[PEN-L:6759] RE: Is labour getting serious?

[Elaine Bernard <HTUP@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Actually, its worked out splendid.  Even though we were
charged with tresspassing -- and spent the morning in
court (to be there to plea innocent and to get a date
set for the trial -- November 20).  However, on last
Friday, the employer blinked.  He agreed to recognize
the union via a card check (the cards were checked and
they were recognized on Tuesday).  He has reinstated
the fired workers with full back pay, he has agreed
to pay the workers he forced to work at home compensation
for this illegal act, and he is negotiating a collective
agreement with UNITE.  And of course, he has asked that
the charges against us be dropped -- and we are in the
process of getting that done.

Meanwhile, Greg and I are off to South Africa tomorrow
for two weeks.  I'll be doing some work with the unions
there re labor education, and we'll have a bit of a
holiday together.

The Richmark Curtain case appears to be over, and hopefully
when I return the contract will be settled and the charges
will be dropped.

This was the first action of our Worker Rights Board.   And
while I don't expect we will get arrested everytime we
weigh into a dispute, it still was a very fast and decisive
victory.

Elaine