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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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Surviving being declared surplus

May 19, 2005 – Declared surplus (guaranteed reasonable job offer)
November 14, 2005 – Indeterminate Position found within own department
April 16, 2007 – Declared surplus (no guaranteed job offer)
July 27, 2007 – Indeterminate position found within own department –
February 21, 2011 – Declared surplus –  (guaranteed reasonable job offer)

March 8, 2012 – Still no indeterminate position (on assignment in underfill position within department)

If you think this is about more than one person, you couldn’t be more wrong. Let me introduce myself: my name is Connie Gress and I started working for the federal government — in particular, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada — in 1987.

In 1991, I became active within my Local and on the Regional Women’s Committees. In the early 90s, I also sat on a workforce adjustment committee for my department…. (Yes, job cuts in the federal government are nothing new.) And boy did I learn a lot! Who could have guessed that that information would come in handy for me later on?

In 2000, I advanced from a CR4 to a PM2 position and became a policy research officer in intergovernmental relations. I thought: “Wow! This is it. I am set now.”

I learned a lot and liked my job. Five years later, I was told that I was being declared surplus with a guaranteed job offer. Our unit was decimated: 15 positions became three. I was hardly alone. Continue reading “Surviving being declared surplus”

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Welcome, members of Local 71201

We’ve got exciting news!

The UNE is proud to welcome a new Local (and a whole new employer group!) under its wing. Local 71201 represents brothers and sisters working at the Rideau Carleton Raceway, a racetrack and slots facility in Ottawa.

At the Union of National Employees, we believe our diversity is what makes us stronger. That’s why we’re extremely happy that these gaming industry employees chose to join our membership.

This new Local is now part of the NCR-Separate Employers region. If you would like to find out more about Local 71201, they already have blog! Click here to check it out.

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Thanks, but no thanks

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As you may have read on the PSAC website, PSAC President Robyn Benson has invited us to boycott Public Service Week – and with good reason!

We’ve seen our brothers and sisters in tears after getting surplus letters. We’ve seen entire programs – programs that are important to Canadians – shut down. We’ve had our hard work called “redundant”.

I think we speak for most public service employees when we say: Thanks, but no thanks. We’re in no mood to celebrate!

This National Public Service Week, ditch the employer barbecue and join PSAC in protest of the government’s actions.

As a Local, there are many things you can do to take part in this event. Some events being organized include: solidarity gatherings, meetings, barbecues and letter-writing campaigns.

Be sure to check your regional PSAC website for more information on what’s happening in your region!

In Solidarity,

Doug Marshall
National President

pdf English poster
pdf French poster
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Solidarity with Quebec Students

Last night, in Ottawa, tons of UNE and PSAC members came to stand in solidarity with striking Quebec students. The strike movement began more than 100 days ago over rising tuition fees. It has grown dramatically ever since the provincial government attempted to quell the protests by adopting Bill 78. The new law, which imposes strict regulations on demonstrations and levies heavy fines for students, has only galvanized support for the movement.

Protesters gathered at Confederation Park in Ottawa’s downtown, where a number of activists spoke to the importance of the movement. Among the speakers was PSAC President Robyn Benson.

“The Public Service Alliance of Canada stands proudly in solidarity with the student movement in Quebec and speaks out strongly against Bill 78,” said Benson

The rally invaded the streets of Ottawa, winding through the heart of downtown Ottawa, made its way into the famous Byward Market before crossing the bridge into Gatineau, Quebec. A number of apartment and condo dwellers took to their balconies, waving red blankets and banging on pots and pans to show their support.

“A thousand people walking from one side of the river to the other, in solidarity with Quebec students, for me, it’s an inspiring demonstration of the power of our voices and of our joint action,” said Sophie Tremblay-Morissette, a UNE member and communications officer for the PSAC-NCR’s Young Workers Committee.

“Let’s do it every night if we have to!”

We caught tons of amazing pictures last night. Go to our Flickr page to see them.

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A loss of our heritage

UNE members, archivists and concerned citizens gathered at the Library and Archives Canada main building yesterday to mourn the loss of our documentary heritage.

“On behalf of over 68,000 academic staff from universities and colleges across Canada, we proudly join all of the archivists and allies who are gathering here in Ottawa today to mourn the loss of the National Archival Development Program,” said Angela Regnier, communications officer for the Canadian Association of University Teachers.

The National Archival Development Program is a grant program that helped support provincial, territorial and municipal archives. The program is being eliminated. According to the Canadian Historical Association, the program’s small annual budget of $ 1.7 million supported over 800 local archives during the past 26 years.

Regnier says the National Archival Program is just the latest victim of this government’s attacks on access to research, knowledge and cultural heritage.

The Canadian Association of University Teachers also condemned changes to Library and Archives Canada’s mandate and the loss of many knowledgeable employees. Last month, 235 of the 544 UNE members who work at Library and Archives in Ottawa received notices. The department says 105 positions will be eliminated.

What you can do:

  • Write a letter to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages James Moore and to Librarian and Archivist of Canada Dr. Daniel Caron. For key points to write about, click here.
  • Go to the Save Library and Archives Canada website and sign up for updates.

There are photos of the rally on our Flickr page!

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In memoriam – Laurel Gladu

The following was written by Kevin King, Regional Vice-President for the Alberta, NWT and Nunavut region and a friend of Laurel Gladu.

I wish to write on the sudden and unexpected passing of Sister Laurel Gladu, Assistant Regional Vice President of the Union of National Employees’ Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut region.

Laurel passed away on May 15th, 2012. She had just completed steering committee work for the upcoming UNE Health and Safety Conference in Montreal in October.

Laurel has been an activist within PSAC at her workplace of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada since the early 1980s. Her union involvement started as a steward in Inuvik (Local X0305), then in Yellowknife (Local X0304). In the late 1980s, Laurel moved to Edmonton where she became a continuous member of her Local Executive (Local 30067) until this early Spring.

Laurel was a well intended activist who worked hard – often with direct representation as a skilled chief shop steward. She worked tirelessly, with a wonderful dose of common sense, towards the steadfast advancement of women’s issues, the promotion of Aboriginal Peoples’ rights, and the raising of awareness of occupational health and safety matters.

Laurel was my confidante on the regional team of UNE. This region is an extremely difficult region to administer, but Laurel took on the labour issues, offering dignity and respect to members who worked in difficult workplaces, and, at times, with less than cooperative managers.

Her friends were many in the labour movement; her passing leaves a void among all activists within the Prairies and the PSAC Prairie Region of PSAC.

Regionally, Laurel was a Human Rights Representative for Equal Opportunities from 1990 to 1993. She was also Assistant Regional Vice-President at the UNE during from 2008 until just recently. Laurel also represented members at all but one triennial convention of the UNE since 1990.

Most importantly, Laurel was my friend.

She cherished the love of her family, her children and grandchildren, golfing and the memories of her favourite vacation destinations: Las Vegas and Myrtle Beach.

I am so deeply saddened by her passing, and cannot imagine the grief of her loved ones and friends.

Laurel’s family has shared the following information regarding her funeral service:

May 23, 2012
2 p.m. (Mountain Daylight Time)
Evergreen Memorial Gardens
Edmonton, Alberta

There will be a service to pay your respects to Laurel’s family at 1:30 p.m.

Sincerely and in solidarity,

Kevin King
Regional Vice-President
Union of National Employees, PSAC

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May is Asian Heritage Month

May is Asian Heritage Month. Let’s encourage everyone to learn more about this month and celebrate the contributions Asian-Canadians have made – and continue to make – to Canada!

As B.C. Minister of State for Multiculturalism John Yap recently wrote, the definition of Asian is fairly broad and inclusive. “Asian Heritage Month celebrates a long list of people who come from, or whose ancestors came from; East Asia – China, Hong Kong, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan; South Asia – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka; Central Asia – Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; and Southeast Asia – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam,” wrote Yap.

As a person who came from Brunei Darussalam, in Southeast Asia, and who is of Chinese ancestry, Asian Heritage Month is especially meaningful to me. I had a lot to learn when I first arrived in Canada; its vast geography, its people, its government, its education system and, of course, human rights.

On the other hand, my immigration to Canada has given others a chance to learn about the unique aspects of Southeast Asian and Chinese culture. Today, as Canadians, we appreciate our country’s rich Asian-Canadian diversity and its many different ethnicities, languages and traditions.

Finally, as an Asian British Columbian, I am pleased to share with you that on Monday, May 7, 2012 – after 70 years – the Province of British Columbia formally apologized to the Japanese-Canadian community for the internment of thousands of people during the Second World War. For more details, please refer to this article by the CBC.

Enjoy reading and have a great week.

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International Day Against Homophobia – May 17

I expect that we’ve all heard the story about the small town gay boy or lesbian who moves to the city in order to escape the constraints of small-minded bigotry. That was my life and homophobia was just a regular part of it – like eating, sleeping and walking the dog. Imagine living with a persistent fear of being discovered that lingered under the surface of every activity. No one knew my secret – except every boy in my high school who managed to sniff out my fear like hungry dogs.

In grade 10, the son of a rich business owner in my town held me in a headlock while he demanded that I tell him that I loved him. Several of his friends watched me confess my love. I’m not sure if the love was mutual. One of my friends was also there to witness the spectacle. Saying those words was humiliating because it exposed me for what I really was – a boy who loved other boys. There was also another guy in high school that called me “Klinger”; a reference to a character from the TV Show Mash who dressed in women’s clothes in order to get a psychiatric discharge.  He was a friend. I’ve never told him how much that name hurt me.  We’re no longer friends and I’ve never told him why.

After graduating from high school in 1985, I moved to Vancouver and never looked back. I was free to reinvent myself, but without the extravagant hand gestures and exuberant joy that made me who I was in high school. I lost a piece of myself because of homophobia.

I know that my story may seem a little dated, given that many kids are coming out in high school now. But this fear of gay and lesbian people persists in religion and within our governments and institutions. Many of our workplaces are safe, but some are not. I think there are still many people out there like my friend – the one whose nickname made me feel so unsafe and exposed. He didn’t know how to act or what to do when confronted with someone different.

We all need to make ourselves aware of what homophobia is and how it can be fought.  It can be brutal and it can also be subtle…  either way, it hurts.

– Rodney Hynes

Rodney Hynes is the National Equity Representative for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender People.

Homophobia comes in many forms. To find out more about the various ways it can manifest, follow this link to Fondation Émergence’s website.

Are you an Ally? The Canadian Labour Congress has a guide for allies that answers many questions about LGBT issues.

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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”