Unions united...

Yesterday I received permission to take an extra 3 days off at the end of the month in order to be sworn into the Ironworkers' union. I am really excited about it for a variety of reasons. I appreciate the union and what it does for me and for the ongoing protection it offers. Besides, there are at least four other guys that I started here with who will also be sworn in at the same time so it is very likely that we will go out and paint the town red immediately afterwards! As my union is in Edmonton where my niece and nephews live they will likely be there for the fun as well. So all good! I have a friend named Sean who I know from our informal morning jocularity in the brass alley. He works for JD Driver and is a member of CLAC and not of the union. So we were chatting away about the differences in the two organizations (our local and the 'association' called CLAK). Sean lives not too far from me in Ontario just north of Belleville. He is a good and friendly guy. So I was asking Sean about CLAC as I am a curious person. My opinion is that CLAK was set up in order to break the unions. My guess is that there is a lot of Imperial Oil, Syncrude and Suncore money secretly went into setting up their organization. Additionally CLAC stands for 'Christian Labour Association of Canada' and it is my firm opinion(feel free to disagree) that any business using 'Christian'in it's name is using the concept of 'Jesus' to steal from people. Besides, why would they mix religion and business anyway? What if you are a Muslim or a Jew? Completely rediculous if you ask me but whatever. Sean told me the main reasons why he is with CLAC and not with a union. The main reason is that he was unemployed and they got him the job. Fair enough. The second reason is that they pay for his flights to and from work. Again fair. I know how crucial that aspect is to someone from out of the province. Another reason for his choice is that he took schooling to become a millwright but it is tough to get into the Millwright union when you don't know anyone so coming here as a laborer through CLAC allowed him to meet some millwrights who called their hall and now the next job will be as a millwright apprentice. This is all good for Sean and I respect him but there are some important things that he said in general which anyone in the field ought to pay attention to. As an older apprentice I have lived to see big business crush some unions in various ways. From GM spending several years moving from an all-in-one manufacturing system where they personally made all of the components of the car and were therefore completely dependent on the union to mostly JIT (just in time) systems where their production of components were made by the Linamars and Magnas of the world. This was important because those companies are Not union and so their employees have nowhere near the same amount of collective power making them easier to 'manage'. GMa final move was to close the Oshawa plant for a few years gutting most of the oldeer unionized workers and scaring the rest into submission. My worry is that the oil companies are trying the same thing here in Alberta. First they offload a lot of work onto non union workers in this case CLAC. Slowly they build the membership using people from out of province who they lure with free flights. The start with only recruiting only basic labourers but slowly move into skilled trades. When they have enough of the market covered with the out of towners they start cutting back on what they pay the union. A strike happens. It lasts a long time because with CLAC in place the work is getting done. Union guys get hard up for cash and start sneaking out and taking CLAC jobs and the presto chango the union collapses. That is really simplified but that is how it happens. I am glad to be joining the Ironworkers. I will work hard to ensure that the above scenario never occurs. And I will happily enjoy a good life with my union brothers and sisters. :)