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Highlands Links

Nestled in the amazing Cape Breton Highlands National Park is a golf course; a golf course we collectively own as Canadians… for now.

The Harper government wants to put the Highlands Links golf course in the hands of a corporation. The Union of National Employees and the PSAC are fighting with all their might to keep this from happening.

This golf course, under the care of Parks Canada, is an important treasure that we must protect. Over the years, Parks Canada, with the help of hard-working public service employees, has taken great care to maintain the ecological integrity of the Highlands Links.

The golf course has also provided decent wages for hard-working Canadians in the local community. Like most public golf courses, it has also provided affordable access a sport that is notoriously expensive.

This is important to rookies, for whom the cost of private golf courses would practically bar them from strengthening their game – from pursuing their dreams.

Finally, for working-class Canadian families, public golf courses like the Highlands Links provide an affordable option for their hard-earned leisure time.

For some, there are golf courses owned by Donald Trump and the like. For the rest of us, there are public golf courses. We think that’s important. We think that’s worth fighting for.

Please sign our petition to keep the Highlands Links public.

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Honouring Our Heroes

Yesterday, hundreds gathered on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to honour police and peace officers across Canada. The Canadian Police and Peace Officers’ Annual Memorial Service pays tribute to the men and women of law enforcement who are killed in the line of duty.

It’s also an opportunity to thank to those who work so hard to keep us safe.

Among these inspirational men and women are park wardens, who are responsible for law enforcement in our national parks. They also happen to be members of the Union of National Employees.

This year, nine wardens were chosen to represent their comrades in Ottawa.

“It’s really important to recognize the important work of our law enforcement community,” said National Executive Vice-President Eddie Kennedy. Continue reading “Honouring Our Heroes”

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UNE Joins the National Day of Action

Last Saturday, union members across the country got together to have their message heard: we’re all affected by these cuts. Thousands of our members have had their jobs eliminated – with many more job cuts to come.

Doug Marshall, the national president of the Union of National Employees, attended the event in Ottawa, where he shared his thoughts on these massive cuts.

“The government says these are just back office jobs. Well first of all, the back office is very important. The people who have contact with Canadians, that’s where they get their support. We’re not only losing those support workers, but we are losing people who directly affect the lives of Canadians in a very immediate way,” said Marshall.

The UNE, Marshall said, is very concerned about the loss of a number of crucial jobs that could put members of the public at risk, including lifeguards at Tofino Beach in B.C., fire protection officers across the country, water inspectors who keep drinking water safe for First Nations people living on reserves – and those are just a few examples.

Events all across Canada

Meanwhile, in Winnipeg, PSAC members gathered at Memorial Park with PSAC President Robyn Benson. “The crowd was electrified by Robyn Benson’s speech,” said Chris Little-Gagné, the assistant vice-president of the UNE’s Manitoba region. “We had face-painting and juice for the kids – and the grownups wrote messages to Harper on a large banner.”

In an interview with Global Winnipeg, Benson touched on how these cuts are affecting morale in the public service.

“It is really disconcerting to be sitting at your desk day in and day out proudly serving Canadians and not knowing if tomorrow a [layoff] letter will show up on your desk,” said Benson.

A moment of solidarity

In Kitchener, Ontario, PSAC members rallied in Victoria Park. “In Kitchener, we have members from FedDev Ontario, Passport Canada and Parks Canada,” said Mary Anne Walker, assistant vice-president of the UNE’s Ontario region.

One affected member from Parks Canada gave an interview. Kathleen LeFaive told CTV Kitchener that she’s passionate about the work she does at Parks Canada.

“I didn’t work for money,” LeFaive told CTV. “I work in heritage because of the love history and the love of teaching.”

PSAC members in Kitchener were joined by public education teachers, who are standing up to the Ontario provincial government after the legislature passed a controversial anti-strike bill.

We have pictures of the rallies in Ottawa, Kitchener and Winnipeg. Got photos from your event? Send them to communications@une-sen.org.

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A gag order from the Harper government

Edith Bramwell, legal counsel for the Public Service Alliance of Canada, was recently interviewed by CBC Radio’s Carol Off. During the show, Bramwell spoke about a recent letter that Parks Canada sent to their employees about their duty of loyalty, calling it “something in the nature of a gag order.”

The letter, sent late last month, asks Parks Canada employees to refrain from public criticisms of the Government of Canada.

Bramwell says the letter gives the impression that any criticism of the government would violate the duty of loyalty. “That is a gross restraint on people’s political rights and their rights to freedom of expression,” she added.

The same sentiments were echoed by Eddie Kennedy, National Executive Vice-President of the UNE, in a recent interview with the CBC:

“If you’re in a coffee shop and you’re criticizing the Harper government and there’s someone sitting beside you and they know you work for a government department, technically you’re in violation of the code of ethics.”

Bramwell added that, given the current job cuts, some employees may fear that they could lose their job for speaking out. “That’s simply not appropriate. That’s simply not what the duty of loyalty is meant to say.”

The PSAC is currently working on a guide for members on the code of ethics and their right to speak out. We’ll let you know the minute it comes out! In the meantime, if you’re asked to take part in a media interview, please contact the UNE’s communications officer or your assigned labour relations officer.

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The Quebec regional seminar: a great success

UNE members from Quebec met in Chicoutimi last weekend to take part in a regional seminar. Among the participants were employees of Parks Canada, Statistical Survey Operations, Passport Canada Measurement Canada, the Translation Bureau and others.

Public service layoffs were a hot topic during the weekend. Participants were able to hear about how the cuts were affecting our members and the services that Canadians receive. Those whose workplaces have not been affected by workforce adjustment are nonetheless experiencing difficulties. “If someone retires, goes on extended sick leave or maternity leave, our employer isn’t filling those positions,” said one employee of Passport Canada.

Our members also took part in employer caucuses to discuss how the union can protect our members affected by workforce adjustment. Nathalie Bouchard, a young worker from Parks Local 10269, thought the discussions at her employer caucus were great for hashing out a plan of action. “We’re all on the same page now,” said Bouchard.

Participants also learned a lot about human rights, pensions and the union structure, among many other topics.

“It was a great seminar,” said Quebec Regional Vice-President Jean Pierre Naud. “I think that the communication between members was exceptional.”

Naud says the seminar was a great opportunity for our members to learn, network and share what’s been going on in their workplace. He was also quite pleased with the large participation by new activists and young workers.

We got a few pictures of the seminar on our Flickr page. Go check them out! For more information about regional seminars – or to find out when your regional seminar will be held – consult the events section of our website.

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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

 

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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