OFF THE LINE

May 2019 - Volume 30 - Issue 2

Photo by: Stacey Scott

Photo by: Stacey Scott Photo Contest Winner

Page 1 May, 2019

Page 2 May, 2019
Handing over the Reigns
I am beginning my training to take over the responsibilities of the newsletter from start to finish. While you see the finished
product, a lot goes in to ensuring that articles, posters, etc. are correct and in their right position and so on.
Having been co-editor for three years plus, this is my first “start to finish” for the Newsletter. I have to say, I have a new
appreciation for what Linda Smith (and her predecessors) have done in past editions. Not only do you have to put articles/
photos/posters in the correct locations, you need to ensure that they look correct in print form and that spelling, grammar
and punctuation are correct. Then there are the late submissions for which you need to “find” room. FYI - The newsletter is
created by a collaboration of team members to ensure that the final product is ready for you to view.
For now and for the next two issues please be patient while I am learning the ropes. I have big shoes to fill.

In Solidarity,
Doris Weir,
Co-Editor

Helpful Links
Website: https://unifor88.ca
Events: https://unifor88.ca/upcoming-events
Calendar: https://unifor88.ca/calendar (download calendar to your phone via your computer)
Contact: https://unifor88.ca/contact-us
Podcasts: https://unifor88.ca/podcast-2
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/unifor88/albums

Executive Board Meetings

In this Issue
President’s Report: Pg.
Plant Chair Report: Pg.
Financial Report: Pg.
Human Rights: Pg.
UAT Report: Pg.
Retirees Report: Pg.
Skilled Trades: Pg.
Rec Report: Pg.
Benefits Banter: Pg.
Letters to the Editor: Pg.
Contacts: Pg.
Your Local Union Executive Board meets on the
Tuesday prior to the last Sunday of each month to
4 acknowledge thank you letters from the past month,
6 to report on activities from the past months, and
to review requests and make recommendations to
10
the membership at our next General Membership
11 Meeting. If you have a request that you wish your
11 Executive Board to deal with, please submit it by the
12 Friday prior to the Executive Board Meeting.
13
14
General Membership Meetings
16
20 Our Local Union General Membership Meetings
22 are on the last Sunday of each month at 10:30am.
This is your opportunity to participate in the
decisions of your local union. The membership is the
highest authority in our local union. You are invited
to the next General Membership Meeting:
May 26, 2019.

Page 3 May, 2019

 Congratulations to all the members of Unifor
Local 88 that have retired since the last issue of the
newsletter. On behalf of the Local 88’s Executive, Inplant
and membership, we wish you and your family the best in
your retirement years.

Recent Retiree Workers

By: Joe Graves
February 2019
New Building Update
Anyone who has been down to the local hall in the last GM Unit
couple of weeks would have noticed that we have relocated Terry Tomlinson Tom McKim
to the northwest back corner of the parking lot. Below is a
David Berg Bill Wansbrough
picture of our temporary office. We will be working out of
this trailer for the next couple of months. Don Tribe Albert Verzyl
Douglas Tickner Al Blancher
Brian Nutt John Van Dyken
David Sans Brian Conklin
Mark Allison Marion Wilkes
Daniel Wilson Ken Kingsbury
Christine Siu Paul Patterson
Chris Pasek Trevor DeGroote
Linda Byatt Dale Snyder
Mindert Veenstra Phil Searay
Don Edmonds Ken Willemsvandyk
The old office/house is set for demolition in the next
couple of weeks. The new addition is very close to breaking Paul Bruels Chris Couperus Sebastian
ground and will hopefully be completed in late August or David Barker
early September.

SaveOshawaGM Campaign AWC Unit

On May 9th, Mike VanBoekel, Mike Murphy and Andre Fournier
I attended a meeting prior to the Local 222 General March 2019
Membership to go over the details on their agreement. Dino
Chiodo, National Representative, Greg Moffat, Chairperson
and Colin James, President, explained the details of the GM Unit
agreement and chaired the discussions that took place. I Shawn Jennings Brian Rachar
would like to personally thank all three individuals for John Mitorvic
their time and for their commitment in assuring Local 222 Jeff Nieuwhof
members received the best deal they could get for them. The Tony Vanrooy Stu Wilson
stress all three people endured over this five month period Bill Mallinson
would be indescribable. Kim Young
Shari Lord Andre Lopez
The question most Local 88 members have raised with
our leadership and me is: “Why are there buyouts for Local Lisa Berzins Cathy Mallinson
199 and 636 and not for Local 88 members.” The following Paul Walzak
will hopefully explain what was discussed during the
negotiating process of the Oshawa Agreement. Since we
April 2019
have approximately 215 members still on layoff, General
Motors is not prepared to offer Local 88 any buyouts at this GM Unit
time. There is an agreement to have discussions between Dave Lomack
General Motors and Local 88 in the future when all of our John Grimstead
John Schaldach Mike Wills
members are recalled and then offer similar buyouts that are
now being offered to the Local 199 and 636 members. The Anne MacMeekin Henry Heeren
purpose of the $40,000 buyout is to entice retirement eligible David Coghill
members to leave the workplace and replace them with a laid George Legacy
off worker from Local 222. Brad Walters Patricia Szlachetka
Ken Garvey Jody Peter

Page 4 May, 2019

May 1, 2019 This is a fun day for the entire family. Come out and
join in on the fun. I hope to see you and your family at the
GM Unit Labour Day BBQ.
Robert Baker Allison Kerr
Brad Fallowfield
Shutdown Bash June 28, 2019
Matt Montgomery On the last day of work on the 28th, if you’re not
Paul McAlpine Marsha Zammicky heading out of town right away consider attending the Shut
Wendy Wilson Shawn Reaume Down Bash at the Local Hall. The Recreation Committee
Dave Burgess puts this together every year and it’s a good way to start
Karen McGaw your shutdown. This year “2nd Chance” will be providing
Glenn Miller Bob Homewood the live music from 8pm to 1am. So, plan on attending for
Benita Mabee a great night. Doors open at 3pm with pizza available.
Todd Tewesbury
Phil (Hab buddy) Legault Dave Auld Unifor 88 Young Workers Beach Volleyball
Mike Zuk Don Weir Tournament
Nick D’Avirro Steve Arnold On June 22, 2019 the Unifor 88 Young Workers
Committee is holding a Beach Volleyball Tournament in
Total = 75 Port Stanley in front of GT’s. The information about how
to enter has been distributed around the plant and is on the
Unifor 88 website. If you have friends who like playing
As you can see the retiree numbers are dramatically volleyball and would like to enter, please register. Or,
increasing and will continue due to the large number of if you’re not into playing volleyball but enjoy having a
members, and hired in 1989 and 1990. The retiree group beverage on the beach, plan on attending to support your
meets every month, on the second Wednesday, at the Union brothers and sisters on June 22, 2019. Volleyball starts at
Hall. Brian Ginty, chairperson of the retiree committee, has 8:30am and I hear the bar opens at 11am.
done a tremendous job of running these meetings over the
years and attendance has continued to grow. On June 12, Your Future/Pre-Retirement One Day
2019 Local 88 Retirees Annual BBQ is being held at the Educational Course Saturday, October 5, 2019
local’s hall. If you are interested in attending, please go to
our website for the details of this event. At the time of writing this article the benefits reps have
said that there are close to 170 signed up to attend the
course on October 5th. Unfortunately, the Four Point
AWC Yard, Office Sheraton is unavailable and we needed to change the
On April 9th we had a grievance meeting with chairperson location. The new location will be the Carousel Room
Mel Bolsterli and me with AWC management to return at the Western Fair District in London, right next to the
to work a terminated Local 88 member on a last chance racetrack and casino. There’s lots of free parking and
letter. This process has taken some time to resolve but the they can accommodate our numbers. Information will be
individual delayed the process by not providing the employer leafleted throughout the plant at a later date. The maximum
with proper documentation that would have returned him to number for this course will be cut off at around 250, so
work quicker. We are pleased to say the terminated employee sign up early.
is now reinstated and is eligible to return to work.
In Solidarity,
Upcoming Events Joe Graves,
519-425-0952 x101
Labour Day BBQ, Monday
September 2, 2019
Once again, this year our local union
will be hosting our annual Labour Day
BBQ for Unifor Local 88 members and
their families and friends of the Town of
Ingersoll. This event takes a lot of time
and effort to hold and the committee is
always looking for volunteers. If you
are interested, please contact someone
on the Recreation Committee or attend a
membership meeting to get involved.

Stay tuned for the next picture of the new Union Hall and Office

Page 5 May, 2019


We have been in a steady state since the new year.
Production remains steady with three full shifts but no
production overtime. Wards Automotive announced that
the Equinox had a 7.5% increase in sales during the first
quarter compared to the first quarter of 2018. Our production
remains steady which obviously means that GM has elected
to build the additional Equinoxes in Mexico. That is not a
shock; a big part of our strike was to ensure we remain the
lead plant, but GM would not commit to our workforce.
That decision is based strictly on greed. Our quality
scores, uptime, etc. are second to none but GM must pay
our members human wages; therefore, Mexico gets the
additional production. Unless the government brings back
an Auto Pact, all the auto companies will continue to exploit
humans as cheap resources.
In terms of quality scores, cost per vehicle, uptime, safety,
etc., our plant is becoming the standout from every GM
plant in Canada and the USA. Our first-time quality scores
are hitting heights that other GM plants will never achieve.
Where does this put our plant? I am positive that new
product will be coming for our plant. GM is taking so much
heat for how they butchered the Oshawa closing and the
fallout from the government that I find it almost impossible
that they will now close their only remaining auto assembly
plant in Canada. They have already lost a large percentage
of customers over how they handled the Oshawa fiasco and
they keep stating that they will build where they sell. So
now, that leaves the question of what will they build here?
The next generation Equinox should be a given and I believe
it is coming. What GM should really be looking at is a
second vehicle for our plant and fully utilize the impact our
membership has on GM. Not only should the next generation
Equinox be built at CAMI but the hybrid model should be
as well. That would then trigger someone at GM to realize
that a paint shop needs to follow, and our plant is set for a
long healthy run. Our performance speaks for itself. No one
builds them better and no one builds them cheaper – and that
is a sad reflection on how GM rewards their top plant – every
USA plant gets profit sharing, yet the most profitable plant
in North America doesn’t get recognized??? Profit sharing
is also a Unifor issue. For years the union taught workers
that profit sharing was evil – you can’t trust the company
to come up with honest bookkeeping. Since the bankruptcy
announcement with GM and Chrysler, the USA government
is now forcing GM and Chrysler to be more honest with
their books and since that year the profits have truly been
embarrassing for the auto plants. Each year they hit the 10
billion or greater mark with GM profits. How does anyone
believe that the people who build all their profits should not
be sharing them??? Combine that with almost zero wage
increases in the past 12 years (2% once in the past 12 years)
and I don’t see how anyone can argue against profit sharing
anymore. Times have changed. The arguments against profit
sharing hold little water when you can’t negotiate decent
wage increases. In 2007, the minimum wage was $7.75 in
Page 6 May, 2019
By: Mike Van Boekel
Ontario while our production members were making $33.58.
In 2019, the minimum wage is now $14, and we are making
$34.83. What has happened to our real living wage is an
embarrassment. You have 45 GM plants in the USA: plants
on heavy layoffs, plants that are the bottom 10% of costs,
quality, etc. all getting $12,000 in profit sharing, plus annual
wage increases, and we get $0. I have argued this in the past
and I am sure going to be loud about it in the future. The
Mexican workers get bussed in to work for free, because
for $3 an hour, you can hardly buy a mule, let alone a GM
product.
It is May 7 as I write this article, and we have been having
bi-weekly conference calls with Unifor about the upcoming
Oshawa agreement. Nothing has been told to us yet.
However the deal comes about, I will write a full report on
what happened and what our position was. We have former
EMD, Ford, Massey and likely many other manufacturing
plants’ former members working here who have gone
through a plant closure. It would be a terrible feeling, and no
matter what the result is, the plant that employed thousands
will be either closed or greatly reduced to a couple hundred
people, devastating thousands of families.
We have been in heavy talks with the company about TPT
usage. When you have members laid off, it is a very tough
argument to bring in TPTs, so people can get extra time off.
Additional time off has become like cocaine. Years ago,
when we worked here you got two weeks off a year and
every few years you gained extra time off. Now with the
bank time program and just LOAs in general, people now
expect to get two, four, six, even ten extra weeks off per
year. We cannot have people sitting at home who should be
working full time if there is a true need for full time work.
Extra time off is staffed strictly by TPTs. If we end the
program, they won’t recall one extra single person. However,
we also need to police the program so the company is not
abusing it and avoiding hiring laid off members. We are
likely going to have an agreement so that members can
continue to enjoy extra time off, but we are not rushing
into it. It needs to be the right deal to protect our laid off
members, so they get recalled when they should be. Extra
time off is great for the mind, the body and your family
and I am fully supportive of that. Being laid off is the exact
opposite, and those members need to be recalled as quickly
as possible.
In Solidarity,
Mike Van Boekel
A n Invisible Population -
Eliminating Stereotypes and Breaking Down Barriers
Over the last several months, Unifor Local 88 and CAMI
Assembly have been working alongside our deaf team
members in an effort to help eliminate stereotypes and break
down barriers that our deaf co-workers experience every day.
People communicate in many ways – through speech,
writing, pictures and gestures. Hearing people supplement
their spoken words with voice tone and inflections, facial
expression and hand gestures.
But for team members like Chad Knott and other deaf
co-workers, communicating can be challenging. Most deaf
people use sign language and fingerspelling. Some prefer
to lip-read and use their voice. Many use a combination
of these methods. Some deaf people mouth words without
voicing them. Some have developed speech that is
understandable upon repetition. It is customary practice
for deaf people to use touch to get someone’s attention.
Whatever the choice of the individual, use of voice is not an
indicator of intelligence or academic standing.
Chad is in his 14th year at CAMI Assembly and is a long
time Ingersoll resident. Chad currently works in the Paint
Shop on the Hem Seal Team on “C” shift. This is Chad’s
story:
I was born deaf. My wife, Jen, is also deaf. Our two
children, Dalton (14) and Gianna (10) are hearing. Gia
signs very fluently while DJ doesn’t sign very much. We
mostly use sign language in the household.
I expect each day that when I wake up there will always
be a challenge as a deaf person, not just with employees
at CAMI but also being out in the public eye. There are
some days that are great and there are some days that I feel
frustrated by the lack of communication or cooperation.
There are some days that I feel like I am missing out on
news, information or “gossip”. I feel very fortunate that I
have wonderful co-workers on the sealer line and elsewhere
in the plant and we get along well. Currently some of the
team members are learning sign language, which is a bonus
for all of us. It’s a lot of fun teaching them sign and seeing
how they are motivated in using the signs that they have
learned.
I feel that I am lucky because I can read lips really well
(I am sure a lot of co-workers agree with me based on me
snooping into their conversations!!) and I can speak well
enough to engage in chats with my co-workers. Using sign
language is my first choice of communication because I am
able to express more using my hands. We have sign language
interpreters that do a very good job in helping break the
communication barriers out there.
If I had a wish, it would be for everyone to accept and
not be afraid of working, communicating or being around
deaf people. We can do anything except hear! (I am told
that I have selective hearing!) Today there are still many
companies that are not willing to hire deaf people resulting
in a higher percentage of the deaf community that are unable
to work and are on government assistance.
Page 7 May, 2019
By: Alexandra McCoy
If you see me anywhere in the plant, feel free to ask me any
questions or engage in some chit chat. I won’t bite! -
Sincerely, Chad Knott
When you are unsure of the best way to communicate with
someone who is deaf – ask them! Here are some practical
suggestions to help us all be more effective communicators
with our deaf co-workers.
Practical Suggestions for Communicating
Effectively with Deaf People:
• Before speaking, get the person’s attention with a wave
of the hand or a gentle tap on the shoulder.
• Face the person and do not turn away while speaking.
• Try to converse in a well-lit area.
• Do not cover your mouth or chew gum.
• If a person is wearing a hearing aid, do not assume the
individual can hear you.
• Minimize background noise and other distractions
whenever possible.
• When you are communicating orally, speak slowly and
distinctly. Use gestures and facial expressions to reinforce
what you are saying.
• Use visual aids when possible, such as pointing to printed
information on a citation or other document.
• Remember that only about one third of spoken words can
be understood by reading lips.
• When communicating by writing notes, keep in mind that
some individuals who use sign language may lack literacy
skills.
• If someone with a hearing disability cannot understand
you, write a note to ask him or her what communication aid
or service is needed.
• Talk at your normal rate, or slightly slower if you
normally speak very fast.
• Only one person should speak at a time.
• Be mindful that you aren’t physically positioned behind a
deaf member while engaging in a conversation. This can be
taken the wrong way and in the deaf community is a cultural
no-no.
The leadership of both CAMI Assembly and Unifor
Local 88 would like to thank those that applied for the
internal interpreter positions. We believe that this will be
a tremendous help to our members. We would also like to
thank our deaf members who have been incredibly patient
through the process of educating us and helping us to better
understand and appreciate their culture.
An Invisible Population continued on page 8
 An Invisible Population Continued from page 7
Terminology - What are the “proper” terms and definition
to be used in regard to deafness?
The Deaf, the deafened, and the hard of hearing are all
very distinct groups. Using the proper terminology shows
respect for their differences. [Definitions from the Canadian
Association of the Deaf (CAD-ASC)].
deaf: A medical/audiological term referring to those people
who have little or no functional hearing. May also be used
as a collective noun (“the deaf”) to refer to people who are
medically deaf but who do not necessarily identify with the
Deaf community.
Deaf (with capital D): A sociological term referring to
those individuals who are medically deaf or hard of hearing
who identify with and participate in the culture, society, and
language of Deaf people, which is based on Sign language.
Their preferred mode of communication is Sign.
Page 8 May, 2019
Hard of hearing: A person whose hearing loss ranges from
mild to profound and whose usual means of communication
is speech. It is both a medical and a sociological term.
Hearing impaired: This term is not acceptable in referring
to people with a hearing loss. It should never be used in
referring to Deaf people. “Hearing impaired” is a medical
condition; it is not a collective noun for people who have
varying degrees of hearing loss. It fails to recognize the
differences between the Deaf and the hard of hearing
communities.
For more information on this topic visit www.cad.ca
In Solidarity,
Alexandra McCoy
 Environment Committee
Colouring Contest

Colouring page for ages 4 and under Colouring page for ages 5-8

World Environment Day is June 5, 2019 and to

honour this, the Local 88 Environment Committee is
having a Colouring Contest with prizes for each age
group.

To obtain full page for colouring contest go to:

https://unifor88.ca/colouring-contest/

Print the full page at home or copies can be

obtained at the Inplant office or the off-site office
(The photos on this page are for reference only.
Colour only the full page photos).

Contest Rules:
Submit only the picture for your age group to the
inplant or off-site Union Office before the deadline of
July 31, 2019. Colouring page for ages 9-12

Page 9 May, 2019

 Unifor Local 88 Income Statement
March 2019
REVENUE BUILDING FUND EXPENSES
Dues-GMCL 134,121.26 Hall Repair Expenses 268.23
Dues-UNIFOR 425.11 Land Repair Expenses 3,850.46
Dues-AWC 1,070.84 Mortgage Interest Expense 138.92
Jacket/Hat/Gen. Clothing Income 2,420.36 Heat & Hydro Expenses-Hall 716.41
Reimbursments 550.00 Property Tax Expense 2,921.82
OPERATING REVENUE TOTAL 138,587.57 Legal Fees Expense-Hall 600.00
Bar Liquor Stock Expenses 1,128.07
COMMITTEE REVENUE Bar Non-Liquor Supplies Expenses 422.41
AWOC Committee Income 500.00 Cleaning 39.19
Education Committee Income 417.18 Rounding-Gains/Losses 0.21
Community Services Cte Income 300.00 Office Equipment Expense-Hall 59.99
Recreation Committee Income 1,674.18 Insurance Expense-Hall 997.38
IWD Oxford Income 210.00 Depreciation Expense Hall Assets 2,178.02
UPC Committee Income 500.00 BUILDING FUND EXPENSES TOTAL 13,321.11
Retiree Committee Income 857.73
Unit Fund Income 250.00 LOCAL 88 OPERATING EXPENSES
Communication Cte Income 2,837.78 GM Cami InPlant 3,367.44
Human Rights Cte Income 366.67 Executive 9,268.63
Women's Committee Income 838.56 UNIFOR Cou/Constit/Trades 1,262.79
Environment Committee Income 450.42 Standing Committees 1,574.01
Elections Committee Income 3,333.33 Other Lost Time -2,587.88
Memorial Bursary Income 250.00 Total Lost Time Expenses 12,884.99
Young Workers Cte Income 671.24 Telephone/Fax Expense 1,511.68
Flying Squad Income 250.00 Heat & Hydro Expense-Office 424.99
Constitution & Bylaws Income 333.33 Postage/Freight/Courier Expense 167.76
COMMITTEE REVENUE TOTAL 14,040.42 Travel Expenses GMCL 6,623.84
Bank Charges 254.78
HALL REVENUE Office Supplies Expense-Inplant 64.46
Building Fund Income 1,202.83 UAT Expenses 357.24
Hall Rental Income 1,460.19 Membership/Subscription Expense 756.25
Bar Sales Income 636.29 Donations Expense -122.50
HALL REVENUE TOTAL 3,299.31 Promotional Material Expense 1,867.81
Office Equipment Expenses 2,617.52
TOTAL REVENUE 155,927.30 Childcare Services 80.00
Rent Expense 101.70
EXPENSES OOP GMCL 263.05
PAYROLL EXPENSES Depreciation Expense Office Assets 16.65
Wages: Local 88 1,113.53 Depreciation Expense InPlant Assets 17.27
EI Expense 20.25 TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES 27,887.49
CPP Expense 31.27
WCB Expense 8.35 TOTAL EXPENSE 42,826.45
Garnishment Expense -220.60
TOTAL PAYROLL EXPENSES 952.80 NET INCOME $113,100.85

COMMITTEES EXPENSES YTD NET INCOME (JAN 1 - MAR 31, 2019) $177,631.40
Recreation Committee Expenses 505.09
IWD OXFORD 118.59
Unit Fund Committee Expenses 25.00

Communication Committee Expenses 16.37 Submitted by Financial Secretary,

COMMITTEES EXPENSES TOTAL 665.05 Linda Leyten

Page 10 May, 2019

You Are Not Alone
During the last round of negotiations, CAMI and the
Union bargained for a Joint Mental Health Committee.
This committee was a result of discussions regarding
the increasing prevalence of mental health issues in
the workplace and the impact on team members and
the organization. This committee is comprised of Tanja
Lakic, Susan Borduas, Jeff Ramackers and me. Our team
undertook an initiative that ended being more impactful
than we ever could have imagined. We started with an
online survey, asking people within our plant to share
their personal stories of how mental illness has either
directly or indirectly affected them. Their stories were raw,
emotional and incredibly powerful. We took those stories
and created May’s Safety Video. We did not do this alone
though. With the help of Rob Bucci, Keith Ackworth, Kate
from Wizards of Video and Barry Vickery we were able to
create something beautiful, and something hopeful.
By: Alexandra McCoy
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and our theme
for this year is “You Are Not Alone”. We have created new
shirts for this campaign and have some left over if anyone
is interested in purchasing one.
On behalf of the committee, I want to sincerely thank
everyone who had the courage to share their stories. Your
words have inspired and your stories have resonated with
many.
One of the biggest tools we have to fight mental health
conditions is the power of human connection. That is why
awareness months, weeks and days are so important. That
is why campaigns like this are crucial. Let us rally together
to spread awareness, show support and offer hope.
In Solidarity,
Alexandra McCoy

Easy Solution on Page 13

By: Linda Smith

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We continue to deliver UAT to the “B” shift members sldkfjasldfjasaldfkjasldkfjas
with the Defined Contribution Pension Plan likely until the lfkjasldfkjslfkjasldfkjaslfkj
end of the month. aslfkjslfdkjsldkfjsldfkjasld-
In June we hope to move to the “A” members with fkjslfkjsdlfkjpoqweiruj;alkf
Defined Contributions. jnsl;lARUQOWILKRJF;LN
There are still some members left from the Defined
Benefit group that have not yet had the training and
we hope to complete those after this group has been
completed.
We are looking forward to the next eight hour segment of
our negotiated 24 hours of Union Awareness Training. We
are planning a comprehensive Mental Health Awareness
Curriculum and are working closely with the Mental
Health Awareness Committee members (Jeff Ramackers
and Alexandra McCoy) to ensure that we are meeting the
needs of our members in this important curriculum.

In Solidarity,
Linda Smith,
Union Awareness Training Coordinator

Page 11 May, 2019

Retiree Report Here are the retiree dates for the remaining of 2019:
By: Brian Ginty
• June 12, 2019 (Summer BBQ)
• September 11, 2019
• October 9, 2019
• November 11, 2019 (Christmas dinner )

All meetings start at 10am SHARP(ish)

Slainte!

Page 12 May, 2019


From the beginning of this calendar year until now, we
have had 15 Skilled Trades persons retire. With our plant
celebrating 30 years of building high quality vehicles we
will have that number increase dramatically, sooner, rather
than later. To help celebrate and to send off our brothers
and sisters into retirement, Max Jamieson and Chris Varey
have organized periodic celebrations at the Union Hall.
The next Skilled Trades retirement celebration will be held
on Saturday, June 8th from 1pm until 6pm. There will be a
cost of $10 which will help pay for food for the afternoon.
I hope to see you there for a few laughs and perhaps a
farewell toast to our retirees. Congratulations to all of our
recent retirees and thanks to Max and Chris for organizing
the event.
On the other end of the spectrum, if any of our new
M/As would like to obtain their Unifor Journeyperson’s
card please contact Dave Kneale. Dave can be reached
at extension 3082 and he works out of the Facilities/
PDM group located in the northwest end of the Assembly
department.
To update as to what’s happening in the plant, we will
soon have six of our millwrights certified in structural
Page 13 May, 2019
By: Alex Balicki
welding. The process to get the program and training up
and running has been arduous to say the least. But as usual,
persistence pays off. Another six millwrights from Paint will
be starting the next wave of training for structural and pipe
welding certification in the fall.
Next, I would like to bring you up to date on the electrical
Palin System install in the sludge pit area in Paint. By
all accounts, the six electrical volunteers on the project
are enjoying the work and seem to be ahead of schedule.
Without any sarcasm or bullshit, this is a great example of
our Full Utilization Language benefiting both our trades and
the company! We, the workers, benefit by actually doing
the work which gives us job satisfaction and job ownership,
thus securing our future. The company benefits by saving
a great deal of money and having our Trades gain valuable
experience with the equipment for future troubleshooting
and system knowledge. It would be very difficult for the
company not to admit that this is a win-win situation.
Outside of the positivity created from that project, my
biggest struggle on your behalf is getting the company to
respect our contractual language. They seem driven to find
ways to minimize our involvement. This year, other than
retirement, we have also lost one electrician and
one millwright to resignation. Upon asking why
they chose to leave Cami, the answer they gave me
was not surprising. In a word, “Respect” was the
main reason. I could give example after example
of Cami’s lack of respect to its Skilled Trades
employees; however, I don’t want to tarnish this
article with negativity. I will once again express my
desire to work with the company for the betterment
of both sides! Working together must be defined as
cooperation and respect, coming from both sides of
the table.
In Solidarity,
Alex Balicki,
Skilled Trades Committeeperson
Easy Answer From page 11
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 In May, there was a National Trap Shoot in Galt. Local 88
had one team: Jayson Vanderckhove, Don Vanderckhove,
Rob Hanchiruk, Sue Rumble and Brad Rumble. They did
very Well. They won top score in their class division.
Upcoming Events:
• May 25-Local 88 Golf Tournament at Tamarack
• May 31-Game night at Local 88 Hall
• June 8-POEM Reg. Golf Tournament at Pine Knot
• June 23-Canada’s Wonderland Unifor Family Day
• June 26-Shut Down Bash at Local 88 Hall
• July 26-London Majors Unifor Local 88 Day
• Aug. 10-Hops and Vines Bus Trip

Contact Julie Fenn for info:

Juliefenn70@gmail.com
519-933-7756
Or on website , union boards and FB page

In Solidarity,
Julie Fenn,
Chair Recreation Committee

Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/unifor88/albums

Events: https://unifor88.ca/upcoming-events/

Recreation Report
By: Julie Fenn
Starting out this year, we ran some brand new events with
outstanding success. The bus trips to “Come From Away”
and Niagara Casino were both sellouts. Hopefully this kind
of bus trip will have good future participation. It was great to
see the retirees joining in on these events as well.
In April, we had the Bowling Tournament held at Ingersoll
Lanes. It was a fun day with all the lanes full.
In April, was the “Farts and Darts” Tournament. We
combined darts and a chili cookoff to increase participation.
This was a first time running event and was very successful:
40 players and nine pots of chili. Our judges were Local 88
leadership as well as the chef from Jokers Crown and Susan
of Old Time Bakery. Winners for the evening: Chili Cookoff-
Doris Weir, Dart Tournament-Local 707, and 50/50-Mark
Lewis. Proceeds of $372 was raised for STICH.
In April, there was the National Hockey Tournament
in Brampton. Local 88 had three teams. Local 88 Team
Robertson were the gold winners of the open division.
Also in April, we tried a new social event bringing
everyone together to play fun new board games at the hall.
It’s a free event with a cash bar. We are considering bringing
back social nights on Fridays after work for the members to
enjoy with their co-workers.

Page 14 May, 2019

Page 15 May, 2019

By: Jeff Bankes,
Stephan Cronin & Rob Gallace
EI Sign Up If Not Paid During 2019 Shutdown
For employees who are off on the scheduled two week
shutdown and do not qualify for vacation pay for the first
or second week, you may be eligible for employment
insurance if you have an ongoing claim. If you do not have
an ongoing claim, you may be eligible to start a new claim.
All Employment Insurance claims must be set up by you, the
claimant, by no later than 28 days from your last day worked.
Once you realize you have no vacation pay for the week
or weeks of shutdown, you should go to the Service Canada
site (www.servicecanada.gc.ca) to start your application for
Insurance Benefits OnLine. If you need assistance with the
online service you can call our office for assistance. Anyone not
receiving earnings for either week of the shutdown period will
have a Record of Employment sent to Service Canada by the
Cami Payroll Department on their behalf.
No Coverage for Semi-Private Hospital Rooms
We have been getting a lot of calls lately about coverage
for semi-private hospital coverage. Unfortunately, out of 2010
negotiations, reimbursement ceased to be available for covered
persons who were admitted on or after October 1, 2010. So,
when one of your dependents or you are being admitted to the
hospital and hospital administration asks what coverage you
have, you need to tell them “ward only”.
Coming back from Sickness and Accident
If you are coming back off of a Sickness and Accident claim,
you will need to clear it through the Health Centre before you
return. We recommend that people phone the Health Centre
at least two to three days before attempting to come back, to
make sure that you have all the proper documentation needed
to return. In some instances, you will need to see the company
doctor before returning. This allows time for you to make an
appointment. If you need graduated hours on your return, you
will need to schedule an appointment with the company doctor,
so please phone ahead to make that appointment.
Hurt At Work? – WSIB
If you are hurt at work, please report it as soon as possible.
We’ve had a few claims lately that have been denied or held up
because of late reporting. If you are injured, please report it to
your supervisor immediately. To start the WSIB process, you
need to seek medical attention outside of CAMI. Please let your
health provider know it is work related. This is what actually
gets the WSIB process going. Getting this process started
could cover you if the injury gets worse, or if you need medical
benefits such as physio, massage or medical items. If you have
any questions about this process, please feel free to contact one
of us in the office.
Personal Benefit Summary
Your Personal Benefit Summary Statement from the
Page 16 May, 2019
Company will be sent out to you in late June. This statement
includes important information about your negotiated benefits
at GM CAMI Assembly. You should make sure that all the
information is up to date and correct. PLEASE REVIEW
CAREFULLY the following:
1. Personal Information - Check information to make
sure it is correct. Make sure your name, address, phone
number, birth date, seniority date and emergency contact
and phone number are correct.
2. Health Care Coverage – Medical, Dental/Vision and
Audio should be listed.
3. Income Protection – Check information to make sure it
is correct.
4. Sickness and Accident Benefits - Check information to
make sure it is correct.
5. Life Insurance - Check information to make sure it is
correct.
6. Other Lump Sum Payments - Check information to
make sure it is correct. (If applicable)
7. Group RRSP - Check information to make sure it is
correct. (If applicable)
8. CAMI Pension Plan – Check information to make sure it
is correct. Make sure that your years of credited service
for both your total credited service including 2012 and
your credited service at age 65 is correct.
9. Dependent/Beneficiary Coverage Information Summary
– Check information to make sure it is correct. It should
list spouse and dependents.
If you have any discrepancies you should contact CAMI
Benefits at extension 3314. If you still have an issue, please
contact the Union Benefits Office.
Planning for Your Future/Pre-Retirement
We will be holding another course on Oct 5th, 2019. If you
missed the last course or you are interested in taking this one,
please phone any one of us in the Benefits Office and we will
add you to the list. The location of the next course will be at the
Western Fair District in London. Information will be leafleted
throughout the plant at a later date.
Upcoming Retirees
We have a good number of people who are coming up to their
retirement. We are here to help you with your paperwork. If
you’d like to bring it in before submitting it, we can check it to
make sure everything is filled out properly. This will ensure that
there are no delays in receiving your monthly pension payment
or your commuted value payment.
Steps to Retirement
We have a lot of members who are approaching their early
retirement eligibility. There have been lots of questions being
asked about the steps to retirement. Here are some of the steps
to take as you approach retirement:
• You can come up to our office at any point and we can
do a monthly pension estimate for you based on your
retirement requests. We can also help you figure out
your total credited service and earliest date to retire.
• Six months before you reach your retirement
eligibility, you can request a Commuted Value (CV)
 Estimate. It will include the monthly benefit amount
on the estimate that you get back. The first one is free
and is from Mercer, the company looking after our
pensions. They include a second one in your actual
retirement package after you retire. If you need any
more past those, they will cost you $300 each.
• To actually retire: There is a form to fill out to initiate
your retirement. This form is to be filled out by you
and signed by your supervisor. Once that is done, you
would submit it to ER. The company wants this form
60 days before your retirement date, and you must
retire on the first day of the month.
• Picking your retirement payment option: This doesn’t
take place until you leave the plant. About three
weeks after you have actually retired, you will receive
a package in the mail, outlining your retirement
options. This is where you will make the decision
about whether you take the monthly benefit or the
commuted value. If you take the commuted value,
you will want to take part of your package to a money
manager, to help set up funds. You can bring the
package back into our office and we will ensure that
everything is filled out correctly. We can also send
your package back for you from our office.
Out of Province/Country Coverage Information
If you experience a medical emergency while traveling,
call Green Shield Travel Assistance. Quote your GREEN
SHIELD group number and provider number, found on your
Green Shield Identification Card, and explain your medical
emergency. You must always be able to provide your Green
Shield provider number and your Provincial Health Insurance
Plan number. The following are the phone numbers you are
required to call:
For 24hr emergency medical assistance while traveling, call:
1-800-936-6226 toll free in Canada & U.S.A.
0-519-742-3556 collect in other countries
Green Shield Canada Travel Assistance Group # 9623
For major health expenses, hospitals and physicians may bill
Green Shield directly.
If traveling to Cuba they may ask you to verify that you have
travel insurance. We have paperwork up in our office for you
that you can bring to fulfill this requirement.
New Parental Benefits as of March 17, 2019
A new parental leave benefit of up to five additional weeks of
time off from work is available to eligible parents as of March
2019, three months earlier than initially planned. The measure,
first announced in the last federal budget, will provide an
additional five weeks of Employment Insurance (EI) parental
benefits when parents — including adoptive and same-sex
parents — agree to share some of the benefits.
Parents with children, born or placed for adoption on or after
March 17, 2019, will be eligible for the benefit. Initially, the
benefit was to take effect in June. The Canadian government
has touted the benefit as a way to encourage male partners
to take some of the allotted leave to more equally share the
responsibilities of raising children, as males presently make up
8% of total Parental Benefits paid out.
Page 17 May, 2019
Currently, parents can share 35 weeks of paid leave, with
division of that time determined by the couple. The new rules
would enable families to now take up to 40 weeks of leave from
work, as long as the second parent claims at least five weeks
of that time. Extended benefits will increase to 69 weeks, if the
second parent claims at least eight weeks of that time. Thus,
the additional five or eight weeks are a "use it or lose it" benefit
which is only available when both parents agree to share the
parental leave.
Accumulated Expenditures for Income Security
Funds (SUB, SWW, IMP, VTEP, PRIMP, ROA)
This fund has a Total Income Security Fund Maximum
Liability of $290,000,000.00 during the period from September
17, 2017 to September 21, 2021. A total of $0.00 has been
used from this fund as of May 1, 2019 with the following
breakdown:
Maximum Liability $290,000,000.00
Expenditure
SUB $0.00
SWW $0.00
IMP $0.00
VTEP $0.00
PRIMP $0.00
TOTAL $0.00
Remaining Liability $290,000,000.00
CPP/EI Conference
We’d like to thank the membership for allowing us to attend
the weekend CPP/EI Conference that was held on
April 26-28, 2019 in Port Elgin. This conference was a great
opportunity for us, as it covers important changes to Service
Canada and allows us to speak to other benefits representaitves.
There were workshops on changes to EI, the expanded CPP
and the importance of working to continue to improve these
services. We had a speaker who is a member of the Service
Canada Commission, and he spoke about some of the areas
Service Canada would like to expand coverages, along with
some of the issues they have with current coverages. We had an
opportunity to speak and mentioned some of the issues that we
currently have with some of the benefits our members are using.
Overall, it was a great conference and is a great resource for us
to expand our knowledge of Service Canada benefits.
Union Benefits Office Hours
The Union Benefits Office is open from 6am to 4pm daily
from Monday to Friday and on Saturdays if mandatory overtime
is scheduled. We are located south of the Assembly stairs where
the bank machine is located. We are the second set of doors on
your right.
In Solidarity, In Solidarity, In Solidarity,
Jeff Bankes Stephan Cronin Rob Gallace
(519) 425-3134 x3345 (519) 425-3134 x3353 (519) 425-3134 x3342
Thames River Clean Up April 27, 2019

Annual Ontario Regional Retiree Meeting May 7, 2019

Page 18 May, 2019

Unifor National Hockey Tournament April 13-14, 2019
and National Trap Shoot May 4th, 2019
both hosted By POEM Recreation Council

Page 19 May, 2019

 The opinions expressed in the letters to the editor are not necessarily those of the
Executive Board or those of the Editors or their staff.
The Mouse That Clicked
He looked like the twin brother of Mr. Q of James Bond
fame and had a great resemblance to John Cleese of Monty
Python. He was quite well off but never even close to being
as rich as Bill Gates or any of Silicon Valley as new rich
internet entrepreneurs. But it’s thanks to
him that they became so rich.
At a time when computers were the
size of Buicks and ran on punch cards,
Dr. Douglas Engelbart led a team of
researchers who had far-out ideas that
helped build the modern computer
industry and allowed these machines to
become a staple of work and home life.
What Engelbart’s team come up with was Windows, the
concept of the digital workspaces. He was also responsible
for hypertext, the technique where you click on a word in
one document and it jumps to more information in another
document. Another one was videoconferencing, where
two or more groups of people can have conferences from
different localities.
Those three examples might give you an idea about
how influential Doug Engelbart was in the development
of computer use. But what made him exceptional was the
invention of a little instrument that made the personal
computer ready for use in anybody’s living room: the
computer mouse. Also, Dr. Engelbart’s laboratory was the
first to host the Network Information Center, which would
eventually become responsible for allocating Internet
domain names.
Douglas Engelbart was born in 1925 in Portland, Oregon.
Shortly after the Great Depression, which nearly bankrupted
the Engelbart’s small business, his dad died.
Douglas, just 9
years old, moved to
his grandmother’s
small farm. Later he
said, “Growing up
without a dad, I felt
that I was different
than anybody else.
I had no idea what
would become of
me.”
In high school he
became interested
in technology. He
received a bachelor’s
degree in electrical
engineering and
later a doctorate
in electrical
Page 20 May, 2019
By: Louis Van Hout
engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He
started his professional life at the Stanford Research Institute
(SRI) in 1957 as a researcher.
Dr. Engelbart strove for simplicity in all of his endeavours.
One of his team members tells the story about how Engelbart
interviewed job candidates. “He would hand them a pencil
with a brick attached to it with masking tape and ask them
to write their name. If our writing tools were that unwieldly,
he would demonstrate, people would never have learned to
write.”
The eyes of his peers glazed over when he talked about
“interactive computing”. He said at the time, “That was
my first real awareness of the absence of a way to express
futuristic concepts in modern-day terms”, or, in other words,
how can you explain the use of not yet invented tools for an
idea that isn’t understood?”
In 1968, Doug Engelbart first showcased many of his
innovations before more than 2,000 people at a conference
in San Francisco. Later, this event would be called “The
mother of all demos.” Few in attendance had ever seen the
mouse, hypertext, videoconferencing, clickable desktop
windows and more. As the New York Times reported, “In
one hour, Dr. Douglas Engelbart defined the era of modern
computing.”
As is usually the case with successful teams, slowly they
started to unravel. The Xerox team outfitted Dr. Engelbart’s
contraption with a trackball and packaged it with the Alto
personal computer. Apple more widely commercialized the
device with the Lisa computer.
Not impressed with Apple’s adjustments to his invention,
which originally had three buttons, he told the Toronto Star,
“Apple people said one [button] is what you need. That’s
like saying I’m going to chop off three fingers on my hand
because they are superfluous.”
Dr. Engelbart often tried to play down the role of the
mouse in his legacy, arguing that his greatest invention was
not a piece of hardware but rather making possible the once
“crazy” concept of making computers an integral part of
workaday problem solving.
The mouse’s success did not
make Dr. Engelbart rich. Though
his name is on the patent, the
royalties belong to SRI, which
at one point paid him a $10,000
lump sum for the invention.
In Solidarity,
Louis Van Hout
 Questioning Ourselves
Recently, the line I work on in the paint shop had
a very strong odour in the air which caused some people
to have adverse reactions, in some cases needing medical
attention (everyone involved is fine). The next day, the
assistant manager (reading from a report he held in his
hand), held a meeting at the beginning of our shift to brief
us on what had happened, what the odour was and where it
came from etc. At the end of the meeting, a member of the
deaf community, who works on our line, reached over to
the assistant manger and grabbed the sheet so that she could
read it and thus know what was going on. At this time, I
looked at the assistant manager and said, “You have got to
be kidding me that after 30 years our deaf community is still
dealing with this?” You see, not only did he not make a copy
of the report for the two members of the deaf community
on our line to read along with, but he also stood with his
back to them, making it impossible for them to read his lips.
Time and time again, I have witnessed management staff
doing this. This company has hired many deaf people and
good for them, but don’t you think that when they hire their
management staff they should make it mandatory for them to
learn sign language?
Unfortunately, I have found that my co-workers and I have
done the same at times. Sad, isn’t it? What can be done to
change this? Well, I am happy to say that a few people on my
ASL (American Sign Language) Alphabet
Page 21 May, 2019
By: Lisa Champeau
line are learning to sign…way to go! As well, most people
in our area make sure to face a deaf person when speaking
so they can read our lips and understand what is being said.
These are all great things that people are doing to incite
change.
But now I must question myself, what can I do? What
should I be doing? What more can I do? Well, the obvious
one would be that I, too, can and should learn to sign. I can
also be sure to face the deaf person when speaking and be
sure that they understand what is being said. I can make sure
to include my deaf brothers and sisters in all conversations.
I can make sure that management is being considerate
(this one might be the hardest to achieve). And, I can keep
having these conversations, I can keep standing up, I can
keep fighting the fight and I can encourage others to keep
questioning themselves.
In Solidarity,
Lisa Champeau
(You can also read an article on page 7 in this issue, about the
deaf community at Cami written by Chad Knottt that was in the
April edition of Shifting Gears.)
 Executive Board 519-425-0952

President: Joe Graves Recording Secretary: Trustees:

ext.101 Cell: 226-448-2789 Kim DeGraaf ext. 103 Monica Lovell
The “OFF THE LINE” joegraves@unifor88.ca Krista Muirhead
Newsletter is published Doris Weir
by Vice President: Sergeant-at-Arms:
Unifor Local 88 Brent Tree Pete McDonald Retiree Chapter:
P.O. Box 158, Brian Ginty
Ingersoll, Ontario,
N5K 3K5 Financial Secretary: Guide: Youth Member-at-Large:
Office: 364 Victoria Linda Leyten ext. 102 Allan Fisher Shayla Wolff
Street,
Unit 1 In Plant Committee 519-425-3134
Ingersoll, Ontario
Plant Chairperson: Skilled Trades: Coordinator:
Tel.: (519) 425-0952 Mike Van Boekel 519-608-4298 Alex Balicki 519-608-4042 Mike Murphy 519-608-4392
Fax: (519) 425-1250
Office hours: 7:00-3:30 Assembly South/QC Paint/Assy MH Trim Weld/Stamp
‘A’ Shift: ‘A’ Shift: ‘A’ Shift:
Tom Dunn ext. 3344 Jerry Doyle 519-608-4031 Adam Trudgen 519-608-3654
WebPage: Assembly South/QC Paint/Assy MH Trim Weld/Stamp
www.unifor88.ca ‘B’ Shift: ‘B’ Shift: ‘B’ Shift:
Ryan Roberts 519-608-3805 Dan Comeau 519-608-5097 Rob Corbett 519-608-3844

Newsletter Staff: Assembly South/QC Paint/Assy MH Trim Weld/Stamp

Linda Smith ‘C’ Shift: ‘C’ Shift: ‘C’ Shift:
Doris Weir Mario Difelice 519-608-3773 Arnie Small 519-608-4504 Ron Zavitz 519-608-3726
Kim Pembleton
Don Boogerman Unit 1 Specialty Reps 519-425-3134
Ruth deGraaf
Contributing Editor: EAP/Addictions: Benefits: Production Standards:
Joe Graves Jeff Ramackers ext. 3352 Jeff Bankes 519-639-3567 Rob Hoekstra ext. 3350
519-533-3059 (cell) Stephan Cronin ext. 3353
Rob Gallace ext. 3342 Health & Safety: 519-608-3263
“A publication provided Human Rights/Equity/ Chris Wilson ‘A’ Shift
by Local 88 for its Women’s Advocate: Ergonomics: Jamie Wright ‘B’ Shift
members.” Alex McCoy Roger Yaholnitsky (Paco) Karen Weldon ‘C’ Shift
226-678-5724 ext. 3351
Reprints with permission
from the Executive
Board with all credits Unit 2 - AWC Unifor National Office
from
Local 88 accompanying Chairperson: Mel Boelsterli 205 Placer Court,
article. 519-617-0499 Toronto, M2H 3H8
Committeeperson Office/Dispatch: 1-800-268-5763
Dave Mavin WebPage: www.unifor.org

le tter
Committeeperson Yard: ews
Paul Branton xt Ne 9
N lin , 201
e
Submissions can ad 1 4
be dropped off at the
Health & Safety: De gust Unifor National Reps
Trish Hawkins Au
Local 88 Benefits Office Dino Chiodo-GM CAMI
“Newsletter Submission 1-800-265-1891 Ext. 2487
Box” or mailed to the
Paul Shiels - AWC
above address-attention
1-416-495-3763
“Editorial Staff ”
or email:
dorisweir88@gmail.com

Next Membership Executive Board meetings are held the Tuesday prior to the last Sunday
Meeting of each month. If you have a request for the Executive Board please submit
Sunday, May 26,
10:30 AM it by the Friday prior to the Executive Board meeting.

Page 22 May, 2019

 To find out more about To find out more about this
this and other events go and other events go to:
to:
https://unifor88.ca/
upcoming-events/

Page 23 May, 2019

Page 24 May, 2019