Staff

Taking advantage of opportunities to have your voice heard: Get involved!

At the Bylaw & Policy conference on April 15, I reported on a number of figures from the last four years since the Local Union last met at the 2019 conference. These figures are listed on the right-hand side here and you can read more about the Conference starting on page 6 of the Summer 2023 issue of Checkout.

The Bylaw & Policy Committee brought a number of monetary improvements in terms of per diems, kilometres, and scholarships, to the convention floor, which the delegates then had a chance to discuss and vote on. While some proposals were submitted by the Committee itself, other proposals came directly from submissions made by members at the November 2022 quarterly meetings. I encourage you to attend your next membership meeting to review and vote on these proposed changes to the Policies & Procedures of the Local Union.

Attending Union meetings is an important part of being an active Union member and getting the most out of your Union membership. Like any democratic voting process; decisions are made by those who show up.

In my President’s Report, one of the numbers I discussed was that the Local Union had worked with your elected Negotiating Committees to bargain 589 collective agreements since the beginning of 2019.

Collective agreements are a result of the hard work and diligence of your Negotiating Committee. But the direction your committees take in bargaining comes from proposals submitted by the members. And the agreement is only ratified if you, the members, vote to ratify it.

A members' priorities in bargaining can depend on many factors. And given the last few years of pandemic and inflation, some things may be more important to you than others.

Is it paid sick days? Shift flexibility? Better pension, wage increases, im-proved benefits, more vacation? Your proposal meeting is the opportunity to make sure your elected Commit-tee understands what you and your co-workers are looking for in your new agreement.

Your Union will continue to work hard to represent the best interests of the membership. Please ensure you also stay active and informed so you can best benefit from all of the pro-visions of your collective agreement and take advantage of the opportunities you have as a member to have your voice heard.

BYLAW & POLICY 2023: ACHIEVEMENTS 2019 – 2022

• More than 500 collective agreements at 1,100 work-places enforced.
• 15,280 grievances filed.
• 1,060 grievances filed for arbitration (many resolved before hearing).
• 16 staff retirements with four more retiring this year.
• 27 new staff hired.
• 3,023 new members organized at 39 workplaces.
• 2,000 members trained through virtual, online, and in-class courses.
• $352,000 in Solidarity Scholarships awarded.
• Numerous political lobbies & protests to fight for the protection & advancement of workers’ rights.
• $243,000 donated to food banks and community support centres.
• One van donated to Shelter House in Thunder Bay.

In Solidarity,
Shawn Haggerty
president@ufcw175.com

Helping workers build a better life through organizing the unorganized

Our Organizing team has an outstanding record of successful certification votes. They have helped thousands of workers join our great union in the last few years.

Since the start of 2019 through to the end of 2022, our Team assisted 3,023 workers at 39 workplaces celebrate the victory of winning their votes to join the Union. These members came to us from a wide variety of sectors and industries including:

• Long-term & retirement care;
• Social services;
• Child care;
• Retail grocery & cannabis;
• Food production;
• Manufacturing;
• Medical laboratories;
• Animal care;
• Hospitality;
• Airline security;
• Pipeline control;
• Janitorial, and;
• Fast food.

Organizing is hard work and I am proud to say we have talent-ed, compassionate staff who are dedicated to helping workers gain representation across the province.

But the people putting in the really hard work are the employees looking to build a better life by joining our union.

These workers, like many others, have faced numerous challenges over the last few years. And in-stead of letting those challenges discourage them, those workers rose up, stood together, and demanded change. They took steps to learn about how our Union can benefit working people and how the process of organizing works.

To build support and momentum, those workers spoke to their co- workers and addressed their questions and concerns. They held strong, sometimes in the face of employer threats. Some of them waited while their employer challenged the validity of their votes, too.

And they did all of this under a provincial government that is not friendly to working people or the labour movement. A government that was truly for the people would reinstate card-check certification, raise minimum wage, mandate paid sick days, and put the mental and physical well-being of workers before corporate profits.

I hope that when you hear a family member or friend talking about wanting to bring change to their non-union workplace, that you speak up and let them know to contact us. I encourage our Members to visit ufcw175. com/honorarium to learn more about the reward of up to $1,250 available for leads they bring to our Organizing Team that result in a successful certification.

It takes courage and drive to fight for your rights.

No matter the obstacle, UFCW Locals 175 & 633 has the strength and resources to defend worker’s rights throughout the organizing process and beyond.

I am so proud of how you, our members, have showed up and keep showing up for yourselves and others. Your steadfast work ethic, your care for your communities, and your support of your Union will continue to help push the Labour Movement forward to achieve great things for workers.

In Solidarity,
Kelly Tosato
treasurer@ufcw175.com