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CAW reaches deal with Ford five months early

Saturday, May 3rd, 2008 by admin

buzz hargrove, buzz-hargrove, BuzzHargrove, canadian auto workers, canadian union, canadian-auto-workers, canadian-union, CanadianAutoWorkers, CanadianUnion, caw, ford

We’ve been hearing for some time now that Buzz Hargrove and thea CAW didn’t want to have anything to do with the two-tier wage structure or health car plans that the UAW agreed to. Before the landmark labor contracts were ratified in the States, American auto manufacturers enjoyed the cheaper cost of building cars in Canada, and because that difference in manufacturing cost was no longer a factor, it appeared that the CAW and Detroit could be in for a long and messy fight. That may not be the case, though, as word comes from our unionized-friends up north that the CAW and Ford have already agreed in principle to the major points of their upcoming contract, a whopping five months ahead of schedule.

According to Automotive News, the union is expecting a deal to be done by the end of the week. We can surmise that the deal does not include a multi-tiered wage structure, though. “We were not going to do a tier-two and if Ford had insisted it would have resulted in a fight,” says Hargrove. The CAW did, however, agree to give up 40 hours of vacation time per year, a supplemental health care fund and a reduced entry-wage for new-hires. Ford will compensate CAW workers with a single payment of $3,500 for the lost vacation time and a $2,200 bonus if the contract is ratified at the plant-level. Ford also promises to keep the St. Thomas plant open until at least 2011 as opposed to the current plan of 2010. See the press release after the break for all the juicy details.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req., CAW]

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    • Posted in Ford, UAW/Unions, canada | No Comments »

    Ontario introduces bill to protect “children” from secondhand smoke

    Saturday, May 3rd, 2008 by admin

    canada, ontario, smoke, smokers, smoking, smoking ban, SmokingBan

    Four U.S. states, one Canadian province and one territory have already banned smoking in your car when children are present. Next up to potentially adopt the legislation is Ontario, Canada. A bill has been introduced into parliament that would fine anyone smoking in a car when someone under the age of 16 is also in the car.
    The bill makes no exceptions for, well, anything. It doesn’t matter if the car is stopped or moving, if all the windows are down and the sunroof open, or whether the smoker is driver or passenger. Smoke inside a motorized vehicle with a “child,” and it’ll cost you $250 Canadian.

    While we don’t argue with the supposed spirit of the law — protecting children from the ill health effects of smoke — we do wonder about the relevant age. Sixteen years old seems kind of long in the tooth to be classified as a “child,” while 17-year-olds are suddenly adults who can handle it. There would also seem to be more dangerous things out there than traces of smoke at 55-MPH with the windows down, but it is Canada after all, so maybe not.

    Thanks for the tip, Rodstar!

    [Source: Canadian Driver]

    Posted in Driving, Government/Legal, canada, safety | No Comments »