—ON THE PICKET LINE—

Maggie Trowe, Editor

 

Toronto Steelworkers vote to end 22-month strike against Crown

TORONTO — United Steelworkers Local 9176 members narrowly voted to approve a new six-year collective agreement with Crown Metal Packaging July 19. The vote came after a 22-month strike against company demands for steep concessions. The unionists, who received substantial solidarity from Steelworkers locals and other unions, pushed back the company’s union-busting effort to exclude a list of about three dozen union activists from returning to work and retain strikebreakers, but lost ground on other issues.

“We’re pleased that the strike’s over,” Lawrence Hay, the lead union negotiator, told the Toronto Star. “We’re not so pleased with the terms and conditions.” Referring to Crown’s attack on the union, he said, “They couldn’t destroy those folks.”

The new contract states that all striking employees may return to their jobs. It includes enhanced retirement and severance provisions for those who decide not to go back to work.

Crown, which produces beer cans, pushed through wage cuts and other takebacks. According to two workers who asked that their names not be used, the wages for the least skilled workers are cut from around $24 an hour to $16 and overtime pay rates are reduced. There will be annual pay increases of around 2 percent over the life of the contract. Crown will no longer permit a union office in the plant.

The strikers won solidarity from unions in the U.S., Britain, France, Italy and Turkey. They urged a boycott of canned beer, leafleted at provincial beer stores and picketed company board meetings.

“I’m not anxious to go out on strike again any time soon but after the solidarity shown us by other workers I will show my support for others when they go out on strike,” Sid Butt, who has worked at Crown for more than 29 years, told the Militant. “I know how important it is and I know now what they are going through.”

—Tony Di Felice and Toni Gorton

Communications Workers at AT&T in South fight for contract

ATLANTA — Members, retirees and union supporters of the Communications Workers of America Local 3204 picketed here July 17 in front of the AT&T Building. “We want a contract” and “Union yes” were among the chants at the lively picket line of 50 people.

The contract between AT&T and more than 27,000 CWA District 3 members in eight Southern states and Puerto Rico expires Aug. 8. Issues in dispute include working conditions, health care and wages. “The rally will be to show support to our bargaining team and send a strong message to AT&T that we will not accept cutbacks for our members,” read a message on the District 3 website calling the action.

Several workers carried handmade signs saying, “It’s our turn.”

“Our members are ready to go on strike if we’ve got to,” Ed Barlow, Local 3204 president, told the rally

“We don’t want to give back,” said retiree Rita Scott, who worked as a service technician. “We want a time out for the owners to get wealthy. We will fight for a contract.”

“It’s our time to get some back,” retiree Gail Hankerson told the Militant.

The bargaining team has rejected the company’s proposals to severely restrict night differential and to force technicians onto mandatory standby.

— Janice Lynn