News – Page 78

2014/01/302014/03/06

Brace yourselves: Convention is coming!

That’s the gist of today’s convention call-out, the letter officially announcing the 2014 convention’s imminent start. This year’s convention will take place in Victoria, British Columbia from August 10 to 15.

The call-out letter was sent to all locals earlier today – it contains important information for all Locals who wish to attend convention (that should be all our Locals!).

“At this point, the main focus should be to have your Local in conformance,” explained National President Doug Marshall. “The next steps would be to hold elections for convention delegates and start thinking about resolutions that ought to be presented at convention.”

A separate letter dealing solely with resolutions will follow shortly.

The Union of National Employees has also developed a convention package that complements the call-out letter; it contains an important checklist for Locals and delegates, and all the forms needed for delegates, alternate delegates and observers. Those of you who have yet to step foot on Vancouver Island will be happy to hear that the package includes some breathtaking photos of Victoria.

Given that this is a convention year, we’re encouraging all our members to stay tuned to their emails and our website for more information. Don’t want to miss a beat? Consider following us on Facebook and Twitter or signing up for our e-newsletter.

Members who wish to update their contact information can do so by clicking here.

2014/01/30

What happened to Africville?

A piece by Céline Ahodekon

I knew nothing about the black community of Africville until Ben René, the UNE communication officer, recently asked me to write an article on Africville. I was shocked to find out that not long ago, some very basic human rights were denied to the people of that community.

Now, close your eyes with me and imagine for a moment: the house you are living in right now is being bulldozed because someone decided that your living conditions do not meet their standards. And, to add insult to injury, your land is taken away from you.

How do you feel?

That’s exactly what happened to Halifax’s oldest and largest black community of Africville, which was established hundreds years ago.

Even though, the black community of Africville was left to suffer with no basic services, such as clean water, paved roads, and electricity, they managed well on their own – that is, until the Halifax city council declared the community a slum and dump trucks roared into Africville to evict its residents. The people of Africville were quite literally moved to their new homes on the back of dump trucks.¹

One man returned home from the hospital only to find out there was no home for him to return to.²

The community was destroyed. Ironically, some residents weren’t forcedly moved to a better area, but into “derelict housing or rented public housing.”³ Why was that? Shouldn’t governments always try to change things for the better?

In this case, the people of Africville went from bad living conditions to worse ones….

In my opinion, it doesn’t matter what people think or say; home is where your memories are. Africville was home for these people. Yes, it might have been one of the worst slums in the country, but was still home to its residents.

As one former resident put it: “We lost more than a roof over our heads: the black community of Africville lost their happiness, their culture, their identity and, therefore, their soul”.⁴

“Africville didn’t have an organization to fight for Africville people,” said one the participants in a documentary.⁵ Again, brothers and sisters, this episode reminds me that to win a fight, we need to stand together to show that injury to one is injury to all.

Together we are strong!

What was the real reason behind the destruction of the black community of Africville in Halifax, NS and the relocation of its residents? We will never know for sure. However, many things have changed since then; the former site of Africville is now a park. The black community that was evicted, however, is still grappling with the impact of the homes they lost.

Brothers and Sisters, February is Black History Month; let’s take the opportunity to read and learn more about the history of black people in Canada, their stories and their achievements.

Céline Ahodekon is the Union of National Employees’ national equity representative for racially-visible people. She is also a chief steward for Local 20278, which represents members at Fort Langley National Historic Park and the Vancouver Parks office, in British Columbia.

At Fort Langley, Ahodekon says she’s often asked if she’s a historian, to which she laughs and replies, “I am a business woman, I got my degree in business administration with concentration in marketing-sales from Laval University. I can sell anything I believe in and trust.”

“I believe in protecting and presenting Canada’s rich and beautiful natural and cultural heritage for Canadians’ enjoyment, today and for the years to come.”

If you’d like to find out more about Africville, Sister Ahodekon suggests watching “Remember Africville,” a 35-minute film by Shelagh Mackenzie, which can be viewed on the National Film Board’s website. We also encourage you to consult the links in the footnotes.

[1] The Canadian Encyclopedia, Africville.
[2] Idem
[3] Idem
[4] CBC Digital Archives, Officials hail Africville relocation.
[5] Idem

2014/01/22

Human Rights Award – update!

Last October, during the human rights conference, Joyce Hendy was awarded our annual human rights award. We recently caught up with Hendy to find out more about her legacy in our union and to pick her brain about human rights.

Before 1990, the human rights committee (or, as it was once called, the equal opportunities committee) was made up of appointed representatives, as opposed to elected ones.

“They were appointed by their respective [regional] vice-presidents or the national president,” explained Hendy. “One of the drawbacks of this status is that they didn’t have an official voice on the National Executive – they reported through the national president.”

As part of her work leading up to the 1990 convention, Hendy chaired a committee that saw the Vice-President of Human Rights become an elected position – and one that had a voice on the National Executive.

Hendy’s committee also led our component to adopt a clear and inclusive family policy.

“[The Union of National Employees] was one of the first components to have such a policy,” said Hendy. “And it’s still a leader in terms of what family cares costs it covers for activists.”

The policy makes it easier for activists with family care issues to participate equitable in their union, she said.

How far we’ve come

A lot has changed, on the human rights front, since Hendy first became an activist at the national level in 1987.

“There were no equity committees,” explained Hendy. “Equal pay had not been achieved, gay rights weren’t on the radar, First Nations issues were not discussed, and no one even considered that mental health issues were human rights issues – or ones that unions should take on.”

“The union I first became a part of in the 80s is not the same union that we know today,” she added. “The most significant change has been the inclusion and participation of the various equity groups.”

“We are a much better union as a result of the inclusion of all our members in the decision-making process.”

Looking towards the future.

Like most of us, Hendy recognizes that the union has some tough challenges. She pointed to an increasingly global marketplace and an (equally) increasing anti-union atmosphere as two issues that will make it difficult for unions to hold on to the gains they’ve made.

“The challenge will be to educate our new, younger members as to what has been won over the years and the reasons for continuing to push the agenda forward,” said Hendy.

“Many of these new workers do not understand how hard it was to win these rights.”

2014/01/22

Awards for years of service

At the Union of National Employees, and at the Public Service Alliance of Canada, much of what we do wouldn’t be possible without the tireless work of our many volunteers.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada has a tradition of honouring long-term officers of the PSAC with service pins and certificates. These pins and certificates can be awarded to those with 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service and to honourary members and lifetime members.

If your Local wishes to nominate a member, please complete the application form and enclose a complete service history of the individual. Please pay careful attention when completing the period of service section of the form. The eligibility criteria and application forms can be found on the PSAC website.

If recipients wish to receive their award during our convention in Victoria, their nominations must arrive at the UNE office no later than Friday, April 25, 2014.

[Editor’s note: A previous edition of this article featured a different deadline.]

2014/01/16

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Although it’s primarily an American holiday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day gives us an opportunity to honour one of the most important voices of the 20^th century and a true friend to the labour movement.

As labour activists, you might be surprised to find out how passionate Dr. King was about labour unions. In fact, Dr. King strongly believed that the civil rights movement could help the labour movement – and vice-versa.

Dr. King contended that the forces opposed to organized labour were the same forces that opposed any semblance of equality for African Americans.

“The duality of interests of labour and Negroes makes any crisis which lacerates you, a crisis from which we bleed,” said Dr. King in his 1961 address to the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organizations.

“Negroes in the United States read the history of labour and find it mirrors their own experience. We are confronted by powerful forces telling us to rely on the goodwill and understanding of those who profit by exploiting us. They deplore our discontent, they resent our will to organize, so that we may guarantee that humanity will prevail and equality will be exacted”

Dr. King didn’t mince words. Labour and the equity-seeking African American community shared a common threat: the ultra-right wing. According to him, they threatened everything that was decent and fair about American life.

And among these right-wing threats, of course, was right-to-work legislation (yea, it’s been around that long!).

“We must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as ‘right to work’. It is a law to rob us of our civil rights and job rights,” said Dr. King. “Its purpose is to destroy labour unions and the freedom of collective bargaining by which unions have improved wages and working conditions of everyone.”

But while union were trying hard to eliminate discrimination, they didn’t all have their hands clean. Certain unions were quite simply denying membership to African Americans; other black union members were denied opportunities for training and education.

“Labour, which made impatience for long-delayed justice for itself a vital motive force, cannot lack understanding of the Negro’s impatience,” implored Dr. King. “There is a maxim in the law – justice too long delayed is justice denied.”

King believed that the labour movement occupied a special position with respect to the civil rights movement – and that was all the more reason to eliminate discrimination within its membership.

“Although organized labour has taken actions to eliminate discrimination within its ranks, the standard expected of you is higher than the standard in the general community.”

“Your conduct should and can set an example for others, as you have done in other crusades for social justice.”

2014/01/14

An update on member journalism

Did you know that over 55% of our articles quote one or more members? Or that many of our members have written entire articles for our website? It’s part of our commitment to sharing more members’ voices.

“We’ve really put a huge emphasis on treating our website like a news site,” explained National President Doug Marshall. “It means reaching out to members to get quotes – it means putting front-and-centre the very people who make our union strong.”

“It definitely makes the content a lot more engaging.”

The Union of National Employees wants to encourage more members to participate in our member journalism program. If you’re interested in writing about an event near you or about a personal experience, please pitch your story idea to us at communications@une-sen.org.

But those with writers’ block needn’t worry: we’ve really tailored the program to make it accessible to all.

“From Day 1, we recognized that not everyone feels comfortable writing – or has the time,” said Marshall. “That’s why we’ve always had the option for members to act as a source. It’s turned out to be the most popular method for members to contribute.”

Indeed, entire articles have been written from short telephone interviews. This method allows members to express themselves in their own words – and later, entire articles come to life thanks to theses members’ quotes.

To date, the website already features close to 400 news stories. If you’re interested in finding out more about our program, you can consult the original announcement article. To pitch a story idea, contact us at communications@une-sen.org.

2014/01/09

National Executive Meeting

The National Executive will meet in Ottawa from January 21 to 23. The first session will start at 9:00 a.m. at the Union of National Employees’ boardroom.

If your Local wishes to place an item on the agenda, please contact your Regional Vice-President and provide him or her with clear and concise information. He or she will gladly bring your item before the executive.

About the National Executive:
The National Executive is responsible for the policies, programs and direction of the Union of National Employees. Between conventions, it makes important decisions and creates policies that help look after our union. The executive also carries out resolutions adopted by the members during the last convention. Its members meets three times per year to review the union’s activities and ensure that they reflect the will of the membership.

2014/01/08

Biohazard in the workplace

Imagine your workplace becomes quarantined. A team of hazardous materials specialists is brought in. That’s what happened at the Passport Canada mail-in centre in Gatineau just before the holidays.

At 9:30 a.m., on December 19, one of our members opened an envelope that contained white powder. Emergency procedures were put into place. After being quarantined for part of the afternoon, the hazmat team deemed the powder harmless and allowed our members to go home.

“We’ve had this happen before,” explained Local President Rose Touhey.

This time, additional precautions were taken (luckily!) including a lock-down of the employees.

But every emergency situation has its hiccups. In this case, some members got locked outside during a break. A city bus was brought on-site to shelter them from the cold.

The risk of exposure to anthrax has to be taken very seriously. Just one week after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, letters laced with anthrax started circulating. The 2001 letters killed 5 individuals; two of whom were postal workers. Many more were affected, including public servants working in the US Senate.

On our side of the border, the first “anthrax letter” was delivered in January 2001 at a Citizenship and Immigration Canada office in Ottawa. While the letter was found to be a hoax, it nonetheless was responsible for shutting down an entire government building.

That same year, Canada Post reported 277 anthrax-scare incidents. In the first half of October 2001 alone, the FBI had responded to over 2,300 such incidents, according to then-FBI Director Robert Mueller.

And while most of these turned out to be hoaxes, every instance where a person could be coming into contact with a bio-threat has to be treated with the utmost caution. A letter laced with just a tenth of a gram of anthrax can deliver 15 to 320 times the lethal dose of spores to whomever is opening the envelope. One gram can deliver up to 2,680 times the lethal dose.

Given the heightened state of stress, the increased breathing rate can double or triple these figures.

Last month’s hoax is an important reminder that we can never be too prepared.

“The good news is that we’re going to be developing an enhanced procedure,” explained Touhey.

The incident will be the topic of the next health and safety meeting.

“Whether you’re blue-collar or white-collar, we all face threats in the workplace,” said National President Doug Marshall. “It’s a reminder to be prepared and to be vigilant.”

“I also understand that Rose Touhey and Karl Lafrenière handled this unusual situation with a great deal of professionalism,” added Marshall. “Kudos to both of them!”

2013/12/19

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Dear brothers and sisters,

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a joyous holiday season and a Happy New Year.

Over the past year, I’ve seen a tremendous amount of dedication to our cause and a greater interest in activism emerging. I can’t stress enough how much I appreciate everyone’s hard work.

Let’s face it; being a union activist is too often a very thankless job. But your work should be recognized – we simply wouldn’t be able to accomplish the things we do without your contributions.

So, thank you. Thank you for everything you do for our union.

If 2012 was the year of cuts, 2013 was most certainly the year when the government decided to kick us while we were down. As we approach the threshold of a new year, let’s commit to making 2014 the year we really fight back.

We’re going to need a whole lot of passion and momentum to do it, so don’t forget to recharge your batteries during the holidays.

Above all, please take advantage of this precious time with friends and family to relax and re-energize. After all, these are the moments that make all our hard work worth it!

Be safe, stay warm and have a Happy New Year.

In solidarity,

Doug Marshall
National President
Union of National Employees

2013/12/17

Update on Passport Canada

Thanks to the Harper government slicing and dicing Passport Canada, we have a few updates for the members who now work for the passport program at Employment and Social Development Canada and Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Transitions, transitions…

The transition is now progressing through the first phase, which saw Passport Canada’s responsibilities transferred to Citizenship and Immigration Canada and service-delivery become the domain of Employment and Social Development Canada and the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.

Starting in April 2014, phase one will progress to the stage where members working in internal services who directly support passport operations will be divvied up proportionally between the two departments; in other words, this transition will see some members who are now with Citizenship and Immigration Canada get transferred to Service Canada.

“Right now, I might be dealing with a single person in labour relations who can address issues affecting all former passport members, whether they now belong to Service Canada or Citizenship and Immigration Canada,” explained Rose Touhey, an assistant regional vice-president for the Outside Canada region and President of Local 70130. “After April 1, nobody will be intermingling anymore.”

The final step is really separating the operations of what’s left of Passport Canada. The Union of National Employees is concerned that this step might lead to some job cuts.

“The employer recently told us that some of the internal services positions allocated to the passport program at Citizenship and Immigration Canada are likely to be abolished,” explained National President Doug Marshall.

The employer plans to achieve these reductions by eliminating vacant positions and through attrition – but we haven’t been provided with specific numbers.

“They originally told us everything would stay the same – but that was in phase one.”

Then there’s that huge grievance…

This all started when some employers decided to hit the pause button on the Treasury Board directive that sees term employees become indeterminate after three years of service.

“Term employees filed grievances at all major passport offices across Canada,” said Marshall.

After a brief discussion with the employer on November 6, the parties agreed to combine these grievances into one group grievance.

“The employer and the union also agreed that these grievances would go directly to the third level,” added Marshall.

This ensures that any response we get comes from the person at the right decision-making level.

The outcome of these grievances will apply to all term employees who were formerly employed by Passport Canada, and who continue to be term employees of the passport program as of August 2, 2013 – even those who didn’t sign the initial group grievances.

“The really mind-boggling issue here is that Passport Canada was never affected by the freeze that affected so many terms across Treasury Board,” said Marshall. “It didn’t affect them because Passport Canada is self-funded; the program continues to be self-funded. So, there’s simply no reason why the freeze should suddenly apply to these term employees.”