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THE MEMBERSHIP MAGAZINE FOR UFCW LOCAL 832 OCTOBER 2007
550 NEW JOBS
AT MAPLE LEAF
LAGIMODIERE

PRESIDENTIAL Comment
The 24-hour shopping issue is back
Wal-Mart’s decision to go round-the-clock could have ramifications in grocery stores.
I
can’t say that I was surprised to hear Wal-
Mart’s announcement recently that they were
expanding the store hours at their McPhillips
location to 24 hours. When they ran their expanded
store hours last Christmas I discussed with our
staff and executive board that it would be a sign of
things to come. I’ve talked about this issue in past
magazines and I will use this issue to re-address
some of our concerns with 24-hour shopping. I
believe it’s important to not let these concerns fall
on deaf ears. We’ve dedicated this magazine to
talking about “The Wal-Mart Syndrome” 24-hour
shopping is just one concern I have with Wal-Mart.
It’s important to educate our members to see the
true cost of the low prices at Wal-Mart.
Strain on the human body
24-hour shopping will only increase strain and
health issues on working families. It is a proven
fact that non-standard work hours disrupt what is
called the circadian rhythm. This is the internal
clock that governs the way our body functions. It
affects body temperature, blood pressure, brainwave
patterns and hormone levels.
Simply put, during the day the body wants to
be awake and during the night it wants to sleep.
Reversing this natural order or extending work
hours excessively damages the body. Some shortterm
health effects can include heartburn/indigestion,
fatigue, insomnia, and depression/mood
swings while some long-term effects include heart
problems, duodenal ulcers, arthritis and weight
problems. Less noted but also a contributor to
health problems is the disruption to family and
personal life that non-standard hours create.
Safety for workers and consumers
When people were surveyed over the holiday
shopping time and responded that they would
welcome 24-hour shopping, the next question
should have been, “Would you be willing to work
these late hours or allow your son or daughter to
work them with minimal security and protection
in an environment like this?” Odds are, people
would start to think of the ramifications 24-hour
shopping would have on citizens.
In union collective agreements, we have provisions
set in place for Sunday shopping to allow
for an hourly premium and that working on
Sundays is to be voluntary. What would happen
to workers at Wal-Mart who aren’t presently represented
by our union? Sure Wal-Mart says they
wouldn’t make anyone work midnights but with
their track record of employee relations it doesn’t
take a genius to realize it would only be a matter
of time before employees were given ultimatums
to work the night shift or be fired.
24-hour shopping will give the union
more members
This is somewhat correct. If Safeway or Westfair
went 24 hours 6 days a week, they might hire more
members—but at what cost? Our union is about
enhancing the members’ quality of life through
better wages, benefits and working conditions.
With the already expanded shopping times at
most retail grocery stores, 8am to 11pm which
is 15 hours of shopping, I think it’s time we give
retail workers a break.
Robert D. Ziegler
President
UFCW Local 832
UNION OCTOBER 2007

THE MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTED TO THE MEMBERS OF UFCW LOCAL 832
OCTOBER 2007
DEPARTMENTS
WOMEN OF UFCW
Page 5
WORKERS COMPENSATION
Page 8
GRIEVANCE NEWS
Page 9
PACKINGHOUSE
Page 10
CARE
Page 11
SECURITY
Page 12
SAFEWAY
Page 13
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Page 14
FEATURES
24-HOUR SHOPPING ISSUE
BACK
Wal-Mart’s decision could have
ramifications in grocery stores.
Page 2
THE WAL-MART SYNDROME
Winnipeg store first 24-hour Wal-Mart
in Canada.
Page 4
PROPOSAL MEETINGS HELD
AT MAYFAIR FARMS
Page 5
GOLF TOURNAMENT A SUCCESS
Event raises $20,000 for Leukemia.
Page 6
OFFICES
WINNIPEG
1412 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, MB. R3G OV5
786-5055
1-888-UFCW-832
BRANDON
Unit 1, 759 1st Street
Brandon, MB. R7A 2X5
727-7131
1-800-552-1193
THOMPSON
90 Thompson Drive
Thompson, MB. R8N 1Y9
778-7108
1-800-290-2608
TRAINING CENTRE
880 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, MB. R3G 0P1
775-8329
1-877-775-8329
President
Robert D. Ziegler
Secretary-Treasurer
Jeff Traeger
E-mail: ufcw@ufcw832.com
Website: www.ufcw832.com
Union Representatives: Ron Allard, Ray Berthelette, Brenda Brown, Marie Buchan, Sandy
Forcier, Blair Hudson, Darcel Lecocq, Cyrus Lister, Wendy Lundy, Michelle Masserey, Harry
Mesman, Sonia Taylor Resource Centre Staff: Guy Sylvestre, Ray Lambert, Kim Dufault
Legal Counsel: Debra Malmquist, Garry Bergeron Education and Training: Heather Grant-Jury
Workers Compensation/Safety and Health : Rob Hilliard Organizing: Jerry Kies
Negotiators: Susan Hart-Kulbaba, Mary Johnson, Beatrice Bruske
Communications: Blake Crothers, Dalia Chapa
Canadian Mail Publications Sales Agreement #40070082

The Wal-Mart Syndrome
Winnipeg store to be the first 24-hour Wal-Mart in Canada.
Wal-Mart recently announced that its
McPhillips operation in Winnipeg is
slated to be the first 24-hour six days
a week store in Canada. If Winnipeg didn’t have
Sunday shopping laws in place, the store would
be open 24/7. Store manager Barry Pederson
was quoted in a local newspaper as saying that,
“Everybody’s very excited about being part of a
pilot project for all of Canada” and “Corporate
(headquarters) had been looking at it. It’s been
done in the U.S. successfully for some time.”
It’s interesting how Wal-Mart defines the term
“successful”. Although the novelty of 24-hour
shopping over the Christmas holiday kept four
Wal-Marts in Winnipeg busy, what will happen
in the middle of February when temperatures
and retail sales are at their lowest points?
When speaking with an industry insider on
the costs of 24-hour shopping he stated the
additional labour cost is small because there is
already a night crew stocking shelves and cleaning
the store—all that would be required is a
cashier. In the U.S., where there is an abundance
of 24-hour shopping, cities and municipalities
are finding that tax dollars for police are being
drained by repeated calls to these stores to investigate
incidents of theft, robbery and assault.
Not everyone is buying into 24-hour shopping.
When Safeway was asked if they will be following
in Wal-Mart’s footsteps, their public affairs
manager, John Graham, issued this response,
“While we’ll watch with interest the consumer
response to Wal-Mart’s 24-hour store, we don’t
believe Winnipeg grocery shoppers are looking for
round-the-clock access to Safeway at this time.
In communities with a larger population and
around the clock shifts, 24-hour grocery stores
are more common. However, Safeway has no
plans of moving in this direction for its Manitoba
stores.”
Unrelated to the Wal-Mart announcement, in
recent months Safeway has expanded its Manitoba
hours slightly, opening its Lifestyle stores that
include Starbucks and deli take-out at 7 am,
and opening its other locations an hour earlier
at 8 am Monday through Saturday.
Over this past summer, Westfair stores have also
increased their operating hours and have been
known to follow suit with what Wal-Mart does.
Maybe it’s only a matter of time before Westfair
announces that some of its stores will be going
24 hours, largely because where there is a Wal-
Mart a Westfair Superstore isn’t far away.
According to Pederson, employees are presently
“excited” to work in the late night and
early morning at Wal-Mart, but is everyone?
How about the people who aren’t? The company
has said that no one will be forced to work those
hours. Of course Wal-Mart would say this. What
they aren’t saying is these workers who refuse
late night shifts won’t be scheduled, and will
soon find themselves either taking what shifts
are available or looking for work elsewhere.
And what about the safety of the workers?
Not only are they working with few others in
a 100,000 plus square foot store, but also not
everyone can afford their own transportation.
Many people rely on public transit; unfortunately
Winnipeg public transit isn’t 24 hours. Let’s hope
that Wal-Mart follows employment standards by
providing transportation to workers who are sent
home early in the hours after a midnight shift.
Looking at Wal-Mart’s track record of employee
UNION OCTOBER 2007

treatment, it might not be safe to assume they
will.
This is what’s called the “Wal-Mart Syndrome”.
It’s quite simple to understand but it continually
fools people everywhere. Tell the public that you’re
a good corporate citizen then convince them that
you have their best interests in mind. Don’t believe
it? Look at what they have achieved so far.
“Always get the lowest prices” is Wal-Mart’s
philosophy, but it is also the tagline of social
decay. They’ve convinced millions of consumers
that it’s acceptable to disregard that items
are made in third world countries where people
are paid paltry wages, which allows Wal-Mart
customers to buy a t-shirt for $4, or tracksuit for
under $12. Theses customers would never allow
their own children to work under the conditions
that these labourers do, but it’s alright if it means
saving money. They also put local businesses out
of business with their predatory pricing.
To follow their motto, Wal-Mart has forced
manufacturers to lower their costs, sending good
paying North American jobs to places like China,
Vietnam and Indonesia. Jobs that once contributed
to local economies erased in the stroke of pen.
The slippery slope of the Wal-Mart Syndrome
is far from over. With its new 24-hour shopping
you can shop at 3am to get that $12 tracksuit.
Wal-Mart says they are only helping the shiftworking
consumer. They’ve convinced us once
again that we need to shop at 3 am. People
have worked shift work for decades and have
managed to find the time to do their shopping
during regular hours. Sure it sometimes caused
some juggling at home but it was manageable.
The Wal-Mart Syndrome has enabled people to
forget about the check stand staff working at 3
am. The idea is you don’t have to worry about
them because it doesn’t affect you. Maybe it’s time
to stop drinking the kool-aid that Wal-Mart is
giving us. The lowest cost isn’t always right. That
low cost comes at a much higher price for the
working people who have to suffer for our desire
to shop at any hour. The ‘who cares, it doesn’t
affect me’ mentality is what allows businesses
like Wal-Mart to thrive. All for what—the convenience
to shop whenever? Whenever is pretty
expensive and you have to ask yourself is it really
necessary?
WOmen of ufcw
Prairie School for Union
Women Held in Saskatchewan
Maple Leaf Brandon member attends week long course.
Every year the Prairie School for Union
Women (PSUW) presents women with
a four-day supportive environment for
learning and building solidarity. This year PSUW
held its school at the Waskesiu Lake Resort in
Prince Albert National Park in Saskatchewan.
The goals of the school are to develop women’s
personal and leadership skills and to increase
knowledge about the labour movement.
Elaine Dowan, a union member from the
kill floor at Maple Leaf Fresh Foods in Brandon,
was fortunate enough to attend PSUW in Prince
Albert. “I really enjoyed the week of schooling,
especially the workshop Well Behaved Women
Rarely Make History,” expressed Elaine. “I
learned a lot about the union, how to be more
effective and dignity.”
Some of the other courses offered during
the four-day school were: Health and Safety
Activism, Women and Liberation: Resources
for Revolution, Union Women on Turtle Island,
Mothers of Industry, Popular Economics, Dignity
for All, Popular Education for Everyday Union
Work, and Building a Greener World: How
Resisting Corporate Globalization is Good for
the Environment.
Elaine shared the course materials and
documents with UFCW Local 832’s Women’s
Committee in the Westman region. The information
has been forwarded to the Training
Centre to share with other union members.
Proposal Meetings held at Mayfair Farms
On August 31, director
of bargaining from
UFCW Canada, Brian
McArthur, met at the Portage
la Prairie Worker Centre to
discuss bargaining proposals
for the members at Mayfair
Farms.
The workers are fighting
for their first collective
agreement since being
unionized in September
2006. McArthur also met with Lincoln Ellis and
Jose Chinchilla to explain the bargaining process
to them so they can discuss it with the workers
who were not at the meeting. During the meeting,
Jose Chinchilla (l) and Lincoln Ellis met with Brian McArthur (c)
director of bargaining for UFCW Canada prior to the proposal meeting.
McArthur heard of the intimidation that these
workers face on a daily basis and how the support
centre is helping all the migrant workers in
Portage la Prairie.
UNION OCTOBER 2007

Second annual Golf Tournament a success!
Event raises $20,000 for Leukemia & Lymphoma research.
Hole Sponsors
Blue Cross Manitoba
Manitoba General Employees Union
Manitoba Lotteries Corporation
Manitoba Hydro
Maple Leaf Foods
Myers Weinberg Law Firm
Prudent Benefit Services
RWDSU Canada
Canada Safeway Limited
TUAC Local 500
UFCW Local 175
UFCW Local 247
UFCW Local 333
UFCW Local 1000a
UFCW Local 1400
UFCW Local 1518
Westfair Foods Limited
Friends For a Cure
Advanced Electronics
American Income Life
Pick a card, any card. UFCW Local 832 President Robert Ziegler and Secretary-Treasurer Jeff Traeger
help Jim Witiuk of Canada Safeway pick out their team prize.
On September 5 Local 832 held its 2nd
Annual Leukemia fundraising golf tournament
at The Links at Quarry Oaks. This
year the local raised $20,000 with the support of
hole sponsorships, donations and raffles. A special
silent auction took place for four people to attend
a Winnipeg Blue Bombers game as a “super fan”
where they will watch some of the game on the
field and then meet the players after the game.
This auction raised $700 towards our total.
“Each year we have been fine tuning this event
and increasing our amount raised. I believe we’ll
surpass this amount next year as we had new participants
this year who promised to be back next
year,” stated UFCW Local 832 President Ziegler.
UFCW Local 832 would like to recognize all the
participants in this year’s event and the sponsors.
Plans are already underway to build on our success
and to take the tournament to the next level.
Brewer’s Distribution Limited
Canadian Labour
Congress (CLC)
Carroll Miller Mayes
Attorneys at Law
Coke Winnipeg
Elite Communications
The Fairmont Winnipeg
General Mills
Hitek Print Management
Manitoba Liquor Control Commission (MLCC)
Old Dutch
Performance Golf
PSAC Prairie Region
Sun-Gro
SYSCO
Union Savings
Vantage Foods
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
UNION OCTOBER 2007

UNION OCTOBER 2007

What Is SMB?
Clue #1: It does not involve handcuffs or any other restraints.
Clue #2: The MFL Occupational Health Centre (OHC) developed it.
WORKERS COMPENSATION
For all the sensible members out there
who have better things to do than try to
solve silly riddles.
SMB is a Stretch, Massage, Breathe program
developed by the MFL Occupational Health Centre
(OHC). It is designed to help injured workers
better understand their injury and manage their
pain.
Many of our members develop musculoskeletal
pain through workplace accidents. Sometimes
this pain spreads to other parts of the body and
resists standard medical treatments. Chronic
pain often develops making work and everyday
life a big challenge.
Medical science helps many injured workers
get better and return to their work and every day
activities. But medical science doesn’t return
everybody to pre-accident health. Many doctors
will tell you that science is an important and
essential aspect of medicine but science cannot
provide all the answers. Good medical practice
also involves creative thinking and non-standard
approaches to treating patients.
When pain due to injury does not go away and
becomes chronic, non-standard approaches to
pain management can sometimes be the most
effective way to control and actually reduce pain.
That’s where a program like Stretch, Massage,
Breathe can make a difference.
The program was developed by Dr. Chase at
the OHC and is a continuation of research that
he started while he was at the Health Sciences
Centre in Winnipeg. It consists of 11 two and a
half hour sessions over several weeks. Dr. Chase,
an occupational health nurse from the OHC, a
massage therapist and a yoga Instructor, facilitates
the sessions.
The program demonstrates effective stretching
exercises, non-impact muscle toning, proper
breathing and posture and self massage techniques.
As an added bonus there are also five
therapeutic massage sessions.
People develop bad posture and breathing
patterns over their life and these bad habits are
often made worse following an injury. Workers
with back injuries often compensate by ‘listing’
to one side or standing and sitting differently.
Workers with shoulder injuries often develop a
bad habit of leaning their shoulders forward.
Many other injuries result in changed postures
that actually make pain worse.
Many doctors don’t address these issues but
if they are not addressed many patients will not
properly heal and chronic pain can sometimes
be the result.
It doesn’t seem that posture and breathing
should have a significant effect on pain but they
do. When injured workers learn better posture
and learn how to properly breathe again it is
surprising how effective this can be at lessening
their pain.
The program also gives some control back
to injured workers. After being injured, workers
are constantly told what to do, when to do
it and how to do it. Doctors and WCB seem to
take over and the injured worker feels like (s)he
has no control and no ability to do anything for
themselves. The SMB program allows injured
workers to take back some of that control and to
do something that benefits them without having
to wait for others to tell them what to do.
Earlier this year I enrolled in the program
and I had my eyes opened. After completing
the course I integrated some of the stretching
and breathing techniques into a daily program.
My back and knee difficulties have improved
significantly.
My experience was not unique. Follow-up
surveys of past participants reveal that many
of them have also reduced their levels of pain
and they continued to progress months after
they finished the program.
SMB may not be the answer for everybody but
it definitely has helped many injured workers
Rob Hilliard
WCB Advocate
who were desperate and could find no help elsewhere
for their on-going struggle with pain.
To be eligible for SMB an injured worker must
be seen by a doctor at the OOHC and approved
for the program. Additional information is available
by phoning the MFL OHC at 926-7902.
The MFL Occupational Health Centre
was established in 1983 by the
Manitoba Federation of Labour to
help Manitoba workers deal with job-related
health issues and to assist those in many
sectors of our society who strive for safe work
environments.
The centre is a non-profit, charitable
organization funded by the Winnipeg Regional
Health Authority and by other donations. The
OHC has a wide range of health information
and workplace services available to all
workers to assist in determining if a health
problem is work-related and how to prevent
or reduce the risk of hazardous workplace
exposures.
UNION OCTOBER 2007

The Games Continue
Unionization of migrant workers overcomes yet another hurdle.
Grievance News
Local 832 was successful in organizing
migrant workers employed at Mayfair Farms
in Portage la Prairie. These employees,
for the most part, are from Mexico and work in
Canada for a limited time each year harvesting
various crops prior to returning home.
as Manitoba, pending a decision
on the same issue by the
Quebec Labour Board, is now
the sole jurisdiction in Canada
that recognizes the right of
migrant workers to organize.
After a triumphant campaign the company
objected to the Manitoba Labour Board (MLB)
issuing a certificate for various reasons, including
that The Manitoba Labour Relations Act
did not apply to these workers.
On June 26, following deliberations, the Board
certified Local 832 as the bargaining agent for
a bargaining unit, which included the migrant
workers. This was a ground breaking decision
However, there is still a long
way to go to ensure the rights
of these workers. On July 6,
Mayfair Farms filed an application
before the MLB, seeking
a review and reconsideration of
the Board’s original decision.
Obviously, Local 832 took
an opposing view and filed a
Maple Leaf Warman Road
Member Retains Job
Grievance results in policy re job performance in posted positions.
A
grievance
was filed at Maple Leaf Warman
Road because the company removed
an employee from a posted position
approximately one month after the employee
was moved into the position. The union took
the position that according to the agreement,
the company only has ten days to assess the
skill and ability of the employee to perform the
job and remove the employee from the job if
necessary. The company’s position was that they
have the ability to remove an employee from
a posted position at any time if the employee
caused serious loss or damage to product or
equipment or inefficiency in the operation.
The matter was scheduled to proceed to
arbitration. But, prior to the arbitration hearing,
the union and the company reached a
settlement. The settlement included the introduction
of a policy that would be used, on a go
forward basis, to address job performance issues
of employees who post into new positions. The
policy recognizes that the collective agreement
sets out different training periods for the various
skill levels of jobs that allow employees to
demonstrate their ability to perform the job.
The training period is only to be used for the
company to form an opinion that the employee
will eventually be able to perform the job and
not that they will be required to perform the
job to production standards after the training
period. The policy further acknowledges that
after the training period the company has the
ability to remove an employee from a posted
position if the employee is causing serious loss
or damage to product or equipment or inefficiency
in the operation.
However, the new policy requires the company,
after the training period, to formally inform
the employee and the union, by letter, prior to
removing the employee from a posted position
that they failed to improve to meet production
requirements. The letter will contain the expectations
that the employee is to meet and the date
that the employee must meet the expectations
by. The company will also be required to meet
with the union to discuss the situation prior to
issuing a formal letter and prior to removing
an employee from a posted position.
Garry Bergeron
Legal Counsel
Debra Malmquist
Legal Counsel
response to the employer’s application indicating,
that the Board had been correct in allowing
the migrant workers the right to be represented
by a union.
On August 20, the Board issued a further decision
that stated they were satisfied with their
original decision and allowed it to stand.
Mayfair can file an application with the
Manitoba Courts for a judicial review of the
Board’s decision. The company has 90 days from
the date of the Board’s final decision to file that
application.
In the interim, Local 832 has appointed Brian
McArthur from the UFCW National head office
as the primary negotiator for a first collective
agreement between the parties. Brian is UFCW’s
national co-ordinator for collective bargaining
and has been involved in numerous negotiations
across North America. A proposal meeting
recently took place in Portage la Prairie with
Brian and workers of Mayfair Farms.
Finally, Local 832 has had to file with the
Manitoba Labour Board an application to access
the migrant workers at their work site as negotiations
for a voluntary access agreement fell
through. This was a direct result of the employer’s
proposed terms that, if accepted by the union,
would have made it virtually impossible for any
meaningful interaction between union officials
and the migrant workers.
UNION OCTOBER 2007

PACKINGHOUSE
Maple Leaf shifts gears towards
Lagimodiere
Members ratify extension to collective agreement by 89%.
The past few months have been busy for the
union, as it has kept pace with the recent
changes to the pork industry in Manitoba.
It started on July 18 as Maple Leaf announced to
the shop stewards from Marion Street, Warman
Road and Lagimodiere facilities that the Marion
Street plant would be closed by October 26. During
these meetings Maple Leaf officials hinted at possible
changes to Warman Road and Lagimodiere.
UFCW Local 832 President Robert Ziegler sent
a letter to Maple Leaf after the July 18 meeting
requesting more information on what the company’s
intentions were for the other two facilities
in Winnipeg.
On August 21 Maple Leaf officials held two meetings
with the union and all the shop stewards from
Warman Road and Lagimodiere separately to outline
its changes. During the meetings the company
said that by January 2009 all the work that was
performed at Warman Road would be moved to
the Maple Leaf Brandon facility as a second-shift
cut. Maple Leaf proposed that all the ham boning
would then move to the Warman Road facility. The
company outlined that it wanted to open up the
collective agreement to address the length of the
agreement and negotiate changes to the rates of
pay for semi-skilled workers to reflect what the new
jobs at the Warman plant would be. Maple Leaf
officials stated during the Warman Road meeting
that if an extended agreement could not be ratified
by mid September that the possibility of closure
could occur and the work would go elsewhere.
The shop stewards unanimously agreed that it was
important to take this to the membership and ask
for their approval to negotiate with the company.
If a new agreement could be negotiated it would
be brought back to the membership to ratify.
On Sunday, August 26, a meeting was held with
the members of Warman Road to vote on allowing
the union to open early negotiations with the
company. In the collective agreement there is a
clause that states that the company or the union
can only negotiate 90 days prior to the expiry of
the collective agreement unless the membership
votes otherwise. Just over 300 members turned
out to the meeting and it wasn’t long before the
meeting turned sour. Rumours had circulated
through the plant prior to the meeting that the
company wanted $3-$4 wage cuts and that there
would be a reduction in the number of members
at the plant. Members wanted to know during
this meeting what the company was offering on
wages, unfortunately, the union couldn’t discuss
this with the company until it had the approval
of the membership. The members voted 65 per
cent against the union opening up negotiations
early, feeling that they would stick with the current
collective agreement until the spring of next
year when it expired.
The next day similar meetings were held with
the members of Lagimodiere. The union outlined
that the company wanted to also open up
negotiations early but it only wanted to address a
few issues in their agreement. The Lagimodiere
members voted 91 per cent in favour of sitting
down with the company.
On September 11, Maple Leaf and the union
negotiation committee consisting of President
Robert Ziegler, Secretary-Treasurer Jeff Traeger,
union representative Sandy Forcier, members
Frank Kirouac, Rose Batenchuk, Diane Sichewski
and Alice Jeffrey met to negotiate. Maple Leaf presented
to the negotiation committee that it was
prepared to move the ham boning operations
that were intended to go to Warman Road to the
Lagimodiere facility bringing close to 550 new
jobs to the plant that currently has 375 active
members. This investment to centralize the ham
boning operations could tally almost 41 million
dollars. For the company to make this investment
it wanted to ensure that it had labour stability at
the Lagimodiere facility and wanted to add five
years to the collective agreement. The union was
successful in lowering that to three years bringing
the expiry date of the new agreement to 2011. The
union negotiated wage increases from January
2008 to January 2011 with increases of almost
three per cent each year. The extended agreement
will also protect any member who is in a higher
skilled position as they will not lose their position
unless they post out. Also the shipper classification
will be upgraded to semi-skilled 2. Effective
2008, changes were also made to their pension
plan with the Maple Leaf 200 Plan.
On September 18 and 19 members of Lagimodiere
voted 89 per cent in favour of the extension to their
collective agreement.
With the whirlwind of events that took place there
is still uncertainty as to what will happen to the
Warman Road facility. Maple Leaf officials could
not say what they intend to do with the facility
and hopefully this will be known by the time the
company and the union negotiate in early 2008.
“It’s unfortunate that the members voted down
the opportunity to meet with the company, but
that’s what democracy is about. The union fully
intends to work with the company to keep those
600 plus jobs in Winnipeg at the Warman Road
facility,” stated UFCW President Robert Ziegler.
10 UNION OCTOBER 2007

Take Care Services Join UFCW
Drivers, dispatchers, trip clerks and translators join union.
UFCW Local 832 was notified on August 21, that it
was successful in organizing the members at Take
Care Support Services in Winnipeg. Over 40 workers
are now members of the local and arrangements are being
made to establish a meeting with all the staff to discuss the
negotiation process and to elect a negotiation committee.
Members will be notified by mail and on the union’s website
of the exact date.
CARE
Take Care Support Services provide transportation to people
coming into Winnipeg from Native Reservations in Manitoba. Presently those
unionized are the drivers, dispatchers, trip clerks and translators.
A proposal meeting is being scheduled for mid October and hopefully by
the time you read this, the union will have an access agreement in place.
This will allow union representative Michelle Masserey to visit the members
at their workplace.
Readers may recall that UFCW has represented these workers in the past.
The work is a government contract and there have been several companies
over the years that have successfully bid on the work. This is the fourth
group to look to UFCW for help. Previous companies were Southeast Medical
Referral Services, Amik, and Thunderbird Transportation. Everyone is looking
for a fair collective agreement that addresses the members concerns. We
have several templates to work from in the old agreements that dealt with
the exact same type of work that our members do at Take Care.
Former UFCW Local 832 Secretary-Treasurer Ron Fotti who is assisting
the local in a relieving capacity will be heading up negotiations. If you have
any questions or concerns please contact him at 786-5055.
What Is On Your Wish List?
Several care units coming open for negotiations.
Start making your “wish list” for the renewal
of your collective agreement. Members at
ACL Interlake in Stonewall (four residences
and the Arris Centre), Amber Meadow and Hope
Centre (three day program locations) all have
contracts that will expire within the next three
months.
By now you may have already received an invitation
to a proposals meeting, where you will have
an opportunity to share your ideas and examples.
A good way to prepare is to think of any problems
or difficulties members at your workplace have
had in the last year or two. Is there language that
needs to be added or removed from the collective
agreement? What kinds of grievances have been
filed, and have they been successful or unsuccessful?
Are wages an issue? How much do people in
other similar workplaces make? Are you covered
by WCB? Does management treat everyone with
respect and dignity?
You may also want to start thinking of who you
would like to see represent your concerns at the
bargaining table. There are usually around two
members or stewards participating on the union’s
negotiation committee, as well as a full-time Local
832 negotiator. The key to any successful set of
negotiations is participation. You should make
every effort to attend these meetings. Extend the
meeting invitation to newer hires as well. If you
are stuck for a ride, talk to your shop steward or
union rep – they may be able to help you.
Working to Improve Benefits
MCHCU launches a campaign to help Local 832 members.
Members at the Grace Hospital (professional technical group) and the Burntwood Regional
Health Authority (support) belong to the Health Employees Benefit Plan (HEBP). This is a
large plan that covers most of the public sector health care workers in the province. Each
affected bargaining unit cannot change the coverage or rules of the plan on their own, which can
be frustrating during negotiations, as many units expire at different times. The Grace, for example,
recently ratified a new agreement, which expires March 31, 2010. No changes were made to the benefit
plan because it affects everyone (nurses, support staff, maintenance, etc).
The good news is Local 832 participates in the Manitoba Council of Health Care Unions (MCHCU),
which is launching a campaign to improve HEBP for everyone. One goal is for the employers to pay for
the premiums that currently come off your cheques. This would mean more money in your pockets.
The amount of coverage is lacking in some areas—it does not take long to reach the maximum for
major medical costs. So the levels of coverage also need to be improved. Hopefully by working together,
we can improve coverage and costs for everyone in . The new Grace collective agreement includes a
“me too” agreement whereby if other groups get improvements, our members will receive them too.
Watch for further details.
UNION OCTOBER 2007
11

SECURITY
On January 8, 2007 the Province of
Manitoba passed new and long
overdue legislation requiring
all security employers to provide their employees
with a specific minimum 40- hour training course
supplied by the Justice Department.
Local 832 was part of the process in developing
the course and hopes in the very near future
the Training Centre can provide this training to
security officers. In the meantime we are relying
on the three companies to adequately provide the
training course to our members.
As with most new projects there is usually a
short adjustment period or a few things that need
to be ironed out. This project is no different.
One of the biggest issues we are dealing with is
the pay for time spent in the training course. Some
members have not been receiving pay for taking this
course. Cyrus Lister, UFCW Local 832 representative
and executive assistant to the president, has
put all three companies on notice that the union’s
position, backed up by the collective agreements
and workplace safety and health legislation, is that
all officers must be paid for attending this course.
Therefore, any officer attending this course should
have received 40 hours of pay. At Garda a policy
12 UNION OCTOBER 2007
Training Hours = Worked Hours
Security guards paid for mandatory 40-hour training course.
grievance has been filed to deal with this issue as
officer hired after January 8, 2007 are not being
paid for taking the mandatory 40-hour training
course.
Another problem that has been reported is that
the course is not being taught as a 40-hour course
and is not being taught according to the Province
of Manitoba course mandated by Justice.
If you have experienced any of these problems
or other problems with the legislated 40-hour
training course, please contact union representative
Cyrus Lister and provide your name, the
company you work for, dates of your course and
the problem that you experienced. Cyrus can be
reached at 786-5055 / toll-free 1-888-832-9832,
via fax at 786-3175 or via e-mail at cyrus.lister@
ufcw832.com.
Check The Seniority List
October 30 deadline for challenging an incorrect date.
Every year by September 30, Garda,
Impact and Intelicom are required to
post a full seniority list showing all of
the employees with their respective seniority
date. The lists must remain posted for 30 days
to ensure officers have a chance to check and
verify their seniority date.
Security guards are encouraged to make
sure they check the list. Employees have until
October 30 to challenge their seniority date if
they feel it is not correct. The challenge must
be submitted to the company in writing, send a
copy to the union and keep one for yourself.
Garda Negotiations Derail
Union applies for assistance in reaching a new deal.
Negotiations for a new collective
agreement with Garda Security were
derailed when the company advised
the union they had to cancel the scheduled
bargaining dates due to personal issues related
to their chief negotiator.
As a result, the union applied to the Minister
of Labour to have a conciliation officer
appointed to assist the parties in reaching a
new collective agreement.
An officer has now been assigned and as
soon as a new meeting date has been set, the
union will forward that information on to
you, plus keep you informed of any progress
that is made.
Garda members should watch for further
updates in the mail or visit our website at
www.ufcw832.com.
On a side note, negotiations for a new
union agreement at Impact Security and
Intelicom are scheduled to begin shortly.
Preparations for bargaining have already
begun with proposal meetings being held
last month.
Unless you work at an out-of-town site
you have to go to the office to check the list.
Guards who work outside of Winnipeg should
call human resources or scheduling to check
their dates.
The seniority list as posted will be deemed
conclusive if no challenges are received by the
deadline.
Wanted:
Union Dues
Grievance filed against Impact for
not submitting dues.
As per article 4.01 of the union agreement
between Impact Security and UFCW Local
832, the company has been deducting union
dues from its employees. However, it seems they
missed the last part of the article where it states
monies deducted during any month shall be forwarded
by the company to the secretary-treasurer
of the union within twenty calendar days.
A policy grievance has been filed against Impact
requesting back union dues. They have also been
put on notice that the union will file additional
grievances each and every time the company does
not submit dues that have been deducted from
members’ pay cheques.
As we go to press the grievance was being referred
to arbitration.

Remodelling of stores
Creates More Full-time Jobs
Members are encouraged to check the lunchroom for job postings.
SAFEWAY
As Safeway continues to remodel their
stores into the Lifestyle stores, more fulltime
positions are being created. In fact,
as of July 29, approximately 34 new full-time
positions have been created in the food service
departments.
Unfortunately, the union had to file 10 grievances
because for various reasons some employees
did not the job postings.
The collective bargaining agreement is specific
as to how the job posting procedure works, however,
there have been occasions where senior employees
did not apply for the job postings because they
did not see the job posting. See section 18.15 and
Appendix F20.
To try and eliminate the possibility of individuals
not seeing the postings, the company will
post job postings in the lunchroom and strongly
suggest that the postings be put up in the same
spot on the bulletin board every time. Safeway is
also encouraging communication to employees
through the morning meetings.
After the closing date when the job posting is
removed, the store manager and a shop steward
will initial the posting to confirm that in fact the
posting had been placed in the bulletin board in
the lunchroom.
Good Communication Is Key
Shop steward meeting scheduled for October 16.
Last year the union decided to hold a
meeting for all of the Safeway shop
stewards. It gave the stewards a chance
to express concerns and discuss various issues
from their store.
Bringing everybody together allowed the
union and the stewards to brainstorm and come
up with solutions and suggestions for some the
topics raised. It was well received and very successful.
You know what they say ... keep a good
thing going.
The union has scheduled a Safeway shop
steward meeting for October 16 at the Canad
Inn Polo Park in Winnipeg.
By now, all of the shop stewards, as well as
selected shop stewards from each of the out of
town stores, should have received a letter with
the pertinent information. If you have not yet
received it, watch for it in the mail.
Local 832 has always put servicing as its
number one priority. This is just another way
of improving that service. Good communication
is key in servicing the membership.
If you an employee who does not go into the
lunchroom, the union would strongly recommend
you go there as often as possible to ensure
that you apply for any job postings that do come
available. As long as the company can prove that
the job posting was posted in the lunchroom the
onus is on the employee to check the lunchroom
and apply for job postings should they so wish.
Should you have any questions regarding a job
posting, please call your union representative or
speak to a shop steward.
Posting Work Schedules
Two-week timetable must be up by Thursday at 6 pm.
The collective agreement requires Safeway to
post a weekly work schedule for the period
of two consecutive weeks by no later than
Thursday at 6 p.m. (no later than Friday noon
during the week of a general holiday).
In other words, there should always be two consecutive
one-week schedules posted at all times.
See article 5.09 on pages 27 and 28 of your union
agreement.
It has been noted that some stores are not doing
this. This is a violation of the collective agreement.
If the schedule is not being properly posted in your
store, let a shop steward or your union rep know
immediately.
Shop Stewards Wanted
There are several Safeway stores that require
a shop steward(s). Shop stewards are
volunteers who want to support their coworkers
by providing them with information or
assisting them with work-related problems. They
are the people that the members turn to first when
something is going on at the workplace. The members
look to stewards for advice and leadership. A
steward is the main link between the union and
the membership.
If you are interested in becoming a shop steward
or want more information about the position,
speak to your union representative. Shop steward
training courses are provided on a regular basis
to deal with grievance handling, communication
techniques and other skills needed to be a good
steward.
It can be a tiresome job, but
also a very rewarding one!
UNION OCTOBER 2007
13

Building Skills for
the Future
Two new courses added to general session.
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Last month marked the start of our fall
training schedules. It is great to see the
Training Centre filled with individuals
taking shop steward, health & safety and general
session courses or working towards their Grade
12 certificate.
I am excited about two new courses we have
added to our general session schedule. The first is
a series of four financial planning seminars that
will run Tuesday evenings from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
starting on October 23. The series will cover the
following topics:
• Sound financial planning
• 1-5 years prior to retirement
• Estate planning
• Tax planning
Paul Chabot is conducting the seminars. Some
of you may know Paul. He is a former UFCW
member and shop steward from Coca Cola who
decided to move into the financial services business.
He now works as a consultant with Investors
Group. Paul says his goal is to provide members
with sound financial information through his
financial planning seminars.
The second new course is Safe Food Handling
for English as Additional Language (EAL) learners.
Our instructor has designed this course in
plain language for people who need extra help
understanding and preparing for the Safe Food
Handling certification test.
Contact me if you have a course suggestion. We
want to offer courses that are of interest to you.
The only way we can do that is by hearing from
you. Tell me what courses you would be interested
in taking and we will do our best to schedule
them. I want to hear from Brandon, Neepawa and
Thompson members as well. Call me at 775-8329
or toll-free at 1-877-775-8329 and give me your
suggestions.
Please remember to support United Way. I am
proud to be this years campaign chair and equally
proud to be the only campaign chair in over 10
years that is from the labour movement. When
you give to United Way, you help change lives and
make our community stronger.
Training Centre Notes & Nods…
• The Training Centre is closed on Monday, October 8, for Thanksgiving Day.
• There are 61 shop stewards who only need one more course to receive their shop steward
diploma.
• The shop steward and health & safety conferences are scheduled for early 2008. Watch for more
details coming soon.
• Heather is this year’s United Way Campaign Chair. As of September 30, she has made over 200
speeches and eaten about 653 pancakes and she still has two more months to go! Support
Heather and the United Way.
Heather Grant-Jury
UFCW Education
Director
Changes And More Changes
Maple Leaf Foods doing the “shuffle”.
The leaves aren’t the only things that are
changing. Since the beginning of the year
Maple Leaf Foods has been restructuring
its operation. But, recently there have been
several changes taking place at all of the plants
that affect union members. UFCW Local 832
represents workers at all four plants in Manitoba,
in particular Maple Leaf Fresh Foods Marion Street,
Warman Road and in Brandon as well as Maple
Leaf Consumer Foods on Lagimodiere.
The Training Centre reminds all members that if
you have you been laid off, are looking for a change,
need help writing a resume or thinking of going
back to school, the Career Transition Services is
here to help you. Anyone interested in using this
service or wanting more information, should call
Shirley Lamboo, the career transition coach, at
775-8329 or toll-free at 1-877-775-8329.
GENERAL SESSION
TRAINING SCHEDULE
Training Centre hustling
and bustling as courses are
underway.
Check out the full training schedule
at www.ufcw832.com or September’s
issue of UNION. Don’t forget there are
two new courses starting this month.
1. Safe Food Handling for EAL Learners
2. Financial Planning seminars
In Winnipeg, you can still register for EAL
classes. Simply call 775-8329 or toll-free at
1-877-775-8329. You can also register on
line at ufcw832.com, then click on the UFCW
Training Centre tab. Make sure you have your
course information handy.
14 UNION OCTOBER 2007

MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNTS
For Members Only Savings
Your UFCW Local 832 membership card is
the key to receiving substantial discounts and
special offers from numerous merchants and
service providers.
Just show your membership card
to receive these special values.
It’s also important to make sure both you and
the benefit provider understand the terms of
the transaction. It is a good idea to call ahead
to ensure there are no misunderstandings on
what discount/service you will be receiving.
Pembina Dodge
Purchase a new Chrysler or Dodge vehicle for only $300 above dealer
net cost. Also receive up to 15% off on parts and shop time (this does not
include the dealer’s regular service and maintenance offers).
Call Kevin McEvoy at 284-6650 or drop by the dealership at 300
Pembina Highway to find out more information.
Polo Park Hearing Centre
Receive a 10% discount (to a maximum of $150) on the purchase
of any hearing aid. Phone 788-1083. Located in Polo Park Mall (near
Safeway).
Home Centre Savings
Receive 15% off regular priced furniture, mattresses and accessories.
7% off regular priced appliances and electronics at all Dufresne locations,
La-z-boy and Sleep Source in Winnipeg. You must identify yourself
with a current UFCW member card. Discounts cannot be used with any
other offers or promotions.
Cakes Unlimited
As a Local 832 member, receive a 10% discount on all cakes and
products sold at Cakes Unlimited—55 Plymouth Street. Open Monday
- Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
SDS Alarm Systems
Purchase a home alarm system and receive:
• 10% off installation of a home security system
• 25% off a 3-year monitoring contract
Call Ron Tayler at 589-7507 or e-mail rtayler@sdssecurity.com.
Active Muffler & Brake Centre
At Active Muffler & Brake Centre receive 25% off stocked parts and a
shop rate of $44.50 an hour, a savings of 20% off the regular shop
rate. 601 Rosser Avenue - Brandon. Phone 727-1213 or 727-1305.
Present your union card prior to being invoiced.
Performance Golf
Learning Centers (PGLC)
Receive 20% off all services provided at PGLC as well as special pricing
on golf equipment, accessories and apparel. Choose from a variety
of instructional programs taught by CPGA Class A professionals
Blake Russell and Brad Poleschuk using the V-1 Digital Analysis
System and Accusport Vector Launch Monitor System.
Located at Shooters Family Golf Centre 2731 Main Street.
Phone 275-1155 or e-mail pglc@mts.net.
First Affinity
Financial Corporation
First Affinity is a mortgage consulting service that ensures members obtain
the best rates and complete guidance in all aspects of obtaining or renewing a
mortgage—at no cost.
For more information phone toll-free 1-866-599-9799 or visit
www.unionsavings.ca.
Visions Electronics
At Visions purchase TVs, VCRs, camcorders, as well as home, car and portable
audio equipment from 5 to 10 % over cost. To obtain the special UFCW
price, ask for the store manager at the following locations:
• 1680 Pembina Highway
• 1130 St. James Street
• 1510 Regent Avenue
• 1120 Highland Avenue - Brandon
Oops...
In the last issue of UNION we put the wrong
name down for one of the horseshoe winners. It
should have read the following.
A-Side Horseshoe Winners
Joe Ferland & Sherri Barker
UNION OCTOBER 2007
15

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE
UFCW LOCAL 832
MEMBERS IN MOTION TEAM
Members at Maple Leaf Lagimodiere
paddled hard in the 2007
Canadian Cancer Society Dragon
Boat festival. This year’s festival took place
from September 7 to 9 and UFCW Local
832 were proud to support these members
who raised $1,000 for the Canadian Cancer
Society. In total this year, the dragon boat
races raised over $340,000 for the Canadian
Cancer Society. Local 832 Secretary-
Treasurer Jeff Traeger pictured with the
team above.
2007 Members in Motion Team are:
Andrew Rose, Bill Dixon, Bonny Gee, Bryan Kimakowich,
Dale Unrah, Dallas Reeves, Darren Belcourt, David Sichewski,
Diane Sichewski, Doris Brown, Frank Kirouac, Glenn Sinclair,
Jim Glenn, Magen Disbrowne, Mark Ben, Michelle Deurbrouck,
Nyontee Krah, Pat Bernas, Ray Benson, Roberto Soares,
Shannon Sokal, Sheila Loewen, Stacy Sichewski, Steven Jolicour,
Tammy Baxter and Carol Chartier.
Publications Mail Agreement # 40070082
Please return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:
UFCW Local 832
1412 Portage Ave.
Winnipeg, MB R3G 0V5