Rifts developing in labour land
Toronto: A decision by the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), the largest private-sector union in Canada, to waive the right to strike in return for a smooth organizing drive at Magna International, is creating a rift in organized labour.

The issue bubbled to the surface when CUPE Ontario leader Sid Ryan loudly and publicly chastised CAW president Buzz Hargrove over the Magna deal.

"For those leaders out there who think that they've found a new way to work with the boss by giving up the right to strike�give me a break," Ryan thundered at a rally in Toronto.

United Steelworkers' Canadian director Ken Neumann said he wouldn't support a no-strike agreement like the one signed by CAW. He warned the deal might signal "a new era" for corporations who will push for similar measures.

But Hargrove defended the approach as innovative.

"This is a group of workers that don't have a union. It's not like they have a union and give up the right to strike," said Hargrove, who speaks for 250,000 members. "I would understand the criticism if we were giving it up at General Motors, but we�re not."

The new structure involves workplace elections and referenda, a dispute-settlement process and final-offer arbitration instead of work stoppages.

The approach rankles labour leaders and has sparked accusations it will undermine labour's bargaining power.

"Where I get upset is when this automatically becomes a suggestion that somehow this is a trend-setting move," said Wayne Samuelson, head of the Ontario Federation of Labour. "It�s actually going backwards."

Canadian Press

Workers end Amcam protest
Hamilton: A five-day sit-in by members of the United Steelworkers union at Amcan Castings in Hamilton and Burlington, Ont., ended when workers were assured severance would be paid.

About 70 angry workers staged a protest outside the plant Oct. 11, refusing for almost five days to allow trucks and materials to enter or leave the plant until they met with the company owners.

The agreed settlement provides $2.5 million held in an escrow account to ensure severance will be paid.

About 170 people are employed at the plant and about 100 more are currently laid off.

Canadian Press

Net benefits from Korea FTA: Emerson
Ottawa: A free trade agreement with South Korea would bring net benefits even if it costs manufacturing jobs, Trade Minister David Emerson said in response to a call from auto workers and several Ontario mayors to reject a deal.

With negotiations entering their final stages, CAW president Buzz Hargrove and municipal leaders from Ontario manufacturing towns such as Windsor, St. Catharines and Woodstock urged the minority parties to vote down the agreement when it is brought to Parliament. A new analysis forecasts more than 33,000 jobs would be shed, most in manufacturing, from such an agreement.

"I don't think you should measure everything by manufacturing jobs," Emerson said. "We've done a lot of analysis and it suggests the benefits of a good trade pact with Korea would be very substantial...a number of sectors would benefit from services right across to resource and agriculture sectors."

"The negative, to me, is manageable."

Emerson said although talks were progressing and "we're closer than we�ve ever been," he stressed that an agreement is not certain.

CAW chief economist Jim Stanford said the job losses would affect almost all sectors and all regions of Canada.

The analysis is based on a review of the impacts on imports and exports of Canada's previous five free trade agreements, and forecasts that imports from South Korea will outstrip exports to that country.

Adding to the imbalance, Canada's current top exports to the Asian country are in the low-employment resource sector, particularly mining and wood products, whereas South Korea's exports to Canada feature value-added goods such as autos, TVs and computers.

The analysis forecasts Ontario and Quebec stand to lose the most�about 17,400 jobs and 8,300 jobs respectively, mostly in the manufacturing sector. But even resource-rich provinces like Alberta and BC will lose more jobs than they gain.

Canadian Press