Solidarity Forever!

While the Union movement in Canada continues to fight the good fight against the big corporations like Wal Mart Air Canada and other struggles. There's success a brewing in some rather unexpected quarters.

It wasn't too long ago that we heard news that the United Church of Canada's ministers were looking to explore the possibility of Union affiliation. United Church clergy are preparing to fight the Power (and that's a fight that can take you a distance), with a task force of union reps and church ministers ready to start a recruiting drive.

With organizers from the Canadian Auto Workers manning the phones and working the e mails, the organizing drive is just now getting underway. In order to help recalcitrant clergy with their decision, the CAW has drafted a top ten list for stressed out ministers to consider while they contemplate signing that Union card.

With the CAW concentrating on the consecrated, there's another union drive revving up that they've missed the call on.

Over in Quebec Bonhomme Carnivale is apparently one very unhappy snowman and has sought out the folks at the FTQ (Quebec's largest trade union) has filed a certification request to unionize those that wear the suit of Bonhomme. The mascot of the Winter Carnival in Quebec City spends the last half of January and most of February involved in local activities revolving around promotion of the huge Winter festival.

Faced with the prospect of four to six weeks of having to be happy, joyful and a good will ambassador, the practitioners in the activities of Bonhomme are feeling a little bit unappreciated and would apparently welcome the chance to have proper representation.

Bonhomme will be on the job January 28th, unless things don't go well with the Carnival organizers. The vision of a giant snowman on a picket line to launch the Carnival is not one anyone wants to visualize. If it comes to pass though Bonhomme needs one piece of advice; stay away from those warming oil can fires prevalent at all labour disputes, otherwise his demands will just melt away.

With all this talk of unionization one S. Claus must be getting a little nervous. He's had a rather stable and generally happy workforce of elves over the years, but in a year when church ministers and snowmen are seeking out a shop steward, one wonders how long overworked workforce of the factories of the North Pole can stay off the union radar.