Machinists’ News

February is Black History Month

It is the month in which we bear witness to the progress, richness and diversity of African-Canadian achievement. During the 1920’s an African American named Carter G. Woodson created and promoted Negro History Week. This period in February was chosen because it included the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976 the month-long celebration was implemented, and is a time for us all to reflect on both the history

Once again Machinists field largest group in CLC Lobby

Ottawa, ON – Tuesday morning 320 CLC delegates will descend upon MP’s on Parliament Hill for the largest Canadian Labour Congress lobby on record and once again the dominant group will come from the IAM. This time 65 Machinists will lobby parliamentarians on the need for a National Pharmacare plan, pay equity, employment insurance and pension reform to protect worker’s pensions during bankruptcy proceedings. Pension reform is of particular interest

It’s back to Parliament Hill for another CLC lobby!

Ottawa, ON – Once again the IAM delegation will form the largest contingent involved in the Canadian Labour Congress lobby next week on Parliament Hill. “We have more than 65 delegates from British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, and Nova Scotia coming to meet with parliamentarians February 5-6-7,” explained IAM Political Action Grand Lodge Representative Lou Pagrach. “We’re back to urge MP’s to support Bill C-384, introduced last fall by NDP

The race to the bottom is not where we want to be in this country!

Montréal, QC – “The race to the bottom is not where we want to be in this country,” stated Employment Minister Patty Hajdu at the end of a round table consultation with representatives of the IAM, CLC and other unions concerning changes to the federal Labour Code. The Minister spoke of how the Code needed updating to reflect current economics and work place environments. “Our biggest concern is the issue

Bombardier Wins C-Series battle!

Boeing lawsuit grounded by USITC Friday January 26, 2018 For Immediate Release Washington, D.C. – The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) has ruled in favour of Bombardier in its dispute with Boeing. “I’m floored,” said a jubilant IAM Québec Coordinator David Chartrand. “This is the best news we had in a year and I couldn’t be happier for our Québec members,” said IAM Canadian General Vice President Stan Pickthall.

Unifor decision serves only to divide the labour movement

Toronto, ON – We have learned that Unifor has elected to disaffiliate from the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). This decision taken by their National Executive Board will also result in their removal from Federations of Labour and Labour Councils across Canada. “The IAM is extremely alarmed by this decision,” said IAM Canadian General Vice President Stan Pickthall. “This decision only serves to divide the Canadian Labour movement, the impact will

Aerospace Policy discussions highlight site visit!

Montréal, QC – If you’re going to create an aerospace policy for the IAM in Canada, there’s no better place to start than at Bombardier in Montreal. During his first site visit of 2018, Canadian GVP Stan Pickthall met with the leadership of IAM Local Lodge 712, IAM District Lodge 11, IAM Quebec Coordinator David Chartrand and IAM Aerospace Coordinator Gerald Tremblay, to begin developing a policy. “There’s more to

Tim Horton’s rolls up the grim!

Toronto, On – Tim Hortons, the iconic Canadian coffee retailer, is in the throes of a public relations disaster in Ontario. On January 1st, the Ontario government raised the minimum wage to $14.00 an hour and numerous Tim Horton outlets including two owned by heirs to the donut empire, Ron Joyce Jr and Jeri Lyn Horton-Joyce, immediately took punitive measures against their employees. They began to eliminate workers paid breaks,

It’s that time of year again for a Federal Lobby!!

Over the last few years, the IAM has been the major participant in the CLC Parliament Hill Lobby Days. Let’s continue to hit above our weight and make Lobby Days 2018 even more successful! Four topics are being considered for inclusion in the lobby day; including pharmacare, pay equity, pension and bankruptcy reform, and employment insurance. The registration is now open for the CLC lobby day on February 6, 2018.

Bill 148 Update: a long overdue Reform for Ontario Workers!

With the adoption and Royal Assent of Bill 148, changes to the Employment Standard Act (ESA) and the Labour Relations Act (LRA), workers in Ontario will enjoy many work related improvements and see their working conditions improve significantly. These major changes came about due to a lot of pressure on the current Liberal government by organized labour. Although some of our suggested changes did not make it to the final