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
