—ON THE PICKET LINE—

Maggie Trowe, Editor

 

Aerospace strikers stand firm against union busting in Quebec

GRAND-MÈRE, Quebec — “After 14 months on strike, not one member has crossed the picket line,” said Alexandre Maranger, president of Unifor Local 1209, talking in the strike trailer near the Delastek aerospace parts factory May 30.

“They are trying to get rid of our union” by replacing production workers with people from the research and development department, added local vice-president Steve Vézina.

The 50 production workers struck when their contract expired April 1, 2015. Strikers say that since they unionized in 2003, Delastek bosses have been threatening to move production overseas.

Other issues in the strike are wages and safety conditions. The starting wage is CA$10.70 an hour, and the average just CA$12 an hour (CA$1=US$0.78). “This time we had no choice but to strike, because the conditions are so bad, and Delastek doesn’t treat us with any respect,” said Vézina. The owner, Claude Lessard, has publicly called the strikers “savages” and “assholes.”

The strikers, who receive a union stipend of CA$250 a week, have won support from other members of Unifor and other unions. Last December there was a solidarity march of 500 through Grand-Mère, in February United Steelworkers Local 9700 donated CA$30,000 to the strike fund, and about 40 strikers joined the May Day union march in Montreal.

Delastek turned down a request to comment.

Donations and solidarity messages can be sent to: Section locale 1209-Unifor, 2040, rue Munro, Trois-Rivières (Quebec), G8Y 4K5. E-mail: alexandremaranger@gmail.com.

— John Steele

L.A. port truckers and warehouse workers strike, connect fights

WILMINGTON, California — Port truck drivers carried out their 13th strike in two years at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach May 31-June 6. The strike targeted XPO, Intermodal Bridge Transport and K&R Transportation, and expanded to XPO in San Diego June 3. The bosses claim the drivers are “independent contractors” to deny their right to unionize.

At the same time, warehouse workers at California Cartage Co. held their fourth strike against the company. The drivers at K&R, who haul cargo for Cal Cartage and are on strike for the first time, joined with the warehouse workers on the picket line.

“They say it is my truck, but it’s not,” Manuel Rios, who has worked 23 years as a truck driver for K&R, told the Militant at a spirited rally of 200 port workers and supporters outside the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners meeting in Wilmington June 2. “I’ve never had a load with my name on it. It always says K&R.” Dozens of workers went into the meeting to explain their fight.

The Cal Cartage workers are demanding direct hiring, job placement by seniority and improved conditions. On April 30 the company forced all temporary workers, who are the majority, to apply at a new agency. Between 75 and 100 were not rehired.

“The gal that ran the old staffing agency runs the new one,” said striker Steve Hatch on the picket line June 1. “They’re still bringing in new people every day and telling others it’s slow.”

Many workers who did not strike greeted their co-workers on the picket line with handshakes and thumbs up. One woman stuck her fist out of the window of her car and said, “That’s what I’m talking about! Strike!”

— Deborah Liatos

 
 
Related articles:
‘We’re fed up with two-tier pay,’ say aerospace workers
Oregon oil train crash highlights danger of smaller crew
Farmworker convention discusses fights to build union  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home