Along with everything else, the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath created new openings and potentials for working people in the struggle against neoliberalism. A number of struggles initially opened up, including factory occupations, efforts to defend pensions and the rights of younger workers. There were important political struggles, as well, as in Wisconsin, along with newer projects to link labour and communities, in the Occupy movement.
But this has to be placed in the context of the dramatic and ongoing pressure of restructuring, concessions bargaining and slack job markets in the private sector. While this has been an ongoing characteristic of the neoliberal period, the state-guided restructuring in auto, steel and other sectors have deepened a process which is still working itself through. Austerity budgets at all levels of government and political attacks have targeted public sector works, as well. The current moment is a rather bleak one for unionized workers in Canada.
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The City of Moncton is warning Codiac Transpo workers that its latest contract offer is competitive but it could be pulled off the table in the future.
The city and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1290 were not able to work out a deal through two rounds of mediation.
Paul Thomson, a spokesperson for the city, said the offer on the table is as rich as it’s going to get for workers at Codiac Transpo.
“We said it all along that the offer that we have on the table is a very competitive offer and it’s not going to stay on the table forever. I mean, it’s not an open-ended offer. At some point, it will change,” he said.
Thomson said the union rejected city council’s offer of 13.75 per cent over five years.
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THE University of Manitoba is facing a possible strike by thousands of support staff — even though the university says its offer is better than the union’s proposal.
The university is offering the Association of Employees Supporting Education Services (AESES) $215,000 in cash plus the same overall wage increases the union seeks.
The key in the dispute is that AESES has rejected the U of M’s proposal to start a four-year deal with a two-year wage freeze. The U of M is offering zero, zero, 2.9 and 2.9, plus $215,000 for adjustments in some job levels.
The union is asking for zero, 2.9, zero and 2.9 over four years.
“The $215,000 has all kinds of riders attached, cost-sharing. This just came out of nowhere,” AESES president Tom Moyle said Tuesday.
A conciliator will meet with the two sides today.
AESES represents 2,626 non-teaching support staff. The union has a strike mandate, though it received only 55 per cent support.
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TORONTO, Ont. – A union official told 680News a final offer from York University will be presented to teaching assistants and contract faculty at a meeting set of 11 a.m. Thursday.
Talks have ended between the university and CUPE Local 3903, who is representing the 3,400 contract faculty, teaching assistants, and graduate and research assistants.It’s now a wait-and-see situation to see what happens and how offer is received.
Negotiations continued past the midnight strike deadline. They were in a legal position to strike as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, and the university also has the legal right to trigger a lockout.
Earlier Thursday, the union said there has been significant movement in some areas and a lack of movement in others, and that it is still engaged in bargaining with the university.
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Toronto’s 23,000 inside workers will not strike. this weekend unless the Ford administration unilaterally imposes a new contract, the president of CUPE Local 79 is vowing.
Tim Maguire made the “guarantee” as thousands of his members “voted overwhelmingly” in favour of giving their union a strike mandate. In the vote, CUPE 69 got a strike mandate of over 85 per cent. They did not reveal what the turnout was.
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OTTAWA—Federal politicians worked late into the night to debate a back-to-work bill to send a pair of Air Canada labour disputes to binding arbitration in order to keep the airline flying.
Bill C-33, which passed 155-124 at about 1:30 a.m. ET Wednesday, covers about 8,600 mechanics, baggage handlers and other ground crew at Air Canada and about 3,000 pilots.
Labour Minister Lisa Raitt had proposed the back-to-work legislation on Monday, saying a work stoppage at Air Canada was something the country could not afford. The government had invoked closure on Tuesday afternoon, setting up the final vote in the House of Commons.
But the union representing the mechanics and other workers said Tuesday that the decision to impose arbitration on its talks with the airline eroded labour rights.
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers executive Dave Ritchie said the bill would “poison labour relations across Canada.”
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March Break travellers can rest easy as they head off on their vacations, knowing there will be no strike or lockout at Air Canada after Labour Minister Lisa Raitt blocked any immediate disruptions.
Raitt referred two separate contract disputes to the Canada Industrial Relations Board to determine how a work stoppage by the two unions would affect the health and safety of Canadians.
Her move on Thursday came just hours after Air Canada served formal notice it intended to lock out the airline’s 3,000 pilots at 12:01 a.m. Monday, coinciding with the strike date set by the machinists’ union, which includes 8,600 baggage handlers and mechanics.
Those disruptions would have grounded the airline’s fleet during the peak travel period.
Raitt said a work stoppage was “unacceptable” because it would threaten to damage the fragile economy and interrupt March Break holiday plans for families in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.
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The clock is now ticking toward a strike deadline for Toronto’s 23,000 inside workers as early as March 25.
On Thursday, Ontario’s labour ministry issued a no-board report which means a strike or lockout can legally happen 17 days from now.
The city’s request for the no-board — signaling bargaining was at an impasse — was criticized by the Canadian Union of Public Employees on the basis that city negotiators were dragging their feet at the table.
Talks have been under way for about 12 weeks now. The inside workers, members of CUPE Local 79, have been without a contract since Dec. 31.
“The presence or absence of a no-board doesn’t change the fact that we’re going to have to bargain a deal,” said CUPE spokesperson Cim Nunn.
“It’s in everybody’s best interests to have a negotiated settlement. At the 79 bargaining table, there’s been a lot of people on the other side of the table with their arms crossed, saying ‘Okay you’ve got our offer.’ There’s not a lot of real bargaining happening.”
While Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday said the no-board sharpens the focus and promotes serious bargaining, Nunn said “it works both ways. We now have a specific deadline but it still requires two people to make this dance work.”
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Many travellers heading off on March break vacations on Wednesday were doing so not knowing Air Canada’s largest union has set a strike date of Monday morning.
Roma Huculak and Victor Korotky of Etobicoke were heading to Florida with their daughters Katrina, 10, and Mia, 5.
“At least we’re getting there. So if we have to stay for an extra few days, that’s okay,” Huculak said.
Katrina is scheduled to perform Ukrainian folk dancing at Disney’s Magic Kingdom as part of Arkan Dance Company next week.
Katherine More was dropping off her daughter Glenys Robinson, 17, who is heading off on a 10-day school trip to Italy with about two dozen Richmond Hill classmates.
“I’m hoping she doesn’t get stranded there,” More said, adding teachers told parents the tour company is good at dealing with unforeseen problems.
“The trip is booked. What can you do?” said More.
Unlike pilots, the airline can still operate even if the machinists’ union walks off the job, although there may be disruptions.
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TORONTO - Mayor Rob Ford’s City Hall is once again starting the clock ticking down to a labour disruption.
The City of Toronto filed a “no board” report request Friday in negotiations with CUPE Local 79.
The move, when approved by the provincial labour minister next week, starts the 17-day countdown to a lockout or strike of the city’s inside workers union.
Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday, the chairman of the city’s employee and labour relations committee, said the city is still bargaining with Local 79 which represents around 23,000 employees.
“We do want to focus discussions and we do want meaningful discussions, we think that that is the way to arrive at a fair settlement,” Holyday told the Sun Friday.
He said “minor matters” have been discussed at the bargaining table.
“But the real differences of opinion haven’t been discussed at this point and there are several,” Holyday said.
Local 79 president Tim Maguire accused the city of not budging at the bargaining table.
“The city needs to begin meaningful negotiations rather than threatening tactics to long-term care workers, daycare workers, lifeguards, other members of Local 79 and the members of the public that depend on those services,” Maguire said. “After 12 weeks of bargaining the city has not budged. The city has not engaged in meaningful negotiations.”
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