4 years ago Loblaws decided to close 4 warehouses throughout ontario and merge them into 1. These 4 places were represented by 3 different unions, RW-CAW in Kitchener and Chatham, Teamsters in London, and UFCW 175 in Hamilton. In Ontario there were also 4 other warehouses that were not closing and they were represented by UFCW 1000a.
Because of an agreement between UFCW 1000a and loblaws that automatically gave them certification in any new buildings, the workers affected by the 4 closures were told that UFCW 1000a would be their new union (no vote).
Because of this deal, the non-affected workers at the Pinebush, Erin Mills, surveyors rd, and Freemont warehouses had first choice of all the jobs at the new building, while the workers in the 4 closing places got to fight over the scraps.
Understandably a lot of people were pissed off, and the first chance they had tried to replace the UFCW with the CAW so all the jobs could be re-bid on by seniority. There was a vote held but the ballots not counted because of a legal challenge by the UFCW, unfortunatly they won the court decision and the ballots were destroyed.
The maplegrove workers never had a chance to negotiate their own contract, they just adopted the same contract that was already in place at Erin Mills and the other places.
Over the past few years the UFCW has not shown us that they are capable or willing to represent us properly so there was another vote.
This time the ballots were counted, but because of some collusion between the UFCW and loblaws they were able to win by a 49 vote difference.
Right now the UFCW and Loblaws are working on a new contract at Erin Mills and we at Maplegrove will finally have a chance to accept it or turn it down and negotiate our own.
Things are not looking good for the Mill, and it appears that they are going to get shit on badly, if that happens we might try again to get a new union.
Maplegrove
Can someone please give me a quick summary of what really happened at Maplegrove? (including what happened to their contract)
I've seen many posts but a summary would be really helpful.
I always appreciate being able to ask questions here - to cut through the bull.
Thanks for the summary. What do you make of this website: www.ufcw4maplegrove.ca
What's the story behind the guy in the video?
Thanks again.
IMO he was paid and coaxed by the UFCW to say what they needed him to say (remember they made the video).
Anytime a membership changes unions there is an element of risk and anyone with a brain should understand that, sometimes the risk is worth it and sometimes it is not.
During the last 2 campaigns at Maplegrove I worked for the CAW organizing committee, and not once did they ask me to say anything that was not true, they also did not want us to slander the UFCW (sometimes I did), and they would not personally attack the UFCW in their mailouts even though we wanted them to from time to time.
In contrast, the UFCW threw as much shit at the wall as possible and hoped that some would stick.
I still have all of the UFCW handouts, and 90% of it is absolute crap! Unfortunatly just like in politics, smear campaigns work.
In the first campaign at Maplegrove, the UFCW spent almost $800 000 on propaganda and other expenses, then once the court decided in their favour, they tried to sue the CAW to get back that money (they lost).
In the 2nd campaign they spent almost as much money on the same crap. Almost $2 million spent in total and they only won 340-291, and instead of going after the CAW for the money again, they just raised our union dues, same lousy representation though!