2009 Bylaw & Policy Conference – April 25, 2009

Wayne Hanley - President, UFCW Canada

National President Wayne Hanley spoke to the delegates about UFCW initiatives and the challenges ahead.

Recently, UFCW Canada initiated a nation-wide leafleting campaign at Wal-Mart. “We had representatives, over a two-day period, in over 85% of Wal- Mart stores across Canada,” explained President Hanley. “We handed out cards for www.walmartworkerscanada. ca so that we can better inform Wal- Mart workers on what their employer is really like.”

Last year, UFCW Canada launched the Agricultural Workers Alliance (AWA), which has nine offices where migrant workers can unify and find help on many issues. “We had 3,000 workers join last year and we hope to double that number this year. Our staff handled 10,000 complaints last year so the need for a Union is clear – and we need to change the laws.

In Ontario, we gained the right to organize farm workers under an NDP government,” said Hanley. “But we lost that right under the Mike Harris government.” And despite the Supreme Court and its Court of Appeals agreeing with UFCW, we continue to fight this battle with the government.

Part of the outreach work across the country is done through groups like the Community Action Network (CAN). “Other Local Unions now have their own strategic community growth programs modeled after the work that Local 175 is doing,” said Hanley.

Lastly, President Hanley addressed pension plans. Workers that belong to private pensions are at the mercy of how the company spend its last dollars. “But CCWIPP members are protected. It’s a multi-employer plan. It’s jointly trusteed with equal input from the Union and the employers. But the economic crisis has affected us for the long-term.

We must continue to negotiate employer contributions into our contracts. In order to fund the plan without increasing liabilities, the trustees developed the Stabilization Fund to which more and more employers are starting to contribute.”

He reassured the delegates that the trustees are working to fix the problems. “It requires a change in thinking for all us and we must give it the time needed to recover.”

“While other unions are losing members by the thousands,” said Hanley, “UFCW Canada is holding its own and still has over 240,000 members. We are alive, we are well. We’re one union out there with one voice brothers and sisters, and that voice is strong.”