seven-o-seven seven-o-seven REPORTER - CAW Local 707

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Official publication of Local 707 CAW Published four times a year at Oakville, Ontario “Authorized as third class mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, and for payment of postage in cash.” Printed by Thistle Printing Limited Local 707 CAW 475 North Service Rd. East Oakville, Ontario L6H 1A5 (905) 844-9451, (905) 844-6431 or 1-800-313-8707 E-mail: local707@cawlocal707.ca Web Page: www.local707caw.ca ExEcutivE OfficErS Gary Beck — President Ron Balazs — Vice-President Dave Millar — Recording Secretary Nadia Anton-Collins — Financial Secretary Shawn White — Trustee Nadine Wildgen — Trustee Lil Heil — Trustee Larry Pratt — Sergeant-at-Arms Bert Tousignant — Guide Charlie Goode — Retirees’ Chairperson The 707 Reporter is a publication of the CAW Local 707, distributed free to members. It is published four times a year. Members are encouraged to express their views on topics which have been addressed in the 707 Reporter, and to raise other issues for discussion. Any opinions or views published in the 707 Reporter are those of the contributor and are not necessarily the opinions or views of Local 707; the CAW, or the Editorial Board, and neither Local 707; the CAW; nor the Editorial Board accepts responsibility for them. Copyright for articles published in the 707 Reporter remains with the authors of the individual articles and, as such, written requests for permission to reproduce any articles, in whole or in part, should be directed to the author. The Editorial Board reserves the right to publish or not. Letters to the Editor must be signed. Publication of any advertisement should not be deemed an endorsement of the products or services advertised. Editor: ron Balazs editor@local707caw.ca EditOrial BOard: Mark Sciberras Bert tousignant Kenny Hogarth tim Batke /em cope343 Features President’s Report .....2-4 Financial Report ...........7 Retirees .................20-26 We Asked ...................38 Page 2 – July – September 2011 President’s Report By Gary Beck UAW Bargaining The collective agreements in place between UAW members and their respective employers, Ford, General Motors and Chrysler expire on September 14, 2011. Bargaining began in July when UAW President, Bob King kicked off negotiations. Ford, GM and Chrysler claim they are at a disadvantage compared to the transplant companies with the lost wages, benefits, pensions, etc.. Yet they are still showing huge profits. One does not have to look far to see where these profits are spent with CEO, Alan Mulally receiving $56.5 million in stock awards. The companies must remember that were it not for the sacrifices made by the workers, where would they be today? The message must be sent quite clearly by UAW President Bob King that if you are going to pay bonuses to your management team, you had better get off your wallet and pay both the retirees and active members who work on the line to make your profits. In Canada, we can only sit back and watch as this drama unfolds before us. Whatever lies in store for Ford south of the border will have a severe impact on us in Canada. Ford Council In July, elections were held at Ford Council. I congratulate Bob Scott for being elected as Trustee and Gary Ensell as Member-at-Large. Local 707 will be well represented. Congratulations are due to all members of the Executive and they are represented as follows. Gary Beck Local 707 Chairperson Chris Taylor Local 200 Vice Chair Kim Clout Local 584 Financial Secretary Bob Scott Local 707 Trustee Tim Little Local 200 Trustee Gary Barash Local 200 Trustee Gary Ensell Local 707 Member-at-Large St. Thomas Plant Closure It will be a sad day when the last vehicle rolls off the line in St. Thomas on President’s Report – Continued on Page 3
President’s Report ...continued from Page 3 September 16th. The Ford Motor Company has refused any investment in the plant. It states that it no longer needs the plant or the line of vehicles. In 2001, the Auto Pact was ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization. Where would St. Thomas be today if it was still in place? By the end of this year, Ford will drop to #5 with GM, Chrysler, Toyota and Honda producing more vehicles in Canada than Ford. Local 1520 members deserve better with a long history of achieving all levels of quality and productivity. The Ford Motor Company has turned a blind eye. It is absolutely disgusting that it has turned its back on these members! President Dennis McGee and Scott Smith, Chairperson of CAW Local 1520 deserve recognition for the insurmountable hurdles they encountered in attaining the agreements in place. ThyssenKrupp/Budd Canada I want to thank all those who attended the picket line in front of ThyssenKrupp’s Oakville site demanding the company honour its commitments to retirees at the former Budd Canada (TK Budd). ThyssenKrupp is trying to renege on its commitment to some 1,500 retirees, cancelling their healthcare benefits. It is attempting to dissolve retiree benefits through the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. The CAW is currently in court fighting with ThyssenKrupp Canada in an effort to save these benefits of the former Budd Canada workers in Kitchener. The CAW demands that this multinational corporation employing 177,000 people in 80 countries and with a net equity valued at more than $14 billion honour its commitment to our retirees, some of whom are in long term care homes or recipients of recent organ transplants on life sustaining antirejection medication. The plant closed in December 2008 and the workers were represented by CAW Local 1451. Bob Chernecki, Assistant to the President of our National Union communicated our concerns to Stacey Allerton, Vice President Human Resources of Ford Canada via an email indicating: I write to you concerning the above part supplier (Thyssen- Krupp) for OAC. This corporation has cut off retiree benefits. It has restructured the Canadian operations and we are attempting to deal with this critical matter on behalf of our members. This is absolutely unconscionable for a corporation this size to cut off benefits for retirees. There are over 1,500 retirees in the Budd Canada (Thyssen- Krupp) system. Following difficult discussions with this corporation, we were able to secure monies to cover the benefits until mid-September 2011. Our union has absolutely no intention of putting up with this type of arrogance. This action by this corporation violates the principles of the supplier conduct letter between CAW and Ford. We request that you make contact with this corporation and advise it that this type of action is unacceptable and will affect the Ford and ThyssenKrupp relationship on current and future supplier initiatives. Your Intervention in this matter is critical. Please contact me at your earliest convenience. United Way Benefit Co-ordinator I want to congratulate Rita Thompson on attaining the position of Labour Staff Rep with the United Way of Oakville. Rita has an impressive repertoire within the labour movement as a result of 33 years of working with the CAW and Ford Motor Company in Oakville. During this time, Rita’s abilities were never limited to any single specific area but instead she managed to involve herself by becoming the Women’s Advocate in the Workplace, as well as the Employment Equity Representative (positions she held for 13 years). During those years she worked vigorously by earning the respect and support of both her peers and the Ford Motor Company. Rita was appointed by the Ford Motor Company and the CAW National Office to the position of Workplace Training Coordinator. In this position, she managed the classrooms President’s Report – Continued on Page 4 July – September 2011 – Page 3
Page 1: seven-o-seven REPORTER Official Pub
Page 5 and 6: The Union’s Power Comes From Memb
Page 7 and 8: CAW Local 707 Funds For The Month E
Page 9 and 10: Serving the GTA for 27 Years • 54
Page 11 and 12: Plant Chairperson’s Report ...con
Page 13 and 14: Canada’s Largest Volume Ford/Linc
Page 15 and 16: 35 TIME WINNER OF THE PRESIDENT’S
Page 17 and 18: Health And Safety Report ...continu
Page 19 and 20: We must stress the importance of re
Page 21 and 22: Retirees’ Tai Chi Classes By Ed S
Page 23 and 24: Alex Macdonald is congratulated on
Page 25 and 26: Hamilton Wellness Center for all yo
Page 27 and 28: Rocking Horse crafted by Hardy Jaap
Page 29 and 30: 57th Picnic At Marineland Picnic Re
Page 31 and 32: Wal-Mart As workers we often feel t
Page 33 and 34: Following is a letter sent to all C
Page 35 and 36: 2011 Trap Shooting Tournament The s
Page 37 and 38: Thank You to the canadian autoworke
Page 39 and 40: July - September 2011 - Page 39

seven-o-seven seven-o-seven REPORTER - CAW Local 707

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