Work From Home
Friday 3 January 2014
Armada Toolworks locks out workers
Union disappointed with management’s actions just 10 days before Christmas
189 Armada lock out
Catherine Whitnall
Armada Toolworks Ltd. workers showed up for their shift Sunday (Dec. 15) evening but found the gates shut and themselves locked out by their employer. The employees have been working without a contract since Dec. 3 and cite wages and overtime as the big issues.
Kawartha Lakes This Week
(LINDSAY) Contract talks have ground to a halt at Armada Toolworks Ltd., resulting in workers hitting the picket line.
The Lindsay-based, automotive industry supplier employs 320 full- and part-time people.
A press release issued by Unifor Local 222 on Monday (Dec. 16) morning, stated contract discussions with management had been ongoing to address the current contract that expired on Dec. 3. At 9 p.m. on Sunday (Dec. 15), the company’s management had refused to allow workers to enter the plant for their regular shift, essentially locking them out 10 days before Christmas, the release states.
“The 22,000 members of Unifor Local 222 are shocked and disappointed at this attack on the community of Lindsay just days prior to Christmas,” stated Local 222 President Ron Svajlenko.
According to the press release, 70 per cent of the company’s roughly 200 unionized workers are women; many of them single parents.
Company president Ross Chandler countered the union’s position, maintaining the company has not locked out its employees.
He explained that, on Saturday (Dec. 14) a water main in the building burst and the area was cleared. He did not refute the fact that employees were stopped at the gates and prevented from entering the building on Sunday evening, but affirmed the company “did not lock them out.”
The company did, however, know the union was in the process of making preparations for a strike; a legal position as of Dec. 5.
“They’re on strike,” said Mr. Chandler, adding he thought any action would be delayed until after Christmas.
Nonetheless, the gates to the property remain locked as long as employees remain on strike.
At this point, the union is calling on management “to immediately return to negotiations and responsibly bargain a fair, collective agreement that will allow the union members to celebrate the season with their families instead of facing the bleak future this corporation has chosen to give them.”
Steve Rose, skilled trades representative who has worked at Armada for three years, said the employees simply want to “be on par with employees at other companies with the same union.” The majority of the workforce currently earns $14.26 per hour and an additional 123 non-unionized temporary workers earn $10.25, or minimum wage.
Mr. Chandler countered the company had tried to level the playing field, presenting a four-year offer in June, at a time when finances would have supported it, that included a $1.70 raise in total - or 9.61 per cent - for the majority of employees, as well as some changes to language and benefits. That offer was rejected, and while it is no longer on the table, Mr. Chandler said the company wants to return to negotiations. Management agreed to meet on numerous occasions this month, but the union claimed none of the dates would work. He hopes the two sides come back to the table Dec. 20, and recognizes “we can’t resolve anything in one day.”
“We need to get back to the table,” said Mr. Chandler.
Mr. Rose agrees.
“We were negotiating in good faith...The union was willing to negotiate,” said Mr. Rose, adding workload is a serious issue that needs to be addressed by the company.
He said the company has been “mandating overtime” since the end of August with employees working as many as 12 consecutive days.
Mr. Chandler explained the “stockpiling” that took place in recent months was done so the company would be able to continue to supply customers in the event of strike; something the union was in the position to do as of Dec. 5.
Wednesday 14 November 2012
Injured Workers Treated Unfairly
Over the years the stories of injured
workers, both on the job
and off, continue to astonish me.
We as workers in Ontario are entitled
to WSIB benefits yet when
an injury occurs at work the company deliberately
tries to deter us from collecting
benefits by either incorrectly filing a claim
or threatening the injured worker, scaring
them into coming back to work on light duty
when their medical practitioner has already
advised them to stay off work.
The company does this by telling the injured
worker that if they do not come back
to work and accept light duties then they
may not qualify for WSIB benefits. When an
injury occurs at work we are required to
have our doctors fill out a functional abilities
form (FAF). The key is to get this form
filled out correctly by your doctor. The WSIB
appeals specialist at CAW Local 222 advises
that doctors often support their patients in
the office but when the medical reports are
read, the doctor failed to put in writing the
necessary support to be off work. We are
only as strong as the doctor makes us in
these situations. When your FAF is filled out
and the doctor renders you only partially
disabled and you do not return to work your
claim may be denied.
Your claim may also be denied if there
is insufficient proof that the accident happened
at work. At this point the company
may refuse to accommodate you until you
can prove with a letter from your doctor that
you are 100 per cent capable of full duties.
Because your WSIB claim has been denied
the company will claim undue hardship
and say your injury didn’t happen at work
so they do not have to accommodate you.
Members have actually lost their jobs in the
past because of the above scenario and the
appeals procedure takes years, not months.
If you are out on an appeal for more than
two years you lose your seniority and no
longer work for Armada.
If you do injure yourself on the job be
sure to keep copies of all paperwork. Keep
copies for yourself and give copies to your
Union in case we have to fight on your behalf.
When you visit your doctor to have your
FAF filled out, be sure to mention that your
company has a history of using the system
against us to deny benefits and make sure
your doctor understands. If you feel you are
not capable and cannot immediately accept
light duties but after your condition changes
you will gladly accept light duties make
sure that the paperwork states this. It is not
advisable however to stay out longer than
necessary or against your doctor’s advice.
The reason for companies being so inconsiderate
and uncompassionate for injured
workers is strictly for one reason only.
Money! WSIB is an insurance much like
your home or auto insurance. The company
pays a premium each year in the hundreds
of thousands of dollars. The more claims
that go through, the higher the premiums
that the company pays.
Now this brings me to health and safety.
You would think that for this reason the
company would be
serious about health
and safety. But we
don’t even have a
full-time health and safety manager. Joint
health and safety meetings rarely happen on
a regular basis as per the Ministry of Labour
Employment Standards Act, even though we
have threatened with grievances and to call
the MOL to complain. For employees who
are injured outside work there are no disability
benefits available through work and
your only avenue is to file for employment
insurance disability benefits through the
government.
But be careful and remember that if your
injury or disability lasts longer than two
years you lose your seniority and will be out
of a job. When I first entered the workforce
there were numerous stories of workers
using the system to sit at home and collect
benefits for injuries that didn’t happen at
work or the person’s injuries were not as
severe as was documented. Or so-called
injured workers worked elsewhere on the
side under the table while collecting benefits
(WSIB fraud). It is because of this past
exploitation and abuse of the system that today’s
workers are now paying the price and
being denied benefits which they deserve
and need. If you are considering to attempt
to cheat the system somehow in order to
stay home and collect benefits I highly recommend
against doing so.
tom
worsley
ARMADA
TOOLWORKS
Unit Chairperson
Wednesday 31 October 2012
Union Wants To Be Able To Fight For Rights Of All Armada Employees
At
the time of writing this, tensions between the membership
and management appear to be on the rise due to increased
overtime and the membership being mandated for it. Let
me remind everyone that Ontario legislation states we can
be forced to work a maximum of 48 hours per week but
not more than eight hours per day. There is nothing we can do about
this short of changing the language in the Collective Agreement. But
it doesn’t mean we have to like it. Let’s hope management also understands
that we have lives outside Armada and when they force people
to work it hurts morale and in turn that hurts the company.
We are in the middle of a bit of a hiring spree as we begin to get ready
for more new business that will be arriving in September and in early
2013, with at least two larger 500 ton plastic machines which will have
arrived before you read this. Management has said they are having a
hard time finding temp agency employees who are qualified to be hired
on full time. I find this extremely hard to believe with over 140 temp
agency workers fully trained, some of whom worked here for years. In
recent weeks we have also witnessed several temps let go or laid off, as
they call it. Some of these people were actually full-timers at one time
who left and came back as temp agency employees yet they were let
go and do not qualify for full time re-employment. The exploitation of
temp agency workers or precarious workers is appalling. Unfortunately
it seems to be a sign of the times in Ontario manufacturing.
In my 25 years on the shop floor I have
never seen such disrespect for a group of people with no protection
from a union and very few rights that they know of. This constant
attack on workers not only at Armada but all across Canada is precisely
why the Canadian Auto Workers Union and the Communications,
Energy and Paperworkers unions want to join forces.
On a brighter note, the company has told the committee in a
meeting that there are way too many temps, which is why they have
cleared a few out and are about to hire more full time. I have said
this in the past and I will say it again. I’m not against the temp workers.
But when management discriminates based on one’s disability I
want to be able to fight for them and not have my hands tied behind
my back.
There have been rumours lately that die cast could be contracted
out as early as September or early October with all die cast workers
bumping into other departments. On Aug. 10/12 the committee was
told in a meeting that this is not true and that we have the die cast
business for at least two more years and that they cannot find anyone
to take the business. We were also told that if a customer were to
come to Armada with more die cast business and it was viable they
would gladly accept it and bring in more die cast machines. Let’s
hope the latter is true.
In Solidarity.
W
Wednesday 10 October 2012
armada uupdated web site
Friday 10 August 2012
exploitation of temp agency workers or precarious workers
At the time of writing this tensions between the membership
and management appear to be on the rise due to increased overtime and the
membership being mandated for it. Let me remind everyone that the law states we
can be forced to work a maximum of 48 hours per week but not more than 8 hours
per day. There is nothing we can do about this short of changing the language
in the collective agreement. But it doesn’t mean we have to like it. Let’s hope
management also understands that we have lives outside Armada and when they
force people to work it hurts moral and intern huts the company.
We are in the middle of a bit of a hiring spree as we begin
to get ready for more new business that will be arriving in September and early
2013 with at least 2 larger 500 ton plastic machines which will have arrived
before you read this. Management has said they are having a hard time finding
temp agency employees who are qualified to be hired on full time. I find this
extremely hard to believe with over 140 temp agency workers fully trained some
of whom worked here for years. In recent weeks we have also witnessed several
temps let go or laid off so they call it. Some of these people were actually
full timers at one time who left and came back as temp agency employees yet
they were let go and do not qualify for full time re employment. The
exploitation of temp agency workers or precarious workers is appalling
unfortunately it seems to be a sign of the times in Ontario manufacturing. Even
GM has issues with the way their temp workers are being used. In my 25 years on
the shop floor I have never seen such dis respect for a group of people with no
protection from a union and very few rights that they know of. This constant
attack on workers not only at Armada but all across Canada is precisely why the
Canadian Auto Workers Union and the Communications Energy and Paper unions want
to join forces. On a brighter note the company has told the committee in a
meeting that there are way too many temps which is why they have cleared a few
out and are about to hire more full time. I have said this in the past and I
will say it again. I’m not against the temp workers. But when management
discriminates based on one’s disability I want to be able to fight for them and
not have my hands tied behind my back. There have been rumours lately that die
cast could be contracted out as early as September or early October with all
die cast workers bumping into other departments. On August 10 the committee was
told in a meeting that this was not true and that they have the die cast
business for at least 2 more years and that they cannot find anyone to take the
business. We were also told that if a customer were to come to Armada with more
die cast business and it was viable they would gladly except it and bring in
more die cast machines. Let’s hope the latter is true.
In solidarity
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