Dear Editor,
My name is Alan Chatfield. I have been a Steelworker for 36 years. Even though we have signed a collective agreement, that doesn’t mean I have to work with replacement workers and I will never ride buses with tinted windows. My self-respect wasn’t on the table.
I would like to thank the USW 7106 bargaining committee for keeping their promise to our members. You said we would vote and we did. Your credibility is intact.
Our membership does have to work on solidarity but for now the solution lies in the hands of the trades and management. Good luck.
Please bring our brothers and sisters back to work, maybe even come back as one trade union. Management could even make a request to the Labour Board for one or two unions. It must be an undue hardship to negotiate with seven different unions, not to mention it would probably be easier and cheaper to negotiate with only one or two unions.
I have submitted a grievance with regards to letter number 3, which relates to partnering, in our collective agreement. Letter number 3 states:
1. Treating everyone with dignity, demonstrating respect for individual differences and perspectives and communicating openly and honestly.
2. Recognizing the importance of and accepting the responsibility for effective job training, education on our processes and business, and individual development.
3. Empowering employees at all levels of our organization to become highly involved and to significantly share in the decision making process.
4. Fostering innovation, co-operation and commitment to change which will enhance job security through increased productivity and profitability.
Senior management and top union leaders spent a lot of time writing this commitment. Make it so our time was not wasted. You don’t have to lose your dignity and self-respect when you talk to each other. We really believed that this was the company we all wanted to work for in bad and good times.
Make us feel like employees are your number one assets. Make us proud to be Hudbay employees again.
Alan Chatfield
Flin Flon
