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International Day of the World’s Indigenous People

August 9 is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. The United Nations created this day 18 years ago “to strengthen international cooperation for solving problems faced by indigenous people in such areas as human rights, the environment, development, education and health.”

In honour of the 18th anniversary of day, Survival International, a non-profit organization working for tribal peoples’ rights worldwide, has created the following photographic gallery featuring 18 images of tribal and indigenous communities and their land.

Survival International is perhaps best known for their work to protect the lands of uncontacted tribes. Oil industries and illegal logging are encroaching on their land. They also pose a serious threat to these tribes; contact with outsiders could expose them to infectious diseases and wipe them out. To survive, uncontacted tribes must be left alone and their lands ought to be protected.

We encourage you to visit Survival International’s website to find out more and to get involved. You can start by sending a letter asking Brazil’s Minister of Justice to stop the loggers who are invading the uncontacted Awá’s land.

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Multiculturalism Day at the UNE

August 14 is Multiculturalism Day at the Union of National Employees.

Last summer, our members passed a resolution to celebrate our union’s diversity each year on August 14. This year will be our first ever Multiculturalism Day.

We hope you take the opportunity to find out more about the rich cultural mosaic in which we live.

There are many ways to celebrate our diversity! Members of our Human Rights Committee have proposed the following activities:

  • Games
  • Barbecues
  • A potluck where each person brings a traditional dish from their country of origin

As part of the festivities, the Union of National Employees is holding a drawing competition. The theme is “Multiculturalism in the Union of National Employees”. For more details, click here to download the contest rules and entry form.

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Nelson Mandela International Day

“I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” [1]

–      Nelson Mandela

July 18 is Nelson Mandela International Day – a day when we’re urged to think of ways to be of service to others. This year, the Nelson Mandela Foundation is asking all citizens of the world to devote 67 minutes to community service in honour of the 67 years Mandela spent helping others.

Nelson Mandela led the resistance against apartheid in South Africa after 1948. In 1964, Mandela and other leaders of the African National Congress were brought to stand trial for plotting to overthrow the government by violence; acts that were designed to overthrow the apartheid system. Mandela was sentenced to life in prison, effectively becoming a prisoner of conscience.

Nelson Mandela’s time in prison, which amounted to just over 27 and a half years’, was marked by many small and large events which played a crucial part in shaping the personality and attitudes of the man who was to become the first President of a democratic South Africa. Many fellow prisoners and warders influenced him and he, in his turn, influenced them. While he was in jail his mother and son died, his wife was banned and subjected to continuous arrest and harassment, and the liberation movement was reduced to isolated groups of activists. [2]

After his release, Mandela represented the African National Congress in negotiations that finally led to South Africa’s first multi-racial elections. In 1994, Nelson Mandela became the country’s first black president during the nation’s first democratic elections.

“We understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom. We know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve success. We must therefore act together as a united people, for national reconciliation, for nation building, for the birth of a new world. Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfil themselves. Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world. Let freedom reign.” [3]

The 1993 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nelson Mandela (along with Frederik Willem de Klerk) “for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa.” [4]

[1] http://www.un.org/en/events/mandeladay/inhiswords.shtml
[2] http://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography
[3] http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Inaugural_Speech_17984.html
[4] http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1993/presentation-speech.html

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The UNE is going green!

Say goodbye to paper cuts; our union is about to get a little greener!

In the past, we’ve sent you countless letters and documents that were so large, they often gave the phonebook a complex. As of September 1, 2012, our communications will be going green.

In essence, most information will be sent to you via email – important documents will be attached in PDF format. By going paperless, we can help the environment and save money on printing and shipping… not to mention, spare you the clutter!

Don’t forget that email is only one of the many ways we communicate with our members; be sure to visit our website often and “Like” our Facebook page to stay up-to-date.

Finally, if going paperless isn’t realistic for your Local, please contact Yvonne Gauthier at 613-560-5672 or 1-800-663-6685. We appreciate that this may not be feasible for everyone.

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A gag order from the Harper government

Edith Bramwell, legal counsel for the Public Service Alliance of Canada, was recently interviewed by CBC Radio’s Carol Off. During the show, Bramwell spoke about a recent letter that Parks Canada sent to their employees about their duty of loyalty, calling it “something in the nature of a gag order.”

The letter, sent late last month, asks Parks Canada employees to refrain from public criticisms of the Government of Canada.

Bramwell says the letter gives the impression that any criticism of the government would violate the duty of loyalty. “That is a gross restraint on people’s political rights and their rights to freedom of expression,” she added.

The same sentiments were echoed by Eddie Kennedy, National Executive Vice-President of the UNE, in a recent interview with the CBC:

“If you’re in a coffee shop and you’re criticizing the Harper government and there’s someone sitting beside you and they know you work for a government department, technically you’re in violation of the code of ethics.”

Bramwell added that, given the current job cuts, some employees may fear that they could lose their job for speaking out. “That’s simply not appropriate. That’s simply not what the duty of loyalty is meant to say.”

The PSAC is currently working on a guide for members on the code of ethics and their right to speak out. We’ll let you know the minute it comes out! In the meantime, if you’re asked to take part in a media interview, please contact the UNE’s communications officer or your assigned labour relations officer.

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Another somber week

Dear brothers and sisters,

It’s been a somber week for many of our members and indeed for Canadians who will undoubtedly notice fewer services.

Yesterday, 3,889 members of the PSAC, across 13 departments, were told that they could lose their jobs.

Among these are 1,964 PSAC members at HRSDC, 22 of whom are UNE members in the Labour Program. Nine other UNE members at Infrastructure Canada received the same news.

This week, we also found out that 23 positions were being eliminated at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research. Three other members were told they were losing their jobs this week; these members work at the National Arts Centre, the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

A complete breakdown of workforce adjustment notices can be found on the PSAC website.

We will have more details to share with you next week. In the meantime, let’s take care of our members and each other.

In solidarity,

Doug Marshall
National President
Union of National Employees

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Bargaining continues for interviewers at SSO

The bargaining team for Statistical Survey Operations Regional Office was hard at work last week during three consecutive days of negotiation. Members of this group work as regional office interviewers in Statistics Canada offices around the country.

“We spent the greater part of the three days talking about seniority,” said Réjean Amyotte, a UNE member on the bargaining team and an Assistant Regional Vice-President for our union’s Ontario region.

Brother Amyotte explained that seniority was the overall theme of this round of negotiations. The bargaining team’s proposals regarding scheduling and increased job security are mostly centred on seniority rights.

“I would say that I’m more than cautiously optimistic that we can reach a negotiated settlement,” said Amyotte.

The bargaining team is scheduled to resume negotiations on July 11 in Ottawa, where they will present their wage demands.

To find out more, consult the SSO Bargaining section of the PSAC website.

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The Quebec regional seminar: a great success

UNE members from Quebec met in Chicoutimi last weekend to take part in a regional seminar. Among the participants were employees of Parks Canada, Statistical Survey Operations, Passport Canada Measurement Canada, the Translation Bureau and others.

Public service layoffs were a hot topic during the weekend. Participants were able to hear about how the cuts were affecting our members and the services that Canadians receive. Those whose workplaces have not been affected by workforce adjustment are nonetheless experiencing difficulties. “If someone retires, goes on extended sick leave or maternity leave, our employer isn’t filling those positions,” said one employee of Passport Canada.

Our members also took part in employer caucuses to discuss how the union can protect our members affected by workforce adjustment. Nathalie Bouchard, a young worker from Parks Local 10269, thought the discussions at her employer caucus were great for hashing out a plan of action. “We’re all on the same page now,” said Bouchard.

Participants also learned a lot about human rights, pensions and the union structure, among many other topics.

“It was a great seminar,” said Quebec Regional Vice-President Jean Pierre Naud. “I think that the communication between members was exceptional.”

Naud says the seminar was a great opportunity for our members to learn, network and share what’s been going on in their workplace. He was also quite pleased with the large participation by new activists and young workers.

We got a few pictures of the seminar on our Flickr page. Go check them out! For more information about regional seminars – or to find out when your regional seminar will be held – consult the events section of our website.

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Surviving being declared surplus

May 19, 2005 – Declared surplus (guaranteed reasonable job offer)
November 14, 2005 – Indeterminate Position found within own department
April 16, 2007 – Declared surplus (no guaranteed job offer)
July 27, 2007 – Indeterminate position found within own department –
February 21, 2011 – Declared surplus –  (guaranteed reasonable job offer)

March 8, 2012 – Still no indeterminate position (on assignment in underfill position within department)

If you think this is about more than one person, you couldn’t be more wrong. Let me introduce myself: my name is Connie Gress and I started working for the federal government — in particular, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada — in 1987.

In 1991, I became active within my Local and on the Regional Women’s Committees. In the early 90s, I also sat on a workforce adjustment committee for my department…. (Yes, job cuts in the federal government are nothing new.) And boy did I learn a lot! Who could have guessed that that information would come in handy for me later on?

In 2000, I advanced from a CR4 to a PM2 position and became a policy research officer in intergovernmental relations. I thought: “Wow! This is it. I am set now.”

I learned a lot and liked my job. Five years later, I was told that I was being declared surplus with a guaranteed job offer. Our unit was decimated: 15 positions became three. I was hardly alone. Continue reading “Surviving being declared surplus”

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Welcome, members of Local 71201

We’ve got exciting news!

The UNE is proud to welcome a new Local (and a whole new employer group!) under its wing. Local 71201 represents brothers and sisters working at the Rideau Carleton Raceway, a racetrack and slots facility in Ottawa.

At the Union of National Employees, we believe our diversity is what makes us stronger. That’s why we’re extremely happy that these gaming industry employees chose to join our membership.

This new Local is now part of the NCR-Separate Employers region. If you would like to find out more about Local 71201, they already have blog! Click here to check it out.