News – Page 93

2011/09/15

Congratulations are in order!

A few months ago, we featured an article that put the spotlight on four Union of National Employees members whom had been selected to attend the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Labour College. Today, we are proud to announce that these four superstars have graduated (with high honours, most likely!).

The grads are: Sandra Bello (Assistant Regional Vice-President, Ontario Region), Layne Carr-Wyatt (Occupational Health & Safety Representative for Local X0150 in Nunavut), Jennifer Chieh Ho (Regional Vice-President, BC & YT Region), and Michèle Milotte (Regional Vice-President, NCR-Separate Employers Region).

Each year, the CLC hosts thousands of union members seeking to enrich their knowledge of labour issues. The CLC Labour College offers an intensive program aimed at labour activists who wish to improve their leadership skills.

In his book Canadian Labour in Crisis, David Camfield notes that: “[…] union education provides an introduction to critical ways of understanding society that are almost never on offer in other forms of adult education or in the corporate media.”

Congratulations to our Labour College grads for having completed this most unique and worthwhile opportunity.

2011/08/28

Meet Camilla Vallejo

It’s being called the Chilean Winter: a protest movement not unlike recent events in the Middle East commonly referred to as the Arab Spring. Protesters have united to call on the government for better and more affordable education. The uprising recently led to a two-day nationwide shutdown, in which many public service employees joined the students in protest.

At the centre of the movement is Camila Vallejo, a 23-year-old student and activist. Her leadership has led the government to agree to substantially lower interest rates on student loans and invest over a trillion pesos ($2 billion dollars) into education.

The demonstrations she has organized have drawn hundreds of thousands of supporters. While a few demonstrations have turned violent, Vallejo is clear on their intent: “We don’t want violence, our fight is not versus the police or to destroy commercial shops … our fight is to recover the right to education.”

Vallejo is now receiving police protection, having recently received death threats. One of these came from a government official who was subsequently fired. Despite these threats, her fight has the support of 80 percent of her fellow citizens, according to a recent survey.

For more information on Camila and the uprising in Chile, please consult this article in the British paper The Guardian or this article in the French newspaper Le Monde.

Finally, a sincere word of thanks to our Union’s newest Chilean friend, Marcelo Moisan, who graciously allowed us to use the above picture for this article. Take a moment to visit Marcelo’s Flickr site, leave a comment or a thank you on his picture or add him as a Flickr contact: he has many great photos!

2011/08/25

In Honour of Jack Layton

Jack Layton

Like all Canadians, we at the Union of National Employees are deeply saddened by the passing of Jack Layton. We identify with the words of Bruce Cameron of The Barrie Examiner when he dubs Mr. Layton “the best prime minister we never had”. But as Jack reminds us, the future is not bleak. In his letter to Canadians, Layton wrote:

My friends, love is better than anger.
Hope is better than fear.
Optimism is better than despair.
So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic.
And we’ll change the world.

As Layton was carried out of Parliament today, the Peace Tower bells rang the song Imagine by John Lennon. If you were unable to attend today’s ceremony or were in a different part of the country, this video is intensely poignant. There is no footage – only sound. If I may momentarily drift into active voice: I must express my deepest thanks to my sister, Stephanie René, for shooting this video for me – and doing a great job as impromptu Communications Officer – whilst I was away.

Describing the video, Stephanie wrote:
“I just wanted the sound so I covered the lens with my hand – I didn’t want to film his family during their time of mourning.”

2011/08/12

International Youth Day

This year’s theme for International Youth Day is: “Change the world”. Our youth delegates and observers at the Union of National Employees’ Triennial Convention are certainly on that path; their commitment to fairness and justice is helping make the world a better place for all.

International Youth Day, first observed in 2000, promotes the benefits young people bring into the world and aims to promote ways to engage them in becoming more actively involved in making positive contributions to their communities.

“Failing to invest in our youth is a false economy,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a message for International Youth Day 2011.

That’s a message taken to heart by the Union of National Employees. This convention saw the attendance of youth delegates from every region and a motion concerning youth members move up the agenda and pass overwhelmingly.

2011/08/07

Convention News

The Triennial Convention is keeping everyone very busy here! If you wish to keep apprised of Convention News, we have a lovely bulletin for you to read:

	Convention News – Day 1
	Convention News – Day 2
	Convention News – Day 3
	Convention News – Day 4
	Convention News – Day 5

2011/08/07

International Day of the World’s Indigenous People

August 9, 2011 marks the eleventh commemoration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. This year’s theme is: Indigenous designs: celebrating stories and cultures, crafting our own future.

In conjunction with this day, and the important principle of self-determination, we wanted to promote the movement for tribal peoples and encourage you to join it. Survival International works with hundreds of tribal communities and organizations across the globe. They are “funded almost entirely by concerned members of the public and some foundations” and refuse national government funding “because governments are the main violators of tribal peoples’ rights”.

In keeping with their work of achieving recognition and respect of tribal people, they work to protect the lands of uncontacted tribes. Oil industries and illegal logging pose a serious threat to these tribes; namely, contact with outsiders could expose them to infectious diseases and wipe them out. It’s for this reason that uncontacted tribes should be left alone and their lands should be protected.

You can help by going to Survival International’s website. There, you can write a letter to President Garcia of Peru, President Rousseff of Brazil and Prime Minister Singh of India, urging them to protect uncontacted tribes. You can also donate to Survival International on their website.

In honour of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, Survival International has also compiled a list of nine tribal facts.

2011/07/22

Convention E-Binders!

The staff at the National Component has been working like little bees to bring you the coolest Convention binder you’ve ever seen. The print shop is busier than Santa’s workshop, the policy wonks are screening documents for the ever-elusive Catch-22, and computer geeks are having a battle royale over the use of Helvetica.

With that said, you’re not off the hook! These binders are huge: ergo, you’ve got a lot of reading to do. It is definitely a good idea to glance through these and make a few notes before Convention.

Oh yea! Don’t print these at home!

Reason 1: your printer will plot its revenge against you – it’s an 800+ page document.
Reason 2: we’ll be printing these for you and shipping them to St. John’s…. That way you don’t have to worry about impaling someone when your binder drops out of the aircraft’s overhead bin.

Enjoy!

	Convention Agenda (updated on: August 4, 2011)
	Convention Information (updated on: July 27, 2011)
	National Component Bylaws
	Proposed National Component Bylaws
	National Component Policies
	Constitution & Bylaws Committee Report (updated on: August 4, 2011)
	Finance Commitee Report (updated on: July 27, 2011)
	Definitions of Financial Terms (Budget Explanation) (updated on: July 27, 2011)
	National Component Financial Statements
	General Resolutions Committee Report (updated on: July 27, 2011)

2011/07/12

Today in Labour History

July 12, 1933 — The Screen Actors Guild holds its first meeting. Among those attending: future horror movie star (Frankenstein’s Monster) and union activist, Boris Karloff. (via our friends at the AFL-CIO and unionist.com)

2011/06/30

Happy Canada Day!

Wishing everyone a joyous Canada Day!

While Diefenbaker’s most memorable quote is probably “Everyone is against me — except for the people!”, his remarks when presenting the Canadian Bill of Rights are especially poignant during this most patriotic day:

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.”

2011/06/27

Save Our Rescue Centre!

June 27, 2011 – Members attending the PSAC Atlantic Regional Convention, including members of the National Component, took part in a rally in St. John’s to save the Newfoundland and Labrador maritime rescue facility. A crowd of over two thousand rallied to show their support.

Provincial Liberal Leader Yvonne Jones said: “We rely on search and rescue every single day to save the people that we love at a time of distress, […] We’re asking Stephen Harper to not put a price on the lives of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.”

The rescue centre has been designated for closure as of June 2012.

In her speech to the crowd, Jeannie Baldwin, PSAC’s REVP for the Atlantic Region, called the Conservatives’ decision to close the centre “nothing short of reckless.” She added: “We know how ruthless, and how dangerous, and how fatal the North Atlantic can be. And Stephen Harper is playing around with lives here. He is ignoring the public will, the public good, and the public safety. Three hundred and fifty members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada are here to support the Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans who brave these dangerous waters every day. At the end of the day, they deserve to come home to their family safe and sound.”

Many photos of the rally can be seen on the National Component’s Flickr site!