I'd like to take a moment to wish the best of the season to all Carpenters, Scaffolders and other Tradespeople in our Province and in all of North America - to all of the men and women who work in the same trade as the carpenter whose birth we celebrate at this time. I know the challenge continues for many working families as we weather this global recession that was certainly no fault of working people. The news we have been hearing from around North America about climate change and the economy has not been good news but we are proud of the work we do. We will pull though this, and we have pride that is expressed in our families, our homes, our jobs, our union, and our hearts this season.
I would especially like to thank those tradespeople who have joined us or remained with CMAW in spite of adverse economic times. I sincerely hope that all our differences of opinion in our union can be resolved in the seasonal spirit of peace and harmony. Some of our Brothers and Sisters around North America continue to try to make the UBCJA more democratic and sometimes at a great personal cost to themselves. Thank you for your efforts. We here in Beautiful British Columbia are actively resisting raids by that same union that has lost its way as it tries to undermine our glowing light of Canadian autonomy - and just like the three wise men who followed a bright light on Christmas Eve so long ago, we will make that light our destination.
I would like to extend a challenge this holiday season to all Canadian members of the UBCJA to join us and help us build a big strong, democratic, Canadian union for Carpenters and other Tradespeople - a union that works for its members - not against them. Rise up. Be brave. Call us at (604) 437-0471. My best wishes to all of you for a safe and enjoyable holiday and a prosperous entry into 2010.
Work safe
Jan Noster
CMAW President
CMAW.CA
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
and the cancer spreads...
Already the Canadian Association of Skilled Trades (CAST) is shopping the substandard UBCJA agreement to any employer that can drool over having 100% name request, no jurisdictional issues, pay what they feel like depending on workers appearance and complete freedom to sub-contract work. Download the CAST-work4nothing.pdf - better pour yourself a brewski first
Building Delusions at the Carpenters
read full article by Richard Dorrough at Labor Notes
At its September convention, the AFL-CIO passed Resolution 70 unanimously, which announces that if the UBC doesn’t return to the AFL-CIO and stop raiding other building trades unions, an AFL-chartered organizing committee will start bringing carpenters into the federation.
Perhaps McCarron is counting on leaders in the AFL-CIO trades to stick to their promises made from the convention floor, where they declared that the newly chartered locals will not organize those already affiliated with another union.
But if the UBC loses members to an AFL-CIO threat that turns out to be real, it is directly due to the policies and rules instituted by McCarron and his cronies.
DAILY RAIDS
The UBC attempts to raid the work of our fellow brother and sister union trades people on a daily basis. Their livelihood and paychecks are under constant attack. Yet McCarron claims that there is no problem and that all the trades are working together.
McCarron’s idea of working together is “wall to wall” contracts the Carpenters are trying to negotiate in which all trades are under their control. Other trades have spent millions of their membership’s hard-earned wages to fight off the UBC attacks on their work. Under McCarron’s cut-throat unionism his own Carpenters have been reduced, by his command, to piecework and severely reduced wages. His membership languishes on out-of-work lists for months at a time. Is this “all trades working together”?
At its September convention, the AFL-CIO passed Resolution 70 unanimously, which announces that if the UBC doesn’t return to the AFL-CIO and stop raiding other building trades unions, an AFL-chartered organizing committee will start bringing carpenters into the federation.
Perhaps McCarron is counting on leaders in the AFL-CIO trades to stick to their promises made from the convention floor, where they declared that the newly chartered locals will not organize those already affiliated with another union.
But if the UBC loses members to an AFL-CIO threat that turns out to be real, it is directly due to the policies and rules instituted by McCarron and his cronies.
DAILY RAIDS
The UBC attempts to raid the work of our fellow brother and sister union trades people on a daily basis. Their livelihood and paychecks are under constant attack. Yet McCarron claims that there is no problem and that all the trades are working together.
McCarron’s idea of working together is “wall to wall” contracts the Carpenters are trying to negotiate in which all trades are under their control. Other trades have spent millions of their membership’s hard-earned wages to fight off the UBC attacks on their work. Under McCarron’s cut-throat unionism his own Carpenters have been reduced, by his command, to piecework and severely reduced wages. His membership languishes on out-of-work lists for months at a time. Is this “all trades working together”?
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Some unions don't act like unions at all
click to read full CMAW article
* They don’t protect the interests of their members.
* They don’t come to your aid when you need help.
* Their agreements with employers protect the boss’s rights, not member rights
* They tell their employers one thing, then tell their members something else.
The annual raiding period is coming, and you will be hearing from some of these unions. It could be the International Carpenters who go by the name BC regional Council of Carpenters. It could be their cousins, who go by the name CAST. It could be the painters union.
* They don’t protect the interests of their members.
* They don’t come to your aid when you need help.
* Their agreements with employers protect the boss’s rights, not member rights
* They tell their employers one thing, then tell their members something else.
The annual raiding period is coming, and you will be hearing from some of these unions. It could be the International Carpenters who go by the name BC regional Council of Carpenters. It could be their cousins, who go by the name CAST. It could be the painters union.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
UBCJA substandard scaffold agreement
download the pdf - what a crock!
download the worst union agreement ever created; the UBCJA Canada substandard scaffold agreement is heading your way as the new industry standard; it does not dispatch, it sends you to the job to be interviewed and you could be rejected or your wages cut on appearance alone. it allows 100% name requests. it lets the signatory contractor sub-contract to the non-union as well. it makes clac and labor ready look progressive. 2bizarre.
download the worst union agreement ever created; the UBCJA Canada substandard scaffold agreement is heading your way as the new industry standard; it does not dispatch, it sends you to the job to be interviewed and you could be rejected or your wages cut on appearance alone. it allows 100% name requests. it lets the signatory contractor sub-contract to the non-union as well. it makes clac and labor ready look progressive. 2bizarre.
A different view outside AFL-CIO’s big tent
read the full article from Oct. 6, 2009 at the Las Vegas Sun
The fight goes back to 2001, when the carpenters, under the leadership of Douglas J. McCarron, split from the country’s largest labor federation, dismissing the AFL-CIO as a lumbering bureaucracy that had failed to adapt to changes in the modern construction industry.
The carpenters pledged to organize nonunion workers through so-called “wall-to-wall” agreements, designed to place all workers on a project under the carpenters umbrella. Such pacts, however, effectively meant poaching members from other trades, thus setting up jurisdictional warfare across the country.
After years of fighting, the battle seemingly came to a head in August at the painters union convention in Las Vegas. Painters officials called on the AFL-CIO to condemn what they called the carpenters’ “predatory behavior” and asked the federation’s new leader, Richard Trumka, to help them fight back.
Delegates exclaimed in unison: “It’s about time!”
The AFL-CIO responded at its convention in Pittsburgh last month, passing a resolution urging the carpenters to rejoin the federation. Failing that, the AFL-CIO gave its Building and Construction Trades Department permission to start organizing carpenters — with the ultimate goal of forming a competing carpenters union.
The fight goes back to 2001, when the carpenters, under the leadership of Douglas J. McCarron, split from the country’s largest labor federation, dismissing the AFL-CIO as a lumbering bureaucracy that had failed to adapt to changes in the modern construction industry.
The carpenters pledged to organize nonunion workers through so-called “wall-to-wall” agreements, designed to place all workers on a project under the carpenters umbrella. Such pacts, however, effectively meant poaching members from other trades, thus setting up jurisdictional warfare across the country.
After years of fighting, the battle seemingly came to a head in August at the painters union convention in Las Vegas. Painters officials called on the AFL-CIO to condemn what they called the carpenters’ “predatory behavior” and asked the federation’s new leader, Richard Trumka, to help them fight back.
Delegates exclaimed in unison: “It’s about time!”
The AFL-CIO responded at its convention in Pittsburgh last month, passing a resolution urging the carpenters to rejoin the federation. Failing that, the AFL-CIO gave its Building and Construction Trades Department permission to start organizing carpenters — with the ultimate goal of forming a competing carpenters union.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The Situational Ethics of Union ‘Raiding’
read the full article by Steve Early at Talking Union:
The 500,000-member UBC left the AFL ahead of other CTW unions, saying its per capita dues were being wasted on ineffective “New Voice” programs launched by the now-departed John Sweeney. Then, in 2005, the Carpenters joined CTW. Then, last Fall—in a development concealed by CTW until this month–the UBC stopped paying dues to Stern’s new federation as well.
A week ago, McCarron made it official—he has quit Change To Win, several steps ahead of John Wilhelm’s UNITE-HERE, which reaffiliated with the AFL-CIO yesterday.
In the meantime, McCarron’s critics say, he has been undercutting AFL construction unions by offering contractors wall-to-wall labor agreements designed to replace other skilled tradesmen with his own members, who will be employed for less pay under more “flexible” work rules.
Not surprisingly, this has made his fellow building tradesmen–plus manufacturing and even public employee unionists–quite irate.
Mike Sullivan, general president of the Sheet Metal Workers, was among those convention delegates who denounced the Carpenters and bemoaned the “millions of dollars” spent “defending the rights of members who don’t want to be in their union.”
The 500,000-member UBC left the AFL ahead of other CTW unions, saying its per capita dues were being wasted on ineffective “New Voice” programs launched by the now-departed John Sweeney. Then, in 2005, the Carpenters joined CTW. Then, last Fall—in a development concealed by CTW until this month–the UBC stopped paying dues to Stern’s new federation as well.
A week ago, McCarron made it official—he has quit Change To Win, several steps ahead of John Wilhelm’s UNITE-HERE, which reaffiliated with the AFL-CIO yesterday.
In the meantime, McCarron’s critics say, he has been undercutting AFL construction unions by offering contractors wall-to-wall labor agreements designed to replace other skilled tradesmen with his own members, who will be employed for less pay under more “flexible” work rules.
Not surprisingly, this has made his fellow building tradesmen–plus manufacturing and even public employee unionists–quite irate.
Mike Sullivan, general president of the Sheet Metal Workers, was among those convention delegates who denounced the Carpenters and bemoaned the “millions of dollars” spent “defending the rights of members who don’t want to be in their union.”
Building Trades United in Fight Against Carpenters Union Raiding
read full article and watch movie at Building Trades News
The Carpenters who supported both George Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger, have been used their political clout with the anti-union politicians in Sacramento in order to get the California Apprenticeship Commission to approve state funding and certification for a Carpenters Union apprenticeship program to train Plasterers.
“[The Carpenters] are trying to position themselves politically with a dangerous foe. These politicians are no friends to labor,” said Ernersto “Ernie” Penuelas, Business Agent with Iron Workers Local 433. “The Carpenters are trying align themselves with people who carry a big stick in order to get favoritism for what they are trying to do, which is—in the opinion of a lot people—to take over the entire Building Trades and make it one big Carpenters union.”
The Carpenters who supported both George Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger, have been used their political clout with the anti-union politicians in Sacramento in order to get the California Apprenticeship Commission to approve state funding and certification for a Carpenters Union apprenticeship program to train Plasterers.
“[The Carpenters] are trying to position themselves politically with a dangerous foe. These politicians are no friends to labor,” said Ernersto “Ernie” Penuelas, Business Agent with Iron Workers Local 433. “The Carpenters are trying align themselves with people who carry a big stick in order to get favoritism for what they are trying to do, which is—in the opinion of a lot people—to take over the entire Building Trades and make it one big Carpenters union.”
Monday, November 23, 2009
IUPAT Introduces 'Carpenters' Resolution at AFL-CIO Convention
read full article by Sheila Cherry of BNA at Newsvine
Proponents of the resolution (Resolution 70) accused the Carpenters of raiding the members of building trades unions. The Carpenters have 'acted in a manner inconsistent with the principles of solidarity, to the detriment of other building trades unions and the organized construction industry,' according to the resolution.
Proponents of the resolution (Resolution 70) accused the Carpenters of raiding the members of building trades unions. The Carpenters have 'acted in a manner inconsistent with the principles of solidarity, to the detriment of other building trades unions and the organized construction industry,' according to the resolution.
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