Local committee members often ask: where do you start when the employer announces a mass layoff or closure? It’s critically important to act when notice is given.

As soon as there is an official announcement:

• Contact your rep, your union’s regional or national office.
• Start to consider the union’s political options: what kind of fightback strategies and community connections are possible?
• Get word out to your members that the union executive is aware of the situation and is dealing with the adjustment.
• Let your district labour council know what is going on.
• Start to set up a union-only committee to manage the union’s role in the adjustment.

Within the first 24 hours:

• Gather as much information about the situation as you can. You may need to meet with the employer to get more information. You need to know:


• who is affected
• how many are affected
• what they have been told
• what terms are on offer
• how much time you have before the layoffs begin
• Don’t commit to anything until you have had time to carefully review all of the information and strategize with others.
• Review your collective agreement and note which provisions apply. Be sure to look at notice, severance pay, and layoff clauses. If time permits, also read the clauses on pensions, early retirement, and other related issues.
• Look for ways to delay the process, time is a valuable commodity in layoff and closure situations.

Start:

• Putting together a list of improvements you would like to make.
• Getting the names and contact information of all employees.
• Collecting information about your members’ immediate needs, noting members who may face barriers due to age, language, disability, culture, gender.
• Collecting information about the resources available. There are people and materials available from other unions, labour councils, labour community services programs, the community, and others to help you with handling the adjustment process.
• Developing a communications plan. Consider writing a simple one-page flyer or other communication tool to let your members know you are working on their behalf. Consider calling an information session. Include what workers can do and how they can help each other as well as ideas for local resources.
• Identifying the government representatives who will act as your link to the appropriate government departments. If you have difficulty getting a response, contact your provincial and federal elected representatives and ask them for help in getting things going.
• Getting advice from other unions who have set up adjustment programs. Contact your union’s representative on the CLC Ontario/OFL Labour Adjustment Working Group.