Member Journalism

2014/03/182014/03/18

International Francophonie Day

By Yvon Beaudoin

On this International Francophonie Day, I would like to paint a picture for you of the 9,178,100 Canadians who speak French in Canada.

At the 2013 annual meeting of the members of the FTQ’s Francization Committee, Suzanne Dionne Coster and Mariette Rainville of the Commission nationale des parents francophones presented the following overview of the health of the francophonie in the various regions of Canada. We have taken the liberty here of presenting this data as an infographic.

At first glance, one might tend to believe that the francophone community is faring well in Canada. But one look at the impact of the $5.2 billion in cutbacks announced by the Conservative government in 2012 paints another reality.

According to Claude Poirier, President of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE), francophones are now being asked to write their documents in English to reduce translation costs.

Le Devoir reported that:

“According to Public Works Canada, to which the Translation Bureau reports, business volume went from $253 million in 2010–2011 to $231 million the following year, a decrease of 9%. The 2012–2013 Report on Plans and Priorities forecasts revenue of barely $191 million.”

In addition, the Conservative government is content to sit back when talks turn to official languages. In December, the Conservative government voted against two motions tabled by Yvon Godin, NPD Critic for Official Languages.

The purpose of the motions was to “have the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans appear before the Official Languages Committee to present important updates on access to justice in both official languages and on the future of the Quebec Marine Search and Rescue Centre.”

The budgetary constraints imposed by the Conservative government are a major threat to the vitality of Canada’s two official languages. Ask your member of parliament to act.

Our members should demand to work in the official language of their choice!

2014/03/05

International Women’s Day – March 8

by Hayley Millington

When I was asked to submit an article for International Women’s Day, I was excited at the prospect. Immediately, my mind started perusing numerous options. I used the opportunity to express myself in the vein I feel most comfortable: creatively.

I felt like a poem would best capture my passion over the day and the importance of having this day acknowledged and celebrated.

I
WE
SHE

Reflecting me
The women of History, Past and Present

The intertwined arms of the worldwide sisterhood
Nurturing and Protecting each nation
Sustaining all creeds and cultures

Women slain, laying bare-breasted
Suckling generations
Along grassy plains and concrete jungles

DIS-missed by governments’ regulations
BLIND-sided by society’s apathy
WAY-layed by war and disillusionment

Voices raised in earnest
Clamouring for the essentials of their irreverent sex
PEACE, SAFETY, SECURITY, INDEPENDENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

Straining against society’s reins
Boundaries blurred, distorted by others perceptions of gender
Survival seeping out of sisters pores, as veins bulge in anguish

And SHE, with spirit abound
Infused with the century old fights
Rises to pristine heights
Ready to lay claim to HER rights

HER stories written and retold, awaken movements
With limbs, once immobile
Now tactile and fluid

She laughs
Tears flow
Lips frown
And here SHE stands, Firmly Rooted

I
WE
SHE

Reflections of me
The women of herstory, PAST and Present

This article was written by Hayley Millington as part of our member journalism program. Hayley serves on the UNE’s human rights committee as the national equity representative for women.

2014/02/262014/02/26

Pink Shirt Day

By Steve Houston

“Then they came for me–and there was no one left to speak for me.”

– Martin Niemöller

There were times in my youth, when a kind of divine providence would step in – between me and a group of boys determined to bully me into feeling worthless.

For reasons I could not have explained at the time, there was always one boy from the approaching mob who would say “no”. In doing so, he would pluck me from the jaws of impending doom. There would be grumbling, obviously, and he might have to brush me aside for effect.

But in that miraculous moment, I would breathe again. Never looking back, I would walk away lost in what had just happened – and I would slowly begin to feel safe in the world again. The boy and I would never become friends, but knowing he existed gave me hope that things could get better.

Pink Shirt Day taps into that kind of divine providence. We wear pink on that day to say “no”. In so doing, we form a wall between LGBT youth and the bullies determined to make them feel worthless.

But while things are generally getting better in North America, it’s not the case everywhere else in the world.

Human Rights Watch has been urging Russian authorities to address widespread violence being perpetrated against LGBT people. In some of the more egregious cases, bullies have used dating sites to lure young gay men into meeting them, before forcing them to admit their homosexuality on camera and severely beating them. Not only is Russia turning a blind eye to this violence, their rhetoric is adding fuel to the fire.

It’s for this reason that, this year, the It Gets Better project asked its supporters to direct messages of love and support to the LGBT youth in Russia. The project was launched in 2010 by Dan Savage and his partner Terry Miller in response to the overwhelming number of LGBT youth who choose suicide to end their pain. The movement has since gone global.

Instances like these make it all the more important for us to intervene – to protect vulnerable young people against those who wish to cause them harm.

On Wednesday, we wear pink to say we exist and, for a poignant moment, the world may feel like it’s a safer place to be – poignant moments like this flash mob of elementary school students at a Vancouver Giants hockey game.

Imagine that at Sochi…. If we all band together against violence, the future looks bright and pink.

This article was written by Steve Houston as part of our member journalism program. Steve Houston serves on the UNE’s human rights committee as the regional human rights representative for the B.C.-Yukon region.

2014/02/18

Inuit Language Week

by Geoff Ryan

Too often, Canada’s First Nations, Métis and Inuit people are grouped into a category: Aboriginal Peoples. While this makes it easier to talk about a community that generally faces similar challenges and shares a common heritage, it does leave the impression that the group is homogenous. As we know, it’s anything but!

Our most recent census revealed that Canada is home to over 60 aboriginal languages. Of these, Inuktitut is the language of Canada’s Inuit.

But the language isn’t immune to modern pressures. In 2011, 63% of Inuit reported being able to carry a conversation in Inuktitut; a 6% drop from just five years earlier.

Luckily, the Nunavut government recognizes the importance of keeping the language alive and thriving.

For 10 years now, the territory has been celebrating Uqausirmut Quviasutiqarniq (Inuktitut Language Week), each year. It’s just one of many ways the government is trying to encourage its population to learn about the language’s history and its importance to the community.

This year, Nunavut is celebrating its language from February 17 to 28, under the theme of: “Our Language Keeps Our Culture Strong”.

There are over 35,000 people who speak Inuktitut and over 28,000 who use it as the primary language in their home. Most of these people live in Nunavut, Nunavik (northern Quebec), Inuvialuit (N.W.T.) and Nunatsiavut (Labrador), but there are Inuktitut speakers in every province and territory in Canada.

So do you want to learn some Inuktitut?

Well, there is an app for that… seriously! Developed by Pinnguaq, a Nunavut-based company, Singuistics teaches Inuktitut though songs while showing you images of Inuit art. It also features traditional and original songs by Inuit musicians alongside illustrations by Nunavut’s best artists.

The app is available to download on the App Store, for iPhone and iPad. Pinnguaq Director Ryan Oliver says iPod and Mac versions of the app are coming soon.

“We’re hoping to have an Android and Windows App Store version of the App available by the end of 2014,” added Oliver. “By that time, we’re also hoping to have versions of Singuistics in 5 other Indigenous languages. We’re aiming to do Cree, Mi’kmaq, Ojibwe, Dene and Gwech’in versions of Singuistics this year.”

Oliver is also looking forward to the end of March, when Singuistics will feature four new songs, three of which are from an Iqaluit band named The Jerry Cans.

“It will provide a more contemporary look at how Inuktitut is being spoken and sung these days,” explained Oliver.

But there’s one thing an App can’t teach you: if you are looking for the Inuktitut word for “hello”… sorry, you won’t find one.

Inuit say hello with a smile.

This article was written by Geoff Ryan as part of our member journalism program. Geoff is the UNE’s national equity representative for persons with disabilities, president of Local X0150 and a resident of Nunavut for over 30 years.

2014/01/30

What happened to Africville?

A piece by Céline Ahodekon

I knew nothing about the black community of Africville until Ben René, the UNE communication officer, recently asked me to write an article on Africville. I was shocked to find out that not long ago, some very basic human rights were denied to the people of that community.

Now, close your eyes with me and imagine for a moment: the house you are living in right now is being bulldozed because someone decided that your living conditions do not meet their standards. And, to add insult to injury, your land is taken away from you.

How do you feel?

That’s exactly what happened to Halifax’s oldest and largest black community of Africville, which was established hundreds years ago.

Even though, the black community of Africville was left to suffer with no basic services, such as clean water, paved roads, and electricity, they managed well on their own – that is, until the Halifax city council declared the community a slum and dump trucks roared into Africville to evict its residents. The people of Africville were quite literally moved to their new homes on the back of dump trucks.¹

One man returned home from the hospital only to find out there was no home for him to return to.²

The community was destroyed. Ironically, some residents weren’t forcedly moved to a better area, but into “derelict housing or rented public housing.”³ Why was that? Shouldn’t governments always try to change things for the better?

In this case, the people of Africville went from bad living conditions to worse ones….

In my opinion, it doesn’t matter what people think or say; home is where your memories are. Africville was home for these people. Yes, it might have been one of the worst slums in the country, but was still home to its residents.

As one former resident put it: “We lost more than a roof over our heads: the black community of Africville lost their happiness, their culture, their identity and, therefore, their soul”.⁴

“Africville didn’t have an organization to fight for Africville people,” said one the participants in a documentary.⁵ Again, brothers and sisters, this episode reminds me that to win a fight, we need to stand together to show that injury to one is injury to all.

Together we are strong!

What was the real reason behind the destruction of the black community of Africville in Halifax, NS and the relocation of its residents? We will never know for sure. However, many things have changed since then; the former site of Africville is now a park. The black community that was evicted, however, is still grappling with the impact of the homes they lost.

Brothers and Sisters, February is Black History Month; let’s take the opportunity to read and learn more about the history of black people in Canada, their stories and their achievements.

Céline Ahodekon is the Union of National Employees’ national equity representative for racially-visible people. She is also a chief steward for Local 20278, which represents members at Fort Langley National Historic Park and the Vancouver Parks office, in British Columbia.

At Fort Langley, Ahodekon says she’s often asked if she’s a historian, to which she laughs and replies, “I am a business woman, I got my degree in business administration with concentration in marketing-sales from Laval University. I can sell anything I believe in and trust.”

“I believe in protecting and presenting Canada’s rich and beautiful natural and cultural heritage for Canadians’ enjoyment, today and for the years to come.”

If you’d like to find out more about Africville, Sister Ahodekon suggests watching “Remember Africville,” a 35-minute film by Shelagh Mackenzie, which can be viewed on the National Film Board’s website. We also encourage you to consult the links in the footnotes.

[1] The Canadian Encyclopedia, Africville.
[2] Idem
[3] Idem
[4] CBC Digital Archives, Officials hail Africville relocation.
[5] Idem

2014/01/14

An update on member journalism

Did you know that over 55% of our articles quote one or more members? Or that many of our members have written entire articles for our website? It’s part of our commitment to sharing more members’ voices.

“We’ve really put a huge emphasis on treating our website like a news site,” explained National President Doug Marshall. “It means reaching out to members to get quotes – it means putting front-and-centre the very people who make our union strong.”

“It definitely makes the content a lot more engaging.”

The Union of National Employees wants to encourage more members to participate in our member journalism program. If you’re interested in writing about an event near you or about a personal experience, please pitch your story idea to us at communications@une-sen.org.

But those with writers’ block needn’t worry: we’ve really tailored the program to make it accessible to all.

“From Day 1, we recognized that not everyone feels comfortable writing – or has the time,” said Marshall. “That’s why we’ve always had the option for members to act as a source. It’s turned out to be the most popular method for members to contribute.”

Indeed, entire articles have been written from short telephone interviews. This method allows members to express themselves in their own words – and later, entire articles come to life thanks to theses members’ quotes.

To date, the website already features close to 400 news stories. If you’re interested in finding out more about our program, you can consult the original announcement article. To pitch a story idea, contact us at communications@une-sen.org.

2013/12/02

Let's talk about mental health

December 3 is the International Day of Disabled Persons. Since its proclamation in 1992, the Day has aimed to “promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.”

The United Nations adds that it’s also an opportunity to “increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.”

In recent years, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Union of National Employees have worked to de-stigmatize issues around mental health and equip our activists with tools to assist members with mental health issues. In fact, mental health was at the forefront of the PSAC’s 2013 National Health and Safety Conference, which bore the tagline “mental health in the workplace”.

While the union is trying to address this issue, I see no effort on the part of Treasury Board to equip managers and human resources specialists with similar tools. Too often, when faced with an employee coping with mental health issues, the employer predictably reacts by assessing their fitness to work – hoping, of course, that the employee will be found unfit to work. The employer is quite simply saying: if the employee is no longer in the workplace, then the problem is no longer their concern.

This attitude must change.

Persons with disabilities should have the right to work in an environment that accepts and recognizes them as equal. According to the United Nations:

“The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes in Article 27 the rights of persons with disabilities to work and employment on an equal basis with others. It stresses the right of persons with disabilities to earn a living from freely chosen work, and to work in an environment that is both accessible and accepting.”

Isn’t it time for Treasury Board to provide the right tools to managers and human resources specialists? It’s what’s needed to build work environments that are both accessible and accepting.

This article was written by Geoff Ryan, the Union of National Employees’ national equity representative for disabled persons, as part of our union’s member journalism program. If you’d like to find out more, click here – to pitch a story or for any questions, please send an email to communications@une-sen.org.

2013/11/19

Trans Day of Remembrance – Nov. 20

What is Trans Day of Remembrance? This is the day that we, in the trans community, set aside to remember and honour our dead: specifically, our dead brothers and sisters that have been killed because they are trans – killed because they dared to be themselves.

Killed because of intolerance and bigotry.

Killed because they did not fit into someone’s viewpoint of what makes a man or a woman.

They were of different races, of different religions, of different ages and from different countries around the world – and they died horrible deaths… beaten to death, shot, stabbed, beheaded, run over by cars….

We remember and honour them because it’s important to honour their bravery and conviction to live their lives honestly and to be the person they were meant to be.

And it’s important to remember them because, there but for happenstance, go we all.

In 2013 alone, there were a total of 238 cases where trans people were killed, according to Transgender Europe.

As trans people, we all know that this could happen to us – and we know that it’s up to us to continue to fight for the rights and protections that will make all of us safe. But it’s up to all of us to stand up and say, “No! This is not right!”

So please, on November 20, remember my fallen brothers and sisters. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Attend a Trans Day of Remembrance ceremony in your community, if you can. Above all, please support the efforts of all of those who are trying to advance the cause of getting trans rights enshrined in law, in all the countries around the world.

Let all of us help stop the killing.

To see a list of those persons being memorialized this year, go to www.transgenderdor.org

Kate Hart is the Union of National Employees’ national equity representative for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. This article was written as part of our union’s member journalism program. If you’d like to find out more, click here – to pitch a story or for any questions, please send an email to communications@une-sen.org.

2013/10/05

Conference news you can use!

The Human Rights Conference is well under way. Our members’ brains are overflowing with synaptic action from all the great presentations and discussions we’ve had so far.

You can download the newsletters by using the following links:

Issue 1
Issue 2

This newsletter was made possible by the tremendous work of UNE volunteers: Heather Pratt, Cate Watrous and Géraldine Fortin.

There are also tons more pictures on Flickr and great discussions happening on Twitter thanks to this hashtag: #UNE2013.

2013/09/10

Thanks to workforce adjustment…

You may remember an article we posted last year, entitled Surviving being declared surplus, about a member who had just been declared surplus for the third time.

That member was Connie Gress, and she was kind enough to follow-up with us one year later. Luckily, once again, she was able to find an indeterminate position within the federal government.

“Thanks to workforce adjustment, I actually got a better job,” wrote Gress, who now works for the coast guard in Victoria, British Columbia, after working for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada for almost 26 years.

For all its complex language and snakes-and-ladders-like flow-charts, the provisions of workforce adjustment are really there to protect employees. In many cases, they allow them up to a year to secure a new job or to transition to the job market, with training to make them a more viable candidate – a far cry from the 2-week notice period typical in the private sector.

Gress was able to choose between two job offers on the island. She said she considers herself lucky to have gotten the job at the coast guard.

“This was a big decision for me,” said Gress, “I left all my family and friends behind in Saskatchewan, which is the only place I had ever lived. But sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do.”

Gress also credits her take-charge attitude in landing herself this new job. While workforce adjustment provisions are there to protect employees, at first glance, the process looks downright complicated. It can be overwhelming, especially for someone who’s just been told they might lose their job.

Gress said she read everything about WFA that she could get her hands on.

“I took personal responsibility for understanding it all – and being able to make that decision with all the information.”