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National Day of Mourning – A Dignified Remembrance

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By Kevin King

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to attend our UNE National Convention in Toronto, it was an opportunity to renew friendships and  forge  new ones. We debated issues important to ourselves, and more importantly, members we represent.

There were a lot of activities near our convention site, the Royal York Hotel on Front Street, and delegates and guests made use of the facility and the many locations around it.

On the first morning of proceedings, I went out along Front Street, walked about three blocks or so, and came to a monument for workers killed on the job in Ontario between 1900 and 1999.

The Tribute called the WSIB Simcoe Park Workers Monument, located directly across from the Toronto Metro Convention Centre, near Spadina Avenue,

Two separate pieces of work combine to make this monument. The first is called 100 Workers and it consists of two long, low walls made out of polished red granite. On the top of the walls are 100 bronze plaques, engraved with the name of a worker who died in a workplace accident. There is one worker named for each year from 1901 until 1999. The plaque for the year 2000 has been left blank.

The second part of this monument is called The Anonymity of Prevention. This is a bronze sculpture of a man, dressed in work clothes and wearing full safety gear, kneeling on one knee and appearing to chisel into the wall of 100 Workers.

I could not take my eyes of the beautiful stonework that described the names, where they worked, and how they died on the job.

They had families, and I am most certain they expected to be home to those families each and every day after their work was completed.

I wish I had told the convention delegation of this find, three blocks from the hall, and felt a little guilty that I did not share an opportunity to mark our visit with a solemn procession and a dignified remembrance.

Let us go forth and always recognize April 28th, the national day of mourning for workers killed or injured on the job, and make more resolute our commitment as union activists to make our workplaces safe from any workplace hazards or occupational diseases.

To view photos of the Monument, please click here.

Respectfully Submitted,

Kevin King
National Executive Vice-President
Union of National Employees, PSAC

 

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National Day of Mourning

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By Geoff Ryan

April 28 is the National Day of Mourning for Workers Injured or Killed on the job. On this day flags on government buildings will fly at half mast, and ceremonies will be held in communities across Canada. Workers will gather at these ceremonies, some will wear black arm bands, some will lay flowers or wreathes, candles will be lit and the names of workers who died due to workplace incidents and illnesses will be read. People will be asked to observe a moment of silence to remember and honour them.

It is important for everyone to attend these events, not only to remember those people who have died, but also to bring awareness that health and safety in the workplace needs to be improved in Canada.

Most people are aware of the dangers in using a power tool, but what about the dangers entering an office building? Did you know that asbestos exposure is the single largest on-the-job killer in Canada accounting for almost one third of all workplace death claims approved since 1996? Asbestos is in products such as brake pads and can also be found in pipes and insulation. Many countries have banned asbestos, but Canada has not. The government also has not cautioned citizens that even low levels of asbestos can be a carcinogenic health risk. There is no national database of buildings containing asbestos in Canada despite requests from unions to create one. Saskatchewan is the only jurisdiction in Canada with such a database. It was created with the passing of Howard’s Law.

The annual observance of the National Day of Mourning strengthens the resolve to establish safe conditions in the workplace, and prevent injuries and deaths. As much as this is a day to remember the dead, it is also a call to protect the living. I encourage everyone to participate in the Day of Mourning ceremony in their area and if there is not a ceremony in your area please consider having a moment of silence in your workplace.

Geoff Ryan is the UNE’s National Vice-President for Human Rights.

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Give employees some credit!

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What does your bank account have to do with your capacity to do your job? According to the Harper government, there’s apparently a correlation – but we couldn’t disagree more.

The federal government recently revealed its intention to add mandatory credit checks as part of its employee screening procedures.

The Union of National Employees condemns the new invasive screening procedures.

“The credit check is overly intrusive,” said national president Doug Marshall. “This process is irrelevant for those not involved in finance. It’s quite frankly a solution where there is no demonstrable problem. Privacy is a human right and forcing employees to disclose this information is a violation of their human rights.”

Government workers already endure intense screening processes to gain levels of security clearance. And lately, there has been a backlog as both potential and current employees wait for their clearances to go through. But somehow the government has the resources to add credit checks to these processes?

Another problem with credit reports is that they were designed to inform financial institutions of your capacity to pay back a loan; they were never designed to glean information on your reliability as an employee. And using these as employment screening devices only hurts the economically disadvantaged.

Furthermore, credit reports are often flawed. From moneysense.ca:

A national survey by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre found a 20% error rate in which people sampled said items on reports were inaccurate or should have been removed. Based on his experience as a mortgage and credit risk specialist, Mike Morley says the error rate may be as high as 40%.

Correcting errors can take several months to a year; and the legwork, unfortunately, lies with the individual, not the credit reporting agency.

Is the Harper government saying that private credit rating agencies have a greater capacity to screen prospective and current employees than CSIS?

Anyone can suffer some financial hardship during the course of their life. A divorce, a prolonged period of unemployment, an unforeseen expense, a misplaced invoice that goes unpaid; all of these things can affect your credit rating to some degree. None of these things play a role in your reliability as an employee.

So if you are asked to sign an agreement for a credit check, consult the union! We are here to help you through this attempt at privacy invasion by the current government.

As a general rule, every Canadian should be aware of the information on their credit report. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada recommends that you check your credit report from a credit agency at least once a year to ensure that it is correct. You can obtain your credit report from two Canadian credit agencies: TransUnion and Equifax. 

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Parks Canada Update: the Expedited Mediation/Adjudication Process

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  • The Public Service Labour Relations Board (The Board) ordered us to stop dealing with new files and turn our attention to the 163 files that were referred to the Board (the order was dated April 30, 2014).  75 of these files belonged to UNE and 88 belonged to UCTE.
  • We have dealt with and closed 65 of the 75 files that belong to our component over the last 11 months.
  • We have also dealt with and closed over 1636 files related to this project overall (since 2006 – the date grievances began to be referred to UNE).
  • Most recently, Bill C4 eliminated the PSLRB and created the new PSLREB (December 2014).  The latter does not subscribe nor recognize the expedited process we have been using since November 2010.  There are talks occurring with the Parks Canada, PSAC, UNE and UCTE regarding the Board’s position (outlined in a letter to all parties on January 22, 2015). To date, there have been no decisions made by the PSLREB so we don’t know how the PSLREB will process files.

For more information, please contact Michelle Brunet at 613-560-2680.

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New Employee Announcement

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The Union of National Employees would like to welcome Rodney Mockler as the new term User Support Technician until the end of October.   Rodney brings with him many years of Information Technology support experience.

Rodney’s first day with us was on Monday, March 16, 2015.

Please join me in welcoming Rodney to Union of National Employees.

 

Doug Marshall
National President
Union of National Employees, PSAC

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Wages, Contracting Out, Other Matters in Dispute

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More dates being set for later this month

On Tuesday our Bargaining Team met with the Museum to continue talks for a new contract. While some progress was made, we remain in dispute with the Museum concerning compensation, protections against contracting out, leave provisions and other matters.

With respect to wages, the Museum’s position continues to be dramatically below what has recently been agreed to by other federal employers in the cultural sector, including both the National Arts Centre and the National Gallery. The employer’s position is also well below current and forecasted economic trends. Consequently the parties remain far apart on wages.

With respect to protections for our jobs, management continues to take a position that is inferior to what has been agreed to elsewhere in the federal cultural sector.

The issue of sick leave arose in Tuesday’s session. Management signaled an interest in proposing language that would contemplate the parties agreeing to reopen the contract and negotiate sick leave after the agreement has been signed in the event that changes take place in the federal public service. While we indicated that the union will look at any proposal in good faith, we have no interest in opening the contract once it is signed to discuss potential cuts to our sick leave. Our union signed a 4-year agreement with the Gallery last year with no mention of a sick leave reopener. Our union is currently in bargaining for a 3-year agreement with the House of Commons where no language concerning sick leave is being sought. We told management on Tuesday that the same should also apply with CSTMC.

Union taking action over layoffs.

Last month the Corporation reduced a number of VE positions and a position in the Boutique. Our local will be filing grievances over these reductions as it is our position that the contract was not properly followed and that employees should be reinstated. We will also be consulting union legal counsel to determine if additional legal action might be followed in light of the layoffs.

We will uphold our contract rights.

We are in the process of scheduling more bargaining for later this month. We’ll be sure to update as things progress. If you have any questions speak with your union representative, or a member of our Bargaining Team (Sharon Babaian, Bryan Casey and Yvon Renaud).

Source: PSAC Members at CSTMC United for a Fair Contract

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SSO arbitration decisions a significant victory

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Finally, after three-and-a-half years, we received the arbitration awards for  interviewers (belonging to the RO and FI classifications) who conduct surveys for Statistics Canada.

There are a number of significant victories in the decisions:

  • We achieved wage increases totaling 9.6% over the life of the contract, with full retroactivity – significantly more than what management had proposed in negotiations.
  • We achieved new protections and rights for employees in the context of work assignments.
  • We got new job security rights.
  • There are increases in premiums.
  • There is new language concerning AWW’s, with the parties directed to meet and negotiate further on the issue concerning the union’s proposals.

While we did not achieve everything we asked for, we made real progress in areas that our bargaining teams indicated were critical for this round of bargaining.

We won these because of the hard work and determination of our bargaining teams and the solidarity of PSAC members at SSO.

Since the fall of 2011, PSAC has been engaged in a fight with SSO to improve working conditions for interviewers and SIs at Statistics Canada.

We should all be proud of the work we did to achieve these victories, despite it being a difficult and lengthy round of bargaining.

The next round will begin shortly, and given the position taken by the government with other PSAC bargaining units, we can also expect it to be tough. Now is the time for members to not only take the time to learn about and understand the rights provisions under our new contracts, but also to prepare for the coming round. We will provide a more detailed list of all the changes in the new collective agreements very soon.

Source: www.psacunion.ca

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SSO arbitration decision finally released

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The long-awaited arbitration decisions for both the Regional Officer and the Field Interviewer bargaining units were finally released late on Monday, March 30, 2015.

PSAC will be analyzing the arbitral awards for both the RO and FI units and will be posting this analysis, along with previously signed-off language, on the PSAC website as soon as possible.

In the interim, we can share with you the following:

  • Both Collective Agreements are effective December 1, 2011, which means wage increases will be paid retroactively to this date.
  • Both Collective Agreements expired effective on November 30, 2014.
  • Notice to Bargain for renewal agreements will be sent to the employer immediately.
  • The input call for proposals will be sent to all locals immediately.
  • A bargaining conference to elect the bargaining teams and prioritize bargaining proposals will be held later this year. We will provide notice of the dates of that conference as soon as possible.

Please continue to check this website for news of the provisions of your collective agreements and of developments as we move forward.

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World Water Day – March 22

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Last Friday, water rights were top of the agenda at the human rights committee meeting. Creative juices were flowing as the members around the boardroom table offered their ideas for a campaign aimed at  promoting awareness of water as a human right.

During our 2014 convention, delegates voted in favour of a resolution to “fund the continuation of the water rights campaign adopted at the 2013 human rights conference.”

And when it comes to water, there are a ton of worrisome issues; there are countless communities in our own country who don’t have access to clean water, water is increasingly being privatized, major cities are seeing boil advisories…. And that doesn’t even include issues in the developing world.

“There was a lot of interest and discussion around the table,” said Geoff Ryan, national vice-president for human rights. “People felt very passionate about the issue; it’s a topic that’s very important to us.”

And for some, the issue hit particularly close to home. Jacqueline Nanali, who is a regional human rights representative in Manitoba, shared her experience with the boil advisory that affected all of Winnipeg, late last January.

“Everyone was running to the stores to pick up bottled water,” said Nanali. “Some chiefs, from nearby First Nations communities came back and said ‘well, this is what happens in our communities; this is how we live.’”

“I think it’s important for us to realize just how important water is. For me, losing basic access to water and having to boil water all day just for a simple glass of water to drink or a cup of tea… or just to brush my teeth; it really opened my eyes.”

The city of Winnipeg issued the boil advisory January 27 when the presence of E. coli was detected in the water supply; it was lifted 48 hours later. For two days, Winnipeggers were forced to boil water each time they needed to drink, cook meals, or make infant formula.

This incident garnered national attention from the media, but there are over a thousand boil advisories across Canada at this very moment. For many communities, what Winnipeg experienced is a daily reality.

After some fruitful discussions, the human rights committee members agreed that more light needs to be shed on how political decisions impact accessible clean water for Canadian communities. They dedicated a great portion of the day towards fleshing out a campaign.

“We’re very much in the beginning stages, but I’m excited to see what this will look like,” said Ryan. “We’re hoping to reach a broad swath of the Canadian public; I think many of the great ideas I heard around the table will help us accomplish just that.”

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International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – March 21

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By Jennifer Chieh Ho

In 1966, the United Nations designated March 21 as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It was meant to commemorate the 1960 massacre that took place in Sharpeville, South Africa, where a demonstration that started off as peaceful, ended with shots fired by police. That day, 69 South Africans were killed and over 180 were injured. The demonstrators took to the street to protest; they called on the apartheid government to abolish laws that required all black men and women to carry reference books containing their personal information. If someone was found without their book in a public place, they would be arrested and detained in prison.

Canada was among the first countries to support the UN resolution designating March 21 as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Our nation first observed the day in 1989.

However, 49 years later, there is still much work to be done to wipe out racism. Every day, people are subjected to racist comments and stereotypes in the media, schools, public spaces and workplaces.

Continually putting the spotlight on race, ethnic background and skin colour creates an atmosphere where racial discrimination can thrive. Whether intentional or not, actions towards people based on their race, ethnic backgrounds or skin colour can have a negative impact on the day-to-day lives of racialized members of society.

I am often asked:

“Where are you from?”

“What is your background?”

“Where did you learn English?”

I am often subjected to unsolicited comments such as:

“You don’t look Chinese.”

“You speak good English.”

I recognize that questions are often asked out of curiosity, but it’s the manner in which questions are asked that is key! If the questions are asked as a means to get to know me and are asked in a respectful way, then, in the spirit of open dialogue, they are welcomed. If questions or comments pander to racial stereotypes, then please do not ask them or state them.

I am ethnic Chinese, but I am not from China (yet I have been told to “go back to China!”). This is a common remark made to racially-visible persons.

I am a Canadian with three children, two of whom were born in Canada; imagine how you would feel if your children were told to go back to a country they were not born in! Would you feel that your children were welcome and respected in their birthplace?

We live in a country of great diversity – one where everyone should be treated equally and with respect. So why do some of us have to work so hard to get people to look beyond our ethnic backgrounds, our places of origin or our skin colour? Why can’t people look at our skill sets, our abilities, our education, our experiences, and, most importantly, at our worth as individuals, instead? It’s sad to see that racial discrimination still exists. The only thing that will make a difference is when each and every individual is treated with respect and dignity – when we are all accepted on the basis of our own unique merits. In order to actively eliminate racial discrimination, we have to continue to educate and speak up. And we must actively work on racism, both on a personal and institutional level, for our children and for future generations.

Jennifer Chieh Ho is the regional vice-president for the British Columbia and Yukon region. This article was written as part of our union’s member journalism program. If you’d like to find out more, click here – to pitch a story or for any questions, please send an email to communications@une-sen.org.