The workers who painted the scenic backdrop for prime minister Harper’s braggadocio-filled re-announcement of the coming ships’ money are currently in contract negotiations with Irving Shipyard, hoping to land a new contract with competitive wages.
Karl Risser, union president of Local 1 of the Canadian Auto Workers-Marine Workers Federation, says it’s too early to divulge the details, but they’ll be aiming for a higher standard of living. “Obviously we want a better quality of life for our workers, we’ve just been awarded a billion-dollar contract—we want to increase some of those benefits,” says Risser.
Skilled shipyard workers currently start at $20 and can move up to $30 an hour with full benefits. Risser says that’s a comparable wage locally, but explains that it still falls short of wages in other regions.
While Harper was feting the expected 11,500 jobs, CAW president Ken Lewenza was criticizing the prime minister for refusing to comment on the locked-out workers at a London, Ontario Caterpillar plant, who were turned away after they said no to an unprecedented take-it-or-leave-it 55 percent wage cut offer (from $34 down to $16.50), despite the company’s high earnings. Lewenza described it as unprecedented.
In 2008, Harper showcased that plant in photo-op and handed the executives a $5 million federal tax break, saying that a low-tax environment was the way to Canadian job creators’ hearts.
“From the provincial standpoint, we’d want the anti-scab legislation from our NDP government at some point, but as far as lock-out protection, the employer has the right to lock us out and we have the right to strike, that’s how the system works.” says Risser, “But I mean, more and more you’re seeing the government of Canada invade that system.”
“Every time I look at Harper I get worried—he’s the next generation’s Mulroney,” Risser says, “He’s decided to take on the labour movement as a whole.”
This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2012.
Are you kidding me!? $30 an hour with full benefits! If it isn’t comparable with wages in other regions, then go work in other regions!
That’s over $60,000 a year. If you can’t have a good quality of life on $60,000 a year, you’re doing something wrong.
That’s before taxes…which at that rate probably sees a marginal tax of 38 % or so.
So your take homes just over 40 grand. That’s not a lot of money, especially if you have a mortgage & children.
And so it starts. The union will screw up this deal, guaranteed…..
Really MHP? Go work in other regions? That’s your advice to Nova Scotia’s skilled labour? Do you live in Alberta or something?
I hope Jim Irving holds out for a 10 year no strike deal and trades flexibility. The union should be happy their members can stay in Nova Scotia for the rest of their lives. Our quality of life is worth a lot more than out west and in monetary terms a lower hourly rate and steady work here must enter the equation. The 25 years of guaranteed work has a dollar value and that should be reflected in the contract.
they should be paid more but also every other job in halifax should scale with it. There already saying house prices are going to rise 20% in the next 3 years because of the shipbuilding contract. Wages need to follow suit.
Here we go. Just because the employer was awarded a big contract does not mean the unions should exploit them to death. Maybe if they show restraint and ask for modest / fair wages they can ride this contract for a lot longer.
Ever notice how the heads of Ontario labour unions come here and try to sh*it disturb. They did it with Michelin,they tried it with Dawo in Trenton,and lo and behold here they are trying to screw up a ship building contract. C.A.W. received as much if not more per capita in the G.M. Chrysler bail out from the government of Canada, and the government of Ontario,at the same time they support and back the provincial N.D.P. and the federal N.D.P. who if they had their way,there would be no ship building contract to begin with. So there they are sucking and blowing at the same time, and making a poor job of either, that is the C.A.W. way folks get ready to see alot of those jokers over the years. Twenty five years is a long time.
“More” is right. $30 an hour is less in Nova Scotia than say a place like Alberta. Higher taxes and cost of living takes alot out of what you earn in NS. I get paid more here for work, and pay less back to the government. Even if I do get a good trade here in the west it’s not likely I would live in Nova Scotia long term. I’m sure that lots of fathers and mothers working here would like to return to the east with the shipbuilding contract, but I think unmarried people like me without children won’t bother.
The reason unions cannot be happy is because without conflict between their members and management then there cannot be a union. Without this conflict guess what, the union management do not get paid and some of them have pretty sweet lifestyles. Their nightmare is when the people realize they can empower themselves and have working relationships with the management team. I agree with the majority of the people posting … that the union will screw this up. The union has to screw it up otherwise we the people will realize they don’t have to pay union dues … becasue they are already happy with a fair wage and long term security.