A local union president says the merging of two national unions is a necessity.
The National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers Union of Canada (CAW) and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP) have begun preliminary talks to merge into one national union.
CAW Local 229 president Kari Jefford, who represents 2,300 members across the region, said merging CAW and CEP would make both unions stronger in a political climate that has seen organized labour come under attack in recent years by both the private and public sectors.
“Our memberships are being devastated in many of our sectors,” she said. “Workers and unions are under attack everywhere.”
Jefford points to the US where unionized workers have dropped from 37 per cent down to seven per cent of the workforce.
“It’s definitely a political necessity. It’s actually a whole necessity.”
And on a local level, Jefford said the fact that city council is considering selling one or all of its golf courses means job losses.
Merging the two unions would make for a more united front in those types of issues.
“That effects us locally as workers and as people who contribute to this community,” she said.
In the six years she’s been with the union, Jefford has seen the national membership drop from 265,000 to 190,000. Without a merger, that drop is going to continue she said.
CAW Local 1075 president Dominic Pasqualino, who represents more than 700 local Bombardier workers, said not only can the union’s share numbers but resources as well.
He likens the possibility of a merger to any other corporate merger that makes the company stronger.
“Other corporations have joined and they’ve come out stronger with a more effective voice,” he said.
If the merger doesn’t happen, unions will continue to be less successful at the bargaining table and political arenas than if they were together both Jefford and Pasqualino said.
“We would have to join so that we don’t have this race to the bottom.”
Gerry Harris, of CEP Local 275, said the merger could be a good idea.
“In the current economic climate in Canada and actually the world I think in the labour movement, the stronger our numbers will be our great strength with dealing with corporate at this time,” he said.
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