStart campaigns - send off your messages of protest to the governments of Iraq, Swaziland, Bahrain and Chile. Online campaigns work -- if we get enough people to support them. Spread the word! Forward this email!

ITF-UNI Germany

2011-06-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

ITF and UNI sponsored bringing Union leadership and rank and file members together on May 23-25 in Frankfurt Germany for a global delivery conference.

Mario Santos L. 114, President of the CAW DHL Corporate Council along with Nat. Rep. Len Poirier attended on behalf of the CAW and the CAW Road Transport Council. 80 participants from 30 countries representing workers from DHL, TNT, Fed-EX and UPS attended the three day conference. All attendees gave an update to the status of these multi-national employers in their region of the world, sharing information on the organized and strategized on how the un-organized workers in these companies can be represented in the future. Mario and Len were asked to give presentation on how the DHL corporate council was established and what they have been doing collectively together across Canada to support workers from all over the world. The report also included an update on the recent DHL sale of domestic business to the TransForce Group to be operated as Loomis Express and DHL remains in the Canadian market as the International courier.

Much discussion and debate was held on further actions of organizing DHL workers globally and how they have different standards of treatment and labour relations in different countries. It was unanimously agreed that the global campaign will have to take a more aggressive approach this year as the company is still failing to recognize the significance of signing a word frame agreement. Research was shared on these companies and the global customers of these large logistic couriers, and demanding that these customers share in the responsibility of treating workers with respect in the whole supply chain.

The last day included participants going to the DHL Corporate Shareholders meeting dressed in DHL yellow colored shirts handing out leaflets to all attendees “we demand respect”. This leaflet included reports from around the world showing workplace action from last year’s united campaign.

Global Delivery Briefing

2011-05-25T14:19:00.001-07:00

http://www.itfglobal.org/global-delivery/bulletin.cfm

CAW-ITF Youth Workers Transportation e-mail list

2011-05-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

Please read the attached file and the message below from Travis Harrision
who is a member of CAW Local 2200 and is also our CAW Young Workers delegate
for the ITF

Please help Travis in his endevours to establish a network of CAW youth to
take action on campaigns when necessary.

This will be an e-mail network, so please get this out to the youth in your
local and help Travis build the network.

Even if you are not a youth your assistance in forwarding these e-mails will
help Travis out.

Thanks for your cooperation

Bill Gaucher
President CAWRTC

http://cawlocal114.tripod.com/itfyouth2011.pdf

I am contacting you today to request your help with some work of the 
International Transport Workers Federation (ITF). As a member of the 
CAW, I sit on the ITF young transport workers committee representing 
North America. As you may or may not be aware, at the ITF Congress in 
Mexico last August, the ITF constitution was amended to create the 
ITF young workers committee. This change was made following two years 
of work by a working group of young workers from around the world, of 
which I was involved. The committee met for the first time last 
November and since then we have been working on a few initiatives to 
continue this work.

One of the initiatives, the one I am requesting your help in, is to 
expand the ITF young workers network. This network is an email based 
network used to get information to young transport workers around the 
world, and take action on campaigns when necessary. I have been 
trying to make contact with ITF affiliates in North America over the 
past few months to get a contact person that can help with this
initiative.

Attached is a copy of the letter that has been sent out.

As a member of the CAW, I want to make sure that my own union is 
tapped in to this work and I was wondering if you could find a main 
contact person from Local 114 that would like to get involved. I have 
Cc'd Monica Hrapkowicz from CAW Local 4004, who has agreed to work 
with me on this as the main contact for the CAW, and will help me 
work with the contact persons for each of the CAW transport locals.
The main responsibility of the person at this point will be to get 
the young workers in Local 114 registered with the ITF young workers 
network, and be the main contact for the local for this new 
communications structure.

Please let me know if you would like further information or to speak 
with me directly.

In Sol,
Travis Harrison
CAW 2200 Recording Secretary
tharrison2200@gmail.com
(604) 314-5212

CAW Local 114: CAW CONTACT Volume 41, No. 20 May 19, 2011

2011-05-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

CAW Local 114: CAW CONTACT Volume 41, No. 20 May 19, 2011: "In this weeks issue: Victory for Locked Out Limo Drivers New Agreement for Sault Ste. Marie Paramedics Inquiry Recommends Broad Law Chang..."

American Cartage Settlement

2011-04-14T21:31:00.001-07:00

I spoke with National Rep Gavin McGarrigle today who informed me that a settlement has been reached with American Cartage.

April 2011 President's Report and March April 2011 Newsletter

2011-04-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

http://cawlocal114.tripod.com/cawrtc_presidents_report_april_28_2011.pdf

http://cawlocal114.tripod.com/cawrtc_mar_apr_2011_newsletter.pdf

American Cartage Lockout‏

2011-04-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

American Cartage

LOCKED OUT

The Union has been trying to bargain a new agreement with American Cartage since our contract expired last year on June 30, 2010. The Company has not respected the current collective agreement and has now locked out its workers. Many workers at American Cartage have given years of service and the Company has now decided to lock out its workers who are employees and owner-operators.

The Union has now settled a pattern collective agreement with several other container truck companies including; Prudential Transport, Forward Transport, Aheer Transport and AG Transport and we expect to settle more in the near future.

Why isn’t the pattern agreement good enough for American Cartage?

We need your support to respect our picket line and to refuse to do business with American Cartage or any person or business assisting American Cartage in locking out its workers. We believe that the Company is engaging in straight-forward union-busting.

Please send a message to the Company President and tell her to get back to the table and sign a fair agreement with the workers at American Cartage. Please write to:

Gloria Vander Schaaf, President Phone: (604) 614-2767

American Cartage Fax: (604) 513-3677

#101-9366 200A Street

Langley BC, V1M 4B3 Email: gloria@americancartage.com

Tell the Company that the deal on the table is a fair deal and it should be accepted by the Company. Tell American Cartage and its allies that you support the workers.

We thank you for your ongoing support.

THE WORKERS AT AMERICAN CARTAGE

For further information, please contact:

Paul Uppal, VCTA-CAW Local 2006 Gavin McGarrigle, National Representative

Phone: (604) 970-1005 Phone: (778) 668-6455

Email: puppal@shaw.ca Email: gavinm@caw.ca

Victory for TNT workers in Australia

2011-04-01T17:29:00.001-07:00

http://www.itfglobal.org/global-delivery/index.cfm/newsdetail/5842/region/1/order/1

CAW Local 114: International Solidarity Rally Against Union Busti...

2011-03-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

CAW Local 114: International Solidarity Rally Against Union Busti...: "Sisters and Brothers, We need maximum support for the BC Fed April 2 solidarity rally at the Peace Arch border crossing...."

CAW Local 114: International Solidarity Rally Against Union Busti...

2011-03-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

CAW Local 114: International Solidarity Rally Against Union Busti...: "Sisters and Brothers, We need maximum support for the BC Fed April 2 solidarity rally at the Peace Arch border crossing...."

CAW Local 114: Strike avoided as bus drivers agree on new contrac...

2011-03-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

CAW Local 114: Strike avoided as bus drivers agree on new contrac...: "Strike avoided as bus drivers agree on new contract | City & Region | Kamloops Daily News"

Corporate social responsibility means respect for workers’ rights, DHL told

2011-02-25T08:46:00.001-08:00

http://www.itfglobal.org/global-delivery/index.cfm/newsdetail/5716/region/1/order/1

CAW Members at CP Ratify New Deal

2011-02-24T20:31:00.000-08:00

Media advisory for national comprehensive release

CAW Members at CP Ratify New Deal

February 24, 2011

(Toronto) CAW members at CP Rail have ratified a new deal by 82 per cent in a series of cross country membership meetings that took place over the last two weeks.

This new agreement includes increases in wages, benefits, retirement incentives and language improvements around work rules and skilled trades.

CAW National President Ken Lewenza offered his congratulations to the bargaining committee for their hard work in securing a deal that was overwhelmingly approved by members at CP. “This was a challenging round of negotiations and I believe the deal we reached with CP makes important improvements in the work lives of our members,” said Lewenza.

In this set of negotiations, the union also faced the pending closure of the Ogden shop in Calgary, Alberta. In order to lessen the impact on Ogden workers, the union negotiated retirement incentives, severance programs and work opportunities at Calgary’s Alyth facility.

“It was a difficult set of negotiations, particularly given the demographics and varying needs of the membership –ranging from new hires to those heading into retirement,” said CAW Local 101 President Tom Murphy. “We were ultimately successful in meeting a great number of these needs.”

CAW Local 101 represents 2,100 shopcraft (skilled trades) workers at CP. The CAW reached a deal with CP on February 5.

-30-

CAW Local 114: DHL Corporate Responsibility Today

2011-02-24T18:55:00.000-08:00

CAW Local 114: DHL Corporate Responsibility Today: "Deutsche Post DHL is holding a Corporate Responsibility Day today. The discussion will also be on Twitter and people will be able to a..."

Strike action at TNT in Australia

2011-01-27T09:16:00.000-08:00

Workers at TNT in Australia are taking part in a series of four-hour stoppages this week in an effort to secure “safe rates” and better standards for contract workers.

The country-wide strike on 28 January follows the failure of a last ditch attempt to negotiate with the company.

TWU national secretary, Tony Sheldon, said that until there were sensible changes in the company’s practices safety would suffer: “While the company continues to turn the thumbscrews in the name of their bottom line, the public and employees will suffer.”

He highlighted how last week, TNT management in South Australia required the largely casual staff to continue to work at a site potentially contaminated with asbestos, providing only flimsy paper masks to some. It was only when union representatives intervened that the workplace was evacuated. TNT management, he said, had also docked workers pay during the recent floods when they were unable to work.

The workers are demanding site rates to prevent managers from bringing in contract workers that undermine the rest of the workforce and a “safe rates committee” to ensure that contractors implement safety measures and pay the correct wages. They also want to secure fair wage increases and a company superannuation or pension contribution from the employer of 15 per cent.

Sheldon said that TNT management’s claims that it could not afford to pay for the changes were baseless: “Of course TNT management will cry wolf but TNT Express is set to have profits increase 186 per cent by 2015.

“On top of that TNT are set to make a fortune out of the misfortune of the people of Queensland as demand grows because of the rebuilding effort.”

How you can show your solidarity:

• Send a letter of support to the Transport Workers Union of Australia via richard.priest@twu.com.au copying in Marshall Abrahams from Organising Globally at Abrahams_marshall@itg.org.uk

• Make your feelings known by send a protest letter to Bob Black, the Managing Director of TNT Australia

• Follow the TNT Workers’ campaign for fairness at work on Twitter and Facebook

In solidarity

Alen Clifford

Organising Globally Assistant Coordinator

International Transport Workers' Federation

Fon: +44.20.7940-9319

Fax: +44.20.7357-7871

main website:

www.itfglobal.org

also visit:

www.itfglobal.org/organising

www.respect4workers.org

www.itfglobal.org/youngworkers

www.itfglobal.org/global-delivery

CN, CAW reach tentative deal

2011-01-24T08:17:00.000-08:00

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/cn-caw-reach-tentative-deal/article1880570/

Metro - CN Rail facing strike deadline

2011-01-22T06:18:00.000-08:00

Metro - CN Rail facing strike deadline

Workers at CN and CP Rail Vote to Strike, if Necessary

2011-01-13T13:21:00.000-08:00

Workers have overwhelmingly voted to take strike action if necessary at both CN and CP Rail as negotiations with the companies continue and the deadline approaches.

Workers at CN make up four different CAW bargaining units and have voted in favour of a strike

if necessary, as follows:

Local 100 - 95 per cent

Council 4000 (office and clerical) - 82 per cent

Council 4000 (mechanical) -100 per cent

Council 4000 CNTL (owner operators) - 93 per cent

The CN strike deadline is Tuesday, January 25 at 12:01 a.m. The CAW represents 4,300 workers at CN in all bargaining units combined.

Workers at CP, represented by CAW Local 101, voted 89 per cent in favour of going on strike. The strike deadline is Tuesday, February 8 at 12:01 a.m. The CAW represents 2,100 workers at CP.

CAW President Ken Lewenza said that negotiations with both companies have been challenging so far with each demanding concessions of the workers. “Our members have spoken loudly and clearly about their issues and concerns and this high strike vote is a strong indication that our members are absolutely serious in addressing these concerns at the bargaining table,” said Lewenza.

“Workers at CN and CP will enjoy the full support of the union as they fight concessionary demands and secure a decent contract.”

The bargaining committees at both CN and CP thanked the membership for their solid support and remain determined to reach a fair and equitable settlement on behalf of their respective members.

The voting took place in meetings right across the country over the last week. Negotiations with both companies commenced in October.

ITF global delivery network DHL Workers in India Win Benefits Deal

2011-01-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

http://www.itfglobal.org/global-delivery/index.cfm/newsdetail/5526/region/1/order/1

Allied Vote Notice

2010-12-21T12:17:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, This is for Allied Systems Canada workplaces in Ontario and Quebec.

Please ensure a notice gets posted in each workplace announcing the results of the ratification vote.

We are pleased the membership acknowledges the hard work done by your bargaining committee. This has been a very difficult process due to the restructuring by the manufactures as well as the intense competition within the car hauling industry. Our number one goal was to get control of the Pension plan and put Allied workers themselves back as trustees to monitor the plan going forward.

Thru out the bargaining it was made clear that this employer must change its culture. There is a need to be credible, in dealing with equipment issues and respectful in dealing with its employees. The CAW and all Local Unions brought credibility to the bargaining table and now it is up to Allied to bring it to its employees.

The results of the ratification vote held on Sunday December 19^thwere as follows:

Office workers agreement was 79 per cent in favour and Driver’s/Mechanic’s agreement was 65 per cent in favour the agreement will expiry on January 10, 2014.

On behalf of all Local union leadership and myself, Ken Lewenza and Bob Chernecki we wish each member a Merry Christmas and hope everyone gets some quality family time during the Holidays.

Len Poirier

National Representative

CAW-TCA CANADA

5 Executive Place

Kitchener, ON. N2P 2N4

Work: 519-893-4873X2226

Fax: 519-893-9908

ITF Global Transport Workers and HIV/AIDS Project

2010-12-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

http://cawlocal114.tripod.com/itfhiv97.pdf

CAW Local 114: TransForce Acquires Dynamex for $248 Million

2010-12-17T16:01:00.000-08:00

CAW Local 114: TransForce Acquires Dynamex for $248 Million: "TransForce Acquires Dynamex for $248 Million"

Summary of activities and related press coverage, "Respect and Safety" Action Week 2010

2010-12-17T12:38:00.000-08:00

CAW Local 114: "Respect and Safety" Action Week 2010 Summary: "http://cawlocal114.tripod.com/dhlitf.pdf http://cawlocal114.tripod.com/dhlitf2.pdf"

Check out Help End the Lock Out | Canadian Auto Workers | CAW

2010-12-16T05:50:00.001-08:00

Check out Help End the Lock Out | Canadian Auto Workers | CAW

DECEMBER COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

2010-12-09T12:59:00.000-08:00

The CAW RTC Council met at the beginning of December in Toronto. Ken Lewenza stopped by during the meetings. Ken thanked the members present. He stated that what a privilege it was to represent the members of the CAW. Ken reminded us of what would happen if we as activists didn’t step up to make a difference. If we did not, then who would step up for us and fight for us. This message was not lost on the members in attendance.You can d/l meeting minutes here.

Airport Limo Drivers Locked-out of Using their own Cars

2010-12-04T05:05:00.000-08:00

(Toronto) - Drivers for airport limousine services McIntosh, Air Cab and Aaroport have been “locked out” of their jobs after the company owner refused to release provincial vehicle registration stickers.

The drivers have set up a picket outside the office of the three companies, located at 680 Sheppard Street West, in Toronto.

The move by the company comes after it walked away from negotiations with the CAW in early November, refusing to settle on a first agreement. CAW Local 252 represents the approximately 200 drivers.

The drivers must buy their car from the company owner at a marked up price and then it gets registered under the company’s name, which has enabled the lock-out to occur. The workers also must pay for the vehicle registration but cannot obtain it, independent of their employer.

“This practice is completely incomprehensible and without this first hand knowledge, I would never have believed it,” said CAW President Ken Lewenza. “These workers, predominately first generation Canadians and workers of colour, are extremely exploited, it is outrageous.”

A brief summary of the current terms of employment:

-The driver buys the car from the employer at highly inflated prices and then must transfer ownership to the employer, without any confirming paperwork;

-The driver has to also buy insurance from the employer without getting a policy that sets out premiums, coverage, or limitations;

-The driver also pays significant sums of money for permit and dispatch fees.

This practice is sanctioned by Greater Toronto Airport Authority.

In addition to picketing outside the company’s head office, the union is will be planning other actions –should the company not return to the bargaining table.

“We’re now entering one of the busiest travel seasons of the year and it’s critical that we reach a first collective agreement for this group of workers and end the exploitative practices of this employer,” said Lewenza.

-30-

CAW National Representative Sukhvinder Johl (cell) 416-419-3009 CAW Communications Shannon Devine (cell)416-302-1699

SD/jwcope343

CAW Local 114: Gavin McGarrigle: Thanks and Links to Coverage fr...

2010-11-27T21:35:00.000-08:00

CAW Local 114: Gavin McGarrigle: Thanks and Links to Coverage fr...: "Thanks to everyone for their hard work today. It was tremendous show of solidarity. I’m told that our protest convoy today had close to 4..."

CONTAINER TRUCK DRIVER VIDEO GLOBAL NEWS

2010-11-27T20:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.globalnews.ca/video/index.html?releasePID=n1Xv_Shpa4_1csEJ1wZ_zuMQByzd5Bh6

CAW Local 114: More Video on Container Rally

2010-11-27T19:56:00.001-08:00

CAW Local 114: More Video on Container Rally: "http://www.globalnews.ca/video/index.html?releasePID=JacFHluP5wYRg_9W9Q3HDHoxiiE_A53z"

Truckers say some companies driving down rates at Vancouver port

2010-11-27T19:56:00.000-08:00

Truckers say some companies driving down rates at Vancouver port

Allied Update

2010-11-16T10:32:00.000-08:00

Allied Pension Update
http://cawlocal114.tripod.com/alliedpu.pdf

Allied Update (French)
http://cawlocal114.tripod.com/alliedfr.pdf

Allied Pension Grievance
http://cawlocal114.tripod.com/alliedgrieve.pdf

Bus drivers eye job action

2010-11-09T09:16:00.000-08:00

Bus drivers eye job action

Another attack on Vahed Syndicate members

2010-11-08T18:27:00.000-08:00

Another attack on Vahed Syndicate members

Bus strike talks collapse in St. John's

2010-11-07T08:06:00.001-08:00

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2010/11/07/metrobus-strike-talks-fail-117.html

Latest Downloads

2010-10-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

Download the ITF Cartoon, The DHL Postcard or the We Make it Move Handout for the Transportation Sector.

http://www.cawrtc.com/downloads.html

Len Poirier Report to Rail Confrence in Halifax

2010-10-17T08:36:00.000-07:00

RAIL CONFERENCE PRESENTATION

October 2010

Bio, update and involvement in the Local and at National level.

I was the President of CAW Local 4268, an amalgamated local based across Southern Ontario for four terms. The local was made of all types of road transportation units, freight movement docks and support personal. Our members are long haul drivers, city drivers, members of the waste/recycling industry, cross dock operations, auto and general freight movers as well as school bus drivers.

In 2008, I became a staff member of the CAW, working primarily in the road transport sector out of our Kitchener regional office. My assignment is working with my former local as well as other locals with members of DHL Canada and Allied Systems Canada.

I helped establish the CAW Road Transportation Council and we had our initial conference at the Port Elgin Family Education Centre. We are in the process of organizing a CAW Transportation Conference for the fall of 2011.

- This transportation conference will bring leadership personnel from all sectors of our membership which encompasses all sectors of the Canadian transportation infrastructure. We have members in all types of road transportation - taxi, courier, heavy equipment, waste/recycling, hourly workers and owner-operators, auto parts and general freight, armored truck etc.

- We have airlines and supporting workers

- Ship building and Marine workers

- Rail and supporting workers

We are the largest group of related workers in the CAW, a fact that historically we have not recognized amongst ourselves, so we should not be surprised that Canadians do not think of the CAW as a transportation Union. We will change that!

Bill Murnighan of our research department recently did a little home work for us and here are his results:

Sector: Air Transportation 15,500

Rail 11,400

Road 20,200

Marine 2,500 = Almost 50,000

Manufactures of Transportation

Specialty Vehicles 7,000

Shipbuilding 1,500

Aerospace 10,000

Auto 24,000

Auto parts 32,500= Almost 75,000

For a total of: 125,000.

125,000 members in the transportation sector and we do not even consider ourselves a transportation Union! I echo Bill’s comments when he said: “Whether we drive it, or manufacture it, in the CAW “We make it move”.

Our next step is to take pride in whom we are and who we represent. We must help increase our own sector specific density, while reaching out to others in the industry to show that we can and will successfully represent them.

In the Road Transport Council we have been involved in some locations more so than others in supporting and participating in the ITF (International Transport Workers Federation) days of action every fall. These campaigns are global endeavors that allow us to use as a tool in educating our members’ as well non union workers about our common issues and has been effective in organizing.

Workers across borders and jurisdictions have the same concerns, some more than others but as more and more multi-national corporations take over the logistics of the world’s freight, our need to work together is greater than ever. Working together with International organizations, like the ITF is important but we know the importance of having a Canadian Union fighting for Canadians within our jurisdictions, is the best way to fight for respect in our workplaces. Fighting locally first is our way of fighting globally with our contributions.

In some locations, companies use owner-operators as a tool against hourly workers and vice-versa but it is here, when brothers and sisters come together in solidarity that real pressure and advancements are made at the bargaining table. The employers feel the solidarity and the members themselves understand that by standing up for someone else’s issues you are standing up for yourself!

An advantage that we have in Canada is the ability for owner-operators to be members of the bargaining units or have units that are completely made up of owner-operators or brokers as we commonly refer to them as.

Brokers are more like every other worker than they sometimes choose to recognize. They have been sold on having greater flexibility, being their own boss and being a business owner as well. Representing brokers sometimes has its’ own set of challenges because we need to bargain different protections and rates for them. The companies like to think there is a greater ability to pressure one worker (broker) against another but a solid membership of brokers can be fighting the employers at their own game by not only controlling their labour but also their capital as tool in bargaining.

Some typical bargaining requirements that are unique to brokers can be: allowances to label trucks and paint colours, parking facilities with hydro hook up for winter months, cargo insurance, accident insurance, WCB (or equivalent), running rights and plates, road tolls, rates of pay in what-ever form that is whether it is a tonnage, mileage, hourly cartage rate, trip rates and one of the most volatile issues the price of fuel.

Fuel price is a variable that can eat away at any broker’s bottom line and without protections built into a collective agreement it becomes a difficult situation. In Ontario one of our most successful bargained issues is that of a fuel escalator clause that protects the owner operator from the fluctuating price of fuel. During periods of rising prices our brokers are sheltered and continue to roll. If interested I can explain some of these formulas but their intention is a broker’s pay he receives for his labour is not spent on buying fuel for his truck.

Sometimes workers’ compensation becomes an important issue for owner operators.

Here are a couple examples of fuel escalators: And then I will share the current RTC newsletter and our new organizing leaflet for the Road Transportation sector.

Meyers

Fuel: The Company agrees to sell fuel to the Brokers at a price to be determined by the Company at the beginning of each month.

The Company will pay a fuel escalator to mileage and hourly Brokers from time to time determined in accordance with the following formula:

1. The Company shall determine its fuel price for each month as close to the beginning of the month as possible and compare that price to the "base price", as defined below. For each full $.01 / litre increase above the base price then in effect the mileage rates set out in Schedule "B" shall be increased for that month by .625 cents per mile rounded to the nearest 3 decimal points plus $0.015 (1.5 cents) per mile. For each full $0.01 / litre increase above the base price then in effect, the hourly rate will be adjusted by $0.179 per hour and such escalator shall apply to all hourly rates for highway brokers that month. The adjustment for the Standby and Way freighting rate will be $0.124 / hour for each full $0.01 / litre increase.

2. The "base price" will be for year 1 = 0.5160. Year 2 = 0.5289. Year 3 = .5421

Therefore as an example a Broker today whose mileage rate $1.19 a mile and pays $0.79 per litre of fuel with the escalator calculated equals $1.359 per mile.

DHL.

ARTICLE C3 - Fuel Escalation for Heavy Equipment and all Line haul Owner Operators:

Line haul Tractor Mileage A fuel escalation of .75%* for every 1 cent

Line hauls Tractor Hourly Increase per Litre in fuel over .50 cents

*During the winter months of October 1^st through to April 1^st the escalation will increase to .80% over .50 cents per litre for every 1 cent increase.

The above fuel clause is based on the Owner Operators providing receipt copies, and the Owner Operator will be dealt with individually based on where each individual’s fuel is bought (gross cost including GST.)

* Here a broker who paid $0.80 a litre will be paid (during winter) 80% of the cost he buys fuel for over $.50 litre. Therefore they would receive 80% of the $ .30 = $ .24 for each litre of fuel they purchased.

Diesel Retrofit

2010-10-17T07:39:00.001-07:00

As of October 1, 2010, all B.C.-registered commercial diesel veihicles of model years 1989-1993 with a licensed gross vehicle weight of more than 8,200 kg must install an emission reduction device.

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/cvse/diesel_retrofit/index.htm

Respect DHL Workers Alberta - B.C.

2010-10-12T16:16:00.000-07:00

Alberta's Report

http://cawlocal114.tripod.com/respectdhlalberta.pdf

B.C.'s Report
http://cawlocal114.tripod.com/itfdhl.pdf

Respect for DHL Workers B.C. Photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cawlocal114/

Have YOU sent a protest letter to Frank Appel, CEO of DHL???? Click on the link below to send an email to Dr. Frank, demanding respect for DHL workers. It'll only take you 2 minutes

http://www.itfglobal.org/solidarity/dhlweek.cfm/letter/42/languageID/1

Thanks for helping us out and please send on to your friends, using Facebook or any other networks and media at your disposal!

CAW Local 114: DHL workers stage cross-Canada protests against co...

2010-10-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

CAW Local 114: DHL workers stage cross-Canada protests against co...: "CAW media advisory – for immediate release October 6, 2010 DHL workers stage cross-Canada protests against company malpractices (Toronto) H..."

CAW and INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT WORKERS' FEDERATION (ITF) CAMPAIGN

2010-10-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

CAW Information Bulletin

October 6^thto 12th is this year’s International Transport Workers Federations (ITF)

Week of Action. Our CAW Campaign will take place from October 12^th through 15^th this year.

“Fatigue Kills”; “Organizing the Unorganized”; “Waiting Time is Working Time” ;”Manufacturing Matters”; Conditions in the Road Transport Sector” have been some of the past campaigns that are specific to the transportation industry that still need attention. This year’s campaign will deal with each of the past themes as well as “Respect and Safety Now”. In Canada what is very important to our industry is supporting Canadian workers.

International Workers challenge multinational to honor its promises

Workers at multinational giant DHL will be challenging the company to open dialogue and honor its promises of fair treatment for all employees as part of a week of action between 6 to 12 October 2010.

CAW members all over will be at the forefront of the campaign here and will be recruiting DHL workers to campaign for fair treatment for all the company’s workers, wherever they are.

For a company that is proud to describe itself as a worldwide and world class enterprise, DHL is curiously partial to taking a free ride in any countries where the laws or government turn a blind eye to poor pay, poor conditions and coming down hard on anyone who has the temerity to want to be part of a trade union.

The CAW and our members working for DHL don’t think that’s good enough. We want a level playing field for everyone working for DHL, whatever their job, whatever their home country.

This protest // action // week long campaign will be linked to activities by DHL workers and their unions being held around the world as part of a DHL Workers Week called by the ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) and UNI Global Union (UNI). The ITF represents almost 5 million members in transport, UNI represents 2.5 million workers from the postal sector.

The week of action is a joint campaign for rights for all DHL workers, irrespective of where they work or whether they’re directly employed or a subcontractor. The campaign seeks to ensure that workers at DHL have a voice in how the company is run, wherever they happen to be working. UNI and the ITF believe the best way to do that is by making sure that they are represented by their unions of choice, and by DHL engaging in meaningful dialogue. For more details please see www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/dhlworkers.cfm

The ITF and UNI are campaigning on DHL because:

Deutsche Post DHL claims it respects trade union and workers’ rights, but evidence from around the world suggests otherwise.

Deutsche Post DHL’s reactive policy of compliance with national regulations clearly isn’t working – instead it breeds a management culture of ‘do what you can get away with’.

Real respect for workers would involve a positive commitment to best practice. This is why the ITF and UNI are demanding a global agreement for DHL workers.

Current Conditions in the Road Transport Sector

Everywhere you look in our society, people and things must be transported – those movements occur more often by road than any other mode of travel. Trucking, taxi, passenger buses, couriers, and school buses: all ply the busy roads of our country fulfilling this essential economic task. As a result, the road transportation sector is an enormous industry, which has become one of Canada’s largest employers.

Total employment in road transportation (including trucking, public transit, couriers, taxis) exceeded 360,000 Canadians in 2008. About 60,000 new jobs in the sector have been created since 2000. Indeed, the truck industry was one of the biggest single new employers during recent years, spurred by vibrant economic conditions and increasing freight business.

That expansion will probably come to a grinding halt in the next couple of years, however, because of the global financial crisis and the resulting economic recession in Canada. Freight business is slowing down, and this has worsened the condition of excess capacity in the trucking and courier businesses. This business is intensely competitive at the best of times, but the overall slowdown will push suppliers to cut costs and prices even further, in a desperate effort to stay in business. This is a time when unions really proves it’s value, by preventing employers from taking out the cost of the economic crisis on their workers.

In public transit, the future economic outlook is generally more optimistic. Problems of urban congestion and global warming have pushed our governments to expand budgets for public transit construction and operation (though still not adequate). Stimulus spending from the federal and provincial governments in response to the recession will also help strengthen funding for public transit services. The challenge will be to ensure that this money is well-spent on high-quality, publicly-owned services.

What is immerging as one of biggest problems for today’s professional driver is the fact that too many companies don’t recognize waiting time and the “hours at work” are increasing for owner operators and independent truckers. The companies only recognize the time spent behind the wheel as working time. There are more and more companies forcing drivers to wait at the customer’s locations/ warehouses/ bus terminals or to help load their own trucks and/or wait for passengers but only pay them for driving time and the daily hours at work are increasing for owner operators and independent truckers.

If you are an owner operator and are being paid on a percentage of what the customer is charged, what happens when the company drops their rates to the customer? You lose money! Does the company care? No, they always make sure they make money, they look after their profit margin and they dump the entire burden onto the driver! You don’t even find out the company has dropped their rates until you see that your pay cheque is smaller than it once was.

Being a professional driver has enough stress built into the job. Road and weather conditions, passenger conduct, traffic and safety issues, just in time deliveries and driving regulations to name a few. Making sure you have adequate sleep is important and losing the ability to rest to unpaid labour is unacceptable.

Major Sector Development Issues

> We need to promote stronger safety and labour standards through government regulation, including more effective hours of work limits.

> We need to resist the tendency of the industry to drive down compensation and work standards, especially during economic downturns when thee is too much capacity in the industry.

> We need to protect public ownership in urban transportation: expand investments in public transit to improve service and reduce pollution from passenger car use in cities.

Moving Forward: Developing the Road Transport Sector

Road transportation is vitally important to the economic lifeblood of Canada. Can you imagine what would happen to the whole economy if road travel suddenly stopped? Chaos, congestion, and gridlock. So the people who work in this sector perform an essential service for all of us, delivering people and goods within communities and between them. Moreover, given the inherent risks of road transport and highway travel, public safety depends on those services being provided in a professional, high-quality manner.

Unfortunately, the powerful forces of private market competition tend to push the whole sector in the direction of always reducing costs, downgrading service, and cheapening labour. Excess capacity is a chronic weakness experienced in the freight hauling, courier, and taxi businesses. Fly-by-night operators try to penetrate the market by offering still lower prices – but at the expense of their underpaid workers, and with dubious impacts on the safety and quality of the services.

The wages in this sector are all over the map. This is not at all a fair recognition of the importance, the dangers, and the stress involved in this work. Wages are higher in some segments (such as larger freight and courier firms, and public transit operators). But they are even lower in many road transport occupations – well below what is required to raise a family. The assumption is that as long as someone has a driver’s license, they can just be thrown into a job for a low wage, without training, proper equipment, or safety standards. This is a terrible way to run a business that is so crucial to our national prosperity and well-being.

All of us in this sector need to fight to have drivers treated as valued professionals, rather than as low-wage hired hands. This partly requires striving through collective bargaining to raise the wages, benefits, and working conditions of the sector, and to close off the “low-road” option that will be the natural first choice of most private operators. But it also means improving the overall economic conditions of the sector: limiting overcapacity; pushing suppliers to invest more in modern, high-quality equipment; to raise safety and quality standards; to spend more on training and retention, instead of treating drivers as a cheap throw-away resource. In the private sector this will also require stronger government regulations on safety and working conditions. In public transit we continue to fight for adequate investments in new equipment and services to meet our growing need (both social and environmental) for high-quality urban mass transit.

During this “Week of Action”

We need for Canadians of all sectors of the economy to recognize “Made in Canada Matters”. In the transportation sector we need to be building, servicing and operating Canadian made equipment with Canadian workers. Good jobs mean more local freight from raw materials, suppliers, feeder plants, production facilities to retailers. More quality jobs would support the need to better transportation networks for these workers. It all works hand in hand for the Canadian economy and more importantly for you and your neighbours!

Our union is calling on all levels of government to adopt Buy Canadian policies for all public purchases - one of the important policy tools to help protect manufacturing jobs and encourage regional economic development in Canada. Buying Canadian helps save good jobs and builds stronger communities.

The only way to TAKE ACTION is to organize!

No one is going to be able to do it alone. It is going to take a collective effort, organizing employer by employer. If these employers do not get the message and start taking some responsibility, their workers will organize a Union. If you are not already a member of a Union, give us a call at the number listed below. If you already belong to a Union, get involved, You are the Union! Together we can make things better!

Remember, the week of October 6-12, 2010 is the International Transport Workers Federation “Week of Action” and we will be doing our campaign from October 12^th – 15^th, 2010. Professional drivers around the world will be driving home the message to their employers – “Respect and Safety Now”, “Waiting Time is Working Time”,“Hours at Work need to be Compensated” and “Manufacturing Matters”!

All calls to the CAW Organizing Department are always kept strictly confidential!

1-877-495-6551 organize@caw.ca or visit us athttp://www.caw.ca/