October 3, 2018

GANDER – D-J Composites has consented to binding arbitration to resolve a 21-month lockout of Unifor Local 597 members.

“On Monday we asked Premier Dwight Ball to intervene and stand up for 30 workers who have been on a picket line far too long and we are pleased that with his assistance, we are going to binding arbitration,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor’s National President.

Binding arbitration will eventually lead to a collective agreement, which will end the lockout.

“These thirty workers could have walked away, but instead they stayed and they fought for their right to have a union at work. Their courage and resolve has inspired our entire union, indeed the entire labour movement,” said Lana Payne, Atlantic Regional Director. “Be assured we will continue our fight for stronger labour laws that protects workers in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.”

“On behalf of all 30 of us we’d like to thank our National union and all the members who came here from across Canada to support us and raise awareness that 92 weeks is too long to be on any picket line,” said Ignatius Oram, Local 597 unit chair.

September 20, 2018
TO: ALL BTS LOCALS AND NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
Sisters and Brothers,
Re: BTS BULLETIN
We are writing this memo to the membership but more specifically the RFT employees at Bell Technical Solutions, in an effort to address the email sent on Monday, September 17th, 2018 to BTS employees around the province of Ontario by the company.
As you can imagine we were surprised that the company would state in their letter that “the concept of guaranteed days of rest was not negotiated for during the last round of bargaining”. The members of the bargaining committee have met with the employer several times since May 6th, 2018 to try and resolve the issues regarding the interpretation of the language and the various changes that were in fact, negotiated in the last round of bargaining that the company signed off on in February of 2018 – including a meeting that took place over 3 days in Toronto with the company President Jean Philippe Paradis and Director of HR for BTS Mireille Bergeron from August 7th to the 10th, 2018.
The purpose of this meeting was like prior meetings, to try and come to a resolution regarding the dispute between the parties on the intent and interpretation of the negotiated changes to the consecutive days of rest language. The company had also attempted to resolve the issue, by presenting the union with a Memorandum of Agreement where they would agree to the consecutive days for RFT1, and RFT2 employees but not for RFT3 employees. Along with other changes that would negatively impact the RPT employees in our opinion. The committee rejected the Memorandum of Agreement and we were unable to get the employer to agree to any resolution.
It is one thing for the employer to say that they do not agree with the Union’s interpretation of what was negotiated. It is something, altogether different, for the employer to deny it was bargained at all.

Read More ….BTS Bulletin 9202018

Greetings,

This year marks the 9th annual Hope in High Heels Walk for the two Halton Women’s Place shelters. I would encourage you and your families to join Team Unifor at this event which consists of many Local Union Executive and Members, National Staff, my son Jordan and myself at this men’s only walk in heels to show support in ending violence against women at  Emma’s Back Porch, 2084 Old Lakeshore Road, Burlington on Saturday, September 22^nd, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.

Halton Women’s Place is the only women’s shelter in the Halton Region. HWP’s capacity continues to be at 100% at all times. Since 2015 the calls that the shelters receives has doubled.  These crisis intervention counselors are now responding to more than 2100 crisis calls.  In addition, they are providing service to almost 900 women and children through their residential and transitional programs.
Thanks to the support from everyone in the past few years we have raised approximately $346,000 for the shelter. My son Jordan and I were able to raise approximately $90,000 last year.

Please join Jordan and I at this important fund raising event and cheer us on.

In Solidarity,

Jerry Dias

National President