Essay Sample on Solidarity in the Face of Change: Immigrant Activism and Union Tactics

Introduction

According to the article Solidarity on the TransCanada: The Role of Immigrant Activism and Innovative Union Tactic in the 2005 Lakeside Packers Strike, the author Jason Foster (2016) indicates that meatpacking plant flourished in a mutually beneficial period where workers were well reimbursed, that caused the success of the firm until a financial crisis prompted the change (Foster, 2016). The firm was sold to Lowa Beef Processors, and later to Tyson foods. The implemented policies that did not conform with proper codes of the union. In his article, Foster reviews the proceedings leading up to, and during the 2005 Lakeside strike, and assesses the factors that contributed to its occurrence, and eventual achievement (Foster, 2006). In the postwar phase, the union attitudes towards immigration, and the race started to change corresponding with societal values. Tysons food company initiated aggressive counter campaigns, including threats and intimidation (Foster, 2015). These reasons best explain why the workers engaged in strikes and were too reserved to committing to Canadian labor unions. Canadian unions often participated in exclusionary, and racist practices, particularly barring membership to particular cultural groups, supporting draconian immigrant policies, and backing deportation, and social exclusion (Foster, 2016). Following these bigoted actions, the workers formed immigrant activism that would fight to ensure workers are treated equally, and with dignity like native Canadians.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

What Were Workers' Biggest Concerns That Led to the Union Drive?

The 2005 first agreement strike at Lakeside Packers in Brooks, Alberta was one of the greatest private sector labor triumphs in that Alberta in over two decades (Foster, 2016). The strike is also remarkable, since African and Asian immigrants, and refugee workers played a significant role in ensuring they raised their grievances on exclusionary, and racist practices, advanced to them by Canadian unions (Foster, 2016). The protests erupted after the worker's grievances were not taken into consideration directly by the employer. Their fierce response was a turning point, and in several interviews, workers spoke about the sense of ineffectiveness in trying to enforce changes at Lakeside. Finally, due to the economic downturn, a large number of immigrant workers were recruited since they would be paid lower wages and still provide a significant workforce within the new plant (National Film Board of Canada, 2007). The organizing drive resulted after constant frustrations over health, safety, and unfair dismissal of immigrant workers (Foster, 2016). The root cause of the activism was a deeper sense of unfairness and mortification at their treatment by the employer.

The author narrates that a large number of employees were not happy with the result after an interaction between an immigrant and a Caucasian worker. In a nutshell, the two workers were treated differently, as the Canadian native worker was treated with more dignity (Foster, 2018). There was a fierce squabble between the two gents, that culminated in a violent act on the end of the Caucasian worker, and though the two were apprehended. The foreign worker was acquitted, and inconsistencies in penalties only accentuated the unfair work conditions that resulted in the Lakeside protest (Foster, 2016). Immigrant crusading was not just the catalyst that contributed to the successful strike, further not only did immigrant workers dominate union campaigners their social harmony powered their resolve to triumph the labors struggle. The author notes that several complaints, like bullying, discriminatory wages were left unresolved, and the Sudanese community sought to assist by forming a UFCW 401, which would predominantly represent the meat-packing workers (Foster, 2018). The video 24 days in Brooks is a documentary released by Dana Inkster in 2007 that highlighted the breakdown of talks between the Lakeside meatpackers and Union leaders that led to the unrest (National Film Board of Canada, 2007). The author has also mentioned that immigrants workers who depended on their cheques were highly unlikely to demand better working situations (Foster, 2005). Immigrants come to Canada with the hope of a brighter future away from the ravages of war in the home nations, but ironically, they come and get a worse situation in Brooks through unfair wages, and working conditions.

Why Did the Employer Fight the Union so Fiercely and What Does this Tell us about their approach to Labour Relations?

The workers at the Lakeside Packing Plant have been staging a strike to lobby on a number of issues. One of the issues they have been trying to negotiate a contract with the firm's owner, Tyson Food of Arkansas, however, Tyon has declined to budge. The employer, Tysons Food again refused to accept the union's recommendations through a Dispute Inquiry Board that had been established to look into the issue (Foster, 2016). One of the recommendations Tysons had been told is to improve the working conditions within the plant that had on numerous occasion failed the conform with the health and safety standards (Foster, 2016). Further, the union found Tysons guilty on several counts; They were found liable in the U.S. for unlawfully forcing workers to work without pay. Tyson had also been occasionally found guilty in the U.S. for violations of health, safety, and employment standards. This offense would attract a fine of up to $600 million (Foster, 2016). Tysons have also been found culpable by the Alberta Labour Relations Code for their unfair and illegal practices on workers. Their CEO broke the U.S. law by misreporting $700,000 worth of perks and incentives, encompassing boats and vacation houses (Foster, 2018). The employer, Tyson Food of Arkansas, was virulently antiunion and had battled hard for years to keep the plan union-free. Following, a previous failed attempt, the firm had jeered the union by raising a banner on its sign beside the Trans-Canada Highway asserting the plant to be "Proudly union-free" (Foster, 2016). Afterward, there was another union involved in the strike- The Union Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 401, a local grocery hoard that represented mainly food associated service sector workers (Foster, 2018). Based on the stern recommendations jotted by the Alberta unions to Tyson Food of Arkansas, it is evident they have friendly labor relations that support foreigners. Alberta unions overtly oppose racism of any form, and they strongly back immigration, since they have the belief that immigration is a key to developing a strong and diverse society (Foster, 2006). They call for compassionate immigration policies that will hastily address both the concerns of the immigrants and the needs of the Canadian economy. They strongly believe that workers from different cultural backgrounds and nationalities can work together in solidarity (Foster, 2016). They will continue to fight towards ensuring all workers are treated in a just manner and enjoy the same wages, and working conditions as the Canadian workers. Tyson Food of Arkansas was mesmerized by the ability of the workers to close the plan, and by the strong backing, the strikers got from the public (National Film Board of Canada, 2007).

What Was Different About the 2005 Organizing Drive? And What factors Made it Successful?

The 2005 organizing drive resulted after Tyson Food of Arkansas, the beef-processing plant entered in an ugly first-contract strike with the employees who mainly comprised of immigrants, and refugees (Foster, 2018). What the Lakeside strike of 2005 different from other strike was the plight of the workers. Initially, the plant was performing well and even devised an attractive package for the immigrants and refugees (Foster, 2018). Upon realizing there was an opportunity at the Brooks plant many immigrants and refugees who hailed from warring nations such as South Sudan and Somali particularly came to Lakeside region to seize the opportunity, and be able to support their families back at home. By 2005, the plant was already divided, and the town was in flux. Further, the plant opted to hire newcomers at the expense of the Canadian borns (Foster, 2016). Ultimately after twenty-four days of strike, the matter was settled, and a tentative agreement narrowly approved. The Lakeside workers had their first agreement, and thus solidified the union's place at the town. The strikes they had been organizing previously in the 1990s had failed, but this particular one was successful (Foster, 2005). The success of the 2005 strike was mainly attributed to Local 401, which enabled workers unions to change their tactics, learning from previous mistakes, and implementing some innovative organizing strategies (Foster, 2016). The second factor was the influx of African and Asian foreigners into the plant. Their arrival sparked new dynamics that eventually, opened the door to unionization (Foster, 2018). These two factors greatly contributed to the success of the labor movement against Tyson Food of Arkansas in 2005.

The foreigner brought a new wave of activism that reinforced their social solidarity that later bolstered their determination to win the labor struggle against the oppressive policies imposed by Tyson Food of Arkansas after experiencing an economic downturn (Foster, 2018). In the 2004 drive, the union only assigned a couple of primary organizers whose role was to build the campaign from the inside (Foster, 2016). They were able to learn how to establish trust among different ethnic groups. The lead organizer would unite the group together. The union was also able to grow bold leaders in each of the ethnic groups, and who was intelligent enough to be able to implement a decisive strategy that helped them to win the deliberations (Foster, 2016). This is also a factor that helped them to ultimately defeat the plantation in the following year. Their innovative strategies contained a large number of convectional traditional organizing methods, like funded organizers, and leaflets explaining the benefits of the union (Foster, 2016). They had the aim to draw large masses. They developed multi-lingual communications that helped them build relationships between the union and workers of different ethnicity (Foster, 2016).

Why Did Race Become a Factor in the Organizing Drive and Strike?

Race becomes a factor in organizing drive and strike in Lakeside town. The local 401 leaders and staff become more aware of both the difficulties and the urgency to solve the issue of race and ethnicity (Foster, 2018). Many workers, who were mainly immigrants and refugees worked in poor conditions that did not meet the health, and safety standards, and also on most occasions they were not paid (Foster, 2018). Unlike Canadians by birth who worked under good conditions, and better wages. The union tried hard to bring unity and reduce divisions, and discriminations against the lesser race, mainly the immigrants. The local 40 leaders and staff wanted to address the issue of exclusion and discrimination against the immigrants and refugees since they were fighting for a more diverse, and inclusive union (Foster, 2018). Jason Foster denotes that in interviews the local leadership regularly accentuated on the end of racial discrimination since all members were equal. In the postwar phase, the union attitudes towards immigration and race started to become different in relation to the societal values (Foster, 2018). The labor movement outlined its racist and discriminatory stances, implemented pro-immigration policies, and currently an anti-racist perspective. To enforce these actions, the immigrant workers ha...