CEP + CAW = New Union?

This is actually rocket science!

Obviously, one of the big stories from the past month is this announcement of merger discussions between CEP and CAW. For many within our union this is already a familiar conversation. This conversation has been going on for many years dating back to the birth of CEP in 1992.

Many stories were written about this in the slow news cycle in mid-December and in many of them, the CAW was mentioned first in the headline. As a CEP member I think it is important (no matter what the outcome) to analyze why the CAW has higher name recognition when the CEP is the union that represents the majority of media workers in this country.

I agree with the analysis provided in the article. “Union president Dave Coles said the biggest issue facing CEP and CAW in any merger would be blending their “cultures.” CEP is a more decentralized union with strong local autonomy while the CAW is more centralized, he noted.”

I thought it illuminating that the Steelworkers were also quoted. In many ways, from a cultural perspective, Steel is a better fit with us but I don’t believe any of our members would wish to return to an international union.

Mid-December the CRTC confirmed a review of the Local Program Initiative Fund which has saved a number of local broadcast stations like CHCH in Hamilton and CHEK in Victoria, both members of my CEP Media One Local. This funding was the direct result of the CEP lobbying the CRTC with a positive solution as the conglomerates tried to close down small market stations. Now the CBC story reports ad revenues increased by nine per cent last year.

The other thing that keeps going up is executive compensation, especially with my employer! Even the right wing conservative commentators are starting to say it is too much and needs to be scaled back to a reasonable level.

These are my favourite pictures of the week and I thought this article was a great way to start the New Year!

The Economic Crisis Explained

This financial crisis is forcing government to make some tough decisions. If things continue for much longer, there's a real risk that we may have to lay off Jose.

Just in over the transom…

…as an old colleague use to say when an interesting tip arrived in the newsroom.

EU falls to bankers.

Here are a couple of interesting items that are related in my mind. First up, an article by Paul Craig Roberts about Goldman Sachs taking over Europe. It’s an invasion of the bankers!

Bankers Seize Europe (alethonews.wordpress.com)

The second item is an email about CETA, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. Opponents of the deal argue this is the next step in the corporate takeover of our national interests. Reading the quote below, it is hard to argue with that view.

“Canada and the European Union (EU) have completed the ninth round of negotiations toward a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Canada and the EU are committed to building on the success of negotiations thus far, where significant progress has been made across the board, including the areas of goods, services, investment, government procurement and many others. The negotiating text is now well-advanced, with many chapters closed or parked pending further development, and issues in the remaining chapters narrowed down to key differences where solutions are now being actively explored.

The parties are committed to resisting protectionist pressures in challenging economic times, and are seeking to achieve an ambitious outcome across all negotiating areas. The Government of Canada has made the CETA negotiations a priority in its international trade agenda and negotiators continue to move the negotiations forward as quickly as possible.

Both Canada and the EU are committed to maintaining the momentum of the negotiations thus far with the aim of concluding in 2012.”

That is the quote from the government web page on the treaty. Ironically, at the bottom of the page, citizens are invited to consult.

Let me tell you what kind of consultation I want. It’s called a vote.

Related articles

• Bankers Seize Europe (alethonews.wordpress.com)
• Canada Hosts Ninth Round of Negotiations Toward a Trade Agreement with European Union (news.gc.ca)
• Conference on the EU – Canada Relationship: exploring the benefits of closer ties (connectit.iccbc.com)
• Canada-EU trade deal could hurt agriculture, health sectors, MPs told (canada.com)
• Federal government closing in on trade pact with EU (vancouversun.com)
• Why Parma Ham May Stand in the Way of ACTA and CETA (michaelgeist.ca)
• Canada, EU push forward on trade pact talks (eubusiness.com)

Anyone surprised both wages and the economy down?

Is there a connection between the OECD downgrading Canada’s economy and last weeks story about real wages declining? It has always struck me as contradictory that we have a consumer economy while the rhetoric of the right spends a lot of time and effort beating up on the workers. Who do they think the consumers are and why do we think the economy will do well when business is busy cutting labour costs? There is only so much the 1% can consume. “The Trouble with Billionaires” a new book by Linda McQuaig & Neil Brooks, opens with a wonderful paragraph about how much a billion actually is. It’s beyond comprehension. And only a month ago (see article list below), the pundits predicted wages would rise!

In the face of all that, we have some wonderful collective enterprises called Unions.  I happen to be proud mine is Canadian.

If you want more information about the CEP the new organizing website is www.thinkunioncep.ca

Related articles

• Canada’s slowing economy may need rate cuts: OECD (business.financialpost.com)
• Wall Street soars despite OECD warnings on US exposure to Europe currency – Daily Mail (dailymail.co.uk)
• Chrysler CEO warns Canada of high labour costs (inautonews.com)
• Canadian paycheques failing to keep pace with cost of living (talesfromthelou.wordpress.com)
• Wage deceleration bigger factor than job growth, economists say (canada.com)
• There are bigger threats to our fragile recovery than the postal dispute (theglobeandmail.com)
• Salaries expected to rise faster than inflation next year (canada.com)
• Harper versus the unions (macleans.ca)

People Like Us…

I get quite annoyed about the portrayal of unions as special interest groups when we represent ordinary people and really, isn’t business the ultimate special interest group? Yet in our discourse, it’s turned around. Groups that represent the majority of the citizens and who want to build the country are labelled as left wing nuts while businesses who act purely in their own self interest with a short sighted market and “analysts” expectations dictate how we govern ourselves. Isn’t that backward? Shouldn’t businesses and the economy serve us?

And I have a whole rant about analysts who know little about actual industry and nothing of the regulatory regimes who are happy to spout their right wing viewpoint of the financial markets in ignorance of reality while dismissing anyone who dares to disagree.

I enjoyed this article from John Cheese on “Occupy” and here is another CEP Organizing video.

Always Remember…

This is what my eight year old daughter Liv wrote for Remembrance Day.

“Remember the people who fought for us, the people who gave up their lives just so we didn’t have to dodge bombs and so your lullaby wasn’t bombs and guns going off.”

They fought and died for us. We carry on the struggle so their sacrifice was not in vain. We must always remember…

 

We Bargain. We Represent.

The week I spent in Fort McMurray was quite eye opening for me coming from the urban confines of the Lower Mainland. The people I met were amazing and spending the time in the Local union hall was also educational. This is a group of people who organized despite vicious opposition. They have a lot to be proud of already and yet they know the fight has just begun.

CEP Works Here

It’s been a little sporadic on the blog lately but this is why. I have been working on some organizing in the Western Region with the CEP. This is the first of a series of videos that we shot in Fort McMurray recently. This one is aimed (as you can probably tell) at the sisters. Enjoy!

Occupy This

It has been fascinating to watch the explosion of democracy as social media tweets information from the various “Occupy” demonstrations around the world. Equally fascinating is watching mainstream conventional television trying to cover the event. So far, in my view and for any number of reasons, they are failing to capture what is happening.

In Vancouver, where I am based, the combination of a lack of planning and imagination led to a local narrative that was focused on the demonstrations in the context of the Stanley Cup Riot 2.0 last June. The reasons for that are unclear. Is it because it is just easy or is it because the actual message of the demonstrations is one that corporate conventional television is actually extremely uncomfortable with?

The next story will be how all of this is a result of facebook and twitter with the actual coverage on youtube. It reminds me of a joke from last week’s Western region Conference where one of the speakers speculated on a merger of all three. The new entity would be called “You Twit Face”. And yet, and yet…

That social media storyline seems a tad facile too. And along with the benefits are the risks social media brings. I refer to front page newspaper stories last week where above the fold a man was wrongly accused of murder on facebook and below the fold is a story about banning men from peeing standing up which turned out was all a hoax blown out of proportion.

In light of all that, these two stories about an ending and a beginning caught my eye.The CRTC chair’s term is ending and at the New York Times the Gray Lady has it’s first female in charge. Finally, the Globe & Mail has this analysis of the “Occupy” demonstrations. So it’s not a complete failure on the part of the media, rather a plea to do better. To do more. (I note for instance, that both the pictures adorning this article were from people, one a television camera operator, the other a reporter, working for major media who tweeted them)

I think we need to concentrate on our strengths in media. On the stories that are news (and new, rather than a rehashed pastiche of yesterday’s stories). Stories like Community Living British Columbia and the commoditization of adults who are developmentally disabled. Cover the “occupy” demonstrations too. But rather than impose a story, realize it is an outpouring of frustration with the “market”. It is once again time for the government to serve the people, for citizens to control our collective fate. It is time to let business stand or fall without subsidy. It is time to add value to our own resources and take control of our own destiny rather than leave our fates in the invisible hand of transnational corporations.

More than anything, it is time to wake up. And oh, yeah. Vote!

Conservatives set to force books open

Conservatives set to table bill forcing unions to open books – The Globe and Mail.

A friend sent me this article yesterday. I responded in part by writing back…

I think it is unfortunate that Harper and the Conservatives are so angry and frightened. Angry at the unions and frightened of the criminals when the crime rate is dropping and the unions are just striving for an equitable, just society for all Canadians. It flies in the face of the outpouring of support and hope Canadians showed each other this summer when Jack Layton died.

As for opening the books, there is nothing to hide so it is another straw man that will ultimately funnel members dues into the pockets of corporate accountants (time to organize the accountants I guess!)

I know Steve and his cronies are not really frightened or even angry, that it is all a facade to maintain power. But I think back on what Tommy Douglas said, that the true measure of a government is not GDP, but what it does for its people.

I continued to think about this issue throughout the day as I listened to the various speakers at the CEP Western Region Conference. The head of Los Mineros who is a refugee in Canada because of his union activism in Mexico told us “If we allow corrupt government to break the union, they will break everyone. We must stand up and fight.” We watched an excellent video by the CCPA and Ben Parfitt on Mackenzie called “Town at the End of the Road”.

Susan Spratt from CAW addressed some of this government’s attacks on unions this past summer. Air Canada on strike for 13 hours and legislated back to work despite the company insisting they were not hurt by the labour action. 13 hours! So much for private enterprise and the free hand of the market. Postal workers legislated back to work in a lockout.

“Unions are not a special interest group,” she told us. “They represent all Canadians.” And yet, we cannot count on the labour boards (nor I might add, the regulators) to hold the country’s interests at heart. She joked about social media and the giant merger taking place between YouTube, FaceBook and Twitter. The new company will be called “You Twit Face”.

Throughout the day, many of the delegates at the well attended conference discussed the sell out of this country to a conservative marketplace ideology that does nothing but line the pockets of the few at the expense of the many.Whether it’s raw logs or bitumen, the resources of this country belong to us and we license companies to develop them. When will the responsibilities that come with the profits be fulfilled?