01) UNIFOR COMES TO LIFE AT FOUNDING CONVENTION

By Stuart Ryan, Ottawa

            When the leaders of the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paper Workers announced Unifor as the name for their proposed new union on May 30, the response around the labour movement was, "What?". People googled the name and discovered, among other things, a uniform company in Italy. Some thought the new symbol was militaristic. Perhaps the leaders had lost sight of the hope and excitement generated from the initial document, "A Moment of Truth for Canadian Unions".

            The leaders explained that the name reflected the purpose of the New Union Project, to reach out to organize the unorganized, to build an inclusive "union for everyone". They also said that the actions of the new union will define its effectiveness more than its name: come to Toronto and see Unifor come to life.

            The excitement and the promise of the project was reflected by the fact that over 3,000 delegates and 1,000 observers and special guests descended on the Metro Toronto Convention Centre to witness the birth of Unifor on August 31 and September 1.

            A day earlier, the two unions held special conventions to allow their National Executive Boards to approve the dissolution of the existing unions and the joining together to create Unifor.

            At the CAW convention, there was a sense of nostalgia and pride in its history, from the breakaway from the American UAW, its growth by the mergers of other unions into the CAW, and the development of a culture of a social union with its own path in the labour movement. That pride was matched with eagerness to form a militant social union that will try to reverse the decline of the labour movement in the private sector in Canada.

            Saturday morning, the delegates gathered with anticipation and excitement. Peter Kennedy apologized to the observers that because of the over 4,000 participants, it was necessary to place them in another hall, to watch the proceedings via television prompters.

            After a video showing the range of workers and workplaces that will make up Unifor, the outgoing presidents spoke: David Coles from the CEP, and Ken Lewenza from the CAW. Lewenza brought delegates to their feet when he said the most important card in your wallet was your union card.

            The first item of business was the adoption of the new Constitution, to be decided on a yes or no vote on its entirety. Amendments had already been made through the lengthy consultation process across the country. It passed by 94.54%.

            The Constitution established three National Offices: President, Treasurer and Quebec Director; and three regional directors (Atlantic, Ontario, and Western). Five Regional Councils are established (BC, Prairies, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic) and eleven industry councils (Transportation, Forestry, Media, Retail, Energy, Auto, Communications, Manufacturing, Health Care, Resources and Service). The chairs of each council sit on the National Executive Board, as well as positions for Racialized Workers, Skilled Trades and Retirees.

            During regional meetings across the country in April and May, the two co‑chairs of the Proposal Committee, Peter Kennedy from the CAW and Gaeten Menard from the CEP, stated that for the founding convention only, there with be a proposed slate for all 25 positions on the NEB. The reason was that there needed to be a committed group of leaders who could bring the new union into a cohesive force. They reiterated the pledge that the NEB would reflect the gender composition of the new union, which has some 86,000 women members out of a total 315,000.

            A Unity Caucus met on Friday night to present the proposed leadership, a slate which included 11 women out of the 25 positions.

            Members were entitled to stand for positions, and Lindsay Hirshellwood was nominated for president, against the Unity Slate's Jerry Dias. When Dave Coles moved to immediately start the elections, delegates demanded to hear from each candidate before voting. When Coles said there was no provision for that in the agenda, the crowd reacted.

            Bowing to the demands of the floor, each candidate was given five minutes. Hirshellwood said that she would push for no concessions, and that she would not try to sell a concession in bargaining as a victory. Dias commented on his experience on negotiating with some of the most notorious and largest corporations in the world, as an Assistant to two CAW Presidents over the last seven years, and would have much more to say if indeed he was elected.

            An electronic voting system allowed each delegate to vote on behalf of a proportion of the local's membership. Dias received 214,694 votes, 82.55%, to Hirshellwood's 45,697 votes, 17.45% of the total. All the other positions were acclaimed. Peter Kennedy was elected Treasurer and Michel Arsenault, from CEP, was elected Quebec Director.

            In his acceptance speech, Jerry Dias tried to explain the hope and determination expected of the new union. After introducing his parents, his wife and children, and how each influenced his union career and his support to stop violence against women, he outlined the political and economic challenges facing the Canadian labour movement. "Rampant capitalism" is tearing apart the economic and social fabric of Canada, he said. Jobs are disappearing in the manufacturing sector, jobs are getting worse, and two million people are unemployed.

            The political decisions of the Harper government - "free trade", a "resource‑based" currency that inflates the cost of living and leads to job losses, changes to Employment Insurance - are choices to advance the interests of business over the people, Dias said. "Unifor has to stop playing defensive," he said. "It is time to go on the offensive and set the agenda."

            He paid tribute to two members of CEP Local 249 who were killed in the Lac‑Mégantic disaster. The explosion was not an accident, he said, but a product of the lack of regulation by the federal government. The Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway, with a terrible record of health and safety, was allowed to cut staff and store dangerous material on side‑tracks without any employees watching the cargo. We cannot let them get away with it, he said.

            Unifor will never forget the accomplishments of its two founding unions, but will never be a captive of its collective past, said Dias, stressing that "we will build a new union, modern, accountable and democratic, fighting for good jobs and social equity in Canada."

            He called for a "Good Jobs Summit", no more Free Trade Agreements like CETA and TPP, a Canadian Energy Strategy where raw materials would be processed in Canada, support for public health care, and an improved Canada Pension Plan.

            The first agenda item is to defend the Rand Formula, he argued, warning that the government will not succeed without a hell of a fight from Unifor and the labour movement. He eagerly endorsed the Together For Fairness Campaign of the CLC, while promoting the Union Advantage.

            Organizing will become a key culture of the new union. Dias said it will look to organize young people in precarious employment. Youth are restless and frustrated, and will fight back, he said, citing the Occupy movement, the Quebec student strike and Idle No More. For the rest of the working class, he said, "Unifor is a union for U."

            The day ended with both unions voting overwhelmingly to join Unifor. This move gave UNFOR successor rights for all the bargaining units previously organized by CAW and CEP.

            Sunday was spent debating and adopting policies on the direction of the new union. A Policy Paper called, "A new Union for a Challenging World: Unifor's Vision and Plan" described how neo‑liberalism had destroyed the dream of shared prosperity after the Second World War, and outlined six fundamental priorities for Unifor: Building the new union, organizing new members, staying tough at the bargaining table, defending labour rights, making its progressive voice heard in the communities and in politics, and building a stronger labour movement.

            Another paper outlined how an "organizing culture" would be at the centre of the agendas of Unifor at every level, from the Local to union conferences to the NEB. A National Organizing department will combine with the CEP plan of member organizers getting 50% time off work to organize. Ten million dollars each year will be assigned to this task.

            A third exciting aspect of organizing is Community Chapters. Workers in non‑unionized workplaces, or in precarious employment, can approach either the National Union or a Local to become a Community Chapter. Each group would need to have a sufficient number of active potential members, a common interest in a particular workplace or a defined community, and a clear strategy of how the collective power of the union can enhance their working conditions or enhance their social security.

            Unifor staffer Roxanne Dubois introduced three groups who want to become Community Chapters: Canadian Freelancers, United Church Ministers, and bike couriers in Toronto. Other groups mentioned in debate are digital journalists in BC and Niagara Casino workers.             The convention ended on a controversial issue that indicated Unifor will be a different kind of union. A motion was presented to take $15 million from the combined strike funds of the two founding unions to pay for the transition costs of the creation of Unifor.

            Delegates asked whether the money would be returned to the Strike Fund in the future. Treasurer Peter Kennedy stated that if the general fund was healthy at the time of the 2016 Convention he would be the first person to make such a motion.

            A delegate proposed an amendment that the NEB come to the 2016 Convention with a plan to pay back that money over time. Kennedy declared the amendment out of order. When the floor raised objections, Jerry Dias took the chair and made a passionate plea for the motion. A delegate got up and informed Dias that as chair of the convention, he was not allowed to make a statement on the issue before the convention.

            Dias declared that no one would silence him. Once the amendment was seconded, it was debated and defeated. The original motion then passed overwhelmingly.

            Dias finished by saying that this union will have passionate debates, which is healthy, and once a decision is made, the union will unite and move forward. He said that unity will be the strength of the union.

            The Policy Paper "A new Union for a Challenging World: Unifor's Vision and Plan" states the founding of Unifor is an act of hope. "But like all great projects the building of Unifor will succeed because Unifor will succeed because Unifor is larger than the sum of its parts. We are motivated and guided by shared ideals and principles that will strengthen us to meet the challenges ahead... And let's dedicate ourselves to building Unifor, building our movement and building a better Canada."

            Lofty goals indeed, but based on the founding convention, it is off to a promising start.

(The above article is from the September 16-30, 2013, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)