Canadian Labour Reporter

2 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2017 Molson Coors workers strike TORONTO — Members of the Canadian Union of Brewery and General Workers (CUBGW) went on strike Jan. 12 after fail- ing to sign a new deal with Mol- son Coors. Both sides were at the bar- gaining table for months. "Our members were willing to negotiate but the employer wasn't interested," said Larry Brown, National Union of Public and General Employees (NUP- GE) president. CUBGW is affili- ated with NUPGE. Despite being in a strike po- sition Jan. 9, the union gave the employer a last chance to come back with an improved package of proposals, said the union. Wages focus of unions: Conference Board OTTAWA — Labour groups continue to focus on wage gains for workers, while also reaching out to youth via social media, ac- cording to a report by the Con- ference Board of Canada. The report, Industrial Rela- tions Outlook 2017, found em- ployers continue to rein in costs via pension changes and will look to manage changing work arrangements in 2017. "Despite sluggish economic growth and the impending ex- piration of a number of collec- tive agreements, few work stop- pages are expected in 2017," said Allison Cowan, director, leadership and human resourc- es research, Conference Board of Canada. Some highlights of the 74- page report include: • Top negotiating issues for employers in 2017 are wages, productivity, organizational change, and health benefits. • Important labour issues are wages, security and benefits. • Unions continue to work to engage younger workers in- creasingly with social media. • Employers are focusing on fis- cal restraint and affordability, and are looking to maximize productivity and accommo- date employee needs while adapting to the economic cli- mate. Specific changes sought by some unions include minimum hours, a higher minimum wage and a reduction in the use of two-tier wage structures. Unions continue to express concern about precarious work in an increasingly service-ori- ented economy, said the report. Les Spécialités Prodal workers sign fi rst contract SAINTBERNARD, Que. — UFCW Canada, Local 500 members working at Les Spéci- alités Prodal in Saint-Bernard, Que., have agreed to their first contract. The workers make specialty pork products and deli meats for one of Quebec's most well- known meat producers. Members unanimously rati- fied the three-year contract, which includes salary increases and is retroactive to November 2016, according to the union. The new collective agreement provides two wage increases: one on the worker's anniversary date of hiring, and one on Sept. 1 every year, said the union. Other highlights include: • Three to four sick days and four to five weeks of vacation, depending on seniority. • Evening shift premiums for trainers, workers assigned to cleanup, and team leaders. • A group insurance plan that the employer will contribute to. • An RRSP plan for workers that have five or more years of se- niority. FORMERLY CLV REPORTS Serving labour relations professionals since 1956 www.labour-reporter.com Published weekly by omson Reuters Canada Ltd. Subscription rate: $595 per year Customer Service Tel: (416) 609-3800 (Toronto) (800) 387-5164 (outside Toronto) Fax: (416) 298-5106 Email: customersupport.legaltaxcanada @tr.com Website: www.carswell.com Director, Media Solutions, Canada Karen Lorimer Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Todd Humber Editor/Supervisor Sarah Dobson | (416) 649-7896 sarah.dobson@thomsonreuters.com News Editor John Dujay | (416) 298-5129 john.dujay@thomsonreuters.com Contributing Editor Jeff rey R. Smith Marketing Co-ordinator Keith Fulford | (416) 649-9585 keith.fulford@thomsonreuters.com © 2017 omson Reuters Canada Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher. e publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional advice. If legal or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. e analysis contained herein represents the opinion of the authors and should in no way be construed as being either offi cial or unoffi cial policy of any governmental body. ISSN 0045-5113 Publications Registration 2089 Canadian Labour Reporter is part of the Canadian HR Reporter group of publications. Visit www.hrreporter.com for more information. Labour Reporter Canadian www.labour-reporter.com Photo: Mike Blake (Reuters) LABOUR LENS Fast-food workers take part in nationwide protests to denounce President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of Andy Puzder as Secretary of Labor outside a Carl's Jr. restaurant in Los Angeles on Jan. 12. LABOUR BRIEFS

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