23 March 2005
Talks at CanWest daily
will likely go to
11th hour
Three unions would go on strike
to preserve early-retirement deal
Windsor Typographical Union | TNG Canada
Local 30553
Negotiations to renew three collective
agreements at The Windsor Star are expected to go down to
the wire next month.
Mediation talks are scheduled for April 19-21 and both sides
will be in a free position — when a strike or lockout
would be legal — on April 22. The Joint Council that
bargains on behalf of the three unions at the newspaper will
be going into the talks heavily armed: it won 98-per-cent
support overall in separate strike votes held Sunday.
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James Thompson
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James Thompson, president of the Windsor
Typographical Union, says management at the newspaper, owned
by CanWest Global Corporation, has done the same dance for
years. "They don't get serious until the deadline looms."
The company is, once again, attempting to excise from the
three contracts an early-retirement provision for employees
with sufficient years of service to quit working at age 60
and for five years collect half wages and full benefits.
At age 65, the employee is officially retired and collects
a full pension.
Thompson says his 50 members who
work in the mailroom "are
determined to get what they want." They made that clear
on Sunday, voting 100 per cent in favour of a strike mandate.
Members of the Canadian Auto Workers (which represents about
150 employees in reader sales and service, editorial, advertising
and the business office), and the Communications Energy and
Paperworkers union (with about 20 employees in the pressroom)
are equally adamant they won't back down.
"Early retirement has always been a stickler," says
Thompson. "We'll never give that up."
TNG Canada Staff Representative David
Esposti says he is pessimistic about the situation in Windsor.
Talks following expiration of the three contracts on Dec.
31 "didn't
go well." Following two fruitless days of conciliation
last week, a No Board report was issued.
Esposti says the company, aware that it has an aging workforce,
made it clear during bargaining three years ago that it saw
the early-retirement provision as being too costly. He says
he believes the newspaper might dig in its heels this time
around.
Thompson says the unions are asking for a three-year agreement,
with wage increases of five per cent in each year. The company
has offered a six-per-cent increase spread over five years.
Another sticking point might be benefits, says Thompson.
Employees, who currently co-pay dental plan premiums, want
the employer to pay the full shot. And the Star, which pays
100 per cent of medical plan premiums, is seeking a co-pay
deal.
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