Here are the thoughts of my friend Marc Laferriere after dropping into the Steelworker Action Centre on Friday.
http://www.brantmarc.ca/
I was visiting a packed house at the Steelworkers Action Centre BBQ today. I met with and heard some of the concerns of many of the recently and not-so-recently laid off in our community when the news hit. 350 more jobs lost as Raymond Industrial closes.Greg McMillan wrote a spot on piece (See Brantford.com blog)
http://brantford.com/columns.cfm?page=columns§ion=read&titleId=363
that really looks at the effect on the workers and their families. I highly recommend it to get a sense of the human impact this closing had and will continue to have on our community. Here is a small taste:"I am guessing that just about everyone reading this knows of someone affected by the Raymond closing. That’s how much these workers are entrenched in the community...I hazard to guess that not since the major farm equipment manufacturing meltdown have we witnessed anything similar to this. It’s not pleasant to point out, but isn’t it a fact?
"The comments at the BBQ said it all. “I thought this recession was supposed to be over?” said a friend of mine. In Brantford the recession is definitely not over.
Food bank use increased 28% and continues to rise this year.
Local unemployment is at 13% and the national average sits at 8.7%. The gap between the local and national numbers is troubling. Big shiny cheques are delivered on the front pages of our local newspapers while the smaller cheques, the ones our workers used to feed their families are disappearing or moving to other countries. We paid into EI for years just to help us transition out of messes like this one.
It came off your pay cheque every payday. You paid for it, created a surplus for just such an occasion and they took it from you.
Tax cuts are made for businesses with no strings attached. They have used that money to set up shop overseas. We paid for that too.
I would much rather have had the wages that were taken from me go to help out the families of laid off workers. I don’t mind paying taxes if it means sustainable growth and if the money goes to the things we want it to go to like better health care, and a higher quality of life for our communities.
We need a prudent sensible plan. The NDP has one and I would invite you to read our platform on “Creating Jobs and Innovation in a New Energy Economy.”
In it we show how a Green-Collar Jobs fund is a sensible investment for our economy and our environment. How a Job Protection Commissioner is needed to investigate major layoffs and shut downs like the Raymond Plant or the many others that have hit us in the last several years.
It outlines a way to add pro-active measures to provide the right kind of atmosphere for job creation and innovation in all sectors not just for the oil companies and the banks. Sectors based strategies in manufacturing; petro-chemicals; environmental technologies; tool and die; machinery and equipment; tourism; media; telecommunications; and agriculture.Big shiny cheques are nice for those who get them but sustainable, forward thinking strategies are better for everyone.
Thanks Marc
We need a plan, tax cuts and trade agreements aren't plans.
Brian
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Raymond
http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1759761
Raymond Industrial Equipment, a manufacturer of forklifts and related equipment, is closing, putting several hundred people out of work, sources said Friday.
Employees were met by the news of the Elgin Street plant’s closure early Friday morning.
It is expected the plant will move its operations to the U.S. over the next several months. The plant’s parent company, Raymond Corporation, is headquartered in Greene, NY.
Raymond Industrial Equipment, a manufacturer of forklifts and related equipment, is closing, putting several hundred people out of work, sources said Friday.
Employees were met by the news of the Elgin Street plant’s closure early Friday morning.
It is expected the plant will move its operations to the U.S. over the next several months. The plant’s parent company, Raymond Corporation, is headquartered in Greene, NY.
Raymonds to Close
I just got off the phone with a former Genfast Employee who had been working at Raymonds.
They announced their intention to close the operations.
They announced their intention to close the operations.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Investment Career Opportunity
Career Seminar
Thursday Sept 17th
10:30 am to 11:30 am
AAC Action Centre
340 Henry Street, Unit 13
Brantford.
RSVP
Limited Seating
We will be participating in conjunction with the CAW adjustment centre.
Thursday Sept 17th
10:30 am to 11:30 am
AAC Action Centre
340 Henry Street, Unit 13
Brantford.
RSVP
Limited Seating
We will be participating in conjunction with the CAW adjustment centre.
Action Centre BBQ
FREE BBQ
Friday, Sept 18, 2009
Starts at 12:30
Hamburgs, Sausages, Salads
& Refreshments
Sponsored by
Steelworkers Local 7480
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I want to thank the Former Crane Local, who choose to take the proceedings from the sale of the Unions office furniture and bring us some fall cheer.
Thanks for sharing.
I want to thank the Former Crane Local, who choose to take the proceedings from the sale of the Unions office furniture and bring us some fall cheer.
Thanks for sharing.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
USW VS MNP (GENFAST)
Genfast Closed April 5th, 2007 sending hundreds of Salaried and Bargaining unit employees to the Unemployment Line. A trend that would continue in Brant County to present day.
The United Steelworkers on behalf of the former Bargaining Unit Employees is continuing forward in its court case against Parent Company MNP corporation for owed Severance and Termination Pay.
The dedication of the United Steelworkers successfully secured monies owing in wages, then half of the vacation pay, and then another 40% of vacation payed owed, and in November 2008 secured the final 10% of owed vacation pay.
Some Salaried Employees were not as fortuneate.
The United Steelworkers has scheduled Six More court dates.
These Court Dates are
February 2, 3, 4th, 2010
9:30AM, 2nd Floor Board Room,
505 University Ave, Toronto
And
February 8th, 9th, 10th
9:30 AM, 2nd Floor Board Room
505 University Ave, Toronto
Rob Mason has requested that anyone who volunteered help with regards to providing more information, as well as help with the corporate campaign, contact him at the earliest, earliest opportunity.
The United Steelworkers on behalf of the former Bargaining Unit Employees is continuing forward in its court case against Parent Company MNP corporation for owed Severance and Termination Pay.
The dedication of the United Steelworkers successfully secured monies owing in wages, then half of the vacation pay, and then another 40% of vacation payed owed, and in November 2008 secured the final 10% of owed vacation pay.
Some Salaried Employees were not as fortuneate.
The United Steelworkers has scheduled Six More court dates.
These Court Dates are
February 2, 3, 4th, 2010
9:30AM, 2nd Floor Board Room,
505 University Ave, Toronto
And
February 8th, 9th, 10th
9:30 AM, 2nd Floor Board Room
505 University Ave, Toronto
Rob Mason has requested that anyone who volunteered help with regards to providing more information, as well as help with the corporate campaign, contact him at the earliest, earliest opportunity.
Labour Day Brantford Highlights
http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1732534
ANNUAL LABOUR DAY MARCH
Posted By MICHAEL-ALLAN MARION
Steelworkers embroiled in a bitter strike for more than a year at Engineered Coated Products took top billing as they led the ranks of more than 100 local trade unionists in the annual Labour Day march on Monday.
Also in the march were: members of Steelworkers 819 at Gerdau Ameristeel; municipal workers in the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 181 who are facing difficult contract talks with a city council bent on bringing in a budget with no tax increase next year; members of CUPE Local 5100 representing school board employees; the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation District 23 and the United Food and Commercial Workers.
Which side are you on, boys? Which side are you on?" Steve Sinnicks, a local musician loyal to the trade union movement, sang in refrain while altering the verses to castigate federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and the banks.
Fourteen-year-old Ryan Jamula, who is going into Grade 9 at Brantford Collegiate Institute, was chosen by the Brant NDP riding association, where he is a youth representative, to give a speech on the struggles and victories of the trade union movement and its current predicament. He ended by exhorting listeners to support the New Democrats in upcoming elections.
ANNUAL LABOUR DAY MARCH
Posted By MICHAEL-ALLAN MARION
Steelworkers embroiled in a bitter strike for more than a year at Engineered Coated Products took top billing as they led the ranks of more than 100 local trade unionists in the annual Labour Day march on Monday.
Also in the march were: members of Steelworkers 819 at Gerdau Ameristeel; municipal workers in the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 181 who are facing difficult contract talks with a city council bent on bringing in a budget with no tax increase next year; members of CUPE Local 5100 representing school board employees; the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation District 23 and the United Food and Commercial Workers.
Which side are you on, boys? Which side are you on?" Steve Sinnicks, a local musician loyal to the trade union movement, sang in refrain while altering the verses to castigate federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and the banks.
Fourteen-year-old Ryan Jamula, who is going into Grade 9 at Brantford Collegiate Institute, was chosen by the Brant NDP riding association, where he is a youth representative, to give a speech on the struggles and victories of the trade union movement and its current predicament. He ended by exhorting listeners to support the New Democrats in upcoming elections.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Japans Democrats Sweep into power on Temp Agency Ban
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssOfficeEquipment/idUST7557220090831
The Democrats have proposed banning "in principle" the dispatch of temporary workers to manufacturing jobs, ending a system that has helped the auto and electronics industries keep costs low but has also added to instability in the workforce.
"I don't quite agree with the DPJ's idea of banning temporary workers. Temporary employment has had benefits for both companies and workers," Masamitsu Sakurai, chairman of Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives) told a news conference.
"It has sustained the country's economic growth and diversified ways of working," added Sakurai, who is also chairman of office equipment maker Ricoh Co .
After a decade of corporate cost-cutting and labour market deregulation, about one-third of all employees in Japan are non-regular workers without job security, a category that includes part-timers, contract workers and temporary staff.
The Democrats have proposed banning "in principle" the dispatch of temporary workers to manufacturing jobs, ending a system that has helped the auto and electronics industries keep costs low but has also added to instability in the workforce.
"I don't quite agree with the DPJ's idea of banning temporary workers. Temporary employment has had benefits for both companies and workers," Masamitsu Sakurai, chairman of Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives) told a news conference.
"It has sustained the country's economic growth and diversified ways of working," added Sakurai, who is also chairman of office equipment maker Ricoh Co .
After a decade of corporate cost-cutting and labour market deregulation, about one-third of all employees in Japan are non-regular workers without job security, a category that includes part-timers, contract workers and temporary staff.
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