A six-member delegation of USW leaders from Canada and the U.S. brought a message of solidarity to the Global LafargeHolcim Trade Union Conference this week in Hyères, France.
The conference, organized by IndustriALL Global Union and the Building and Wood Workers' International, brought together LafargeHolcim unions from 17 countries.
In a meeting with company officials, the unions protested LafargeHolcim's lockout of members of USW Local 816 at Texada Quarrying Ltd. in Texada Island, British Columbia, which began on October 17. The conference approved a resolution calling on the company to end the lockout, come back to the table and negotiate in good faith with the USW.
The union delegates also discussed coordination on bargaining and health and safety issues and the need for a global agreement between LafargeHolcim and its unions covering labor rights and working conditions. Prior to the merger of Lafarge and Holcim last year, Lafarge had a Global Framework Agreement that included a commitment to neutrality in organizing campaigns. However the management of the merged company has not agreed to accept this agreement.
The USW delegation was led by Dominic Lemieux, Assistant to the Director, District 5, and included: Pierre Arseneau, Staff Representative, District 5; Greg Moody, President, Local 14482, Florence, Colorado; John Lewis, President, Local 33, Hagerstown, Maryland;; Richard Strattman, President, Local 4-00429, Ravena, New York; and Eric Boulanger. President, Local 6658, Saint-Constant, Québec.
PDF of solidarity resolution from the LafargeHolcim World Union Conference – Hyeres 19 October 2016: PDF