Posted on

A sincere word of thanks

The past few weeks haven’t been the easiest, to say the least. Though, even with the added stress of dealing with layoffs – some of us personally, some of us through friends, families and coworkers – countless UNE members volunteered to tell their story to Canadians.

I would like to personally thank each and every one of you who took a moment to put a face to these mass layoffs and spoke about the impact on public services.

In solidarity,

Doug Marshall
National President
Union of National Employees Continue reading “A sincere word of thanks”

Posted on

Helpful WFA Tools

The Union of National Employees recently created two factsheets on WFA: one for employees who fall under Treasury Board and one for Parks Canada employees. These factsheets are found in the WFA resources for Locals section of our website. This section also houses many links to WFA documents created by the PSAC.

Many locals have already been using our factsheets to assist their members. Anna Roosen-Runge, of Local 00137, said the factsheets came in very handy last week when a large number of members received affected and surplus letters. “I’m finding this new version to be quite helpful for our Local,” said Sister Roosen-Runge.

At the Union of National Employees, we remain committed to helping our members – and the local leaders who assist them – in any way we can. If you are a member in need of assistance, please contact of a member of your Local. Local Executive members who require assistance should contact a member of their regional team.

pdf WFA Factsheet for Parks Employees
pdf WFA Factsheet for Treasury Board Employees

 

Posted on

Solidarity Against Austerity

Today, members of the Union of National Employees took part in a rally against austerity in Ottawa. The rally drew more than 1500 of activists; many of whom were UNE members from all over Canada who were in Ottawa attending the PSAC National Triennial Convention.

“We are here to give a clear message,” said Larry Rousseau, PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President of the National Capital Region, “when you mess with public services – when you destroy public services – you destroy Canada.

One thing is for sure: our members were very energized by the rally. “I thought it was great,” said Mike LeBlanc, the Assistant Regional Vice-President for the Atlantic (N.B.). “We need more and more of these and all over the country.”

Many other social justice activist groups attended. Among the organizations, there were activists from ACORN Canada, a group that seeks to empower low and moderate income families. Also spotted among the crowd were Bridget Tolley and Kristen Gilchrist who are volunteers for Families of Sisters and Spirit; an organization that seeks justice for murdered and missing native women in Canada.

We have TONS of pictures of the rally. Go check them out on our Flickr page!

Posted on

Truly a sad day

Doug Marshall rose on a point of privilege this morning during the proceedings at PSAC Convention. He asked for a moment of silence for our brothers and sisters who were informed today that they may lose their jobs.

“This is truly a sad day for our members and for our union,” said Marshall. “At the Union of National Employees alone, almost 3000 members across half a dozen departments received notices that their jobs are affected or eliminated.”

The UNE National President says that while the numbers are appalling, they don’t tell the whole story. “What we’re really talking about here is people; our friends, our colleagues and our family members. People we know are losing their jobs.”

He also urged members to be there for each other during this difficult time.

“If there’s one thing we can count on, it’s that we have amazing people in our union – people who are always ready and willing to help others,” said Marshall. It’s comforting to know that they’ll be there to support those devastated by today’s cuts.”

The UNE recently created Factsheets that provide a clear explanation of the Work Force Adjustment Process for Employees of Parks Canada and Treasury Board. We hope these will assist members who are facing layoff and the union representatives who will support them.

WFA Factsheet for Parks Employees
WFA Factsheet for Treasury Board Employees

Posted on

National Day of Mourning – Apr 28

Vincent Massey Park will again be the site of Canada’s National Day of Mourning ceremony for workers killed or injured on the job. Although the Canadian Labour Congress has officially observed the day since 1984, April 28 was first proclaimed a Day of Mourning by an Act of Parliament in 1991. Today, in over one hundred countries around the world, April 28 is officially observed.

According to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, there were a total of 1017 reported workplace fatalities across the country.

“The figures don’t even begin to tell the true number of lives lost as a direct result of the workplace,” said Sean McKenny, president of the Ottawa and District Labour Council. Because these figures come from various provincial workers’ compensation boards, McKenny says they don’t include 38% of workers who aren’t covered by workers’ compensation systems.

“So unquestionably the actual numbers are much higher.”

“We’ve seen a significant number of workplace injuries and fatalities in the city of Ottawa over the last year,” said McKenny. “It needs to stop”.

The ceremony at Vincent Massey Park starts at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday April 28.  Mayor Jim Watson will be in attendance to officially proclaim the day.  Speakers include: Hassan Yussuff (Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Labour Congress), Robert Blakely (the Canada’s Building Trades Union), MP Paul Dewar (NDP-Ottawa Centre) and Sean McKenny (President of the Ottawa and District Labour Council). This will be followed by the laying of wreaths and roses.

Members of the Union of National Employees will also be there. We’ll post pictures on our Flickr page very shortly.

Posted on

Early morning caucuses at PSAC Convention

The PSAC Convention is fast approaching and we hope you’re as excited as we are! We’d like to quickly inform you that the Union of National Employees will hold caucuses during the PSAC Convention.

Caucus meetings are extremely helpful; it’s our time to discuss resolutions, meet candidates and talk about other issues among fellow UNE members (it’s also a good place to get that first jolt of morning java!).

All caucus meetings will take place at the Ottawa Convention Centre at 55 Colonel By Drive. We have arranged for simultaneous translation during all our meetings.

Your attendance at these meetings is mandatory, unless you must attend another caucus (such as equity caucuses). If you are unable to attend, please inform your Regional Vice-President.

We know that getting up in the morning isn’t always easy… that’s why we’re luring you with a full breakfast and beverages of the caffeinated variety! The Union of National Employees will provide a full breakfast for all caucus members, including Area Council members, equity delegates and observers. Breakfast will be served starting at 6:45 a.m.; the caucus starts promptly at 7:30 a.m. (please remember not to claim per diem for those meals).

Here is the caucus schedule:

Date Time Room Notes
April 29 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Room 213/215 Coffee, tea and juice
April 30 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Room 213/215 Full breakfast at 6:45 a.m.
May 1 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Room 213/215 Full breakfast at 6:45 a.m.
May 2 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Room 213/215 Full breakfast at 6:45 a.m.
May 3 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Room 213/215 Full breakfast at 6:45 a.m.
May 4 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Room 213/215 Full breakfast at 6:45 a.m.

We look forward to seeing all of you in the National Capital Region for a great convention!

Posted on

New website – New look and feel!

As you probably can tell, some major changes have just happened! We’ve just launched the new website in tandem with our new look and feel. It’s all very exciting!

First things first: our web address has changed to reflect our union’s new name. We encourage you to update your bookmarks and visit us often (better yet: make our website your homepage!).

There’s too much information to cover in one article, so instead we’d like to point you to these webpages and videos:

Top 5 things you need to know about the new website!

Rebrand at a glance

Questions and answers about the rebrand

If you have any questions, we’d love to hear from you! You can email us at communications@une-sen.org and we’ll get back to you shortly.

Posted on

National Executive Meeting – April 2012

The National Executive will meet in Ottawa from April 26 to 28. The first session will start at 9:00 a.m. in 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.

If you would like an issue to be brought up during the next meeting, please contact your Regional Vice-President.

Posted on

2012 Bursaries

At the Union of National Employees, we know that education is a key ingredient of personal growth. We also recognize that there are countless barriers to continuing education. That’s partly why we award three bursaries each year – to make it a little bit easier for our members and their family to access quality education.

For our members, union education ensures that the work we do on behalf of our brothers and sisters is of the highest quality.

You can apply for the following bursaries right now:

The Laurier Auger Bursary awards $2,000 to a UNE member – or their partner or child – who is entering the first year of post-secondary education. The application must be received by June 30. For more information and to find out how to apply, click here.

The Bursary for an Adult Member attending an Institute of Higher Learning awards $1,000 to a member who wishes to attend a union-related course. The application must be received by July 31. For more information and to find out how to apply, click here.

The Alfred Papineau Bursary applies $500 towards the tuition of a part-time course that will help a member participate more fully in union activities. The application must be received by August 31. For more information and to find out how to apply, click here.

The terms of reference for our bursaries are also found on the Annual Bursaries section of our website.

Posted on

We see things as we are

“We don’t see things as they are,
we see them as we are.”
Anaïs Nin
American diarist and author, 1903 – 1977

What does the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination mean to me?

This is our day to reflect. It’s a day for us to look back at how far we’ve come, while acknowledging how far we still have to go. We may not always be able to eliminate the deep roots of racism, but profound change does happen.

In 1960, 69 people were killed while peacefully protesting apartheid in Sharpeville, South Africa. The Sharpeville Massacre shocked the world. In 1966, the United Nations declared that the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination would be observed each year on March 21.

Some argue that racism will never be eliminated. However, I believe it’s a matter of being patient! It’s unfortunate that, in the meantime, we need to endure struggles, segregation, and scrutiny.

Racism won’t disappear after March 21, nor will it be eliminated overnight. We need to take the extra step; we must continue to reflect on our actions, behaviours and perceptions of others.

On March 21, let us learn from our own biases and be brave enough to critique them.

– Mary Jeyananthan

Mary Jeyananthan is the National Equity Representative for racially-visible people. On March 26, she will also participate in the following event to combat racism:

March 26th – Empower London: The Roots of Racism and Moving Forward
It is an event based out of London, is a collaboration of organized labour, community groups and community members to open up an on-going dialogue around racism.  The event has a dynamic panel, along with food, beverages, and amazing entertainment. For more information, click here – to register, please email Mojdeh R. Cox at mojdehrcox@gmail.com.