OCTOBER 2006 199 NEWS ISSUE:

Years ago when I was a student looking for summer work the pickings were plentiful. There were plenty of jobs, and many were in the manufacturing sector with an above average rate of pay as compared to the low wages in the tourist trade. A lot of that was due to grass roots politicians who fought hard to protect the cities and the populace they represented, whether it was at the municipal, provincial or at the federal level. The names such as Niagara Falls’ Franklin Miller, Welland’s Ellis Morningstar and Mel Swart, and of course St. Catharines Joe McCaferty. They were not eloquent speakers but they had passion and a sense of citizenship that was inclusive of all social and class standings. It can be a winnable argument that none of these people forgot where they came from.

However, as times changed and our lives were consumed by the electronic age we started to make bad choices in the people we elected. Lawyers, multi-millionaires, business owners, media heads and where did that lead? Gone are the blue-collar jobs! Gone are Page Hershey, Carborundum, Ohio Brass, Atlas, Ferrante Packard, Cyanimid, Welland Chemical, American Can, Wire Weaving and Exelon just to name a few. Devastating job losses that have turned our communities from “work in; live in” to bedroom communities. The sad part is that these commuters vote in our municipal, federal and provincial riding elections and are more determined to vote for a candidate who mirrors their big city image than one who is a grass roots, community based fireball. One who thinks with the mind and gut and who is uninfluenced by buck policies that tear blue-collar work away from our homeland rather than bringing it in or protecting it.

Why is it that when Hayes Dana is facing a devastating job loss and Affinia is closing both with a combined number of 700 unemployed workers that labour is forced to go to the Jim Bradleys, Rick Dykstras and the mayors of the cities involved to beg for their involvement. Obviously the answer is an easy one! They are transparent leaders who can no effectively govern because they were never intoned to the heartbeat of what is important; “a job, a family, a home and a future.” What do you say to your best friend who has worked over twenty years at Affinia, when you see the loss and hopelessness in his eyes and you hear the sorrow in his voice when he says that he will have to leave the place he called home since childbirth and head out west hoping to start over. In the next election throw out the snake charmers and vote for guts and heart.

I would like to thank the members of our Unit who took part in the Labour Day parade and to those who attended at the hall. I would also like to extend congratulations from all our members to Iris Johnson and Mike Sacco who have announced their plans to retire in the near future. It is always gratifying knowing that someone who has given long service to their profession can finally reap the benefits.

The New Year begins with a new Executive for our unit. The following members have been elected to positions:

Engine Plant – Mark Patterson, Jeff Trudel, Tim Thompson, Dave Haywood, Julie Vottero, Phil Calcott

Components Plant – Gary Bradman (Chairperson of both plants), Mike Winterbottom (Vice-Chairperson of both plants), Larry Lowe, Ken O’Brien, Mike Teminski, Carl Pearson, Rick Arsenault

I would like to congratulate all those who were elected and to express my appreciation for a job well done to the past members of the board.

It was only a few months ago that our former Chief of Security passed away. It may seem unusual that a union member would pay homage to a former supervisor but Tom Brown was not only a superb leader and mentor of our workforce, he was also a great human being. When Tom spoke you knew it was from the heart and that his words were honest and true, there was no hidden agenda. He showed compassion for his workforce and when you were hurting, Tom was hurting. He also put his workforce before his own personal gain and stood up for his people when they were under personal attack because to Tom we were a family.

Tom Brown will be sadly missed, however, when we reminisce it is with pride because Tom was a human being who made everyone around him feel special simply by meeting the man.

When was the last time that you heard a worker say that it was a joy to come to work? Certainly very few would say it in today’s workforce. Our sincere condolences to Tom’s family and friends.

There is growing concern within our department that declining numbers of security officers on shift creates a precarious situation when it comes time to respond to emergencies. We all know that lean and mean and risk management are the norms of the new management styles but four minutes to respond to a heart attack or major accident scene is still four minutes no matter how you cut it. Fewer bodies spread thinly puts safety at the Russian Roulette formula for success.

I HOPE YOU NEVER HAVE TO FACE THAT SMOKING GUN!