Unifor’s cave-in hurts new workers
Re GM’s pension loss is a blow for company’s new workers, Sept. 24 In 2013, I was excited to see the formation of Unifor, a new union that brought together members of the Canadian Auto Workers, Communications, Energy and Paperworkers. It promised broader organizing of new members and a focus on the future.
This past week, that hope was dashed. Instead of fighting back against two-tier pensions and for equality for new hires, Unifor’s leaders caved to get a quick deal with General Motors. This twotier deal will haunt the union for decades and sets a terrible precedent for everyone’s future.
New and precarious workers deserve equality in the workplace, decent pensions and respect. Postal workers and library workers — in groups much smaller than Unifor — have actually opposed two-tier contracts and concessions, and won.
Companies, such as GM, that are highly profitable and benefit from Canada’s skilled workforce, as well as our health care and education systems, should be able to afford decent pay and benefits for new hires. Why did Unifor chief Jerry Dias accept defeat so quickly? Sadly, it looks like Unifor is no longer new, and it certainly is not a union for everyone. David Fox, Toronto GM investment is indeed good news for workers of Oshawa, St. Catharines and Woodstock. However, as Thomas Walkom said, it didn’t come without a cost. The new generation of workers, including myself, will not be receiving the same pensions as our sisters and brothers before us and beside us on the line.
Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have played a part, but we’re not out of the woods yet. We’ve pushed back the 2019 closure date but I hope we don’t need to keep battling for product every time our contract comes up. What will be given up next to secure a future? When a company makes record-breaking profits year after year, the workers who are responsible shouldn’t need to concede a thing.
And if we do, it should affect us all, and not just the next generation. Mike Mutimer, Oshawa