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Society Newscast 2010:01

May 3, 2010

New New Horizon deal in arbitration

The New Horizon System Solutions Local has a new renewal collective agreement. The agreement was determined by Arbitrator William Kaplan.

“We held our own,” said Local VP Simon Huang. “Capgemini, being who they are, had ambitious plans for take-aways, but we came out of the process with a reasonable agreement for this year.”

Chief among the Local’s achievements, he said, were:

A “decent” economic increase: 2.5 per cent, plus a 1.0 performance pay pot
No increase in pension contribution was awarded (Capgemini asked for the contribution to increase one per cent per year for three years!)
Class A dental reimbursements were returned to 100 per cent, while Class B remained at 90

While the arbitrator noted that other Cap agreements for the current year—Society and PWU included—included wage settlements of three per cent, he was reluctant to go that far for New Horizon, as the other agreements included increases to pension contributions.

New Horizon System Solutions Local VP Simon Huang

Arbitrator Kaplan also ruled that the current “free fly zone” agreement, which sets out that Cap has the freedom to contract out no more than 20,000 hours (less than five per cent) of its OPG work, will continue. All other work is subject to the Local’s “purchased service” agreement, under which all such contracting out is a joint decision. The Society had argued that the FFZ should be abolished: while it was designed to reduce conflict between the Society and Cap, it had produced “nothing but,” as contracting out in defiance of the purchased services agreement continued to increase.

A key difference between the Society and Capgemini concerned the normal arbitral principle that the Arbitrator must take “general economic conditions” into account when making her or his award. The Society insisted that the economic downturn was irrelevant in this situation, as the New Horizon contract with Ontario Power Generation and its guarantees were impervious to the ups and downs of the current economy.

The Society insisted that Mr. Kaplan order Cap to produce the agreement with OPG so that it could be used as a reference point, but Kaplan declined to do so. Huang called the decision “very disappointing. Cap often referred to the commercial agreement in making its arguments, but was never forced to prove them.”

New Horizon was created in 2002 when OPG spun off many of its IT functions to Capgemini, a corporation based in Paris. Cap’s business model is entirely based on offshoring services to low-wage jurisdictions, while pocketing the difference in profits. Cap has made no secret of its desire to do the same with New Horizon and Inergi, another Cap asset that was spun off from Hydro One, but the Society successfully prevented them from doing so last year (see NewsFLASH 2008:04 and Newscast 2009:02).

With the assent of Arbitrator Kaplan, the New Horizon Local has given notice to Cap that it wants its mediation-arbitration agreement terminated. Bargaining for that local will be under the strike/lockout regime starting in 2012, though the med/arb agreement will still be in effect for the next round.

Representing the New Horizon Local in negotiations were Huang; unit director Gordon Higuchi; delegates Derek Francis, Althea Hinds, and Frank Szalontai; and Kathy Wilcox, with staff support from Staff Officer Blaine Donais.

Board highlights: March-April

The Society’s Executive Board met on March 2nd and April 7th.

Recognition: The Board recognized the following for outstanding contributions to the Society:

Young Society members Sharon McGuire (OPG) and Christine Goulais (Hydro One), who travelled to Thunder Bay in February to serve as role models for aboriginal high school students at the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation’s “Blueprint for the Future” career fair.
IFPTE staffer Anna Liu; Society staffers Cheri Funston, Laura Langmaid, and Elena Medina, and OEB Local unit director Mike Bell for their participation in Hydro One’s youth event, “Connect the Dots.”
Andy d’Andrea (OPG), Jose Freire-Canosa (NWMO), Dave Romanowicz (OPG), and Bob Wells (Bruce Power) for their attendance at the 2010 conference and trade show of the Canadian Nuclear Association.
Society staff officers Blaine Donais, Frank White, and Cheri Funston for their outstanding work on behalf of the New Horizon System Solutions Local in the recent mediation/arbitration of a renewal collective agreement.
Outgoing OPG Local VP Lanny Totton for his leadership of the Local.
The Society members who travelled to Hamilton on March 18th in support of the Canadian Autoworkers protesting a planned Siemens plant closure, and those who travelled to Sudbury on March 22nd in support of the United Steelworkers on strike at Vale Inco.

Hydro One’s Christine Goulet (front left) and OPG’s Sharon McGuire (next to Christine) represented the Society at the Blueprint for the Future Career Fair in Thunder Bay.

Executive Committee: The Society’s Executive Committee consists of the four Principal Officers and three members of the Board elected by the Board. The Board held an election to determine those three members for the 2010-2013 term.

The three incumbents—Joseph Fierro (OPG Local VP), Keith Rattai (Hydro One Local VP), and Robert Stanley (Bruce Power Local VP) were the only persons nominated, and were acclaimed.

Society attendance at major events: The Board approved the attendance of three Society staff officers at the conference of the National Academy of Arbitrators, to take place in Philadelphia in May.

The Board also approved the attendance of two Society representatives at the conference of the Employee Assistance Society of North America (EASNA). EASNA is an association focussed on advancing knowledge, research, and best practices toward achieving healthy and productive workplaces. The conference will take place in Montreal, May 5th to 7th, 2010. Tony Kokus, OPG Unit Director and member of OPG's tripartite EFAP Committee, will be one of the Society representatives.

Budget/Workplans: The Board approved a budget and workplan for Fiscal Year 2010 (April 1st, 2010 to March 31st, 2011). See article, below.

Aboriginal relations policy: The Board approved a policy on aboriginal relations to be submitted to Society Council in October for approval. The policy commits the Society to “tak[e] a leadership role in encouraging, supporting and partnering with its members’ employers“ to develop “mutually beneficial relationships with Aboriginal Peoples.

The policy also commits the Society to encourage, support, and partner with Society employers in their efforts to develop and maintain relationships with aboriginal peoples, based on a respect for and recognition of the distinct legal, historical and cultural status of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada and the Aboriginal and treaty rights of Aboriginal Peoples as recognized and affirmed in the Constitution Act, 1982.

Easter Seals: The Board approved the release of $25,000 from the Bruce Power Local’s Special Events Fund, to be donated to the Easter Seals campaign. The donation will entitle the Society to be a “platinum supporter” of Easter Seals. Platinum supportership entitles the Society to a table at an event on May 12th, recognizing Finance Minister Dwight Duncan and PWU President Don Mackinnon, as well as attendance at a private reception sponsored by Bruce Power CEO Duncan Hawthorne.

The Bruce Power Local’s Special Events Fund is made up of 20 per cent of the distributions from the Society’s ownership share of Bruce Power. The Local is entitled to determine any expenditures from the Fund, providing they conform to the Society’s “non-dues income” policy

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On April 12th, Society President Rod Sheppard attended the Ottawa launch of Poor No More, a documentary on the working poor starring Mary Walsh. Sheppard (r) is pictured in the launch’s Centre Block location, with (r to l) Walsh, PIPSC President Gary Corbett, and film producer Suzanne Babin. The Society and PIPSC were both major funders of the film.

Budget balanced, with a little help from our funds

The Society’s budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year will have member dues accounting for about two-thirds of program and project expenditures.

The Society’s Executive Board passed the budget for the current year in its March meeting.

Society President Rod Sheppard (l) and Hydro One UD Michelle Byck-Johnston (r) attended the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation’s Career Fair for aboriginal high school students. They’re pictured with NAAF CEO Roberta Jamieson, Grand Chief Stan Beardy of the Nishnawbe-Aski Nation, and Minister of Aboriginal Affairs Chris Bentley. Video of the event can be viewed on the NAAF web-site.

Then-Executive Vice President Bill Jones presented a finalized budget to the Board, noting that $9.7 million of operating and campaign expenditures will be necessary over the year, while he expects that $6.6 million will be collected in dues. Dues will be supplemented with money from non-dues income and purchased services payments.

“It’s a status quo budget,” he said, “with some important exceptions.” Those exceptions include:

Nine of the Society’s 14 collective agreements are up for renewal in the next 12 months
The Society is conducting an organizing campaign amongst the professional employees of the City of Toronto (see Newscast 2009:05)
The Society has contracted with a lobbying firm for assistance with government relations, so that the Society’s views will be heard at all levels of government.

These exceptions are expected to drive operating costs to $1.4 million more than the current year’s forecasted $8.5 million at end of year.
In coming to their final budget, the Board made the following decisions:

The regular staff complement for the organizing and external relations programs were increased to 1.0 FTE (full-time equivalent) each from 0.5. (Internal and external organizing have been a Society strategic priority since 2003, while Council added government relations as a priority in 2005.)
The Society will, in partnership with the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation and relevant governments, create a sponsorship program for aboriginal youth, at a cost of $120,000 in FY 2010.
Scholarships for Society members’children will be funded at $50,000
A year-long celebration of the Society’s 65th anniversary, involving contacting and engaging members, will be funded at $80,000.
The Society’s second annual golf tournament will be funded at $10,000

Jones’s term as EVP Finance ended on March 31st, and is now filled by Lanny Totton. The budget he shepherded through the Board was his fifth, since starting in his position in 2004. He told the Board they had some serious thinking to do. “Our expenditures are well beyond what we can cover with dues, we need to think about what is sustainable over the next ten years.”

Sisters in Society (SiS) Celebrates International Women’s Day

By Tracy Miller

Since the early 1900s, International Women’s Day has been observed every year on the 8th of March. It is a major day of global celebration of women. In different regions the focus of the celebration ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation, and love towards women to a celebration for women’s economic, political and social achievements. In some countries, International Women’s Day is an official holiday.

On March 8th, 2010, Sisters in Society (SiS) hosted their first International Women’s Day Fair in recognition of women’s contributions to society as a whole. SiS is the Society of Energy Professionals Women’s Committee. The event was opened up by SiS Chair Tracy Miller, Vice President of the Vertex Customer Management Local. She welcomed all of those in attendance to the fair and gave a brief history of the development of International Women’s Day. Friends, guests and employees in the downtown core from AMEC-NSS, City of Toronto, Hydro One, Inergi, New Horizon, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, and OPG all came to the William Peyton Auditorium at 700 University Avenue to attend the event.

SiS were happy to welcome Princess Margaret Hospital, Plan Canada, Power Workers Union, and Nellie’s (a shelter for women and their children), all of whom set up booths to speak about their organizations and the issues that women face in society. It was a well attended event, as participants were drawn to listen to the speakers who spoke at the fair.

On April 8th, the Bruce Power Local sponsored its annual “Beef Fest,” attended by more than 200 of its members. In this photo, Bruce UD Shirley Hayes and Society President Rod Sheppard cooperate in the awarding of door prizes.

Leanne Nicolle from Plan Canada spoke about the campaign ‘Because I am a Girl.’ She highlighted the importance of helping girls in developing countries to be able to attend school to get an education and have access to health care. Normally in these developing countries girls would not be entitled to these “privileges” just because of the fact they are girls. But having these “privileges” would greatly improve girls’ lives and their prospects of surviving into womanhood. As well, girls who end up working support not only their families but also their communities. More information on this campaign is available at http://www.becauseiamagirl.ca/.

Helen Daniel from OPG’s Law Division provided the group with a retrospective of how women broke the barriers to get into the law profession. Unfortunately these barriers and prejudices lasted until even the last century, where women were pigeon-holed into “acceptable” areas of practice such as real estate, human rights, and family law.

Christine Anderson from Princess Margaret Hospital spoke about the new campaign “Weekend to End Women’s Cancers”. She gave a moving presentation about how important Princess Margaret Hospital has been in cancer research, especially the Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute with respect to breast and gynecological cancers. One in seven women will be affected by either breast or gynecological cancer. This year’s “Weekend to End Women’s Cancers” will allow participants to choose between a one-day 32 km walk or a two-day 60 km walk. Every participant’s contribution is valuable. “Weekends to End Breast Cancer” in the past have been moving events, as survivors, friends, and family of lost loved ones or affected loved ones alike walk to raise money for Princess Margaret Hospital. More information on this campaign is available at http://www.endcancer.ca/.

This event would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of Shirley Kung, Vice-Chair of SiS. A special note of thanks goes out to Elaina De Luca, Laura Langmaid, Anna Liu, and Dianne Mowat for assisting Shirley with the planning, coordination, and preparation for the event. Thanks to all those who helped out at the SiS booth by selling raffle tickets and Solidarity Cookbooks. Together we raised over $400 for Nellies.
Last but not least, a special thank you to all of the members and elected representatives who took time out of their busy schedules to join us at this event. Thank you for celebrating International Women’s Day with us and thank you for making the event a great success!

Pensioners Chapter meets May 6th

The Pensioners Chapter will hold its fifth annual general meeting on May 6th in north Toronto.

The AGM will be held in St John's York Mills Anglican Church at 19 Don Ridge Drive in Toronto, in the York Mills/Yonge area (see map). Map to Pensioners Chapter meeting

The highlight of the meeting will be a presentation by Jim Murray, Bell Canada pensioner and past president of the Canadian Federation of Pensioners, who was appointed to the Ontario Advisory Council on Pensions last year. His talk, “How secure is your company pension?” will explain why the Pension Benefits Act is out of date, and will bring attendees up to date on proposed provincial and federal changes to Canadian pension regimes, (non )solvency issues, and what pensioners and those who are soon to be pensioners might do to influence required reforms.

Members of the Society who are not members of the Pensioners Chapter may attend for the discussion, but may not vote.

The Chapter will also hold elections for two vacant positions in the 2009-2011 Executive.

Members of the Chapter or others planning to attend are asked to RSVP at pensionerschapter@thesociety.ca, or by phoning the Society office at x.4000.

Kill a worker, go to jail

The Ontario Federation of Labour is stepping up its campaign to encourage provincial officials to enforce criminal sanctions when workers in Ontario die on the job.

“[The criminal sanctions of] Bill C-45 must become routinely integrated into provincial responses to death and injury,” said OFL President Sid Ryan in a letter to OFL members. “Too many irresponsible employers and managers will only get the message when they too have their futures at stake.”

Last December, four workers were killed and one severely injured when the scaffold on which they were repairing apartment balconies broke apart, sending the workers crashing 13 storeys to the ground. Ryan has since demanded that Attorney General Chris Bentley establish a criminal investigation into the violations of safety regulations and procedures that led to the “accident.”

The OFL is requesting of all affiliates and members that when any worker is killed in their community they report it to the OFL. The OFL has set up a special e-mail address to which such reports can be directed: killaworkergotojail@ofl.ca.

Bill C-45 was passed by Parliament in 2004 as one response to the 26 deaths at the Westray Mine in 1992. It makes criminal charges against officials of employers easier to pursue when industrial accidents result in injuries or deaths.

Criminal charges relating to Ontario workplaces must be approved by the Attorney General, but they are seldom pursued. Instead, the government usually defers to the procedures in the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Society sisters go WILD!

Society women are making international connections, and becoming world-class union leaders and activists.

In March, Inergi Unit Director Dianne Mowat and Vertex Local VP Tracy Miller participated in the seventh annual Women in Leadership Development (WILD) Conference in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Says Miller:

It was great to reconnect with women from five different IFPTE locals who attended the IFPTE Convention last summer. We were able to hear what each local is doing to start a chapter of Sisters in Solidarity, the IFPTE Women’s Committee.

The WILD Conference was sponsored by the New Jersey Chapter of the AFL-CIO, aiming to bring together union women from diverse generational, geographical, and occupational backgrounds to share ideas and experiences. Over 200 women travelled from the United Kingdom, Rhode Island, Delaware, Manitoba, Ontario, and, of course, New Jersey to take part.

The women involved learned about using self-care, communication, coaching, and networking as tools for empowering women in the labour movement.

Workshops covered:

integrating technology into organizing, with a view to ensuring messaging is relevant to young workers; and
reaching union goals through mentoring, with emphasis on the importance of listening and being open to new concepts and ideas, regardless of the age of the person promoting them.

There was also a discussion of the importance of health. “Good Health is Our Most Treasured Asset,” noted the leaders of a presentation on the subject. They noted that women leaders and mentors in the labour movement need to make sure their continued good health is a priority, no matter how busy their schedules.

In a report to the Society Executive Board, Mowat and Miller noted, “Regardless of whom you spoke with and where they were from the main issues on the table are protection of good jobs, threats of privatization, and protecting pensions, health care, and benefits.”

Meet Mike Belmore

The Society’s newest employee is Mike Belmore.

Mike has been hired as a temporary employee to be the staff resource for the Society’s external relations program and campaigns.

Mike has been active in the labour movement since the late 90s, and comes to the Society with a long list of qualifications, skills, and accomplishments.

New Society Staff Officer Mike Belmore

His previous employment was with the Ontario Federation of Labour, where he coordinated special projects and communications. Among other things, Mike designed, developed, and implemented large multi-affiliate and community campaigns such as the “Communities that Work” campaign, last year’s “Drive to Work Caravan” (see Newscast 2009:02), the “Together it Works” economic plan, and the “Ontario: Open for the People” regulatory transparency project.

Why the Society? Mike says:

I’ve been watching the Society over the last five years or so, as you joined the OFL and broadened your outreach to the rest of the labour movement, I’ve come in contact with a number of your folks, and I’ve been impressed. It’s a place that’s evolving in interesting ways, and a good opportunity.

Leaving graduate work in clinical psychology in 1997, Mike joined Stelco to work as a group leader in Stelco’s Frost Works in Hamilton. Before two years were up, Mike had become president of the United Steelworkers (USW) Local at the plant, and led the Local through two changes in ownership, two receivership proceedings, and two not surprisingly difficult rounds of collective bargaining. He also worked as an organizer of special projects for the USW’s District 6, working on campaigns in a variety of sectors—e.g. manufacturing, social services, post-secondary education— with people from many different ethnicities, cultures, and languages.

He then worked with UNITE-HERE as a regional coordinator in the Niagara region, involved in organizing, servicing locals, and devising and implementing campaigns. As a result of his efforts, membership involvement was greatly increased, and the Local became a significant force in regional politics.

Mike received a BA in psychology from Queen’s University, and has done graduate work in both clinical psychology (Windsor) and labour studies (McMaster). He holds a certificate in alternative dispute resolution from York and Brock Universities. He has a special interest in the utility of Web 2.0 and social networking, and media functionalities in organizing and campaigning. He is also a skilled educator, with, among other things, experience as an instructor in the joint McMaster University/Mohawk College/Hamilton District Labour Council labour studies certificate program.

Mike can’t think of any single event that was his most rewarding moment in the movement:

As an organizer, any time people in a workplace have for the first time a chance to vote on something, and have a chance to have some influence on their workplace, and all that matters is what they think—that's the kind of thing that inspires me, and drew me to this work.

Mike was raised in and continues to live in Hamilton, with wife Jaime, son Elijah, two-and-a-half, and daughter Scarlett, seven months. If he had any time, he says, he wouldn’t mind getting back the gym and playing some squash. But he doesn’t. Have time.

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