A visit to our brothers and sisters Atikamekw

The Atikamekw people form a multimillennial, whose community of some 12 000 population is divided into three villages (Wemotaci, Manawan and Opitciwan), located north of La Tuque.

Since the beginning of summer, members of the three communities have traveled the canoe country to better take ownership and reconnect with their roots. The objective of this activity is to create bonds of trust between members, between women and men of different ages.

On different beaches, all summer, travelers were warmly welcomed by fans came to their courage. The 9 September 2017 they celebrated together at Trois-Rivières by the arrival of the Atikamekw Tapiskwan Sipi (the Saint-Maurice River). I was there. And I can tell you that I consider myself very lucky to have witnessed this ceremony.

The sacred fire

The event took place on this ancient site as the ancients called the "Sacred Fire". However, this place was renamed the "Fountain of the Devil" by the La Mauricie National Park. The layout is simple : it's actually a few stones placed on the ground so as to point north, Atikamekw were considered the "northern gatekeepers" within their alliances. The stones accumulate the water coming out of a small stream. Water in fire? eh yes : because water comes from natural gas. Thus lights the small puddle and it is used to turn a pipe.

Ceremony, although it may be called a "religious", happens with remarkable simplicity. the shaman, or medicine man, said a few prayers, the light pipe. By taking some "puff" and passes that wants to smoke well. Everything is done so that people do not really stop to discuss them. They make jokes, move, all that the most natural way.

this ceremony, very pretty, reminded me of my readings in political anthropology.

Religion?

The religious among Aboriginal people is not quite "religion". It is not independent of the rest of society and not the organized specialists deal. They believe in the sacred circle of life. This worldview dictates virtually nothing. It is open to interpretation. No doctrine comes the support. This circle represents the totality of reality : beings and spirits, humans and animals. Life revolves around this circle interdependence, Aboriginal people must respect.

There is no separation among the Atikamekw radical between sacred and profane. Similarly they refuse to part with their political power by creating a State, They also refuse to separate the spiritual aspect of their lives by creating Churches.

Formerly, the shaman lived behind the village, history of living in proximity to animals and to have the necessary tranquility meditation. He did not exercise his full-time job and had to constantly renew the confidence of his patients by renewing his exploits. Like the others, he hunted, peach, made love and war. Indigenous peoples therefore retained their autonomy with respect to the interpretation of the divine laws.

Spiritual authority is not structured hierarchically. Unlike the monotheistic religions, it does not control. It is not for nothing that the Jesuits repeated ad nauseam that "savages are without beliefs, without religion". From their point of view, it was not entirely wrong : Indigenous peoples have no official spokesman interpreting the signs of the minds, dogmas or scriptures. The religious is not religion. Aboriginal and keep their autonomy in interpreting the messages sent by the spirits.

So it was a ceremony with ease, but oh so full of meaning to which I attended.

Declaration of Sovereignty

The ceremony took place in a particular context. Les Atikamekw, as we know, moving in a process of self. They made a declaration of sovereignty in 2014 and keep from being in a logic of affirmation.

The declaration of sovereignty is much talk of the territory into.
Here is an excerpt : "Nitaskinan is our heritage and legacy of the most sacred. Our Creator intended us to live in harmony with Nikawinan Aski, Mother Earth, giving us the right to occupy and duty to protect. Nitaskinan has shaped our way of life and our language; this is what distinguishes us from other Nations. »

It's easy to understand why a formerly nomadic people has a special relationship to the territory. The name " Atikamekw », who says Nehirowisiw in the language, literally means "self being" on its territory.

They want a national authority for them to exercise this independence:

"Protecting Nitaskinan, defending his lifestyle and aspirations enliven any time the actions of Atikamekw Nehirowisiw and its current and future institutions. In this regard, Atikamekw Nehirowisiw use all means it deems appropriate to defend its rights and interests.

We are not Canadians, we are not Quebecers, we Atikamekw Nehirowisiw. Appartient à Atikamekw Nehirowisiw Nitaskinan.

Nisitomokw, take action "

 

The Atikamekw form a combative people. In 2013, they blocked the territory to logging companies to assert their sovereignty over the country. This summer, they put the remains Rémadec logging company for its failure to respect their rights. The Atikamekw are actually in process of reconquest of their territory and their country, and we saw that this is also the case of the Crees, and Mi'kmaq of Haudenausonee, so it's a story to follow.

 

Marc-André Cyr, for transmission Live Action.

 

Photo credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org

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Do treeplanters suffer from Stockholm syndrome?

A portrait of the industry of treeplanting

While it used to be a dignified and respectable way to earn your life, treeplanting is now nothing but a way to live counter-culture for wanderers and students who seek an alternative to the minimum wage. Nowadays, the possibility of escaping the threshold of poverty is only attainable for the best of us, who endure a very long season from west to east of the country. There is no mistaken it, wages have not risen for a long time. When we ask why, we are always met with the same answer: there is not enough money, or we are told to shut up.

The ultra-competitive practices of the industry are to blame. For all these years, companies have ferociously maintained their market share, at the expense of our wages. They often leave thousands of dollars to win their submission. This represents the amount of money that separates the lowest submission of their closest competitor. And if the other companies that pay up to the standard of the industry find themselves incapable of offering lower costs, then where did they cut? In our safety? In our kitchen budget? In our wages?

In all of this, we don’t have a word to say. Of course we musn’t voice our opinions on the practices of the industry or on those of our company. Production must continue, but production for whom? “If you’re not happy, find yourself another job”… A reality that manifests itself through the figure of the foreman, who systematically demands job candidates with a “good attitude”.

The bosses really don’t want to hear us complaining about our extraordinarily low wages for an extraordinarily difficult job. They don’t want to hear our complaints, but they do nothing for us. And will do nothing! And yet, who will pay the price of their irresponsibility and their endless greed? It’s us, because our wages are their biggest exploitation cost. Lower wages mean more contracts and more money for them. Although, more insecurity for us; more injuries because we always feel the pressure to out-perform if we want to be able to pay our rent, our food, our tuition, our leisure… Whose prices keep climbing year after year! But it doesn’t stop there. They sometimes “forget” to include our transportation hours in our total working time, intimidate us when we want to get our WCB (CSST), make us work for free when it’s time to dismantle and reassemble the camp, abandon the maintenance of the showers, provide insufficient funds for food… On top of all this, we also have to pay 25$ to shit in the shitters that we dug ourselves.

Stockholm syndrome

But we are also to blame. Because, with each passing day, we continue to dance without ever setting our foot down. We prefer to stay silent as we watch our comrades plant trees with tendinitis in their wrist. Sometimes, at the point where it’s in both wrists. We don’t want to see them as our reflection, but rather as competitors. When someone is forced to work with an injury, because they are intimidated or because they are denied any form of compensation, it’s all of us who pay the price. Have you ever gotten through a season without at least one case of tendinitis in your camp? It will be your turn soon and you most likely won’t have access to any aid or compensation. If it hasn’t already been the case. It is the most frequent injury, but there are also infections due to the showers not being functional. There’s the lumbar sprains and the sprained ankle. Finally, when it is time to take a bow and retire, there’s the chronic tendinitis and the damaged knee. Sometimes even, it’s a case of pneumonia that spreads, or who knows what kind of viruses and food poisoning. That’s without mentioning the harassment and the assaults, done by the bosses as well as amongst ourselves, of which we never talk about but that nevertheless happen every summer.

In spite of all that, we are not even content with merely observing our collective agony with indifference. We have completely assimilated our bosses’ line of thought, convincing us to always work harder. We compete with each other. We put pressure on each other. No more need for policing on the camp, we are our own police. This reality finds itself best represented through the emblematic figure of the highballer. The one who attains the highest degree of accomplishment in social scale of treeplanting. Sometimes, legends even form around these figures. And yet, the value of these people is only measured through their production, never through their individuality. Antagonistically towards ourselves, we only perceive ourselves through the prism of productivity. Such a reality can only favor our bosses.

All this, and we have nor problem drinking with our bosses. We assure them they are our friends. That the experience of treeplanting would not be the same without them. Indeed, it would be far better! I cannot help but feel the bitterness of it all… friends? How can we reconcile friendship and abuse, unless we have no respect for ourselves? We who share the same conditions, the same problems. Our bosses are hypocrites. The love-hate relationship that we develop towards our job, it isn’t hard to understand. We love the camp life, the unforgettable evenings, the friendships we nurture, the stars in the sky, the afternoons by the beach… We hate the unpaid labor, the insults, the injuries, the psychological problems, the pressure, the days and the weeks without ends… It is not them that make the seasons unforgettable, but us. How many of you have already daydreamed, for hours, a thousand and one ways to torture your foreman? They do nothing but force us to experience pain and indignity. Experiences that help us workers bond, but that aren’t a pleasure by any measure.

Foremen are not our allies. They are agents at the service of the companies. The wage system based on the treeplanters’ production and the necessity of meeting production quotas only act as an incentive for our exploitation. The widespread myth that the foremen take better care of us when they are paid more is one that is constantly repeated to us. But, is it really how that works? The unfair distribution of lands, the abusive warnings when production is too low, the pressure to go beyond our mental and physical limits, all seem to indicate the contrary. If it isn’t a downright botched job, while we work to pay their salaries. Let’s not forget that the foremen don’t work for us, but it is us who work them.

Now what?

We must stop complaining all on our own. That only serves to comfort each other as we constantly descend further into hell.

The two solutions most often mentioned will lead us nowhere. The first would have the companies meet at a negotiation table to agree to a minimal price for the industry, under which they would not compete with each other. In that case, we might as well do nothing and wait for money to grow on our trees. The other solution would be to form a cooperative. With this model, we would effectively have control over our working conditions, but we would still have to submit to the law of the market. The cost of the tree would have to remain competitive in order to have contracts. These cooperatives would remain very small since they could not carve a bigger spot in the market. What would become then of the vast majority of the workers, still trapped in the rookie mills?

Organization is key

There is only one solution: solidarity unionism. The only way to improve our working conditions is to shape the balance of power in our favor. To do this, we have to stand in solidarity in the face of exploitation. The major objection to signing on with a union is that they do not understand the reality of our work and our needs. We would only be paying dues to a union that doesn’t really represent us. Our relationship with unionism has been corrupted by the trade unions that today seem to be more of a weapon for the owning class than a weapon for the working class. And yet, unionism is a way of struggling for better. A struggle that can be horizontal and with no other representation than ourselves. We can lead this fight and make gains that we will collectively choose: the IWW is the union for that. Workers that have chosen to join forces, no matter their trade, to organize their workplace with union model that would not escape their control. We will be the union, and no one else.

Our insecurity grows each year, we have to act now! This text will not invoke unanimous approval, like all the posts on the group King Kong Re-forestation that denounce our working conditions. Some would like to regurgitate their cult of the highballer. But isn’t that the sign of a deep discomfort and uneasiness? Let’s join forces now to organize our fight back! Those of you who wish to organize, contact us!

 

In solidarity,

X377547

 

In French.

 

Cover photo credit: http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/into-the-wild/

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Do planters and tree planters have Stockholm syndrome?

Portrait of Treeplanting industry

Formerly a way to live a respectable and dignified life, the Treeplanting is more than a place to live a lifestyle against-cultural and vagrants wandering between and among students seeking an alternative to the minimum wage. Today, the possibility of exceeding the threshold of poverty is reserved only best-es of us who make a very long season in west of the country. There is no confusion. Salaries have not increased for a long time. When asked why, the answer is always the same : there is not enough money, or it is simply saying to close.

The ultras competitive industry practices are to blame. All these years, companies have fiercely maintained their market share at the expense of our salaries. They often leave on the table several thousand dollars to make a submission. That is to say, the amount of money that separates the low bid of its nearest competitor. And if other companies that pay at the industry standard has not found it possible to bid as low, so where did they cut? In our security? In the kitchen budget? In our salaries?

In all of this, we do not have our say. It is important not to give our opinion on the practices of the industry or our company that. Production must continue, but production for which? "If you're not happy, if you're not happy, find another job "… A reality that is crystallized in the figure of the foreman who consistently called for nominations having "good attitude".

They and they especially want to hear more we complain of excessively low wages for a disproportionately work difficult. They and they do not want to listen to our complaints, and while they do nothing for us. And do nothing! However, paying the price for their irresponsibility and their endless greed? It's us, because our salaries are the biggest operating costs. Lower wages that results in more business and more money for them and they. More, also by more precarious for us; more injuries because we always feel more pressure to perform to make sure we pay our rent, our food, our school, our leisure ... Whose prices are increasing every year! But the ball does not stop there. They and they "forget" to put our sometimes hours of transport in our total hours worked, intimidate us when we want to take our CSST (WCB), we are working for free when it apart and reassemble camp, let the showers abandoned, do not provide a sufficient budget to the kitchen ... and the height, we have to pay 25$ day to shit in the toilet that we, ourselves, excavated.

Le syndrome de Stockholm

More, we are also to blame. Car, each passing day, we continue to dance but were afraid to put our foot terr. We prefer to look at all day our comrades when they plant trees and have tendinitis. Sometimes even to the point of having both wrists. We do not want to see ourselves reflected in them and they, but rather the contestants. When a person is forced to work injured, because intimidated or because they have been denied a form of compensation, it's all of us who pay the price. Have you ever survived a season without tendonitis in your camp? It will be your turn soon and you will likely have no help or compensation. If it has not already happened. This is the most common injury, but there are also infections unhygienic because the showers do not work. There lumbar sprains and sprained ankles. then finally, when it comes time to pull our reverence, there are chronic tendonitis and knee smashed. Sometimes, it is also pneumonia that spread or some unknown virus and food poisoning. Besides harassment and assault, us and by employers, which is never discussed and yet each was rampant.

Despite all this, we are not content to observe indifferently our collective agony. We have completely adopted the discourse of our bosses who tell us to always work harder. There is competition between us. We put pressure us. More police needs in the camp, we are our own police. this reality, it is found in the emblematic figure of highballer. Whoever represents the highest degree of achievement of the social ladder in Treeplanting. Sometimes, same legends are formed around these figures. and yet, the value of these people did as ever in their production and in their individuality. For antagonistic effect, we do we perceive only through the prism of production. A reality that employers are glad.

All this and we toast no problem with our boss. We assure them that and they're our friends. That experience Treeplanting might not be the same without them and they. Effectively, it would be much better! More, I can not help but feel a bitter taste ... friend-es? How can we reconcile friendship and abuse, except that we have no respect for ourselves? We who share the same conditions, the same problems. Our bosses are hypocrites. This love-hate relationship that we develop with our employment, it is not difficult to understand. We like camp life, unforgettable evenings, woven friendships, the stars in the sky, afternoon on the beach ... We hate free work, insults, the wounds, psychological crises, pressure, the days and weeks will end more ... It's not them and they which our unforgettable seasons, but you. How many of you have ever fantasized, several hours, thousand and one ways to torture your foreman? They and they do nothing but force us to experience the suffering and indignity. Things that help to knit us more, but that is not our pleasure in itself.

Supervisors are not our allies are. They and they are agents in the pay of companies. The compensation system based on the production of growers and compliance with production targets is only acting as an incentive to our operating. The widespread myth that the foremen take more care of us when they are paid and well-es is something that continues to repeat. More, is it really reality? The inequitable distribution of land, abusive warnings when production is too low, the pressure to exceed our physical and mental limits seem to show otherwise. If this is simply not a rush job while we pay their salaries. Do not forget that supervisors are not working for us, but it is we who work for them and they.

Now what?

We must stop complaining each one on our side. This allows us to comfort us as we always chutons to hell.

The two most often do we bring solutions lead nowhere. The first wants the companies to join a discussion table to agree on minimum prices for the industry, below which they would not compete. Both remain in passivity and pray that our money grows trees. The alternative would be to form a cooperative. In this model, We actually would have control of our working conditions, but we would still be subject to market dynamics. The price of the tree will remain competitive for us to obtain contracts. These cooperatives will remain very small, since they can not gain a foothold in the market. So what about the vast majority of the workforce that remains a prisoner of rookie mills?

The organization is the key

We still have a solution : the Solidarity unionism. The only way to improve our working conditions, it is by building a balance of power in our favor. For that, must be integral to abuse employer. The greatest objection to the arrival of a union is that it does not understand the reality of our work and our needs. We'd only pay dues to a union that does not represent us. Our report to unionism has been perverted by the trade union confederations, which now appear to act more as a weapon of employers that as the weapon of the working class. and yet, unionism is a form of control. A practice that can be horizontal and without representation other than ourselves. We can lead this struggle and make the gains we choose collectively: l'IWW, it is the union then. Workers who have chosen to come together, regardless of industry to organize their workplace with a model of unionism that would not escape their control. We will be our union and nobody else.

Our insecurity is greatest from season to season, we must act now! This text will not be unanimity in the community, as all publications on the King Kong Group Re-forestation denouncing our conditions. Some want to and some we regurgitate their worship highballer. But would it not the sign of a deep malaise? Let's get together now to arrange the response. Those who wish to organize, please contact with us!

 

Solidarity,

X377547

 

In english.

 

cover photo credit: http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/into-the-wild/

source image 1 : http://www.replant.ca/phpBB3/viewtopic.phpf=27&t=66036&p=86600&remote = graphic # p86600

source image 2 : http://www.replant.ca/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=66856

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Las Huertas who do not pay lxs reapers

Fruit harvest in British Columbia: precarious employment

Whether in the Okanagan Valley or elsewhere, the world of fruit picking is unique and particularly difficult to manage for workers. Whether by car, hitchhiked, by plane or bus, each year hundreds of quebences and other people from other countries travel an amazing distance to make this precarious work.
Paid the amount of production, The recollection (o picking) It is a difficult job that consists of different aspects that affect our salary.

As our salary depends solely on our fast at work, we are dependent on the quality of work, maintenance of trees, the whims of Mother Nature or back to the quality of the organization of work in the garden (unfortunately often deficient ).
Besides having to submit to the harassment of the employer regarding our legal status, our nationality, sex, and sexual orientation through our appearance or our lifestyle, we exhaust ourselves working nonstop for several days (or nights) consecutive, saved in case of rain, no breaks in the harvest season.

Like most lxs pickers come from elsewhere, our quality of life while work is determined by the will of our employers, who are responsible for providing decent facilities and camps so it is very common that dozens (sometimes hundreds) workers have to share a small kitchen, chemical toilets just overflows, nasty showers and conditions generally unpleasant.

A nice, at the end of our contract work there is the possibility that our employer decides not to pay the hard work done.

The horror working conditions

I introduce myself: My name is Luciano and like every year for about ten years, trip to Western Canada last summer. Not for a summer trip or for making party, rather to begin work as soon as possible and try to win my life. In August return to work in an orchard where in the past he had worked. I had no problems, everything was going well. I was able to work on this farm instead of a more precarious farms garden as privileged: Dhaliwal, Smagh, OPL (Orchard Pro Logistic ) where lxs empleadxs are maltratadxs.

I arrived around Creston 20 of July 2017 to work on the contract Shukin Orchard Orchard in question, working 18 consecutive days before continuing my work path. At the end of our last day of work, Secretary pattern (Ken Shukin) give post-dated checks to algunxs of nosotrxs we should necessarily from the same day. I went for mine without even worrying about anything (because he trusted ellxs) and I went the same day towards Kelowna to get to my next contract starting the next day in the morning.

Some days passed before I deposit my checks into my bank account. It was only after a week I noticed that the check had been returned because he lacked funds. At first I did not take much importance: I said sure was a mistake in the bank, and that everything would be in order soon. But a second and a third week passed and nothing had changed. From the moment I started to call the employer (Ken Shukin) to see when it would be possible to have my pagá. I do not know how many voicemails, text messages and emails I left, but to date I have not received any call back or a message. Not even a hello or a pardon by the situation!!!

Salary not paid

The summer ended and I returned to Quebec. On my return to Quebec I wanted to make my application for me, unemployment insurance and I realized that I missed hours on my receipt. I wanted then contact the bookkeeper Shukin orchad, but again, I crashed into a wall, no response. Thanks to a friend who was responsible for the team where I worked for the company, I could claim a share of the hours they missed me, but so far the others are still missing me. Obviously no help from the unemployment insurance office. Where they were very contentxs of repeating that is my ,responsibility to see that my work hours were declared and ellxs could not do anything for me.

Today we are the 3 February, To over 5 months to end the contract with Shukin orchad, still I am waiting for my money. He still owes me several thousand dollars.

Because of this advantage-operator my plans changed drastically. I had to put aside my plans to find a financial solution. This has not only put me in a state of stress and difficult anciedad, do not know if I'll see my money, also broken my dreams to leave this precarious employment.

Knowing that my state is 'legal' ( because I have Canadian citizenship) I dare not imagine what my brothers and sisters all LA, immigrants, indocumentadxs injustices are suffering daily and have fewer resources than mios.Así is treated agricultural worker, exploited and then thrown when finished. one in my rage and fury is when I hear the words heads, and pays. I guess is a trauma!

If you decided to spread this story, It is not to get anyone's pity, but to get the information that is circulating. If there otrxs comrades who are in a nasty situation, I hope to do the same. We must talk about ellxs and denounce exploitative employers lxs Orchards British Columbia especially why Shukin Orchard is a very popular farm frequented by many people. Share this letter in your networks!

Solidaricémonos with all LA Anarchist comrades facing these abuses by the power of pattern. Together, We raise our voices, stop being exploited Let's pressure, react! Do not let anything happen quietly continue.
Only combat unionism can change our situation and put the pattern in place.

Rage and solidarity,

Luciano.

 

In French, In english.

Photo credit: www.publicdomainpictures.net

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Reform of labor standards: No 4th holiday week

It's no surprise that we learned last Wednesday, the 7 February, that the Government of Quebec is abandoning the idea of ​​granting a fourth week of vacation to employees with more than 10 years of.

The bill, which was not to be tabled until March, was therefore killed in the bud by employers' representatives who shouted that they were going to be made to bear a burden ranging from 400 at 600 millions of dollars a year, that it would create a mess for businesses operating in several provinces and that it was better to tackle the disparity between young and old.. Lame arguments you say? You are quite right.

Although skillfully reported by La Presse, what nobody seems to have mentioned so far is that this "extra charge" more or less 500 millions of dollars will be assumed collectively by employers. While Quebec has several thousand, as an example, the net profits of 8 of its 10 larger companies were reaching the sum of 26 750 millions in 2010. What do 500 millions of dollars for employers? Less of 2% profits from a handful of its businesses.

Regarding the "clutter" that such a measure would create for companies operating in several provinces, we wonder how the application of a fourth week of vacation would be so different than the application of any other labor standards? MacDonald is present in 116 countries around the world, in Canada the minimum wage varies from province to province and access to unemployment from region to region. A jumble? Perhaps, but nothing that companies are not used to already.

Finally, our good government claims to want to tackle the disparity between the youngest and the oldest and oldest in the company. We would like to remind him, Firstly, that the real inequality is between us and our friends, not between us and our colleagues who have been working longer. Beside, that if the thing is really important to him we are open to upward negotiation and not downward. The only thing more ridiculous than offering 4 weeks after 10 years of work, is to refuse 4 weeks after 10 years of work. If it is with this kind of modification to labor standards that the Minister of Labor intends to appease the discontent and calm the union renewal, we have news for him!

 

Mathieu Stakh

 

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Orchads that don’t pay their pickers

Fruit picking in British-Columbia : a precarious job

Whether in Okanagan’s valley or elsewhere, the world of fruit picking is a unique one and particularly difficult to deal with as workers. Be it by car, hitchiking, by plane or by bus, every year hundreds of Quebecers and other people from different places travel from coast to coast to do this precarious work.

Paid by yield, fruit picking is hard work, demanding of us that we deal with so many aspects that have a direct impact on our salary.

Since our pay depends only on how fast we work, we are dependent on the quality of the trees’ maintenance, on weather conditions and on the quality of the orchard’s management (sadly often mediocre).

In addition for having to subjugate ourselves to the boss’ harassment regarding our legal status, nationality, gender and sexual orientation or our looks and life habits, we drain ourselves by working many days (or nights) in a row. Unless it rains, there are no holidays during picking season.

Since a majority of pickers come from elsewhere, our quality of life during the work period is determined by the goodwill of our employers, who are responsible of accommodating us with decent camping installations. However, there are frequently dozens (even hundreds) of pickers that need to share an absurdly small kitchen, overflowing chemical toilets, disgusting showers and, generally speaking, degrading conditions.

Finally, at the end of our contract, it is still possible for our employer to downright decide not to pay us for our hard work.

Difficult working conditions

Let me introduce myself: my name is Luciano and, like every summer for the past 10 years, I traveled to Western Canada. Not for a vacation, or practice rumba, but to work and try to earn a living. During the month of August, I went back to an orchard I’ve already worked at in the past. I had never had any problem with my employers before. Everything was all right. I felt privileged to be able to work at this orchard instead of a more ”hardcore” one like Dhaliwal, Smagh or OPL (Orchard Pros Logistic Inc), where it is well known that employees are treated badly.

I arrived at Creston in British-Colombia around the 20th of July to work for Shukin, the orchard in question. I worked there for 18 consecutive days before being on my way. At the end of our last work day, the boss’ secretary gave postdated checks to some of us who absolutely needed to leave the same day. I took mine without any worries at all (since I trusted them) and left the same day to make my way toward Kelowna for another contract starting the next morning.

A few days had passed before I deposited my check in my bank account. It was only a week afterwards that I became aware that my check had bounced back because of missing funds. At that moment, I didn’t worry too much : I told myself that it was just a bank error and that everything would return to normal. But then a second and a third week passed and nothing changed. At that point, I started calling my old boss to know when it would be possible to get paid. I can’t count how many vocal messages, text messages and emails I sent him. To this day, I still have not received any word back. Not even a little something saying ”hi” or ”we’re sorry about the situation”.

Unpaid wages

The summer had come to an end and I came back to Quebec. At my arrival, I wanted to do an unemployment claim, but then I learned that I was missing hours on my employment record. So, I wanted to contact my boss’ accountant, but again I hit a wall. No answer. Thanks to a friend of mine who was a crewboss when I was working for Shukin, I could now claim some of my missing hours. But there are still many hours missing today. Obviously, I didn’t get any help from the employment insurance bureau. All they did was repeating to me that it was my responsibility to make sure that all my hours were declared and that they can’t do anything for me.

Today, as of the 2th of February, more than 5 months later after the end of my contract at Shukin, and I am still running after my paycheck. They owe me over a few thousand dollars.

Because of those profiteers/exploiters, my life plans have drastically changed. I had to put all my projects on hold to find a financial solution. Not only does it put me in a stressed and anxious state to not know if I’ll ever see my money, but it also crushes the hopes I had of finally be able to find my way out of this precarious job.

Knowing that I have a ”legal” status (since I have my Canadian citizenship), I can’t even begin to imagine what my immigrant brothers and sisters have to endure, having to deal with the same daily injustices and with access to even less recourse. This is the way that we treat agricultural labor. They are exploited and thrown away when the job is done. I feel an instant rage rise within me when I hear the words boss, work, pay… I suppose it’s trauma!

If I’ve decided to share my story, it is not so that you can pity me, but instead to make this information available to everyone. If there are other comrades who find themselves in such a horrendous situation, I hope they will do the same. We need to talk about it and denounce these employers who exploit us in BC’s orchards, especially knowing that Shukin orchard is a popular one and attended by a lot of Quebecers. Share this letter in your networks!

Lets unite together in solidary for all of our comrades that are abused by their bosses on a daily basis. Together, let’s make our voices heard. Let’s put a stop to our exploitation, put pressure on them. Let’s react! Let’s not keep anything quiet.

Only solidarity unionism can change our work conditions and put our bosses in their place.

Rage and solidarity!

Luciano

 

In French, In Spanish.

Photo credit: www.publicdomainpictures.net

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Orchards that do not pay the pickers

Fruit picking in British Columbia : precarious work

Whether in the Okanagan Valley or elsewhere, the world of fruit picking is a unique and particularly difficult to manage for workers. Whether in tank, on the go, by plane or bus, every year hundreds of Quebecers travel a staggering distance to do this precarious work.

Paid for performance, the picking (or picking) is hard work that requires dealing with many aspects that affect our salary.

As our pay only depends on our speed of work, we are therefore dependent on the quality of the tree maintenance work, the whims of Mother Nature or the quality of the work organization of the orchard (unfortunately often poor).

In addition to having to submit to employer harassment compared to our legal status, our nationality, genre, or sexual orientation, through our look or our lifestyle, we tire of working endlessly for several days (or nights) in a row : except in case of rain, no leave during the season picking.

Like the majority of pickers come from elsewhere, our quality of life during work is also determined by the goodwill of our employers, who are responsible for providing us with decent camping facilities. Yet it is common for dozens (or even hundreds) from pickers have to share a tiny kitchen, overflowing chemical toilets, disgusting showers and generally degrading conditions.

Finally, at the end of our employment contract, it is still entirely possible that our employer may simply decide not to pay us for the hard work done.

Difficult working conditions

I introduce myself, my name is Luciano and like every summer for about ten years, I went to Western Canada last summer. Not for a trip trip or do rumba but rather to go to work, try to make a living. In the month of August, I went back to an orchard where I had worked in the past. I never had any problems with my employers. Everything was fine. I also felt privileged to be able to work on this farm rather than in another orchard more "hardcore", as in Dhaliwal orchards, Smagh old OPL (Orchard Pros Logistics Inc) where employees are treated very poorly.

I arrived in Creston, British Columbia around the 20 July 2017 to work at Shukin, the orchard in question. I worked there 18 consecutive days before continuing my journey. At the end of our last day of work, the secretary of the boss gave post-dated checks to some of us who absolutely had to leave the same day. I got mine without even worrying about anything (since I trusted them) and I left the same day towards Kelowna to go to a next contract which started the next morning.

A few days passed before I deposited my checks in my bank account. It was only after a week that I realized that my check had bounced for lack of funds. In the beginning, I didn't worry too much : I told myself that it was certainly a banking error and that everything was going to go back to normal. But a second and then a third week passed and nothing had changed. From that moment, I started to call my former boss to find out when it would be possible to receive my pay. I don't know how many voicemails, of texts, emails I left her, but to date I have not received any return calls. No message, even a "hello" or, we "are sorry for the situation".

Unpaid wages

Summer came to an end and I returned to Quebec. Upon my return, I wanted to apply for unemployment, but I realized that I was missing hours on my record of employment. So I wanted to get in touch with the boss’s accountant, but once again I hit a wall : no answer. Thanks to a friend who was a team leader while I worked at Shukin, I was able to claim part of my missing hours, but at present it is still missing. Sure, no help from the employment insurance office, where they just repeat to me that it is my responsibility to see that my hours of work are declared and that they can do nothing for me.

Today, we are the 16 January and more than five months after the end of my contract with Shukin, I always run after my money. They owe me several thousand dollars.

Because of these profiteers, my plans have drastically changed. I had to put all my plans aside to find a financial solution. Not only does this put me in significant states of stress and anxiety, not to know if I will see the color of my money, but it also shatters dreams I had to get out of this precarious job.

Knowing that I have a "legal" status (since i have my canadian citizenship), I don’t dare imagine what all my immigrant sisters and brothers endure, illegal immigrants, who suffer these injustices daily and have access to even fewer remedies than I do. This is how we treat agricultural labor, we exploit them and we throw them away when it's over. A rage arises in me when I hear the boss words, job, pay ... I guess it's a trauma!

If I decided to spread this story, it’s not to get any mercy but rather to get information out. If there are other comrades who find themselves in such a repugnant situation, I hope they do the same : we must talk about it and denounce the employers who operate BC orchards, knowing especially that Shukin Orchard is a very popular farm and frequented by many Quebecers. Share this letter in your networks !

Let us stand in solidarity with all the comrades who face these abuses of employer power on a daily basis. Together, raise our voices, stop being exploited, pressure, let's react! Let nothing go by !

Only combat unionism can change our conditions and put the bosses in their place.

Rage and Solidarity,

Luciano.

 

In english, In Spanish.

Photo credit: www.publicdomainpictures.net

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The rotten party boss !

As you know full well everyone, Labor Day is fast approaching. The Industrial Union of Workers and Workers (SITT-IWW) has made the decision, there two years ago, to annually organize an activity of a political nature in this statutory holiday. Historically created a popular meaning without date in order to sink into oblivion the great importance of the Day of Workers and Workers, be the 1is May, and thus deflect the workers' struggle for a full day of history, struggles, blood and sweat! We want to reclaim this feast day to send a clear message to those who believe they have the legitimacy to rule us, exploit and make us live us in miserable conditions for their insatiable desire to increase profits and economic power :

LOW-wage labor! LOW explotation PATRONALE! DOWN WITH CAPITALISM!

Monday 4 September, We continue this tradition for 3e year! In at 17:30 Suburbs Park, there will be a rally during which discussions and words will be taken on topics such as : the 15$ the minimum time; homelessness and housing crisis; immigration and integration in the labor market. If your agency / organization can qu'un.e and wishes of their members and / or représentant.es takes the floor, it would be our pleasure to let you take the microphone and hear your words! Furthermore, food and acoustic music should be at the rendezvous! Not to mention that we will publish officially (and exclusively) palmares Boss Pourris 2017!

It is with great pleasure that we invite you to attend our gathering and denounce, with us, unclean living conditions and work which we are all and all confronté.es! Monday 4 September at 17h30 at Suburbs Park, near metro Papineau, we are waiting for you!

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The SITT-IWW Montreal endorses the & rsquo; call CLAC: 150 years of colonialism. Nothing to celebrate !

As you know, This year is the 150th anniversary of Canada. The government plans to spend 500 million in 2017 for ceremonies, parades and festivals to proudly celebrate colonialism, imperialism and racism that mark the history of this country. We must never forget that the territory that & rsquo; we call Canada has been stolen by European settlers to indigenous who lived here for thousands of years, in a greedy desire for natural resources to enrich the crowns of France and & rsquo; England. Why should we celebrate this ?

Canadian colonialism n & rsquo; is not a thing of the past, l & rsquo; oppression and racism against indigenous peoples still exist. Just that & rsquo; we think of the massive incarcerations, abuse that & rsquo; they and they suffer from the police or military interventions (Restigouche, 1981, Reason, 1990, Gustafsen Lake 1995, Elsipogtog 2013) for "discipline" and when they claim the rights that Canada has secured them in its own treaties (which were signed after the & rsquo; invasion of the territory and the destabilization of ecosystems on which their communities depend). Once again, how do we want to celebrate ?

Although the vast majority of Canadians comes from the & rsquo; immigration, with colonization began in the 16th century, our government still keeps a racist face new vision and new immigrant. New and newcomers are marginalized, deprived of basic essential services to live in dignity and too often treated as criminals or even terrorists. Should we be proud of & rsquo; welcome we have people who immigrate here because life in their country has become unsustainable, often because of the imperialist policies of Canada and other rich countries that n & rsquo; get enough power and d & rsquo; money ?

C & rsquo; is why we dérangerons Canada Day as possible on July 1, because there is no pride to live in a country built on stolen land and accumulates all this time wealth through the savage exploitation of resources here and around the world, nor a racist country that marginalizes indigenous and immigrant.

Call to & rsquo; Action :

You can come to our event and you can also make d & rsquo; other actions. All around us there are symbols of Canadian colonialism : the buildings of the & rsquo; Canadian Army, guns and other symbols and military museums, government offices, stores of the Company's Bay & rsquo; Hudson, prisons, courts, parliaments, cities hotels, offices of CSIS and the RCMP, etc. Let creativity !

fun activity to do with your girlfriends for July 1 : pluck all the flags of Canada and Quebec. There are plenty of things you can do with after, like a campfire. additional challenge : replace the torn flags with black flags. Hours of fun !

For more & rsquo; information: https://www.clac-montreal.net/fr/node/685

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A villa 100% wobblies: Third edition of the d & rsquo camps was the IWW-SITT

For the third year in a row, the commodity-Events Committee of the Montreal chapter of the Industrial Union of Workers and Workers organized us a solid campsummer! The invitation was tempting, On the menu, we were entitled to : a cottage on the edge ofu lac, several discussions and workshops solid, a self-defense course, lamb and his counterpart barbecue Vegan, a group of spectacle Union Thugs, songs around the fire and ten million mosquitoes also sociable qu'affamés.

Friday night started quiet. While the cars were coming gradually and Wobblies and comrades settled in their respective dormitory ou planted their camp, a small group preparing homemade soup to welcome survivors of trafficking Friday. Twenty-one hours rung, the five members of Union Thugs were beginning reversals of workers or popular hits songs patched in union sauce. Laughs and heart in songs have a sacred mood!

Saturday morning, hot cups of coffee and toast butter peanut in hand, there was a debate workshop on the foundation of the union. our mandate, the balance of the year, what we do well, what can be improved, how to integrate new and new, our future plans, etc. There would have been long to say, and participation was the appointment!

For lunch, befaithful to our traditions, it was toare hot dogs on the grill (courtesy of a comrade we bequeathed his!). Ensuite, we had the afternoon free. While one group tamed the basics of self-defense with the people of the Black Flag Combat Club (while pushing an army of softticks), others were walking in the nearby trails or overturned their kayak in the lake water.

For the evening meal, ten enthusiasts marmite to spice up arms, to peel-potatoes and a pin for the barbecue. It was busy in the kitchen solid! To note : smoke barbecue repels mosquitoes vampires.

At the end of the afternoon, a former union member gave a workshop on Labor Standards, their limits, their utilities and outline to retain. insecurity, injustices of all kinds and crappy bosses are certainly inspirations, because the questions and interventions members was coming from everywhere!

Three long tables online and twenty loungers, we had a popular banquet satisfaire tastes of everyone! Oncee sunset (and mosquitoes reposing in waiting for the feast day), thes stomachs filled to the brim, cans of beer or soft drink in hand, we were a good fifteen to ensure campfire. Union Thugs we have provided e-s-books with their lyrics, it is one and united voice we écorchâmes ears nearby houses upe after midnight.

Sunday morning, a union member in full organizing campaign gave a workshop on the outline of our training OT101 with examples in support. strategies, weavings with colleagues, « social mapping », agitation, education, unionization, cfor which we live in sum. It was inspiring to see the spirits warm up, s’to enthuse the idea to do battle with the employers and thereby, to organize and distill the job by job class solidarity.

Then after the dinis, between two squads mosquitoes, two members of the Solidarity Committee gave training on how a campaign Reclaim your pay. Campaign the union done for several years, and we want more we devote. Boss who pay not your employee-e-s : simply keep you well!

An hour of cleaning and a few bites later, c'Thus was concluded the third edition of the Wobblies in wood. I Gone good memories. We often speak of self-management as an ideal, I tip my chapeau to members who have the hands-on during the weekend, and a big bravo tox members who offered this valuable discussions and training space.

See you next year!

Manu, Solidarity Committee

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