Partager
Jim Angus
The Windsor Star
30 August 2012
Re: CAW now 'too big to fail,' blog by Chris Vander Doelen, Aug. 25.
As an elected delegate to the CAW Constitutional and Bargaining Convention, I was one of the thousand or so delegates that voted to endorse the plan laid out for us by the New Union Committee.
As a media worker, my vote was motivated by one overriding fact: that we have the opportunity to join almost 15,000 other media workers from across the country in the New Union. There are other good reasons for this partnership to go forward, as well, which are too numerous to mention in this space.
That initial overriding reason combined with the challenges our industry faces as change and job loss confront us made my choice clear, as is my conscience.
I can certainly say that the rest of the convention, based on those who had an opportunity to speak on the floor, were convinced also, and I guess they voted for the positive aspects of moving forward, as I did. Does it really make that much difference that everyone or almost everyone agreed?
In any event, whether the initiative goes forward is still not determined; the CEP must make their decision in October.
At least our explanation was in a concise 42-page document (which was debated), unlike the hundreds of pages in the budget/omnibus bill that Conservative MPs recently voted for unanimously in true democratic fashion, even though most didn't even know what they were voting on.
Sadly, most Canadians, certainly interested parties in the democratic process, may never know what was in that bill or how it will affect them. Now that's true democracy from the right-wing perspective.
Again, my conscience is clear as to my vote.
Regarding transparency, the website: newunionproject.ca has been providing information on the process since its inception.
Considering that both unions combined have more than 300,000 members spread across the country at thousands of workplaces, the media, with its 24-hour multi-platform news is a very efficient way to reach all those people quickly.
Finally, on the subject of an "immoral, unsustainable business model," we might want to reserve that memorable phrase for a few notable corporate examples like: Nortel, Enron, Lehman Brothers and Bernie Madoff.
JIM ANGUS, chairperson, Windsor Star Unit, CAW Local 240
