Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

We would like to draw your attention to the latest Campaign of the Canadian Federation of Students-BC. They have a website that is raising awareness of the growing debt load that students are undertaking just to get an education.

It has some good interactive exercises, such as a debt calculator, campaign facts and action suggestions, so please pass this along to anyone you know who has a student debt, or is still amassing their student debt.

The on-line petition makes some concrete demands on the BC Government. Any person can sign on to the petition, as long as you are concerned about student debt, tuition fees, and equal access to post-secondary education.

Take some action today!

Lobby groups with the Harper government’s ear are making much of the federal public service’s pension. They’re calling for cutbacks spreading misinformation and distortions to make their case for funding tax cuts and investment loopholes that would benefit their constituents.

We need to make sure Harper knows he’s in for a fight if he wants to pilfer our deferred wages or weaken our pension plan.

Take action to protect your pension:

• Sign our online petition calling for retirement security for all and to preserve federal public service pension plans.
• Follow us on Twitter: PSAC BC | PSAC National
• Join our Facebook Fan page: PSAC BC | PSAC National
• Forward this URL via email to co-workers, friends and family who share your concerns about federal public service pensions and retirement security.

Cheers to Paul Jones, BC Regional Council for these photos & report from the No Prorogue rally, January 23rd in Victoria

Here are some photos from the event here in Victoria that Virginia (Vaillancourt, also on the Regional Council) and I attended. We had amazing numbers and the anger and enthusiasm was a huge surprise. The theme that ran deep was that Canadians do care about what happens in their country and that the Afghan abuse scandal is weighing heavy around what Harper has done to avoid his governments accountability to parliament and the people of Canada. We are such spirited citizens of this country. Everyone should take the time to “care”. It is OUR country!

DATE: February 9, 2010 (Tues)
TIME: 5:30 P.M.
LOCATION: PSAC Boardroom
210-1497 Admirals Rd
Victoria, BC

AGENDA: To be announced.

Please forward any agenda items to the Chair, Virginia Vaillancourt at: uvaevictoria@shaw.ca

Please R.S.V.P as various snack food will be provided – email Rosemary at mackenr@psac.com
Note: the building door is locked by 5:30, so please if you can, arrive a few minutes earlier. Thanks.

The Education schedule has been updated with courses scheduled in Abbotsford and Prince Rupert!

Check out the entire schedule for the province and/or  apply for these courses online.

As the recent disaster in Haiti has shown, earthquakes leave a path of destruction and chaos in their wakes. Many populated areas of North America sit on high-risk earthquake zones and survival often hinges on being prepared. Share with your co-workers these 12 tips for earthquake preparedness at home:

1. Go through your house, imagining what would happen to each appliance, piece of furniture and section of the structure in case of a quake. Check chimneys, fireplaces and foundations. Note danger zones and items to be removed, repaired or secured.
2. Secure the hot water heater and other appliances so they will not move enough to break natural gas or electrical lines.
3. Rearrange rooms so beds and couches are away from windows, heavy pictures, mirrors and hanging planters.
4. Move items on shelves so heavy items are near the floor.
5. Secure tall furniture so it won’t topple over.
6. Keep flammable liquids and other hazardous materials such as pesticides outside the house, in a garage or shed.
7. Have regular quake drills with your family. Practice going to safer places in each room – under tables or against inside walls. Also point out the danger spots – near windows, hanging items such as mirrors or paintings, fireplaces and high furniture or shelves.
8. Establish a contact telephone number of a reliable relative or friend outside your state or province. If family members are separated by a disaster, they will call this telephone number when phone service is restored.
9. Place a flashlight at each bedside and throughout the house to help you find your way if the earthquake puts out the power.
10. Get in the habit of keeping a pair of shoes beside the bed. This will help you make your way to safety if there is broken glass and other debris.
11. Teach all responsible family members how to shut off the utilities in your home – natural gas, electricity and water.
12. Set up an emergency survival kit and store it someplace easy to find. A clean plastic garbage can with a tight-fitting lid is a good container for your emergency kit. It should include a three-day supply of bottled water, canned food, a can opener, a flashlight, a battery-powered radio with extra batteries, a first aid kit and manual, warm clothing, sturdy shoes, cash including coins, photos of family and friends, three days’ of prescription medicines and extra eyeglasses. Sanitation supplies and special items needed to care for infant, disabled or elderly family members should be included.

Here’s an interesting article relating to workplace bullying which was posted in the Toronto Star last November. The reporter is Janis Foord Kirk.

Getting stepped on at work

“She loved the work at first, ” a worried husband confides. “But now she drags herself in every day. A couple of people who’ve worked there for years seem to have it in for her. I can’t believe some of their antics. “Is this workplace bullying?” he asks. “And if it is, what can she do about it?”

Bullying is one of the fastest-growing complaints of workplace violence, according to the International Labour Office. It runs the gamut from extreme violence, even murder, to intimidation and snide remarks.

The psychological harassment of a co-worker tends to fall into the latter category. And when two or more people join forces to lie, gossip, criticize and socially isolate a specific employee, the ILO says, it’s called “mobbing” or “ganging up.”

Valerie Cade is a workplace bully expert based in Calgary who consults internationally on the issue. “It’s important to distinguish between workplace bullying and difficult behaviours, ” she cautions. “Bullying is deliberate, disrespectful, repeated malicious behaviour. Bullies really do know what they’re doing. This is the difference. A difficult person is just grouchy and steps on other boundaries in order to get their own needs met. But a bully will actually calculate how to embarrass and demean someone else.

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Collective bargaining between ARINC International of Canada and the Public Service Alliance of Canada resumed January 19 to 21, 2010.

The parties agreed and signed off on two (2) additional items (Arbitration and Call-back) bringing up to ten (10) the number of signed off items after four (4) negotiation sessions. There are over twenty (20) issues currently being dealt with where the parties have been holding discussions and exchanging proposals. The Union has approximately ten (10) issues left to present including Hours of Work, Vacation Leave, Insurance Plans, Pension, Duration and Wages.

The next session is tentatively booked for mid-March.

This new unit of approximately 20 members provide, amongst many other duties, technical support for computers and computer networks. They also operate a help-desk responding to customer calls at the Vancouver International Airport.

PSAC would like to express its solidarity with the people of Haiti following the devastating earthquake that struck at the heart of this nation on the afternoon of January 12, 2010.

• Donate online: CLC in collaboration with the Red Cross

PSAC calls on our members and allies to mobilize all efforts possible to provide assistance to the people of Haiti who have suffered a great loss of life, and the collapse of vital infrastructure and public services as the result of the earthquake.

There is an urgent and immediate need for disaster relief assistance, including clean water, food, shelter and medical assistance on the ground. PSAC Social Justice Fund has already channeled funds to provide emergency medical services in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Furthermore, the SJF is working with Public Services International and other unions and humanitarian relief organizations to ensure that the emergency aid provided today will contribute to long-term improvements, sustainable development and a better tomorrow for the Haitian people.

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The second negotiation session between Servisair and the Public Service Alliance of Canada was held on January 7 and 8, 2010.

After only two (2) full days and two (2) half days of negotiations, the employer announced they had been working earlier today on an application for conciliation. The employer stated they needed the help of a third party and wanted a push to get it done.

Your bargaining team was surprised by the employer’s decision. We had placed all our energies towards reaching an agreement but now understand why the employer was distracted from negotiations earlier today.

We had made daily progress until now. Many issues had been resolved in the few days the parties have met and progress was made on many other issues yesterday and today. Agreement in principle was reached on the following issues / clauses:

• Employee Representatives
• Suspension and Discipline
• Staffing Procedure / Job Posting
• Grievance Procedure

We now look forward to reaching a new collective agreement before the conclusion of the Vancouver Winter Olympics and Paralympics with the assistance of a third party.

This new PSAC unit of seventy-three (73) members provides fueling and fueling related services at the Vancouver International Airport. Their collective agreement expired October 31, 2009.

JUSTICE FOR OMAR KHADR
Vigil and Public Forum
Monday, January 11, 2010

By refusing to seek the repatriation of its national, Omar Khadr, from US custody in Guantanamo Bay, the Canadian government is betraying human rights principles and perpetuating injustice, while also failing to offer a remedy for its own participation in the violation of human rights.

On Monday, January 11 the public is invited to learn more about this case and why a broad range of civil liberties, human rights, social justice and legal organizations across Canada demand the repatriation of Omar Khadr.

The evening will begin with a brief vigil at Victory Park (West Pender and Hamilton) beginning at 5:45 pm, followed by a walk to SFU Harbour Centre, where a free public forum will get underway at 6:30 pm in the Segal Centre room.

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2010 Olympics – Is Your Employer Ready?

The following information is not meant to replace the discussions which should be taking place at your workplace regarding the Employer’s state of readiness. Specifically, how will employees be treated if they are unable to access their place of work due to the 2010 Olympics.

Most collective agreements covering PSAC members contain a provision similar, if not identical, to the following:

At its discretion, the employer may grant:

(a) leave with pay when circumstances not directly attributable to the employee prevent his or her reporting for duty; such leave shall not be unreasonably withheld;

The following principles outline what we have learned from arbitrators’ decisions on the many grievances on denial of “special leave”.

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The 2010 weekend course schedule for Vancouver and Vancouver Island has been posted in the education section. We are in the process of scheduling courses in the Valley, North BC and the Interior – check back or sign up for the monthy emailout to be notified when those schedules are available.

A few upcoming courses …

• Talking Union Basics – Jan 22, 23 in Victoria
• Talking Union Basics – Feb 6,7 in Vancouver
• Understanding & Interpreting the Collective Agreement – Feb 27 in Nanaimo
• *Bargaining From Strength – March 20,21 in Vancouver*
• Understanding and Interpreting the CA – April 10 in Vancouver
• Understanding & Interpreting the Collective Agreement – April 10 in Courtenay
• Grievance Handling – May 15, 16 in Vancouver DATE AMENDED
• Understanding & Interpreting the Collective Agreement – May 15 in Victoria

Visit the education page for the entire 2010 schedule and apply on-line here.  Here are the course descriptions.

*We are happy to offer the Bargaining from Strength course for the first time in BC!*

Want to get more information about the Collective Bargaining process and how it affects you? Wondering how it all works and how you can get more involved? Ever pondered the connections between bargaining and the larger political context? Understanding and being involved with the Collective Bargaining Process is essential for all union activists.

This 2 day course will provide an overview of the Collective Bargaining process and how it connects to broader global, economic and political context and more specifically to the union’s work on Political Action.

Next budget must stress good jobs – Georgetti says unemployment, low wages hurting younger workers

OTTAWA – When the federal government introduces a new budget in March, it must make the creation of good jobs a priority, says Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian Labour Congress.

Georgetti was commenting on the release by Statistics Canada of labour force figures for December 2009. The unemployment rate remains at 8.5% and 1.57 million Canadian men and women are out of work.“Workers have had a dismal year and we’re not out of the woods yet,” he says.

Georgetti says that both the number and quality of jobs available are big issues for workers. “The income of most Canadian workers has dropped in the past decade, even while corporate executives saw their pay outpace inflation by 70%. Too many other Canadians are surviving on poorly paid and part-time jobs. The middle class is taking a beating and we have to turn that around.”

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We recently shipped the second Balikbayan box to the Philippines and received this message from Kilusang para sa Pambansang Demokrasya (Movement for Nationalism and Democracy) – the Alliance that received our last box.

Dear Friends in PSAC BC and VDLC, Warm Greetings from the Philippines!

We are happy that another box from you is on its way here.

We appreciate these balikbayan boxes knowing that for each item to be gathered and placed inside a cardboard box that would travel hundreds of miles from there to here is the fruits of your effort to make real the concept of international solidarity — a mutually enriching relationship towards a greater good.

And that inspires us. Thank you.

DJ Janier, Popular Struggles Committee, Director

The deadline for applications to attend the PSAC Pride Conference, be held March 26 to 28, 2010 in Toronto is January 20th. For more information, and online application, visit the national website.