[news] VDLC Calls For Suspension Of IWA

[Resist! Collective]

-------- Original Message --------
From: 	Will Offley <willo at lynx.bc.ca>


Tonight's meeting of the Vancouver and District Labour Council voted
near-unanimously to call on the Canadian Labour Congress executive to
suspend the Industrial, Wood and Allied Workers from the CLC.

The vote took place on a motion put forward by the Children's and
Women's Hospital local of the Hospital Employees Union, which read as
follows after minor amendment by the VDLC executive:



>     WHEREAS the raid on HEU by Local 1-3567 show its leadership are
>     consciously and actively collaborating with Gordon Campbell's
>     campaign to privatize health care; 
>       
>     NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Vancouver and District
>     Labour Council urge the CLC executive to suspend the IWA until
>     such time as Local 1-3567 has withdrawn from these yellow-dog
>     contracts or has been expelled from the IWA./



Many delegates speaking to the motion expressed frustration that little
had been done to sanction the IWA during the 14 months since its raid on
HEU began.  One visitor, a member of IWA local 1-3567, expressed his
disgust at the conduct being carried out by his own union in
implementing substandard contracts, both for health care workers and for
millworkers such as at the G&H Noble mill in Surrey.   It was notable
that delegates of both public and private sector unions were united in
condemning the actions of the IWA leadership, in pointing out that large
sections of the IWA were publicly opposing the actions of their own
union, and in demanding that the leadership of the CLC refuse to
tolerate this situation any longer.

The fact sheet below was circulated to the VDLC delegates and observers
from the public (nearly 100 in all) who attended the meeting:

*/Did you know/*/ that for over a year the leadership of IWA Local
1-3567 (including its president, Satnam “Sonny” Ghag) has been
consciously cooperating with the Liberal/multinational campaign to
destroy the Hospital Employees Union?  Starting in December 2002 IWA
1-3567 met behind closed doors with the Compass Group and negotiated a
sweetheart deal with them in secret, one that cut wages in half to
approach minimum-wage levels, that eliminated pay equity, that
eliminated pensions, and that slashed benefits to the bone.  Seven
months later a similar deal was signed with Aramark.  These agreements
give the IWA voluntary recognition as the union for any work the company
may be awarded in that health region, whether at the time of signing or
any point in the future.

*Did you know* that on September 17, 2003 the CLC neutral umpire found
IWA 1-3567 to be in violation of the Canadian Labour Congress
constitution?  Or that one week after this decision was handed down, new
charges were laid against it for yet another violation?

*Did you know* that all HEU members whose jobs are privatized have to
reapply as new hires?  Or that there is a blacklist, and very few HEU
members actually do get hired?  Or that those few who do are instructed
by their new boss to sign IWA cards at the time they are hired?

*Did you know* that in 2001 local 1-3567 signed a similar agreement with
G.H. Noble (a custom-cut sawmill in Surrey), cutting their members’
wages by 35% and allowing for weekend work with no overtime, no sick pay
until four months off the job, and no restrictions on the employer’s
right to contract out?  Or that G.H. Noble is owned by Gurdial Ghag,
Satnam Ghag’s brother?

*Did you know* that members of the Vancouver IWA local 1217 have filed
documents in Vancouver Supreme Court alleging that on December 16,
2003,^ Satnam Ghag participated in a violent assault on the crew at
Mainland Sawmills, an assault in which baseball bats, peavey poles and a
knife were brandished and/or used.  Did you know that several of these
affidavits state that Satnam Ghag was a direct participant in this violence?

*Did you know* that a month before the 2001 provincial election an
individual named Satnam Ghag made a substantial campaign contribution to
the B.C. Liberals, along with two other individuals named Gurdial Ghag
and Swarn Ghag?  Did you know that Satnam “Sonny” Ghag’s brother’s name
is Gurdial?  Or that his father’s name is Swarn?

*Did you know* that on January 24, 2004 nearly 100 members of IWA local
1-3567 who oppose the raid on HEU and the violence against fellow IWA
members went to the local office and were prevented by Sonny Ghag from
exercising their right to speak at a meeting of the local executive board?

*Did you know* that despite B.C. Federation of Labour and IWA policy
against the export of raw logs, IWA local 1-3567 has a voluntary
certification at Pacific Custom Log Sort on the Fraser, which
containerizes top-grade logs and trucks them to the Surrey-Fraser docks,
where they are loaded on ships and exported to Japan, China and Korea
for remanufacture?

John Ames, delegate, BCGEU local
Gretchen Dulmage,  delegate, HEU Women's and Children's Hospital local
Claudio Eckdahl, delegate, BCGEU local 603
Louise Hutchinson, delegate, HEU Women’s and Children’s Hospital local
Roger Kishi, delegate, HEU St. Paul's local, Asian Canadian Labour
Alliance (ACLA)
Andy Mathison, member, IWA 1-3567
Gene McGuckin, delegate, CEP 1129
Jazmin Miranda, delegate, CUPE local 15
Will Offley, delegate, BCNU Central Vancouver Region
Jeff Pazik, member, IWA 1-3567
Susan Stout, retired member, CAW local 2002

(Signed in individual capacity; organizations listed for identification
purposes only.)