University of Western Ontario Staff Association

UWOSA supports the efforts of the CAW members at Electro-Motive. Please join your union representatives in attending the London Day of Action Against Corporate Greed rally on Saturday, January 21st at 11:00 am in Victoria Park. We believe this is a very important event and encourage all UWOSA members to attend and hear the issues firsthand.

Members of CAW at the Electro-Motive plant on Oxford Street East are standing together on picket lines after being locked out for rejecting employer demands of a 50% wage cut and major changes to their pension plan and benefits.

This is a highly profitable company which in 2010 enjoyed a 31% increase in sales and a 44% increase in profits and in 2011 has had multi-billion dollar profits and a 20% boost to production. Rather than share this with the workers who made it possible, this company has proposed slashing wages at Electro-Motive and rolling back hard-won benefits.

This is a key dispute and one where the outcome may have a significant impact on unionized workers, like ourselves, and contract negotiations in the future. Caterpiller -- CAT has a history of confronting and breaking union power, and there are fears that, having acquired the technology and market share from Electro-Motive, CAT intends to move production to a non-union plant in the U.S. If this is allowed to happen, it will not stop with the CAW employees, or even with union members – it will affect everyone – either through cuts in salaries and benefits or through loss of businesses!

Other ways we can help:

- join the picket line at 2021 Oxford Street East
- invite friends to attend the rally with us
- contact our MPPs to demand anti-scab legislation

Here is a list of local MPPs:

London Fanshawe: Teresa Armstrong

Queen's Park
Room 159, Main Legislative Building, Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A5
Tel 416-325-1872 / Fax 416-325-1912
tarmstrong-qp@ndp.on.ca

Constituency
Unit 16 - 771 Southdale Road East
London, Ontario N6E 2C6
Tel 519-668-1104 / Fax 519-668-1941
tarmstrong-co@ndp.on.ca

London West: Chris Bentley

Ministry
Ministry of Energy
4th Floor, Hearst Block - 900 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario M7A 2E1
Tel 416-327-6758 / Fax 416-327-6754
cbentley.mpp@liberal.ola.org

Constituency
Unit 8 - 11 Baseline Road East
London, Ontario N6C 5Z8
Tel 519-657-3120 /Fax 519-657-0368
cbentley.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

London North: Deb Matthews

Ministry
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
10th Floor, Hepburn Block
80 Grosvenor Street
Toronto, Ontario M7A 2C4
Tel 416-327-4300/ Fax 416-327-3679
dmatthews.mpp@liberal.ola.org

Constituency
Main Floor
242 Piccadilly Street
London, Ontario N6A 1S4
Tel 519-432-7339 / Fax 519-432-0613
dmatthews.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

You can read more about this dispute on the CAW website at www.caw.ca.

Dear Members,

As you finish your last couple of working days in 2011, I’d like to draw your attention to the upcoming UWOSA Elections for 2012 – take a few minutes to visit the following UWOSA site locations to learn more:

Call for Nominations - 2012 Election:
http://uwosa.ca/content/call-nominations-2012-election

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) - UWOSA Elections:
http://uwosa.ca/content/faqs-elections

Link to Nomination Form:
http://uwosa.ca/content/submitting-nomination

Initial Introduction/Contact Information:
http://uwosa.ca/content/2012-uwosa-election

As the Nomination date (Tuesday, January 31, 2012) approaches, please feel free to contact me to learn more about how best you could serve your working community. If you’re looking for a good challenge in the new year, you’ll discover that being involved with UWOSA is a rewarding experience!

All the best to you and your families this Holiday Season!

Jennifer Brace, Chair
UWOSA Elections Committee

We are writing to let you know you that Jackie Sparks has resigned as Health and Safety Officer for UWOSA, effective immediately. Jackie has been a long serving Health and Safety Officer and we appreciate her many contributions to UWOSA, and wish her all the best.

Jackie’s resignation leaves the position of Health and Safety Officer vacant, and a replacement will be appointed to complete her term of office (to April 30, 2012) at the next meeting of UWOSA Stewards' Council on Wednesday November 23rd.

This position is open to all members of UWOSA in good standing. If you believe you possess the qualities to represent our members and wish to apply for the role, please email your bio (maximum 200 words) to Mary Hay at mary.hay@uwosa.ca no later than 4:30 p.m. on Monday, November 21.

Applicants are expected to attend the Stewards' Council meeting on November 23rd in Social Science Room 9420 at 12:00 pm where they will briefly (maximum 5 minutes) present a synopsis of their interest and qualifications.

After all presentations have been made, Stewards will vote via secret ballot.

After reading the Constitution and Bylaws, if you have any questions regarding the position or the appointment procedure, please contact Mary by e-mail or at extension 85089.

Sincerely,
the UWOSA Executive

As most of you may know, there are currently two labour unions on strike in London in the postsecondary sector:

UWOFA-LA

This group representing librarians and archivists here at Western are currently on strike because of the unacceptable pay gap between the library personnel at the university and their counterparts across the province. The 50 unionized librarians and archivists — most of whom are women — have been without a contract since June 30. According to UWOFA President, Bryce Traister, gender has become an issue during negotiations: “We hope to bring attention to what has been a long-standing problem in allowing this pay gap to not only sustain itself, but increase over the years.”

UWOSA members have the right to decline to perform the normal duties of UWOFA-LA members, and are exercising this right by refusing to do so when asked. We will not make it easier for Western’s administration to keep UWOFA-LA’s members on strike by taking over any of these duties. We support UWOFA-LA's members in their efforts to reach a fair and equitable contract.

For more information and updates on the UWOFA-LA strike, visit: http://www.uwofa.ca/newsevents/

OPSEU 109

This group represents the support staff at colleges across Ontario, including Fanshawe College, and is also on strike. The union has informed the colleges twice that they are willing to move on their proposals, and the colleges responded that they are simply not interested in resuming talks. These workers are fighting for a fair wage increase, and for permanent jobs -- as the number of full time support staff has grown 4.9% but part time support staff have grown 8.91 % between 2006 and 2010. For more information, visit: http://www.opseucaatsupport.org/petition or http://www.opseu.org/caat/caat_sup/bargaining2011/PDF/ways_to_help_engli... .

Other News
Another group here at Western, PSAC 611, which represents postdoctoral associates has been trying for two years to negotiate its first collective agreement with the university.

We are all feeling the effects of our wage increases not keeping in line with the rising costs of basic goods – food, utilities, gas, etc. These groups are fighting for modest salary increases. Although the university and college claim they are cash strapped, it is interesting to see where much of the public funds and tuition supporting these institutions are directed. You may want to review Western's 2011 Sunshine List to see how many NON ACADEMIC individuals are listed: http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/publications/salarydisclosure/2011/univer11b...

Remember, as union members, we’re all in this together, as a loss for one group eventually erodes benefits for all of us. Stand proud with the people who are fighting for what is fair. 2010 was the worst bargaining year for UWOSA yet, and 2013 is not that far away. We can make a difference together as a labour movement here in London in the post-secondary sector.