AIRPORT SCREENERS, MEMBERS OF IAM- OFL Letter of Support

RE: The Benefits of Remaining with the IAM, and Ontario’s Labour Movement

On behalf of the working people of Ontario, and in my capacity as President of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), which represents 54 unions, including the IAM, I want to take a few minutes to talk to you about what’s at stake with your union membership.

As members of the IAM, an affiliate of the OFL and the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), the first thing you need to know is this: when you’re with IAM, you’re with all of us. In Ontario, that’s more than one million workers; across Canada, that’s more than three million workers.
As representatives of working people in Ontario, the OFL knows that fly-by-night outfits, like the
CAWU will promise you the moon but – almost never to these groups that operate outside the house
of labour deliver, on what they promise.
Taking the steps to join or form a union is an important step that every worker should benefit from, but
there are massive risks associated with leaving organized labour, in search of better.
The grass is never greener on the other side – especially when the other side doesn’t work with the
rest of the labour movement, but against it.
Did you know for example, that switching to a group like CAWU can put your seniority at risk? Many of
the seniority privileges you currently have are owned by IAM, your union. Groups like CAWU will
make you promises that frankly they cannot keep. Solidarity and democracy are cornerstones of any
upstanding labour union. By joining CAWU, your ability to democratically participate and direct your
union, are also at stake.
Friends, I know times are hard right now. Many families in Ontario are struggling to make ends meet
and put food on their tables. One thing I can assure you, however, is this: there is massive strength in
numbers, and now isn’t the time to look for unproven answers.
I strongly encourage you to stick with the IAM. Your membership in the IAM gives you stability, access
to democracy and the solidarity that comes with remaining apart of the more than one million Ontario
workers that are ready to fight for you, and right alongside you.
Learn more about your membership in the OFL and the work we do for working people like you at
www.ofl.ca.
Solidarity. Stay Strong. Stay with the IAM.
Laura Walton
President
Ontario Federation of Labour