The way Rob Latford sees it, Unifor will give skilled trades workers at Toyota support from across Canada. The millwright, working at the Woodstock plant, was at a recent workshop on skilled trades where he liked what he heard about the union’s National Skilled Trades Council.
“The biggest thing I got from it is the support Canada-wide. If you have a question, or an issue, there are trades guys in Canada who have had that issue,” said Latford.
Now, Toyota skilled trades workers are facing challenges such as scheduling, including being forced in on weekends. These are problems other plants have faced and resolved, and can lend a helping hand, he heard.
Toyota has few skilled trades apprentices, he added.
Dave Cassidy, chairperson of the National Skilled Trades Council, and from Unifor Local 444 in Windsor, believes the council can help Toyota workers.
That means Unifor trades workers use their meetings and contacts nationally to better working conditions at all plants, and they have real power at the bargaining table, he added.
“That would be huge for us,” said Latford.
One issue the council can help with is seeing non-trades workers doing some trades work, said Latford. “We have seen production guys running wire systems for their machines, to get them up and running.
National meetings sets policies and procedures trades workers will take to their workplace, and to collective bargaining.
Can help Toyota workers with pension and wage protection, health and safety, training, developing apprentice programs, tool allowance and representation in the plant, to name a few issues.
Unifor trades workers have their own contract language and separate ratification vote concerning skilled trades issues.