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"The Grassroots Mobilizing Department
of the U.S. Anti-Sweatshop Movement" 1470 Irving Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010 202-232-5002, [email protected] |
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Justice for Ontario Agricultural WorkersTAKE ACTIONSend a message on behalf of the over 100,000 Agricultural workers who do not have the basic right to join a union or bargain collectively in Ontario! The UFCW Canada, with your assistance is launching a solidarity campaign in support of mushroom workers at Rol-Land Farms in Kingsville, Ontario. A large majority of the 270 workers at this mushroom farm have chosen UFCW Canada to represent them. The mushroom farm owner, Hank VanderPol, indicated that the lack of legislation for agricultural workers in Ontario as his excuse for refusing to recognize the union. This is not acceptable. Rol-Land Farms Ltd. mushroom workers are demanding justice and the right to join a union and bargain collectively. UFCW Canada and the labour movement believe that all workers have the right to join a union and we will support our new members at Rol-Land Farms mushroom farm regardless of the Harris-Eves legislation, Bill 187. We need your urgent assistance starting the week of June 23rd until justice prevails. Please: BACKGROUND: JUSTICE FOR ONTARIO AGRICULTURAL WORKERSThe Agricultural Labour Relations Act ("ALRA") passed in the 1990s under the former Ontario NDP government. The ALRA gave agworkers the right to join a union and bargain collectively for the first time in Ontario history. UFCW Canada organized workers at the Highline Produce operation in Leamington in 1993 with the support of this new law. Before a collective agreement was reached for the Highline workers, the new Tory government, that had been elected in 1995, repealed the ALRA effectively cancelling the rights of the Highline workers and all other agworkers in Ontario to join a union and bargain collectively. UFCW Canada was not content with the Tory move to deny workers the right to organize and took the matter to court in Ontario and then on to the Supreme Court of Canada in 1995. In 2001, nearly seven years later, the Supreme Court ruled that the Ontario Tory government had been unconstitutional in denying Ontario agworkers the right to organize. In typical anti-union response, the Tories introduced bill 187, which allegedly provides Ontario agworkers the right to form an association but which also intentionally denies the workers to bargain collectively. Agricultural work is among the most dangerous in Canada and the workers have no protection whatsoever on the job under any health and safety regulations. Last year, 21 agworkers dies on the job in Ontario, alone. In spite of the statistics, these workers have no right to know what hazards, chemical or otherwise, they are being exposed to, nor are they entitled to do anything about any health and safety problems. To make matters worse, these workers are also excluded from any protection or rights that other workers may have under the employment standards act in Ontario. In order to help these workers deal with what is obviously a terrible situation, UFCW Canada has opened and funded three agworkers support centres; one in Leamington, and one in each of the agricultural communities of Bradford and Simcoe. Additionally, UFCW Canada has once again initiated the Justice for Ontario Agricultural Workers Campaign, calling on the Canadian labour movement, social justice, community and faith groups to assist us in securing justice and dignity for these workers. Help us help them. SAMPLE LETTERPlease adapt this letter, and then: Hank VanderPol Dear Hank VanderPol: At the request of UFCW Canada National Director Michael J. Fraser, our union of ____ members strong across Canada are proud to support the Justice for Ontario Agriculture Workers Campaign. We understand that you have refused to recognize your employees' basic right to join a union of their choice and bargain collectively. I am told you are not prepared to recognize UFCW Canada based on the lack of Ontario legislation for agricultural workers. We find your position unacceptable. In a democratic society, workers do have the right to choose who and how they are represented. A large majority of your employees have freely made this decision and our union stands in solidarity with Rol-Land Farm employees and UFCW Canada. We are pledging our full membership support and financial resources toward the Justice for Ontario Agricultural Workers Campaign. You have a very important decision to make. I trust that you will make this choice based on the wishes of your employees. I will be personally contacting you to discuss this matter, so that I can respond to our membership regarding your decision. Regards, |
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| © 2003 Campaign for Labor Rights |
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