Question: Please answer the following questions based on this article As shown by the discussion of the 1940s Rand Formula decision, the UAW had a long

Please answer the following questions based on this article Please answer the following questions based on
Please answer the following questions based on
As shown by the discussion of the 1940s Rand Formula decision, the UAW had a long history in Canada. For much of that period, the Canadian union members simply followed the directions provided by their American leaders. However, the 1980s marked a turbulent time in the auto industry. There were numerous layoffs and increased competition from non-North American manufacturers. The fol- lowing events show how the CAW was created in this turmoil to become Canada's largest private sector union. In 1982 negotiations, the president of General Motors made a public state- ment that if Canadian workers did not follow the concessions of their American counterparts, there would be plant closures and relocations. GM settled with small gains for workers and without a strike. However, the Chrysler negotiations that fol- lowed resulted in a strike. As Gindin (1995) states, after a five-week strike, Chrysler agreed to accept the opening-day proposals of the union-Canadian workers even won a wage increase. In so doing, the Canadians had shown they were a force to be reckoned with. The next round of bargaining came in 1984. GM settled in the United States with no wage gains for workers. After a thirteen-day strike, Canadian workers earned an annual increase that their American counterparts did not. This again signalled the independence, and strength, of the Canada component of the UAW. In December of that year, Bob White (then Canadian director of the UAW) called for a vote regarding the formation of a new, independent Canadian union. Only four of the 350 delegates voted against the call for the Canadian union. In September of 1985, after nine months of negotiating the terms of separa- tion, the legal and monetary issues were settled; the Canadian UAW was formed. In 1986, it was renamed to the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW). In the twenty years that followed, the CAW became the largest public-sector union in Canada. Since its founding, it has merged with more than thirty other unions/locals and now represents workers in many industries outside of the auto sector (e.g., airline, fishery, retail, mining, rail). Given the diversity of its member- ship, the CAW has taken a leadership role in the areas of equity. In fact, since 1986, it has held an annual human rights conference. As its human rights policy states, Unions emerged to not only collectively protect workers from the arbitrary use of power by employers and governments, but also to create a culture of equality and dignity for all members in their ranks. Achieving higher wages and better working conditions for workers is no more important in the final analysis than achieving solidarity amongst all workers (CAW, 2006b). The CAW fight for equity among disadvantaged workers even includes workers not represented by it. For example, the CAW website shows policy and discussion papers on issues ranging from employment insurance to protection of workers in the sex trade. It is a union that has clearly made a mark on the country. In 2013, the CAW and the CEO joined forces to create Unifor. Unifor is Canada's largest private sector union representing over 300,000 workers in a wide range of industries including communications, manufacturing, national resources, transportation, and service. The union has a broad mandate. It positions itself as representing all workers, both employed and unemployed. The union continues to focus on economic gains for its members and social justice, as shown by "What we stand for" on its webpage (see Unifor, 2014c), where the first paragraph states: Unifor strives to protect the economic rights of our members and every member of the workforce (employed or unemployed). Unifor advocates for and defends the eco- nomic rights of working people, safer workplaces, secure employment, wages and benefits that provide a decent standard of living and dignity and respect in the workplace That page goes on to present core principles related to union renewal/gen- erational change: democracy, equity, inclusiveness, accountability, solidarity, mili- tancy. The union is also part of a global network of unions called IndustriALL, which represents 50 million employees in 140 countries. Sources: CAW, 2005, 2006, 2006, 2006c; Gindin, 1995; M1 Secretary, 2012; Raina, 2014; Unifor, 2014a, 2014, 2014 QUESTIONS 1. How does the CAW relationship with the UAW in the 1980s contrast with the historical relationship between the American and Canadian labour movements? 2. Discuss how Unifor can be seen to have both a "bread and butter" and a "social justice" orientation. 3. The CAW was considered to be a tough bargainer. Does the case provide evidence to support this claim? 4. As is shown in the chapter, the large labour federations have often had rifts and separations. If Unifor ever left the CLC, do you believe it has sufficient membership diversity to form an organization that would rival the CLC? 5. The case makes reference to the global labour group IndustriALL. Do you feel that such global linkages are needed for the labour movement today

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