In January 2002, a three-year agreement between the Society and Hydro One was signed under arbitrator George Adams. Hydro One made it clear to the Society once this agreement was reached that the company would move to a strike-lockout arrangement for future agreements. They would no longer entertain mediation-arbitration pacts for dispute resolution. This caused alarm for many Society members, who knew that the tone of future negotiations would soon change.
Artist: Helen Leung
“That signalled to us that they were going to push hard in the next round of bargaining, which they did, and force us to take huge concessions or strike, which we did,” explained Keith Rattai, a former Business Process Specialist and the Local Vice-President for Hydro One from 2003-2014.
Strikes require labour solidarity to be successful, and that meant the Society would need to insert itself into the labour movement if it wanted to achieve gains for its members in a new bargaining climate. A cultural shift was underway.
Some elected leaders like Rattai got elected and brought fresh perspectives to the union, which prior to the Hydro One strike, held few relationships with other unions.
2004 - A Society contingent marches in the Toronto Labour Day parade for the first time.
“I came from a trade union. I came from the PWU. I had a different outlook on the role the union should play in representing its members and in the broader labour movement.”
Rattai, along with key staff members and local committee members developed an internal plan to prepare for the difficult negotiations ahead.
“And at the same time, it was decided that we wanted to become more active in the broader labour movement, such as labour councils, the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), and the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE),” he said.
On May 5, 2003, the Society affiliated with the IFPTE as Local 160. Today, the IFPTE represents 90,000 professional, technical and administrative workers across Canada and the United States. The Society also affiliated with the OFL and CLC.
September 2004 marked the first year that a Society contingent marched in the Toronto Labour Day parade, organized by Rattai. It was, however, not the Society’s first Labour Day parade. Marches had been organized in Port Elgin prior to then.
The Society joined labour councils across Ontario, including the Toronto and York Region Labour Council, the Hamilton and District Labour Council, the London and District Labour Council, and the Durham Region Labour Council.
And the Society began attending solidarity actions for other striking unions.
“While we were on strike in 2005, the CBC also went on strike. We would go with our members and support their picket line.” said Rattai.
When Bell tried to divide its workforce through creating subsidiary companies, the Society showed up to support its union, then named the Communication Workers of Canada. “Our head office was the Bell Trinity Centre, owned by Bell. And Bell had forced their workers out, so we got involved in that,” explained Rattai.
The United Steelworkers (USW) were very supportive of striking Society members, which reinforced picket lines in Sudbury.
“They had what they called ‘flying squads,’” explained Rattai. “They’d call 15-20 people up. They would get together, and they’d come to our picket line. They would bring us coffee and show support.”
“They had what they called ‘flying squads,’” explained Rattai. “They’d call 15-20 people up. They would get together, and they’d come to our picket line. They would bring us coffee and show support.”
When the Steelworkers had a labour dispute, the Society responded in kind. One year, Rod Sheppard, who was Society President from 2007-2012, organized a bus to go to Sudbury.
“A whole bunch of us got on this bus and went up. They had a big rally at the Steelworkers’ Hall and marched through town.”
For the past 20 years, the Society has continued this important tradition of supporting fellow labour unions in their struggles for workers’ rights and social justice. The Society has stood alongside CUPE education workers in their fight against back-to-work legislation (2022). It stood with USW members during a 22-month strike at Crown Metal packaging and promoted their Bottles Not Cans boycott (2013-2015). It’s marched with Molson Coors workers (2017), LCBO workers (2024), and OPSEU College faculty (2017).
It stood with Caterpillar workers facing factory closures (2012). And when the City of Toronto sought to further privatize garbage collection, the Society lifted its voice in support of CUPE 416 members (2017). When TVO workers were on strike, the Society provided storage space in its office basement for picket materials (2023). These are just some of the many moments that Society members have stood alongside their colleagues in the labour movement during difficult times.
Let us not underestimate the power of solidarity.
Nov. 27, 2013 - A rally in support of low-wage workers.
Showing 1 reaction
Sign in with
Facebook