"Executive" Summary
Since 1987, when the internal mechanisms of UFCW Local 1518 exploded, our union has been in a downward spiral. Shortly thereafter, as you may recall, the local was trusteed by UFCW International.
It never got any better, paid staffers quit and e-board members stepped down. The election of officers which followed was plagued with challenges and allegations.
1992 saw the 10 year CBA which, on it's expiry, ended the careers of 250 warehouse workers.
In 1996 a concessionary agreement, ratified on recommendation by the local, included two-tier wage scales and two-zone bargaining. The aftermath of those concessions are still being felt by retail members.
From the election of 1999's challenged ballots all the way to the undemocratic practise of appointed shop floor represention the local is in need of repair.
With membership participation at an all time low, it's fairly evident that neither confidence nor solidarity thrive in our local.
That is our challenge. Creating a working local. Bottom up democracy begins with rank and file who have a working knowledge of members and our workplace.
Communication and education: a collective should guarantee that it's members benefit from the collective.
Transparency: a collective has no secrets from it's members. If you pay it then you own it.
Acountibility: a collective is at all times accountible to it's members.
There is no secret that working together pays great dividends and should we be elected, we will be asking you to work with us to build the perfect local, of, by and for the members only.
250 (extra) reasons to seek new leadership
In the mid eighties, the Overwaitea Food Group (OFG) warehouse membership was feeling pretty good about the future. The warehouse was described as the most efficient in North America. People traveled from great distances to tour the facility. Ironically, the beginning of the end would come with the arrival of UFCW itself.
First, the local was placed in trusteeship with Brooke Sundin as deputy trustee. In the minds of many warehousemen, that trusteeship has never ended.
Shortly thereafter, the radical concessions contained in the UFCW Local 777 agreement with Loblaws Real Canadian Food Store were announced. That agreement predictably initiated a seemingly endless series of concessionary agreements with other major employers and inevitably destroyed the quality of work in the industry.
Brooke Sundin would tell the angry warehousemen that he had no idea that the agreement was about to be made but information would come to light that this was simply not the case.
In the end Brooke was agreeable to the 777 agreement as long as Local 1518 got the pension money from the 777 membership.
It didn't take long for the 777 agreement to impact the warehouse as several departments were contracted out to so-called "low-wage service providers". A few years later, the only department left of what was once the best distribution center in the business was the dry grocery. It would seem this was one department too many for OFG.
Enter Loman Warehousing Ltd., a company that owned nothing and essentially existed only on paper. It was, however, billed as an expert in warehouse logistics. The warehousemen would not see any sign of such expertise from the day Loman entered the scene until the day they declared bankruptcy shortly after closing the doors on the warehouse last year.
The members complained that it was Loman management that was engineering the appearance of high labour costs, very often with the help of OFG. To them the agenda was obvious: OFG was using Loman to orchestrate a divorce from the remaining warehousemen, basically a buffer to smooth the way past the Labour Relations Board.
It would seem obvious to everyone except the union leadership and specifically Ivan Limpright who was the central negotiator. The union's own documents would demonstrate that Ivan had discussions with OFG in which OFG continually complained that Loman labour cost were too high. Nowhere does Ivan ever make the case that such costs were directly related to ineffective management by Loman and OFG or that it was charade being orchestrated for a labour relations purpose.
In fact, as we shall see, Ivan and UFCW would never make any substantial argument regarding the dubious nature of what occurred during the Loman years.
When OFG predictably chose another company to do the work, it led to a labour dispute.
In hindsight, most of the warehousemen feel UFCW leadership sold them out for some concession or consideration by OFG. Most feel it is an agreement that any new OFG stores will be represented by UFCW 1518. Here's why:
The announcement that OFG had chosen another "service provider" came in April of 2002 and the warehousemen were then given their termination notices. The union was long on promises at this point and the membership was keen to fight OFG.
All the ingredients for a royal shit-kicking of OFG were in place except one - the support of the union leadership.
The first sign was when the members were asked to pay for their leaflets from a fund they raised from 50-50 draws. The fund was called the Awareness fund and was targeted for hardship/good-will efforts. Ivan would later deny that this occurred but well over 100 members were present at this meeting and Ivan was not.
A second sign was when the UFCW's Andy Neufeld wouldn't give the members any indication of the kind of budget the union had available for radio or newspaper ads. We now know why - Not one single radio ad and only one paid ad in a community weekly.
The newspapers refused to print our ads the union said. Months later, in November 2002, the union finally promised to pay for an ad if a community weekly agreed to run it. But, when members got the OK from newspapers, what they got from the union was excuses and buck-passing.
Below you will find a partial list of the approximately 250 men and woman who lost their jobs with the help of Local 1518.
Despite the incredible odds stacked against them and the lack of support from their union, these men and woman put up one hell of a fight on their own and, for that, stand as testament to the need for new leadership within Local 1518.
| Gary Mark | Brian McHale | Gary Surtel |
| Rene Van DeKeere | Greg Rafuse | Dave Fry |
| Darryl Gehlen | George Henderson | Ey Friesen |
| Jim Hart | Ralph Smith | Jim Smith |
| Bruce Slack | Rob Slack | Jordan Smith |
| John McKamey | Larry Brandson | Ken Roberts |
| Fred Biollo | Don Craig | Andy Fraser |
| Ron Gilbert | Ed Brost | Al Graff |
| Hugh Kirschbaum | Vern Oystrik | Jamie Holloway |
| Mark Volker | Ross Pohoda | Guy Berkner |
| Jamie Davies | Darryl Waterson | Tom Smith |
| Glen Finch | Jim Douglas | Cliff Van Rossum |
| Ross Nyvall | Bob Boily | Rick Myltoft |
| Rick Friesen | Don Jorgenson | Mike Barron |
| Don Harder | John Koop | Dan Budney |
| Wayne Corbett | Glen Olafson | Norley Sagert |
| Claude Lowet | Al Sweet | Rick Vaillancourt |
| Dave Pike | Jamie Davies | Jim Small |
| Ken Clarke | Jim Elliot | Clive Painter |
| Dave Melenchuk | Andy Maclean | Bill Stone |
| Rick Oger | Rick Pickering | Robbie Burns |
| Stan Yaroshuk | Jim Allen | Mary Roberts |
| Geoff Richardson | Ken Maclean | Erik Herok |
| George Hodges | Dave Brown | Jim Cavanagh |
| Randy Reagh | Mark Sigouin | Ed Stewart |
| Barry Floberg | Chuck Wilmot | Joe Ackerman |
| Paul Olenyk | Brian Esson | Brian McWilliams |
| Chuck Huber | Rick Cormier | Danial Dupois |
| Herb Messenchuk | Ray Leftruck | Jim Paradis |
| Johm Meyer | Ron Thiessen | Dennis Windsor |
| Lorne Voth | Jim Hagan | Joe Samways |
| Bill Walker | Randy Clark | Bruce Desrosiers |
| Zoltan Kiss | Bob Kushner | Doug Schuurman |
| Mike McMahon | Brian Harker | Ed Lindquist |
| Bob Rolland | Tom Surakka | Kevin Scott |
| Kent Scott | Gil Gamache | Les Fodor |
| Steve Panrucker | Bob Stelke | Don Zieffle |
| Garry Mclean | Eric Balazs | Gus Van Der Keere |
| Doug Bell | Rob Limpright | Jim Dougall |
| Owen Hughes | Rob Fielder | Paul Sharp |
| Bill Scott | Ross Stacey | Ben Jaques |
| Andy Knight | Terry Kong | Make Maher |
| Doug Layfield |
Ingemar Kallman
For President:
- General Clerk - Overwaitea Food group - 16 years.
- Basic and Advanced Shop Steward
- Communications, Health and Safety
- 6 years active steward
- MSR rep' 1995
- Picket Captain 1996
- 3 yrs community council (2 years as Council President)
My campaign is straightforward. I'm for positive change. I want to clean up our union... now. I want to give you a sense of security and stop the slide in our standard of living.
I'll be a president who shows up for work everyday. I'll be a president who listens to you. I'll be a president who understands what it's like to work for a living because I come from your ranks.
I was hesitant to accept this challenge. I thought, "Why shake up my personal life?" Then I thought, "Why not!" I believe that it's time for a change in Local 1518's leadership, and change will only come when the peoples courage overcomes the peoples fear.
The accountants, actuaries and advisors are already in place to run the business side of the union. What we need now is someone uncorrupted by power and someone who hears you and understands how you live.
I remember reading a biography on WAC Bennett. He was a British Columbian with no political background or skills at running a province but who ran for the Premiers' office anyway.
He wanted to make a change to the province and to the lives of all British Columbians.
He believed that to run the province, the most important thing he had to do was listen to the people he represented - all British Columbians - and that was all.
He had his ideas, for sure, and he did try to stand by them. However, Mr. Bennett was famous for not letting his personal and political convictions stand in the way of what British Columbians wanted.
Under his leadership British Columbia grew and prospered like it had never before and may not ever do again. His years of leadership started with a simple skill, that of listening to the people.
I say this, not because I necessarily share all of Mr. Bennet's political views, but because I believe as he did, that in a political sense, if you listen to the people first, you can't go wrong.
I'm a listener.
I hear you say that it's wrong for Union officials to live the life of the rich and famous at your expense.
I hear you say that you want to be heard.
I hear you say that you feel disconnected from the union leadership.
I'm here to reconnect you, so that you are heard.
By making me your president, your best interests will be fought for with honesty and integrity.
I will return our union to its primary purpose by eradicating terms like business, biz, and CEO from UFCW Local 1518's vocabulary.
Our union does not need a high-flying "CEO" to run its affairs. People who want to rub shoulders with a CEO or see a luxury car can always visit their boss.
Our union needs a working person to represent people who work for a living!
By changing leaders, "Working for dignity and respect" will be more than a cheap slogan.
You will be treated with dignity and respect - by your employer and by your union.
Sharyn (siggy) Sigurdur
For Secretary Treasurer:
- Clerk/Cashier - Overwaitea Food Group - 16 yrs.
- UFCW member 16 years
- Basic and Advanced Shop Steward
- UFCW Women Conference
- Workplace activist
I would like to see the locals' education funds better serve the needs of the members.
Education and information are key to strengthening our union and improving our future.
Besides accountability and transparency, a union should be first and foremost a place where the membership are actually a part of its everyday operation and decision making.
My special interest lies with working parents (and not just moms) who face an enormous challenge; balancing family and work.
My union experience hasn't been all bad. In 1996, while 1518 retail members were on the picket line being squeezed for concessions, I organized a ragtag team of oddly dressed general clerks and friends of friends and talked them into picketing the companys' non-union stores.
It isn't easy but, together it is possible to work and have a life.
Andrew Hietmann
For Vice-President: #5
I am employed by the Overwaitea food group in Williams lake and currently work as a cashier. I've been a shop steward since April of 1999.
I'm an active member of the joint labour managment team and our health and safety commitee. I am outspoken and will be bringing fresh ideas to the table.
Susan Proudman
For Vice-President: #8
- Retail Clerk - Canada Safeway - 13 yrs
What I don't know, I will learn but what I have to offer cannot be taught... integrity.
I was involved and testified in the precedent setting arbitration between Safeway store #194 in Maple Ridge and UFCW Local 1518.
The arbitration decision resulted in the displaced members being returned to their home store and receiving monetary compensation.
Kay Audette
For Vice-President: #9
- Retail Clerk - Canada Safeway - 33 years
- 12 years on the UFCW 1518 executive board
Accountability and Integrity
I'm a darn good shop steward and for 12 years served as a member on UFCW 1518 executive board but quit, along with other E-Board members, and would not run on Brooke Sundins' "Action Team".
I would strive to bring accountability from our local representatives.
I would like to see open exective board meetings, so the membership can actually see what their elected E-Board members are doing on their behalf.
I would like to see the elected representatives take back the power of the President and have full and complete charge of all business of the Union.
I was instrumental in winning the precedent setting arbitration of Safeway #194 in Maple Ridge. By having the new Safeway store #198 designation being changed from a new store to a replacement store. All the displaced members were able to return to the new store with some financial renumeration as well.
Donna MacIntosh
For Vice-President: #10
n/a
Jim Campbell
For Vice-President: #19
- General Clerk - Canada Safeway - 30 years
I have extensive working knowledge of the WCB, LTD & STD programs and return to work issues.
I am ready to take the next step in becoming an elected representative.
I know my experience will be of benefit to the membership.
Wayne (Grumpy) Kjarsgaard
For Vice-President: #22
- General Clerk - Canada Safeway - 13 years
I have been employed by Canada Safeway for 28 years. I started at store #97 where I worked for 13 years, I transferred to store #20 and have been there for 15 years.
I have been active shop steward for approximately 20 years, representing the members at both store #97 and #20.
My favourite things to do are attending GMM's, particulary those involving proposals and negotiations of new contracts.
I am looking forward to taking on the elected position as an e-board member to better serve the membership.
Trish Legault
For Vice-President: #24
- General Clerk - Safeway - 11 years
I would like to see the extravagant spending of this local curbed.
Bob Hebron
For Vice-President: #27
- General Clerk - Safeway - Local 1518 member for 46 years
- Shop Steward - 20 years
- Health and Safety Committee (co-chair)
As evidenced by the attendance of only one 1518 business agent and one other 1518 member at the B.C. Feds' picnic at Confederation Park, there is a definite lack of commitment on behalf of our current executive board.
Further to that, our negotiating committees' final recommendation to the Safeway agreement was an injustice to the members. The unresolved issues, which we have carried for 5 years, remain unresolved.
Our "Fair Share"? Well, that just didn't happen.
Jas Nijjar
For Vice-President: #29
- Clerk ll - Canada Safeway
Phoenix Hamilton
For Vice-President: #31
- Clerk ll - Canada Safeway
I believe that it is necessary for me to run for VP so I can encourage the involvement of new members in programs like the National Youth Intership.
To these types of programs, I owe all of my own union knowledge and my success as a shop steward.
Bottom-up Democracy
The Union's power must be drawn from the will of it's membership, and following that principle, the President & Secretary-Treasurer positions should be equal in stature.
Parliamentary rules should govern all major decisions. This will ensure that the President's power will be subject to the will of the duly elected Executive Board.
Preservation of Working Conditions
A union's purpose is to expand and preserve members' rights and privileges.
The needs of the membership must come before the needs of union officials-elected and non-elected.
Member's health and security must come before productivity and profit.
Direct Election of Officers
Officers, business agents, labour council delegates, convention delegates and collective-agreement bargaining committees should be elected by the general membership.
Union stewards should be elected or removed as stewards by the bargaining unit members in their workplace.
Mid-term vacancies in office should be filled by special election within three months.
All collective agreements should provide for elected officers to retain their bargaining-unit seniority during their term in office.
Just Salaries for Officers
A salaried union official who leads an elite lifestyle can't relate the problems of members whose salaries are a small fraction of the official's.
There should be no multiple salaries paid to local union officials from union, company or government sources.
Any such monies must be paid directly to the Local Union or deducted from the official's next pay cheque.
Local union officials should not receive special fringe or pension benefits not available to all members they serve.
The highest paid union official should receive no more than 150%, based on a 40-hour week, of the highest-paid classification in the retail bargaining unit.
For those officials entitled to overtime pay, they should receive no more than 100%, based on a 40-hour week, of the highest-paid classification in the retail bargaining unit.
Union officials should have their rates of pay increased by the same dollar amount as the lowest paid person in the clerk/cashier classifications.
Union Staffing
The recruitment of local union staff, and setting of their salaries should be done by the entire Local union Executive Board as opposed to the President or an executive committee.
The Local Union Executive Board has a duty and obligation to publish for the general membership the salaries, expenses and working conditions of all Local Union officers and staff.
The Local Union Executive Board has a duty and obligation to provide extensive training for all newly appointed business agents.
As well, the Local Union Executive Board has a duty and obligation to set and publish standard qualifications and determine competency levels for anyone employed by the union.
The Local Union Executive shall ensure that all Local Union employees receive a standardized performance evaluation annually.
Executive Board Power
Basic democratic principles require that all union decision-making should be the primary function of the full Local Union Executive Board.
Therefore, there can be no transfer of that power or authority from the duly elected executive board, to an individual, presidential executive committee, or any other union body.
However, committees and duly appointed individuals can investigate issues and recommend action by the Local Union Executive Board.
Election Standardization
We support the adoption of a standardization policy for all UFCW local union election procedures.
Including specific dates for nominations and elections; the elections of the election chairperson & committee (to be members of the local union, but not on the union payroll) and the distribution, collection and tabulation of the election handled by an independent auditor such as KPMG, Ernst & Young LLP, "Price-Waterhouse-Coopers" and the like.
Candidate Publications
Prior to all Local Union elections, the three (3) editions of the Local Union's magazine published prior to the election should feature campaign pages in which all candidates are afforded equal opportunity and space to publish their respective campaign platforms.
The same should be done for all International executive officer elections.
Election Committee
No person[s] serving as the Election Chairperson, or on the Election Committee may be hired, retained, or otherwise provided financial compensation by the Local, National, or International union in any capacity during the term of the elected administration of the election for which they were involved in.
Trusteeship Protocol
The International union must prove in a fair and open hearing before a mutually agreed upon outside arbitrator, that a local union has engaged in serious wrongdoing before it can place that local union in trusteeship.
The local union must subsequently be allowed to use its resources to defend itself during that process, and the results of that arbitration should be binding.
Campaign Contributions
Except for the official Local Union publication, no candidate may use union funds, union employees on payroll and/or materials for the purpose of promoting their candidacy.
Likewise, they may not receive any financial, or soft money contributions from vendors, or employees of vendors, the Local, National or International Unions to promote their candidacy.
All campaign contributions must come from out of pocket expenses and campaign contributions from other rank & file UFCW members.
A Fair Grievance Procedure
Innocent until proven guilty, we believe in the right to remain on the job until the arbitration decision is given.
The Grievance Procedure should include the right to a speedy resolution. Therefore, the process must be streamlined.
However, in the interim, business agents must adhere to collective agreement time limits and use the Labour Code to enforce them.
A competent and efficient business agent could cut the Local's grievance-processing record in half.
A new system could cut that in half again.
A Decent Pension
Pension funds belongs to the membership, not the trustees.
All union pension trustees should be directly elected by the rank-and-file members, and by Local Union retirees.
We believe that by strong rank-and-file representation on Pension and Health & Welfare trusts, and by aggressive collective bargaining, the benefits they provide will meet the needs of Local 1518 members of all ages and familial and workforce status.
Financial Disclosure
The Union treasury and assets belongs to the rank-and-file members who pay into and for them through union dues and negotiated employer contributions.
As such, upon receiving a formal written request from any member in good standing, the Local Union must immediately make available for review the latest detailed financial report and supporting documents controlled by the local.
Further, upon receiving a formal written request from a member in good standing, the local union must make available for review the union's check registry.
Membership Equality
One member, one vote. One delegate, one vote.
In keeping with that spirit, we will endeavor to negotiate equally on behalf of all members, and do away with two-tiered collective agreements that focus on the preservation of one group of members at the expense of another.
No more contracts that provide a lot for the few, and little for the many, we pledge to fight for workplace equity.