The strike by members of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE) began after garment workers narrowly rejected for the second time a contract offer by the Men's Clothing Manufacturers Association (MCMA). The second proposal improved by a nickel the initial wage hike of 40 cents an hour over a three-year contract. Most workers earn between $7.25 and $8.40 an hour (Can$1=US 63 cents). In previous negotiations, the MCMA offer has added up to 75 cents an hour over three years, although not without a fight.

The latest offer, which had been recommended by the union leadership, also contained concession clauses around vacations. The bosses are pushing to calculate vacation pay, which had formerly been based on both weekly earnings and seniority, as a percentage of gross earnings. Many workers fear that shorter workweeks, which are becoming increasingly common with the slowdown of the economy in North America, could significantly reduce vacation earnings, something that had been fought for in earlier struggles.

Another clause opposed by the union members would allow bosses to force workers who extend their vacations without authorization to be rehired as new employees. In most shops, such authorizations are extended to a select few workers. As a result, it has become common practice for many workers, particularly immigrants, to take extra time during a two-week summer shutdown in order to travel more cheaply on weekday flights to their country of origin.

Past contracts allowed bosses to impose a hefty monetary penalty, paid with deductions from a worker's paycheck, for unauthorized extensions. This much-hated policy was removed from the bosses' latest contract offer, but workers fear the companies will now use the remaining clause to fire or take away seniority from whomever they choose.

Although morale remains high, many strikers express concern that some companies in the bosses' association will attempt to sign separate agreements--breaking in fact what has been a tradition of single negotiation for the many thousands of workers in this section of the industry in Quebec. This has both meant the full power of this section of garment workers could be brought to bear in strike action and has helped to maintain similar wages and working conditions at union plants, especially through the massive and successful strikes of 1975, 1986–87, and 1998.

During the 1998 strike, the MCMA broke apart when the bosses at Jack Victor bolted from the association and settled with the local union. Then the other shops in the association quickly settled with the same offer, a significant step back from their initial demand for major concessions. That strike lasted two weeks, with the exception of Samuelsohn, where workers stayed out for one more week.

This time around the bosses at a small firm that subcontracts for the bigger plants, left the MCMA, and struck a separate four-year agreement with the local union. Unconfirmed reports say that workers at three other plants have settled as well. The contents of these contracts are not known to the strikers.

Under the impact of these reports, and the way in which the last negotiations ended, some workers at Jack Victor have begun circulating a petition on the picket line and in the union hall calling on the bosses at Jack Victor to leave the association and negotiate separately with the local union. Although many strikers have signed the petition, others have refused, reflecting a disagreement that already existed at the beginning of the strike.

Those who signed the petition said that the strike wasn't going anywhere and that given the slowdown in the economy the bosses wouldn't offer any more. A heated discussion continues to take place on the picket line and in the union hall.

"We have to stick together. It's the only power we have," said Christian Allendes, a cutting-room worker on strike at Jack Victor, "This society makes us act as individuals, but we need to be more conscious that when we do that it only helps the capitalists to divide and weaken us."

"I first signed the petition because I didn't realize what it meant," said a presser at Jack Victor who didn't want to be named, "but afterwards, I changed my mind. Now that we have been on strike for two weeks, we have to go all the way. We have to keep fighting."

Discussions on all the picket lines have continued to deepen as union members have sought to maintain and strengthen their unity in face of the MCMA refusal to negotiate a better wage offer or to withdraw any concession demands.

Sylvie Charbin is a sewing machine operator and Nathan Cecckin is a presser. Both are members of UNITE on strike at Jack Victor.  
 
 
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