CANADIAN LABOUR:

BOYCOTT SKLAR PEPPLER, ALAN WHITE FURNITURE:

The Sklar Peppler plant in Ajax Ontario is one of those where "bankruptcy pays", at least for corporate management, as detailed in the story below. Not so for the workers laid off during the wheeling and dealing. The United Steelworkers reports that the Canadian Labour Congress has called for a national boycott of Sklar Peppler and Alan White Furniture in response to the underhanded way that workers at the plant have been treated. Here's the story from the Steelworkers' website. The news is not yet up at the CLC website, but it likely will be shortly.

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National Boycott of Sklar Peppler, Alan White Furniture

RELEASE, 13 April, 2010 - About 100 Steelworkers lost their jobs when a Canadian plant was closed and production shifted to Mississippi.

In support of 100 Steelworkers who lost their jobs and severance pay, the Canadian Labour Congress is asking its three million members to boycott Sklar Peppler, AW Manufacturing Inc. and Alan White brand furniture products.

After moving to Ajax from Whitby in 2006, furniture manufacturer Sklar Peppler went into bankruptcy in August 2008, affecting about 100 Steelworkers.

“The President of Sklar Peppler bought the company’s assets out of bankruptcy in late 2008 and proceeded to close the facility,” notes Ken Neumann, United Steelworkers National Director for Canada. “He then bought AW Manufacturing Inc., another furniture manufacturer in Mississippi, and now uses product from that plant in Mississippi to sell to Sklar’s customers.

“The hard-working Steelworkers that were employed by Sklar Peppler in Canada not only lost their jobs, they lost their severance pay in the bankruptcy proceedings,” Neumann says.

“The Canadian Labour Congress has endorsed a national consumer boycott against Sklar Peppler, Alan White branded furniture and its manufacturer AW Manufacturing,” says CLC President Ken Georgetti.

CANADIAN LABOUR:

PAY THE PENSIONS MR. MCKENNA:

The following online petition is from the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP Union). As in so many other cases the corporations in Canada are using bankruptcy proceedings to weasel out of their legal obligation to pay the pensions of workers at Fraser Papers. The Frank Mckenna mentioned below has had quite a career in Canadian politics and business. Having successfully avoided ever having to work for a living, except as a lawyer, he became leader of the New Brunswick Liberal party in 1985 and in 1987 won the provincial election, taking every seat in the legislature. He remained Premier until he resigned undefeated in 1997. Until 2005 he moved from one corporate tenure to another, and in that year he was appointed Ambassador to the USA. He remained in that post for only a year. Once touted as a potential federal leader for the Liberals, he has found the private sector much more attractive, especially in his role since 2006 as Deputy Chair of the TD Financial Group. the machinations of the financial sector, after all, may offer more scope to exercise power than any mere political post.



Here's the brief notice from the CEP Union about their petition.
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Pay Their Pensions, Frank McKenna:
Frank McKenna is a board member of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., the majority shareholder of Fraser Papers. The corporations are using the bankruptcy process to avoid paying forestry workers the pensions they are entitled to.



Tell Frank McKenna and Brookfield CEO Bruce Flatt to respect retired forestry workers, and to pay their pensions.
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THE PEITION:
Please go to this link to sign the following petition to Frank Mckenna and Bruce Flatt, CEO of Brookfield Asset Management.
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Mr. McKenna and Mr. Flatt,
I am alarmed to learn that Fraser Papers will not honour its commitment to pay the pensions of its retired forestry employees. I urge you to intervene to ensure that retired and current workers are treated with respect, and their families will not suffer financially.
Sincerely,