Fork Lift Safety Certificates

Fork Lift Operators Safety Training certificates for June 19th and June 23rd courses have arrived at the Action Centre. You may pick these up at the Action Centre, or request to have them sent to your home.

Thursday June 28th is booked, but there could be one opening available. Course starts at 8am till 2:30

We are scheduling another Fork Lift Safety Course for Thursday July 5th.This will be the 5th course the action centre has filled with our peers. Courses will continue based upon demand. If you are interested in fork lift safety, contact the

Open House a Success

I want to thank everyone who came out to the open house. There were close to 100 people who attended the event. Our goals were achieved. We received positive media coverage, and the article in the Expositor was successful in opening the doors to some potential new employment contacts.Both MPP Dave Levac and Mayor Mike Hancock attended the open house and presented Certificates of Congratulations.MP Lloyd St. Amand was held over in Ottawa but managed to send his regrets and a letter of appreciation.Rob Mason was there talking to individuals who wished to know what the USW on our behalfs.Steve Charest of King and Benton was there, along with TDG inc.We had enough food that was provided by the United Food and Commercial Workers to handle most of the volume and Rob Abbott made the dash to buy more hotdogs.Thanks to everyone who came out and to those who helped make this a success.

NDP Nomination Support

It is important for anyone who wishes to support my Bid for the Brant NDP Nomination that they contact me immediately. Anyone who has offered their support but still requires to pay for their NDP membership $5 ($25 if working), your membership contribution is due.

Should there be contested nomination, only those holding an NDP membership will be eligable to vote.

Thank You

madmax@bfree.on.ca

Action Center Open House (OFFICIAL)

Action Centre Open House
Wednesday June 20th,
11:30am to 4pm.
Food and Beverages will be served.

You are all invited to attend our official open house. The purpose of this event is to publicize our location, phone, fax, internet contact to the business community. We want it to be easy for employers to find us, and call us when there is a job posting. We want to make it known that we have a good workforce and that there are training incentives available.

Confirmed to attend will be MP Lloyd St. Amand. MPP Dave Levac and Mayor Mike Hancock. An invitation will be sent out to the media. Also in attendance will be Rob Mason of the United Steel Workers.

Come out have a good time, and remember the purpose of this event is to get an edge in the job market.

Wes Rowe

It's with great sadness that we note the passing of Wes Rowe. Wes was genuinely one of those bigger than life characters that it is a pleasure to have known.
Here is the notice as published in the June 14th Expoitor.



Obituary for Wesley George Rowe

ROWE, Wesley George - In his 57th year at the Brantford General Hospital on Tuesday June 12, 2007. Dearly loved husband of Nikky. Beloved father of Wesley (Jake), Rusty and Tina, Bill and Jennifer, Joe and Tara, and Dennis Martin. Best grandpa to Jesse and Corey, Steven, Hailey, Brianna and Noah, Kyle, and Shelby. Brother to Wayne and Sal, Ken and Rosie, Kerry & Nancy, Rob and Theresa, and Stig and Allison. Brother-in-law of John Havens, Sonia Shepherd, Gerri Havens, Susan Havens, Rebecca & Paul Dalby, Don Havens, and Bob and Janet Havens. Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Was loved by everyone. Predeceased by parents Mel and Ruby Rowe and mother-in- law Eileen Havens. The family will honour his life with visitation at the HYDE & MOTT CHAPEL, Hagersville on Thursday 2-4 & 7-9 p.m. where Funeral Service will be held in the chapel on Friday, June 15, 2007 at 3 p.m. Cremation to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations to the SPCA or The World Wildlife Foundation would be appreciated.

RALLY

Howard Hampton will be in Brantford at the Labour Center. 1100 Clarence St for a 10 am rally Wednesday JUNE 13th. Job loss and the current treatment of workers after a plant closure are going to be the focus. The Easton Coatings Exec will be meeting with Howard just before the rally. Then at 10am to speak to those attending and the media.

For those of you reading this, you probably realize that this is for TOMMORROW so pass this information along, to the best of your abilities.

Easton Coatings

The employees at Easton Coatings were given all of two weeks notice that the plant was shutting down. I have heard alot of details through the grapevine, but before I post anything, I would like to get some more information and I will hear from some of the Easton Coatings Employees on Thursday at the adjustment center. Tommorrow, some of the Easton employees will be coming into the center to get help filling out Proof of claim forms. I figure we have become experts in receiverships.

If you come into the center between 9am and 1pm and see some unfamiliar faces, this is who they are. I

Latest Claim Papers

As I wrote on the last post, I received some more papers from KPMG. These stated that my claim for severances was denied. I contacted Robert Mason regarding this. He has written back that there is no need to reply to this. Brian VanTilborg has told me that a lot of employees did not even receive this notice.
Someone at KPMG may have too much time on their hands.
So anyway, no worry!
later.............dave

Disallowance of claim????

I presume that most of you have received your notice of "Disallowance of Claim" from the "Superior Court".

This is a fairly misleading document in so far as it is from KPMG and not a court. They are still attempting to close us out of the right for severance.

They sent this document at the last possible moment so that we would not have time to find out what to do. Today I received it and today is the seventh or final day for me to respond.

Personally I sent notice to them by email indicating that I wished to appeal the loss of my severance and termination pays. I have also emailed Rob Mason at USW and hope to get something back from him.

If anyone has seen a lawyer regarding this matter or has some light to shine on it please share this with us. I can't afford a lawyer for every little notice that KPMG wants to send me.

later............Dave

Rob Mason

I just got this today so I thought I'd better pass it along; This is from Rob regarding the ongoing effort that the USW is making on our behalf.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello Dave.

Today our Lawyers went to court in attempt to have the matter of the grievances I filed put before a judge. Hopefully we are successfull in our argument and all of the grievances I filed will be able to be put before an Arbitraitor very shortly. These were filed for all monies owed. This is just one of the multi prongs I spoke about but we are "cautiously optomistic" in our success. I just wanted to pass this along so everyone remains in the loop so to speak.


In Solidarity,

Rob Mason
USW Staff Representative

--------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't envy Rob and the others for the job they have. They deal with us when we're angry and if they can't get what we want, then they receive our anger. They also hear the worst of the stories that emerge from plant closures and stand helpless in the face of our government's indifference to the suffering especially of our oldest pensioners, some of whom had never heard of Genfast until their benifits were terminated. If you bump into any of our union people, take a moment to say thanks!

later dave

Vacation Pay Clarification

Some of us (Former Genfast Employees) have been to the Brantford EI office and been advised not to file their vacation pay, and that (EI) will adjust it through the information provided by the receiver KPMG. Other people have called their local EI service or the 1 800 service and received different information, stating that they must claim. (I knew I didn't want to wade into this water). I have called the 1 800 number and spoken with EI regarding the answers given to those of us collecting and how to report our vacation pay. They will be in touch with Linda Bailey, and regardless of those who did claim or those whom didn't claim their vacation pay, they have it on record regarding our situation at Genfast and what is occurred.

Best I can do for today.

Vacation Pay and Employment Insurance

The Brantford Employment Insurance office has stated for us not to claim our Vacation Pay electronicallyor by phone. Employment Insurance will be in touch with the receiver and adjust our EI claims accordingly.