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. Welcome to the PSAC e-mail news for the period of June 2 - 20, 2003. Acrobat format
Eastern ConferenceThe Eastern Conference was held in Ottawa on May 24-25. Delegates were from the Atlantic region, Quebec, the National Capital Region and Ontario. In her speech, PSAC National President Nycole Turmel reminded delegates that the union must be very skilled during bargaining, because Treasury Board possesses very broad powers, including "the power to legislate, end strikes, impose collective agreements, and tighten up collective agreements that have already been signed and impose its will." The panel consisted of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers National President Deborah Bourque, Michelle Caron, union activist and University of Moncton law professor, and Annie Labaie of the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW). Following the presentation of the panelists, Roberto Miranda, a member of PSAC and a delegate at the regional conference, received a rousing standing ovation from delegates when he shared his international union solidarity experience that saved his life. Miranda was a union leader in Quezaltenango, Guatemala. His brother, also a union activist, was murdered by death squads. He went into hiding until a labour group from British Columbia helped him enter Canada. "Were it not for trade union solidarity, I would not be alive and talking to you here today," he said, urging delegates to ensure that the PSAC Social Justice Fund be a priority during negotiations. Western ConferenceIn Calgary, on May 31 and June 1, delegates from the Prairies, British Columbia and the North also had a meeting to prepare for the National Conference. National President Nycole Turmel reminded delegates that everyone will be sitting down with an employer whose mandate comes from one source only. "These employers have one thing in common. They all receive their funding and their mandate from one source: the federal government." Following workshop discussions on Saturday, they heard presentations on Sunday from two union activists: Bill Saunders of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers (CEP), and our own Luc Guevremont of the Union of Postal Communications Employees (UPCE). Bill Saunders is president of the Vancouver Labour Council. He believes collective bargaining is one of the best opportunities to put in place measures that will help build a stronger organization. Saunders feels that, through its Social Justice Fund, the PSAC will be positioned to play a major role in sharing its vast public sector expertise with unions and other organizations in developing countries. Luc Guevremont shared his experience during the last bargaining round with Canada Post. According to Guevremont, the key to their success, although expensive, was the meetings with groups of 10, 15 or 20 members, sometimes two or three times a day in the same location. To see the names of delegates elected at the Conferences, click here. Bill C-25: Democracy in Action??If you had any doubts about the Liberal government's desire to push Bill C-25 through the House of Commons and on to Royal Assent in record time, consider this: Bill C-25 passed Third Reading in the House of Commons at 3:45 p.m. on June 3rd and passed First Reading in the Senate on the same day. During Third Reading, Robert Lanctôt (Châteauguay, BQ) criticized the government's handling of the Bill, saying, "A structured and detailed approach should have been taken, if real changes were to be made, ones with real impact". Yvon Godin (Acadie-Bathurst, NDP) noted that the BQ and the NDP had together proposed 130 amendments to the Bill, only one of which was adopted. Pauline Picard (Drummond, BQ) said that the officials who turned down the amendments, which had been proposed by the PSAC "and by public servants", never provided any clarification or justification for doing so. Even Larry Bagnell (Yukon, Liberal) noted that the current staffing system provides more protection against favouritism than the one contained in Bill C-25. Mauril Bélanger (Ottawa-Vanier, Liberal) summed up the government's response this way: "That the question be now put." To read the entire C-25 debate on the Internet, go to the Parliament of Canada web site at www.parl.gc.ca and click on Chamber Business and then on Debates. . Build our union with PRIDEIn communities across the country and around the world, the concept of "gay pride" literally marches on each year in the form of an annual Gay Pride march. Pride activities commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots which occurred in New York City in June 1969. The Riots are a potent emblem of the gay community taking a stand against oppression and demanding full equality in every area of life. It was against this hostile background that the gay rights movement came into existence. The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) communities have come a long way in the struggle for recognition and equality since Stonewall, but there is still much to be done. In Canada, while our courts continue to rule positively in favour of enshrining GLBT rights in our communities, schools, workplaces and legal systems, most governments, with few exceptions, continue to stall on the implementation of these rulings. Trade unions, including the PSAC, have been fighting for the last two decades for the workplace rights of our GLBT members. As a result, no discrimination and anti-harassment clauses and policies, benefits which extend to same-sex partners, leave provisions such as birth, adoption or bereavement and the equivalent of marriage leave are included in our collective agreements. But many of our GLBT members, be they in the workplace or on the street, still live in fear and remain 'in the closet' because it would be unsafe for them to "come out" as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgender. Gay-bashing in Canada still exists and the results have been tragic. This must change and our union is taking a leadership role in changing this reality for many of our members. In addition to the workplace rights that the PSAC continues to advance, we also believe that a safe place for our GLBT members to strategize, learn, develop and become activists and leaders in our union is necessary. The coming cycle will see the PSAC hold its first-ever, fully-funded National Pride Conference. As a union, we know that an injury to one is an injury to all. It is our duty and responsibility to work with our labour and coalition partners to ensure that the human rights of GLBT workers and communities are respected and enshrined at every level of our society. . Bargaining UpdateOld Port of MontrealManagement maintains its lock-out against 300 PSAC members. These workers launched a 48-hour strike on Sunday, May 25, to protest against management's contemptuous attitude towards young workers. This dispute has to do with the manner in which young people entering the workforce are being treated in our society. Local President Mhaji Mouhssine says young workers must have access to wages and working conditions that reflect the respect given to youth in our society. St. John's AirportPSAC members went back to work at St. John's Airport on Thursday, June 5, after an 87-day strike. The 65 workers ratified a four-year contract that provides them with pay increases up to 25 %. For the workers, the victory came after a hard-fought battle against an Airport Authority with a strong anti-union bias. Hay River for PSAC Social Justice FundPSAC members at the Hay River Housing Authority (HRHA) became the first PSAC Local to set up a Social Justice Fund since the adoption of the Action Plan at the PSAC Convention in Montreal. On May 14, 2003, they reached a tentative agreement with the HRHA. The three-year contract will provide them with salary increases of 3% per year for three years and improved working conditions. CFIAThe PSAC CFIA bargaining team exchanged demands with the employer on May 27- 28. Other dates for negotiations were set for June 23-27, July 28-31 and August 11-15. PSAC negotiators are looking forward to a positive round and encourage all members to stay informed on the progress of negotiations through their local communication structures. B.C. CommissionairesPSAC members employed as prison guards by the British Columbia Corps of Commissionaires have ratified their first collective agreement. They are members of PSAC Local 05/20500 (Mainland). Negotiator Moe Ritchie described the negotiations as a long and rancorous process that produced a workable agreement. Among other gains, the members now have an effective grievance system. . Aboriginal Solidarity Day June 21Aboriginal Solidarity Day was declared in 1982 by the Assembly of First Nations, then known as National Indian Brotherhood, as an assertion of the right of Aboriginal Peoples to control their lands and resources. Aboriginal, Inuit and Métis Peoples have made important contributions in the struggle for social justice, equality and workers' and human rights. Their particular struggle is in response to colonialism, domination and the policy of assimilation pursued by the Canadian government. The fight for access to employment, housing, education, health care and other basic social services continues on a daily basis for many Aboriginal People. According to the UN's Human Development Index, the social conditions facing Aboriginal Peoples in Canada ranks their quality of life in 63rd place among the nations of the world. On the other hand, the quality of life for the majority of Canadians is among the best in the world. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) joins Aboriginal, Inuit and Métis Peoples in their on-going struggle for these basic rights and supports our Aboriginal brothers and sisters in their fight for treaty rights and self-government. As part of its expression of solidarity, the PSAC has taken the following initiatives: 1) The establishment of and commitment of resources for the Aboriginal and Inuit Network, which will faciliate the advancement of Aboriginal and Inuit issues within the union, the workplace and the community. 2) An increase in funding of PSAC National Conferences, including doubling the current funding of the Unity Conference for Aboriginal Workers and Workers of Colour. 3) The adoption of a collective bargaining vision that is committed to membership involvement and representation with a goal that includes ensuring all members have workplaces that are barrier-free and without discrimination and harassment and that promote diversity through employment equity. 4) A commitment to supporting our Aboriginal Brothers and Sisters in their fight for treaty rights and self-government. The PSAC is encouraging its members to commemorate Aboriginal Solidarity Day by organizing an event, such as inviting Aboriginal union or community members to share in a discussion. Notify the PSAC's Programs Section of any activities you hold by calling (613) 560-4387 or by e-mail at lambas@psac.com . Canada's health care system:An Argentinean déjà vu That's the message Dora Martinez, representative of the Argentine Workers Central (CTA), delivered to PSAC on May 28, 2003. Martinez is a hospital worker in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and an elected official of the Union of State Employees affiliated to the CTA. She is on a tour of several cities to raise awareness on the dismantling of Argentina's public health care system and the possible effects of globalization on Canada's health care system. She explained that Argentina used to have a decent public health care system before two right-wing governments came in and destroyed it with policies that favoured the private sector and the race for profits. The same thing could happen in Canada soon, she said, because of globalization, U.S. influence and the under-funding of the Canadian public health care system. The Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) was used to destroy the last remnants of a network of hospitals that had served the Argentinean population very well for decades. Now Argentina, with a population of 34 million people, can count on only 33 hospitals, some of which are completely profit-oriented, while others are public and a few try to serve both the general population for free and a more privileged clientele for a fee. The public hospitals are not as well equipped as the private ones and are constantly struggling to survive on shrinking government subsidies. Martinez emphasized the need for solidarity in fighting globalization and its devastating consequences. In Argentina and neighbouring countries like Brazil, Uruguay and Venezuela, globalization is also destroying the remaining social programs. Martinez predicted that the same situation could soon prevail in Canada if Canadians do not unite in their efforts to protect their public health system. |
Delegates also heard presentations from a panel of speakers on
collective bargaining as a means to develop solidarity within
the labour movement.
The public health care system in Canada is heading towards the
same slow death that Argentina's health system experienced over
the last two decades.