Media Advisory - Precarious Work and Pensions Top Issues as CAW President Ken
Lewenza Addresses Council

TORONTO , Dec. 3 /CNW/ - CAW President Ken Lewenza will address hundreds of delegates representing CAW workplaces from coast-to-coast on Friday, December 4 at a meeting of CAW Council in Toronto .

Lewenza's speech will cover the union's ongoing pension fight-back campaign, the growth of precarious (temporary, part-time) work in Canada , the 20th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre and the necessity of preserving the gun registry as well as major negotiations in the auto and airline sectors - to name a few key issues.

Lewenza is scheduled to open CAW Council, the Parliament of the union, with a speech at approximately 9:15 a.m. Friday at the Toronto Sheraton Centre, 123 Queen Street West (Grand Ballroom - lower level). CAW Council runs Friday, December 4 to Sunday, December 6 .

On Saturday at approximately 10 a.m. Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath will address the Council. In addition there will be guest speakers including Todd Minerson, Executive Director of the White Ribbon Campaign and leaders from USW Local 6500, whose members have been on strike at Vale Inco in Sudbury for more than four months.

The union will also launch CAW Connected, an innovative information sharing tool, to enable better communication between the national union and CAW members across the country.

Delegates will debate a series of recommendations from Lewenza over the three days. The union is also celebrating the 10th anniversary of the merger with the Retail/Wholesale union on November 1, 1999 , which brought more than 20,000 retail and wholesale workers into the union.

On Friday, December 4 there will also be a dinner tribute to retired CAW national Secretary-Treasurer Jim O'Neil, honouring his decades of tireless commitment to the CAW, the broader trade union movement and social justice causes.

Media are welcome to attend CAW Council.

For further information: contact CAW Communications: Shannon Devine, cell: [phone]; John McClyment, cell: [phone]; or Angelo DiCaro, cell: [phone]