Union of Environment Workers Local 20147

Welcome to the new website for Local 20147. This site is part of an effort to improve communications within the local and provide information that is relevant and of interest to our members in a timely fashion.
With the Christmas and New Year’s festivities behind us, Local 20147 is into another new year. The Annual General Meeting was held February 12th where elections of Executive Officers took place. Tom Hopkins, Megan Adam, Perry Powers, and Stephen Stewart were elected into their positions for another two-year term. Also at the AGM, the membership voted for an increase in local dues of $1 per month to cover rising costs in member representation. This marks the first dues increase on a local level in over five years and was passed unanimously after a presentation by Treasurer, Frank Snelgrove.

All PSAC Bargaining Tables are back at the table this February after a brief hiatus due to challenges caused by Paul Martin’s December 12th changes to government. So far, our bargaining teams have made little progress with the Treasury Board negotiators and in the last couple of weeks have had to send a strong message that - “No, we will not accept rollbacks in benefits”. Solidarity actions supporting our negotiating teams have been happening across the country, and you will be hearing from your local Strike Co-ordinators shortly about what actions are being planned at DFO to support the bargaining process.Reports that PSAC Table negotiating teams are now bargaining with
representatives from Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) are false. Negotiations are still taking place with Treasury Board representatives. The federal government’s announcement in December that PWGSC would be responsible for negotiations also stated that this would happen sometime in the future after consultation with the unions. Any change will be reported in union bulletins.

At all Regional DFO worksites, our members continue to express concern over the financial situation and rumours of workforce adjustment, term layoffs, and site closures. It is clear that due to budget shortfalls there will be some changes in the Pacific Region, but Senior Management has not made any official announcements as to their decisions. At the last Regional Union Management Consultation Committee Meeting, the Acting RDG made a commitment to keeping information flowing to the union representatives, even if that meant calling special meetings once decisions are made. I will be working to ensure that we are kept in the information loop, and that our members receive the information they need as soon as it is provided to us.

If you feel you may be affected by Pacific Region budget cuts, you can find the Workforce Adjustment Guidelines as an appendix in your collective agreement, and information on the Treasury Board’s Term Policy is available at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/TB_856/tep-pep_e.asp. For questions or clarifications on these policies and how they are being applied in the region, please contact your Shop Steward or a Member of the Executive.
Your union reps continue to be busy with member representation at grievance hearings, OSH, RUMCC and UMCC meetings, throughout the region. In the past few years, local activity has increased dramatically as we have put more shop stewarts in place and as the executive has focused more on meeting members’ needs on a daily basis. We have also been making an attempt to get out to more worksites with a variety of meeting formats, thus engaging more members and have held meetings with members in Kamloops, Prince Rupert, Terrace, Nanaimo, Victoria and Vancouver in the past year. Our next General Meeting will be held in Kamloops in May.

We encourange members needing assistance to contact your union rep for help, and we are encouraging more of you to also get involved in your union local as a strike captain for your area, a local co-ordinator in your site, or a shop steward. Let us know what you can do for your local.