UNE Convention and Resolutions Call-Out

The Union of National Employees 2017 Convention will be held at the The Westin Hotel in Ottawa, Ontario from August 23 to 27, 2017. Before we start paving the way forward for our union, there are a few important things you need to do.

Make sure your Local is in conformance
You can only attend convention if your Local is in conformance. For a complete list of documents needed from your Local, see the convention checklist.

Elect delegates and their alternates
Delegates and alternates are elected during general local meetings. The number of delegates per Local is determined by the number of members it has in good standing six months before the start of convention (bylaw 6, section 12):

  1. Four to 100 members: one delegate;
  2. One delegate for each 100 members or portion thereof to a maximum of five delegates.

UNE will cover expenses such as loss of salary, travel, accommodations, meals and family care. For more information on this, please consult the cheat-sheet. Members with physical limitations, allergies, environmental sensitivities or special dietary requirements will have the opportunity to identify accommodation needs during the registration process.

Observers
Locals can also send observers to convention at the Local’s expense. These members can attend convention, but they can not participate in debate or vote. There is a $75 registration fee for observers to cover the cost of convention materials.

Submit Credential Forms

Locals must submit credential forms for each of their delegates, alternates and observers. Credential forms for delegates and alternates must include a copy of the general local meeting minutes showing the election of those members as delegates or alternates. The credential forms are included on our convention page.  These forms must be emailed to events@une-sen.org or  faxed and marked (credential form) to the attention of Suzanne Boucher at 613-560-4208.

Convention Committees
Delegates to convention will be able to express their interest in participating in one of the three convention committees tasked with reviewing resolutions submitted to convention. These committees will meet in Ottawa from June 4 to 6, 2017.

Registration Deadline

To be recognized as a delegate to convention, members must complete the online registration (to be opened in February) and submit the following documents by April 21, 2017 at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time;

  1. Credential forms, including meeting minutes showing election of delegates and alternates
  2. Local financial documents in conformance with UNE Bylaws and Policies;

Members who miss the deadline WILL NOT be able to participate on convention committees and are considered late delegates.
Late delegates are seated at convention by way of procedural motion during the early stages of the opening of our Convention.

Questions about convention logistics and registration?
Please contact Suzanne Boucher at events@une-sen.org or by phone at 613-560-4359 or 1-800-663-6685.

RESOLUTIONS

Option 1

Locals should appoint a convention resolutions committee; these are normally made up of three to five members. Some Locals may prefer to appoint a committee for each resolution topic: constitution and bylaws, finance, and general resolutions.

Your Local should issue a notice asking members to submit resolutions to your convention resolutions committee. Allow plenty of time for the committee to prepare a report. Members of the committee should also be encouraged to submit their own resolutions.

Each committee’s report and additional resolutions should be presented during a general membership meeting. This meeting should provide ample time to debate resolutions before members cast a vote.

Option 2

Any member in good standing can submit a resolution to Convention by having it co-signed by five other members in good standing.

Submit your resolution online

You should submit your resolutions electronically on our website. The online submission form can be found here.

Completing this process significantly reduces the time required to prepare resolutions for our committees’ review. If you do not have internet access, you can submit your resolutions by mail or fax.

Submit supporting documentation

The resolutions you submit online must also be supported by hardcopy versions of either the signed minutes verifying that the resolution was adopted during a general membership meeting or the resolutions form co-signed by five other members in good standing. You can download the resolution template on our convention page here.

Please send these hard copies to the attention of Ateau Zola by email at resolutions@une-sen.org, by fax at 613-560-5208, or by mail at:

Union of National Employees
900-150 Isabella St.
Ottawa, ON
K1S 1V7

Resolutions received after April 21, 2017 at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time will be deemed late and will be dealt with after all other resolutions have been dealt with.

Questions about resolutions?
Please contact Ateau Zola at resolutions@une-sen.org or by phone at 613-560-4343 or 1-800-663-6685.

 

In solidarity,

Doug Marshall
National President
Union of National Employees, PSAC

 

Join the World Social Forum in August

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Another world is needed: Together it is possible!

The World Social Forum (WSF) is a gathering of civil society, including workers and trade unions to find collective solutions to common problems.  The first WSF took place in 2001 in Puerto Alegre, Brazil.  This year, the WSF will take place in Montreal from August 9-14, 2016. The theme is “Another world is needed: together it is possible”.

This is the first time that the World Social Forum takes place in North America.  Thousands are expected to attend the 1,200 workshops offered on Université du Québec (UQAM), McGill, and CÉGEP du Vieux-Montréal campuses and outdoor sites.

Activities

On August 9, the WSF will open with a massive march leaving Parc Lafontaine at 5:30 pm, followed by an opening ceremony in downtown Montreal.

Throughout the rest of the week, there will be:

  • workshop discussions,
  • round tables,
  • conferences,
  • debates on controversial topics,
  • artistic performances,
  • cultural activities, and
  • convergence assemblies.

PSAC members are invited to join this important event. If you can’t attend, follow us on social media during the event for updates (#WSF2016).

PSAC is sponsoring some members to attend. For information on being sponsored to attend, contact your regional office.

For more information, check out the World Social Forum website.

Regional Seminar – Manitoba & Saskatchewan

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Your regional seminar is fast approaching and it’s the best place to learn about our union and the many things we do.

This event is jam-packed with lectures and workshops to help you gain the knowledge and confidence you’ll need to help our members. It’s also a great place to meet active members just like you and forge long-lasting friendships.

For a sneak-peek at what else we have in store for you, check out the agenda.

Participants should arrive between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Friday, September 30, 2016 to register. You should select representatives from your Local to attend the seminar. The Union of National Employees will fund two delegates per Local as well as one youth:

  1. One delegate should be the local president or designate.
  2. The second delegate should be a member who has not previously attended a UNE conference or seminar.
  3. One delegate from each local should be a youth delegate. (A youth delegate is defined as a member who will be 35 years or younger on December 31, 2017.)

During the seminar, youth delegates will elect two of their peers to represent them as delegates to our 2017 convention.

You must register by Friday, August 19, 2016. Unfortunately, we cannot consider late registrations.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE

Should you have any questions, please contact Suzanne Boucher at: events@une-sen.org.

In solidarity,

Your regional teams:

Manitoba

Chris Little-Gagné, Regional Vice-President, Manitoba
Martin Kaminski, Assistant Regional Vice-President, Manitoba
Melody Raabe, Assistant Regional Vice-President, Manitoba
Jacqueline Nanali, Regional Representative for Human Rights, Manitoba

Saskatchewan

Omar Murray, Regional Vice-President, Saskatchewan
Gloria Pfeifer, Assistant Regional Vice-President, Saskatchewan
Janette Husak, Assistant Regional Vice-President, Saskatchewan
Sandra Ahenakew, Regional Representative for Human Rights, Saskatchewan

Quebec Regional Seminar

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Your regional seminar is fast approaching and it’s the best place to learn about our union and the many things we do.

This event is jam-packed with lectures and workshops to help you gain the knowledge and confidence you’ll need to help our members. It’s also a great place to meet active members just like you and forge long-lasting friendships.

For a sneak-peek at what else we have in store for you, check out the agenda.

Participants should arrive between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Friday, September 16, 2016 to register. You should select representatives from your Local to attend the seminar. The Union of National Employees will fund two delegates per Local as well as one youth:

  1. One delegate should be the local president or designate.
  2. The second delegate should be a member who has not previously attended a UNE conference or seminar.
  3. One delegate from each local should be a youth delegate. (A youth delegate is defined as a member who will be 35 years or younger on December 31, 2017.)

During the seminar, youth delegates will elect two of their peers to represent them as delegates to our 2017 convention.

You must register by Friday, August 12, 2016. Unfortunately, we cannot consider late registrations.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE

Should you have any questions, please contact Suzanne Boucher at: suzanne.boucher@une-sen.org.

In solidarity,

Your regional team:

Yvon Beaudoin, Regional Vice-President, Québec
Yann Boudreau, Assistant Regional Vice-President, Québec
Géraldine Fortin, Assistant Regional Vice-President, Québec
Keith Lemoine, Regional Representative for Human Rights, Québec

June 8th Day of Action – Is Your Local Ready?

June8Today

By now, you have heard that PSAC and other federal public service unions are calling on all members to help send a message to the Liberals by participating in a national action day on June 8th.

So what does your local have planned?

Visit our website here and leave a comment – we want to know. Tell us what you have planned for your local and we will share it on social media.  If you have a page set up, let us know and we will post links. We also hope you will send us photos of members in action!

If you haven’t already, click here to download a customizable PDF that you can use as a poster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ontario Regional Seminar

RegSemONT600x375

Your regional seminar is fast approaching and it’s the best place to learn about our union and the many things we do.

This event is jam-packed with lectures and workshops to help you gain the knowledge and confidence you’ll need to help our members. It’s also a great place to meet active members just like you and forge long-lasting friendships.

For a sneak-peek at what else we have in store for you, check out the agenda.

Participants should arrive between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Friday, August 19, 2016 to register. You should select representatives from your Local to attend the seminar. The Union of National Employees will fund two delegates per Local as well as one youth:

  1. One delegate should be the local president or designate.
  2. The second delegate should be a member who has not previously attended a UNE conference or seminar.
  3. One delegate from each local should be a youth delegate. (A youth delegate is defined as a member who will be 35 years or younger on December 31, 2017.)

During the seminar, youth delegates will elect two of their peers to represent them as delegates to our 2017 convention.

You must register by Friday, July 8, 2016. Unfortunately, we cannot consider late registrations.

Should you have any questions, please contact Suzanne Boucher at: suzanne.boucher@une-sen.org.

In solidarity,

Your regional team:

Mary Anne Walker, Regional Vice-President, Ontario
Diane Levola, Assistant Regional Vice-President, Ontario
Andrew Shaver, Assistant Regional Vice-President, Ontario
Craig Reynolds, Assistant Regional Vice-President, Ontario
Sandy Bello, Regional Representative for Human Rights, Ontario