quote:

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Disgruntled autoworkers who have occupied a plant in east-end Toronto say they have no plans to leave until the company agrees to pay severance to 200 laid-off workers.

Doors were barricaded on Saturday and about 100 workers inside were preventing production at the Collins & Aikman plant, which is scheduled to close at the end of July.

Bob Chernecki, assistant to Canadian Auto Workers' president Buzz Hargrove, said the company told them its U.S. operation, based in Michigan, is refusing to release the severance money.

Collins & Aikman, which manufactures automotive floor and acoustic systems as well as cockpit modules, filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. in May, 2005. [...]

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I didn't find anything on the CAW site about this, and the Collins & Aikman site doesn't list an address. But Canada 411 is to the rescue!

It's way the hell out at Markham Road and the 401. They weren't kidding when they said East end. That's about as far northeastern Scarberia as you're gonna get without making friends with a giraffe!

[ 31 March 2007: Message edited by: Michelle ]

I can see the Toronto Sun columnists warming up to spout about how the workers should be arrested for occupying the plant.

Still nothing on the CAW website though...

[ 01 April 2007: Message edited by: unionist ]

quote:

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Originally posted by unionist:
[QB]Still nothing on the CAW website though...

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Yeah, dudes, what's up with that? Unless, of course, this just happened on the weekend and there wasn't time for posting it on the site.

It's kind of ugly out today, not a great day for a TTC day trip, but I could probably muster the energy to bring out a few donuts or something if there was any picketing planned.

Edited to say: oh, I see from the Toronto Star article's picture that there are pickets happening outside as well. I thought maybe it was all happening inside the plant.

[ 01 April 2007: Message edited by: Michelle ]

HTML experiment:

Hey, I just hid my "[ 01 April 2007: Message edited by: unionist ]" in my latest post above. I guess it's pretty obvious, but all I did was change the font colour to match the background... You can still see it if you highlight all the text. Is this against our rules, Michelle?

[ 01 April 2007: Message edited by: unionist ]

quote:

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Originally posted by unionist:
total thread drift

HTML experiment:

Hey, I just hid my "[ 01 April 2007: Message edited by: unionist ]" in my latest post above. I guess it's pretty obvious, but all I did was change the font colour to match the background... You can still see it if you highlight all the text. Is this against our rules, Michelle?

[ 01 April 2007: Message edited by: unionist ]

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See? For instance, those who aren't familiar with how to use HTML code wouldn't understand why a post like this wasn't showing up.

quote:

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Originally posted by Michelle:
It's about transparency, that's all.

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quote:

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A deal has been reached between the auto workers union and company officials at a manufacturing plant in east-end Toronto.

Disgruntled workers had been in the second day of a sit-in at the Collins & Aikman plant in Scarborough, Ont., and refused to leave until the company agreed to pay severance to 200 laid off workers.

CTV reported that Chrysler Ford has agreed to pay their part of the severance which amounts to $1.8 million, but GM and Ford have yet to come to the table with their share.

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link

I think it would be great if more strikes were carried out this way. It proves for the ten millionth time that working people don't need corporate bosses or capitalists or bureaucrats to run businesses, but, with some training and a bit of will power, can do it themselves democratically.