2017

Lakehead Motors owner goes on vacation – abdicates responsibility

8 August, 2017 For immediate release Thunder Bay, ON – IAM members in Thunder Bay remain on strike as the owner of Lakehead Motors has gone on vacation. “This is serious business,” said Pete Topetto, Directing Business Representative of IAM Local Lodge 1120 in Thunder Bay, “and the owner is pretending that by going away, the problem doesn’t exist,” he said. Local Lodge 1120 has been on strike since August

Machinists ratify new deal with Half-Way Mazda Motors

Wednesday 9 August, 2017 For Immediate Release Thunder Bay, ON – Half-Way Mazda Motors auto dealership in Thunder Bay has ratified a new collective agreement with IAM Local Lodge 1120. The three-year agreement provides wage increases of 3 percent in the first year and 2.5 percent in the following two years for all Schedule A and Schedule C classification workers including Technicians, body men and painters. Wage increases begin in

Haiti textile workers denounce violations of ILO conventions

09.08.2017 Workers employed in the free trade export zones in Haiti have denounced violations of ILO Conventions 87 and 98 by Interamerican Wovens and Sewing International SA Workers’ organizations in Haiti, including GOSTTRA, affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, have been taking action since May to demand their labour rights. However, employers have taken reprisals in response to worker denunciations of injustices and calls for decent work. GOSTTRA says that Interamerican

The IAM welcomes the Appointment of prominent Labour Leaders to the NAFTA Advisory Council

As the first round of renegotiations of NAFTA approaches – starting on August 16 – the Liberal Government is adopting a multi-partisan and inclusive approach with the creation of the NAFTA Advisory Council. Former politicians from the entire political spectrum, along with stakeholders will be assisting the Chief Negotiator Minister Chrystia Freeland (Minister of Foreign Affairs) and her team in the challenging renegotiations of NAFTA with the United States and

IAM Local 1120 in Thunder Bay forced to go on strike for fairness

Thursday 3 August, 2017 For Immediate Release Thunder Bay, ON – IAM members at Lakehead Motors in Thunder Bay went on strike as of 2:30 pm Wednesday afternoon. The 36 members took action after the employer forced their hand by not responding to the initial Union offer. They have been in negotiations since March, when the previous agreement expired. “The main issues were those which were already resolved at many

Tunisia: comprehensive new law on violence against women

2 August 2017 On July 26, the Tunisian Parliament unanimously adopted a comprehensive law addressing all forms of violence against women, psychological and economic violence as well as physical. The law, the first of its kind in North Africa, mandates treatment for the victims and highlights the fundamental importance of education in support of the principles of human rights and gender equality. With the adoption of this law, Tunisia has

Machinists win lengthy arbitration at Flin Flon

Flin Flon, MB – An arbitration concerning a job evaluation case for some members of IAM Local Lodge 1848 employed by Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Company Limited (HUDBay) at Flin Flon, has been awarded in favour of the union. Under the terms of the collective agreement, if the employer and the Union fail to reach agreement upon any job descriptions, classification or assignment to job classifications through the procedure

Machinists ratify new deal with Pinewood Ford

Monday July 31, 2017 For Immediate Release Thunder Bay, ON – The largest auto dealership in Thunder Bay, Pinewood Ford, has ratified a new collective agreement with IAM Local Lodge 1120. The three-year agreement provides wage increases of 2.5 per cent in the first year, 2.5 per cent in the second year and 3 per cent in the third year for all Schedule A classification employees including Technicians, body men

Renegotiating NAFTA – a second chance to get it right!

Much noise has been made of the Trump administration’s “buy America” agenda. The noise on the Canadian side of the border is more of a whisper, but it is time we made our voices heard. It is time for transparency from the Canadian government on their negotiating agenda and strategy, and to ensure Canadian interests are advocated and represented. Renegotiating NAFTA gives Canadians an opportunity to aggressively pursue an agenda

Second annual DL250 Guide Dogs tournament a huge success!

Vancouver, B.C. – The IAM District Lodge 250 Guide Dogs Golf Tournament is only in its second year but the growth is remarkable the bench mark for next year will be a challenge. “We had 118 participants this year, almost double the inaugural tournament’s totals,” explained organizer DL 250 Business Representative Al Cyr. “We had tremendous response for sponsorship from the employers we represent and this helped us raise in