News – Page 92

2011/12/03

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

My name is Dave Burchell and I am the Union of National Employees Representative for Persons with Disabilities.

I wish to remind you that today, December 3, is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

The United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons was held between 1983 and 1992. It urged governments and organizations to make the necessary changes to improve the lives of disabled persons all over the world.

In 1992, as this decade drew to a close, the UN General Assembly proclaimed December 3 as the International Day of Disabled Persons.

In 2007, the assembly changed the name from the “International Day of Disabled Persons” to the “International Day of Persons with Disabilities”. The new name was used the following year.

This year’s theme is “Together for a better world for all: Including persons with disabilities in development”. My personal favourite was in 2004 when the theme was “nothing about us, without us” made a bold statement which rings constantly in my ears.
Canadian census data reveals that the number of persons who reported having a disability reached 4.4 million in 2006, or 14.3 per cent of the Canadian population at the time.

Persons with disabilities face many disadvantages and are still subject to stigma and discrimination. They are largely excluded from civil and political processes and remain overwhelmingly voiceless in matters that affect them.

I hope that you will join me and all other Union of National Employees and PSAC members, persons with disabilities and their allies in remembering the daily struggles we go through to achieve what able-bodied and sound-minded individuals take for granted. It is indeed a challenge for us, but with your help and the assistance of individuals who care, we can all be identified as ‘people, rather than persons with disabilities.

2011/12/02

An absurd choice

Dec 2, 2011 – The PSAC says no giant squirrels were harmed in the making their new social media campaign, but the same cannot be said about public services.

“Right now, the Conservative government is forcing Canadians to choose between a strong economy (no deficit) and strong public services,” wrote PSAC National President John Gordon in an email to union members on Friday. “The goal of the Third Choice campaign is to highlight the absurdity of this forced choice and encourage Canadians to ask for something better.”

The Third Strike campaign kicked off with a quirky video already circulating widely on Facebook and Twitter. It highlights the absurdity of forcing Canadians to choose between no deficit and strong public services.

Visit www.thirdchoice.ca to see the video for yourself! Don’t forget to share the video on Facebook and Twitter and encourage your friends to do the same.

2011/11/17

Trans Day of Remembrance

As we approach November 20, the Trans Day of Remembrance, I wish to challenge my union brothers and sisters.

If you truly wish to remember and honour my dead brothers and sisters, then support our battle for human rights equality in this country. They have died due to violence, bigotry, hatred and societal neglect.

Most of you will understand violence, bigotry and hatred. But do you understand societal neglect? It’s a form of abandonment that says “I have my rights, so what’s the big deal?” Have you ever been told you weren’t allowed to use a washroom appropriate to your gender or been asked to leave one because someone told you that you don’t belong there? Have you ever been denied accommodations or been fired for being yourself?

This is a daily fact of life for many in my community. There are segments of society that would make it illegal for me to use a gender-appropriate washroom in public. There are those that would say it’s okay for me to be denied housing or a job because of how I was born.

There are also those that would take more direct action because, somehow, I offend their delicate sensibilities as to what they deem “right” or “normal” or even “acceptable”. Those are the people that beat, maim and kill my brothers and sisters – and would potentially do the same to me.

I do not like having to live my life in a heightened state of awareness, always performing an ongoing threat assessment of those around me. I do not like having to constantly make mental notes of exits and escape routes. But for me, and those like me, that is the world we live in.

Our world is like this because we are denied rights enjoyed by others – fundamental rights that never even cross your mind. In the eyes of many, we are somehow less than human and not deserving of the rights enjoyed by the majority.

I am here to tell you we are as human as the rest of you. I am here to tell you that I am as equal as everyone else around me. Just because I do not fit into some people’s preconceived notions of the binary nature of gender does not mean I deserve to die, be beaten, maimed, spit on, or maltreated.

The labour movement has always fought for equity and equality for all its members. It has been at the forefront of almost every major step forward in advancing the rights of workers. In many cases, these advances have been mirrored legislatively, not long after. Furthermore, these advances have helped to shape human rights legislation in multiple jurisdictions.

To me, this is a fundamental union principle. It’s no different than the fight to bring women into the workplace or the fight for pay equity.

This is about equity and equality for all of us. It is the right thing to do.

So, here is my challenge for you:

Make this a core demand in the next round of bargaining with the employer, and don’t let it be dealt away.
Contact your brothers and sisters in the union, at the local and national levels, and tell them to stand up and do what is right.
Phone, write or email your MPs and tell them that this is an important issue. Ask them to support the reintroduction of the bill explicitly enshrining these rights in the Canadian Human Rights Act.

The question is not “why should we do this?” – the question is “why shouldn’t we?”

We all know this is the right thing to do. Now we just have to do it.

Kate Hart
Human Rights Rep.
Local 30095
Union of National Employees

2011/11/09

Make yourself heard

The 2012 PSAC Triennial National Convention is fast approaching! During Convention, the delegates will debate and adopt a Members’ Plan. The plan will be based on input and direction from all members of the PSAC.

Now’s the time to make your voice heard! You can contribute to the Members’ Plan by taking the Our Union, Our Power survey.

Click here to answer the survey. Hurry! You only have until December 2, 2011 to share your ideas!

2011/10/26

We're occupying Canada!

“Change is coming!” said one of the activists at the Occupy Ottawa protest.

Recently, the Occupy Wall Street movement spread to major Canadian cities. Members of the Union of National Employees and the PSAC have been there to show their support for the protest and collect signatures for the petition to protect public services. Our union members were also on-site to distribute raincoats to those occupying Confederation Park.

The protesters are tired of how the financial system treats them. They call themselves the 99 percenters: those who don’t have the money to influence elections, affect public policy or buy a politician. The 99 percenters are seeking fairness; they want their government to work on behalf of voters instead of large corporations and millionaires.

In a recent live interview from Wall Street, MSNBC television journalist Dylan Ratigan observed that the U.S. has “an auction-based democracy.” Bringing the point home, Ratigan explained that 94 per cent of the time, the winning presidential candidate is the one who raises the most money. Meanwhile, the Conservatives in this country have abolished the per-vote subsidy. By the next federal election, political parties will be entirely dependent on donations. Are we also heading for an auction-based democracy?

While the troublesome relationship between corporations and government is a key concern, protesters are also concerned about workers’ rights and corporate greed. The first collective statement of Occupy Wall Street reads in part:

They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation. […]

They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions. […]

They have consistently outsourced labour and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.

To find out more about Occupy Canada locations, please visit this website.

If you haven’t already, please sign the PSAC petition to protect public services!

2011/10/18

We want your feedback!

During last convention, our union decided to change its name. We are all proud that our new name places the emphasis on the people at the heart of our union.

Today, we are reaching out to our members for feedback. We would like to hear your thoughts on the various logo options being proposed. You will be asked, among other things, to think about whether a bilingual logo would suit our union better, or whether two unilingual logos would be preferable.

Please read the questions carefully and take the time to imagine the logo being used on union swag, in the union office, on documents, on the web and on social media platforms.

Please click here to take the survey.

2011/10/05

A message for Tony Clement

Public servants working in Ottawa’s east got to enjoy some delicious food on Wednesday at a Barbeque organized by the PSAC NCR regional office. But burgers weren’t the only thing drawing these federal employees to the event.

“We’re trying to send a message to Tony Clement: enough is enough” said a local PSAC activist.

Treasury Board President Tony Clement is on a mission to cut $4 billion from public services.

What Tony Clement does not understand is that when you cut and destroy public services, you are destroying Canada,” said Larry Rousseau, Regional Executive Vice-President of the National Capital Region. “The PSAC is adamantly opposed to cutting public services to balance the books. The economic crisis was caused by the banking industry – not public service employees,” he added.

In June, Clement said that more public sector layoffs would come. Despite the still fragile state of the economy, the Conservative government seems to think that sending more people to the unemployment line is the way to foster economic growth.

In his June 8 speech, Clement said: “We’ll all need to ask fundamental questions about the programs and services we provide…. Should we still be doing this — and doing it in this way? Does this have to be delivered by this organization? Why does it cost as much as it does? Can we find savings?”

A few months later, the Canadian Press revealed that the Harper government hired Deloitte, an American-based professional organization, to help find $4 billion in cuts. Taxpayers are paying Deloitte $90,000 per day for this service.

And Tony Clement says he wants to find savings….

Please sign PSAC’s the petition to Tony Clement. Let him know that public services matter!

2011/10/042014/09/02

A guest of honour

On the eve of the annual vigil for missing and murdered native women, Susan Martin promised to bring a guest of honour to the event. Yesterday, she stood on the steps of Parliament Hill, holding her daughter’s urn.

Martin is a member of Families of Sisters in Spirit, a grassroots organization led by families of missing and murdered Aboriginal women.

“Today will be the last time I ever get to touch my child’s remains,” she told the group gathered yesterday for the sixth annual vigil to demand justice for their stolen loved ones.

Nine years ago, Martin’s 24-year-old daughter, Terrie Ann Dauphinais, was murdered in her home in Calgary. Her case remains unsolved.

Through Families of Sisters in Spirit, and the annual vigils they hold, Martin began to talk publicly about her daughter. This year, Martin invited supporters to a sacred ceremony on Victoria Island, where Algonquin elder Annie Smith-St-Georges of Kitigan Zibi First Nations would prepare the urn for burial by sealing it in a cedar box.

“I represent the victims, the mothers that don’t have their voice yet,” said Martin. “It’s not an easy task, so I do that for all of us because we are a family.”

Families of Sisters in Spirit has identified more than 500 aboriginal women who are missing or have been murdered. A 2009 report by Statistics Canada found that aboriginal women are almost three times more likely than non-Aboriginal women to report being a victim of a violent crime. Like others touched by these tragedies, Martin feels the federal government should be doing more.

“I get very angry when I see a new family member because they should not be going through what we’re going through – and we seem to be falling on deaf ears.”

Martin and other members of the group met with members of Parliament on Monday to speak about her experience.

“When [MPs] meet the families, they don’t forget them,” said Jennifer Lord of the Native Women’s Association of Canada. “And then that’s a connection that the families can hold on to.”

However, no one from the governing Conservatives showed up at the meeting, said Kristen Gilchrist, a volunteer for Families of Sisters in Spirit.

Irkar Beljaars, a volunteer who helped organize a similar vigil in Montreal, called on the government to create a national task force for missing and murdered native women. “We need our government to look at itself in the mirror and decide what’s right and what’s wrong,” Beljaars said. “What’s wrong is fighter jets and prisons. What’s right is taking care of women in this country.”

As for Martin, her resolve remains strong. “I’m letting go,” she said while holding her daughter’s urn for the final time. “But I’m going to stay positive. I’m still going to fight for justice. I’m still going to take this journey to stop other mothers and family members from feeling what we feel.”

What you can do:
Write to Stephen Harper and your Member of Parliament. Tell them that aboriginal women are loved and valued. Demand a national task force on missing and murdered aboriginal women.

Follow Families of Sisters in Spirit on their Facebook page. You can keep up-to-date on missing women in Canada and help bring them home safely.

Many photos of the vigil can be seen on the Union of National Employees’ Flickr site

2011/09/25

Remembering their sacrifice

The sullen buzz of bagpipes reverberated in Ottawa’s downtown, last Sunday, as police and peace officers gathered on Parliament Hill to remember their fallen comrades.

The memorial service drew hundreds of officers from across the nation, and an equally large number of onlookers who came to show their support. Governor General David Johnston was among those in attendance.

“By ensuring our safety, at times risking your own lives to do so, the members of the extended law enforcement family are helping to maintain harmony in our communities and contributing to Canada’s enviable reputation as a peaceful nation,” Johnston said.

Doug Marshall and Karoline Klüg came to support nine union members who work at Parks Canada as Peace Officers. “Most Canadians probably aren’t aware that four Park Wardens have died in the line of duty since 1980,” said Marshall. “Park Wardens, like all members of the vast law enforcement community, put their lives at risk to protect their fellow Canadian citizens. It’s great that they are being honoured here today,” he added.

Also spotted among the crowd were Jennifer Ho (RVP-BC & Yukon), Marc Danis (HR-Rep-Manitoba), Yvon Beaudoin (A/RVP-Quebec), Angela Decker (RVP-Atlantic), Geoff Ryan (ARVP-AB, NT & Nunavut) and Sandra Bello (ARVP-Ontario) who were in town for a planning committee. Several union staff members also were present: Suzanne Boucher, Susan Phillips, Franco Picciano, and Ben René.

A number of memorials were also held across Canada.

For more pictures from Sunday’s memorial, please visit our Flickr site.

2011/09/19

A national tragedy: our stolen sisters

September 19, 2011 – A march that started in Vancouver on June 21 reached Parliament Hill where activists demanded that the Harper government address a national tragedy. Walk for Justice has marched throughout the country to call attention to the approximately 4200 missing and murdered women. Walk for Justice activists were hosted by Families of Sisters in Spirit, a group that aims to inform the public about the impact of violence against native women.

Theresa Ducharme, formerly of Sisters in Spirit, noted that the number of missing and murdered women has only increased since she became involved with the group five years ago. In fact, since the march started in June, 36 more native women have gone missing.

“Rona Ambrose, a few weeks ago, said that she’s with us in spirit…. Well that’s nice! As our numbers grow of missing and murdered native women across this country, that’s all that’s going to be left if nothing is done,” said Irkar Beljaars of the Montreal Families of Sisters in Spirit. Beljarrs says their commitment to this issue is unwavering and called on Harper and his government to create a national task force on missing and murdered native women.

Several family members of missing and murdered women took part in the march. Gilbert Gauthier, of Winnipeg, was walking on behalf of Claudette Osborne-Tyo who has been missing since July 2008. Gauthier said the situation is especially hard on Claudette’s mother who wakes up every morning not knowing what has happened to her daughter. “[The police] say that just because she was a streetwalker or a prostitute that she decided to leave and go on her own – but that’s not true. She would always keep in touch with us every day,” he added.

Alaya McIvor of Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation (200 km northwest of Winnipeg, MB) took part in the rally to seek justice for the murder of her cousin, Roberta McIvor. “She was murdered 47 days ago on July 30th. She was decapitated on the reserve,” McIvor said. A 15-year-old and a 17-year-old were arrested, but McIvor and his family believes there are more individuals involved in the murder. Despite the demonstrably violent nature of the crime, the individuals arrested were only charged with manslaughter.

Walking for her younger sister was Sharon Johnson of Thunder Bay. Sandra K. Johnson was raped and murdered in 1992; her case remains unsolved. “We just had our seventh annual memorial walk in Thunder Bay,” Sharon said. She has received much support from local media and Lakehead University students; however there still are no leads on her sister’s case.

Families of Sisters in Spirit will be holding vigils across Canada on October 4th. For more information on how you can get involved, please visit the vigil’s Facebook event page. Families of Sisters in Spirit also issue alerts of missing women on their Facebook page.

To view pictures from the walk, please visit our Flickr site.