President's message on 2006 Negotiations at CP
 Brothers and Sisters,
In early July, 2006 we will present the company with our demands
for the new contract on CP Rail, which will begin January 1, 2007.
This is less than eight months away and there is plenty to do to
prepare.
Over the next few months you will see me, joining your Directors,
at quite a few local lodge meetings, gathering input from the membership.
If there is one thing that I've learned in my years as a Union
officer, it is that all true direction comes from the membership.
I have learned that we should not try to tell the membership what
they want, we should ask them. And I will be asking you. I am asking
you now to send in your ideas and article "3"'s (many
already have) and I will be discussing the issues with you in person.
So will your other officers.
I am hoping to have the negotiating team selected and in place
by March, so that we can begin the process of going through the
hundreds of demands and forming a battle plan to achieve the goals
you set for us. Because, never kid yourself, it is an adversarial
arena in there... a battle that we can never afford to lose.
Two things that I believe you already understand, but bear repeating.
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First,
we are planning to have rank and file members on the team.
From different regions, taking into consideration that we
want to have a group signifying various departments. But
there will not be more than four (4) rank and file members
and as you
are aware, there are hundreds of good people out there. As
much as the previous negotiating team did a fantastic job,
we are going
to change the roster to allow others the opportunity to sit
at the main table. This was a hard decision for me, as I've
said,
the previous team did exceptional work and gained very much
needed esperience. However, to be directly involved in bargaining
at the
main table is every trade unionist's dream, and I feel that
it is important that we allow other capable people to have
that chance.
The previous team will be involved... in conference calls,
for advice and as alternates, if a member can't make it for
any reason,
but we will be choosing new members over the next few months.
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Secondly,
we are expecting hundreds of demands, and even though many
will be duplicated, there will still be too many to include
all of them.
However,
we will give careful consideration to everyone and will work hard
to
prioritize and harvest the most needed and attainable of those we
recieve.
I predict that
this round of negotiations will be an extremely hard round. Many
of the company's best negotiators and decision
makers are getting ready for retirement and will not be around
when it gets close to making a deal. You may feel that we will
do well with inexperienced or "green" negotiators on
the company side, but it is the opposite that is usually true.
To get a good deal, you need to be facing adversaries that know "the
art of the possible", that can find their way around or
over or under hurdles to get us what we need to sign. And they
have to have the ability to see what it is that we need... what
is important to us. They cannot be so arrogant or elitist that
they just refuse because we are asking for it. And believe me,
I have seen this attitude from the hierarchy of the Railway's
executive. I have seen them look down on us, dismiss our arguments
as if we were less than them becuase our wages did not put us
in the 6 figure range or because we did not wear iron pinky rings.
I once had a company officer say to me, while we were in heated
debate that he would not lose an argument to a "track monkey".
Nice saying, isn't it. It sure opened my eyes to how they percieved
us. Well, I have another saying, one that I like much better.
And one that will give them insight into what we are really like.
"
Do not demand what you are unwilling or unable to take by force ".
And that is a saying that this "track monkey" is going
to put to the test, if need be.
A company negotiator must also be able, and willing, to make
decisions without running over to get their "bosses" OK
every five minutes. They must be able to understand what we are
asking for, have the knowledge to know whether it is possible
and the authority to sign off on it. They must also keep their
word because trust, at least rudimentary trust, is integral to
proper bargaining.
This round will also be difficult because of the contract that
the IBEW signed. Here are some of the lowest points of a contract
full of low points:
-
A
five year term.
-
A
reduction to 3% in the 5th year.
-
The
company has gained the right to select Foremen.
-
The
company can fill 50% of their vacancies with graduates of college
signals
course "new hires".
-
Co-payment
on benefit premiums.
"Pattern bargaining" is
a reality. The company has constantly tried to force us to accept
the unacceptable articles that other
Unions sign for (but never in my knowledge has a rail Union signed
for so amny unacceptable articles). Look at the wish list above
and realize that the company will also be going for relaxed seniority
territories and the right change work schedules as they see fit
(in other words 8 and 6 for the gangs and the disappearance of
Sunday as a rest day). When you put it all together, it will probably
be a very ugly document that they try to force on us.
I do not like concessionary bargaining (the giving up of already
established rights and benefits, to achieve new rights and beneftis).
I believe that we deserve much better than we are getting and
I intend to get it for you without giving up what we already
have. Labour has always been put pushed into the back seat by
management, and I do not think that we can afford to give up
anything. Though it may mean that we have to fight hard for what
we already have or deserve, we must be willing to do so. And
I know that we are.
As the late Samuel Gompers, first President of the AFL-CIO once stated,
" What shall the workers do? Sit idly by and see the vast resources of nature
and the human mind be utilized and monopolized for the benefit of the comparative
few? No. The labourers must learn to think and act, and soon, too, that only
by the power of organization and common concert of action can either their
manhood be maintained, their rights to life be recognized, and liberty and
rights secured."
Though no one wants a strike, sometimes job actions are unavoidable. Hopefully,
this round will not force us to go there, but the possibility always exists
and we must be ready and remember, If we are forced to strike, it is best to
be there in the winter.
But it is not our wish to get into a strike. We will try to convince the company
to be reasonable without withdrawing our services and if we're lucky, we'll
succeed. After all, we have not had to hit the bricks for over a decade.
All things in the Labour movement come slowly. I wish it were otherwise and
we will always work to try to achieve your goals as quickly as possible, but
it is an uphill struggle. We are pulling the weight of decades of contracts
behind us and for us to achieve more, the company will have to cut into their
profits.
From the demands already sent in, the following are the most prevalent issues:
-
Wages.
We still have the lowest paid classifications in the company.
We need proper compensation.
-
Protection
against permanent reductions and the re-establishment of permanent
positions.
-
The
re-establishment of the B&B department.
-
The
re-introduction of training and apprentice programs.
-
An
increase on the pension formula.
-
A
proper mileage allowance for weekend travel and a mileage allowance
for members who
have to drive on
a daily basis.
-
The
removal of supervisors from the seniority lists.
I realize that this is quite generic but it is still early and
we have just begun to get them in. I will get you a more specific
(though not complete) list later in the spring. Though we will
not exchange demands until the first week of July, we want to be
proactive not reacive. We want you to be prepared, we want to be
prepared ourselves and we want to insure that the company understands
that we are prepared and that we are resolved. Maybe that will
cut through some of the bull and we can get down to business early
without the jousting and jostling for position. It should be easy
to figure out whether we can get a deal within the first few months
and that will still give us a few months of conciliation to help
us, prior to the expiration of our current contract on December
31, 2006.
That's it for now, Brothers and Sisters, we'll keep you informed
as things progress, and don't forget to get your article "3"'
s discussed at your next lodge meeting and then sent in to us.
Stay safe and stay healthy. Proud, United and Strong.
Fraternally,
Bill Brehl
President
TCRC MWED
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