The future.

As your Exec@Lg I would like to take a moment to wish you all a Happy New Year. This will be the last of our three year agreement and we will be actively looking for your advice on the next contract. As well elections will be ramping up.

I look forward to the new days of post JEQ work life. There already have been some hiccups, and I am sure there will be more. Contact the hall if you have any sort of concern. I know Roads and Water have been figuring out the new codes.

We are constantly in need of Job Stewards and if you are interested please consider it a New Years resolution for 2013.

See you all in 2013.

New Easier Domain

If you haven't noticed it yet. I changed the domain. If your in the mood for this blog you can also type in www.cityworker.ca and it will take you right here.

Keep coming back. If I can I will be changing the look a little bit. I am planning to use this space differently in the future.

New Treasurer

I would like to congratulate Richard Dalke our new Treasurer. He along with a handful of other hopefuls brought 175 members to the hall floor to vote.

We look forward to a quick transition as he will be required to take on the workload brother Ennis is leaving him. I look forward to hearing from our new treasurer in the one year term he has been elected to.

2012 Parties Done

Today was the last day of CUPE Local 37 parties for 2012. Yesterday we put on a great spread, and many members showed up. The children's party happened this afternoon and Santa was a big hit.

I always like being part of the social committee, but this year I have to say many of the committees are in need of a boost. We need members who are interested in seeing behind the scenes.

If you are interested, please come to the general meetings and when the time comes put your name forward.

The Average Joe

My Local is allowing me to try something new. We have a facebook account. If your interested, we will be trying to reach out our members through Joe. Search for Joe Cupe and add him as a friend.

Election December

In December 2012 a new Treasurer will be elected to finish out the term of our newly resigned brother Ennis. If you are interested the position and have the required amount of meetings in be at our December regular meeting and have a nominator.

Also JEQ information from the President is that Implementation of the new system will be in December.

There was no quorum last night. See ya all next month.

JEQ appeals are done.

The month of October and November were very busy for job evaluation. About 100 jobs were appealed. Which is about 1/3 of the jobs that were rated. Of the jobs appealed some went up some stayed the same and some even went down in their ratings. I am constrained with confidentiality so what I can tell you is slim.

I will go out on a limb and say is it is vital to any appeal that a person takes into account their typical day when filling out the template. Also keep in mind that the system of the past and the current one are very different to what is valued. Eventually there will be a shift in thinking on how work is going to be done in the city, as a labour force we will be affected.

Timelines are on track and because of this the process will be done by 2013. If you have any questions, please ask.

Apply for CLC Labour College

A College for Workers: A Legacy of Leadership

For 50 years the Labour College of Canada has been a catalyst for leadership in the labour and social justice movements in Canada. Today, it offers a four-week Intensive Program of post-secondary learning for active union members who want to enhance their leadership capacities.

Who Should Apply?
If you are committed to building a strengthened labour and broader social justice movement, this Intensive Program is for you.

If you think you need a better understanding of the forces that shape our lives, this Intensive Program is for you.

If you want to be part of an activist network, and develop research and strategic planning skills, this Intensive Program is for you.

If you are an activist with a demonstrated commitment to playing a leadership role in your union, this Intensive Program is for you.

For more information and to request an application form:
Telephone: 613-521-3400 Extension 555
E-mail: labourcollege@clc-ctc.ca
Web: www.labourcollege.ca

Application deadline: November 5, 2012
Apply today!

Labour College Report

What I learned from CLC-LC

Written by Scott Cush

Normally when finishing a school, I would be responsible to inform my local of what I learned at a school and what I can give back to my members. I would do this by writing a page on my blog and make sure to highlight it to the membership. This report is not going to be that kind of format. In this paper I will highlight the many major reasons that not only my local should be applying for the college but I hope that I can briefly illustrate the information that is covered at the college. We covered courses that deal with history, theory, research, leadership and touched on political context. When courses were not running, the isolated training center was a key arena in discussions over meals and winding down at the end of the day. In fact whether we realized it or not, every aspect of the college is designed to challenge our own thoughts, build friendships, craft new ideas and establish historically valid union theories.

Over the course of 4 weeks, spread out in May and September students from all over Canada had three courses a day each spanning two hours. In between the college, each student was responsible for developing a learning project (ILP) that they would present at the following session. In order to produce our ILP the first two weeks were very important in honing skills. We developed skills such as doing proper researching, understanding surveys, realizing learning techniques and acceptable writing styles. Each student had a ten page ILP to present summarized to 12 minutes in front of their peers.

The schedule of the college is rigorous, and full. Students will be reading for days ahead of the class as well as hours each night. On top of the readings, the college requires students to write many papers individually and develop projects in groups. In class each student is required to participate and absences are tolerated without cause. For good reason, a realistic estimate per student is about $12,000. Courses are taught in a fashion found in post secondary institutions. I found myself up at 5am preparing, eating at 7am and ready to learn by 8am. By 5:30pm supper was a precursor to writing papers, and reading for the next day. If I was in bed by midnight it was a miracle. The first two weeks were by far the longer of the two sessions, and by the end of May I knew I had to change my learning style or get lost in the dust.

The various experiences that each student brought to the college were just as important to the crafting of the daily content. For instance the CEP-CAW merger (The New Union) was an interesting conversation as we learned about union contractions throughout Canada and the world. We had students from both unions provide perspectives valid to both sides. In our 4 week course “Theory and Practice of Unions” we relied heavily on historically relevant unions and active role play on where unions have placed themselves in society as a whole. It was here that I soaked up the higher level discussions on the model of a union. It was here that I realized the incredible structural differences between our current unions today. By the end of the course, I was able to understand the importance of unions and how they interact with governments, social bodies, union members, and the unrepresented or even unemployed. Theoretical ideas on unions and the practice of the union are fascinating to me. I found myself falling asleep in my bed reading case after case study.

When we discussed the history of Labour in Canada I was wide awake. Unions have developed over time to allow workers the ability to control their commodity, namely their Labour. This was done in various ways, each time growing with the needs of the workforce. With the advancement of Globalization, the Labour movement must continue to connect with other labourers if they are to combat the downward force on the Labour market. It was incredible to my own understanding of my own Economics as I began to understand what long term issues globalizations creates to individual country finances and wages.

Our “Changing Society” course I learned how far unions have come. In this course we covered many periods in history where the defined roles of genders, classes, and countries have been changing over time. Politics and economics have been involved and interconnected with the push back of society and Labour movements. I was able to concretely point at moments in history where unions and societies have come together against an ideal and helped reshape class structure. It seems however that with every step forward, there is always a force pushing back. We focused on women in society and how women were seen by society.

In the morning of each day we spent time in a course titled “Re-imagining Leadership”. The course was challenging to understand. Spanning the entire 4 weeks, we learned about how people learn, how people control, different styles of leadership, theories in development, macro/micro considerations, and so much more. In the first two weeks, most of the course was an exercise in building the students trust levels with each other and understanding themselves. Finding out about each other through activities and using those activities to translate neo-liberalism. One of the more memorable activities was a closer look at the game “Monopoly”. Most all of my friends and family have played this game, but in very real ways this game in the simplest form a representation of where neo-liberalism and capitalism are taking society. The concept of the game sounds odd to just say that, because I can’t cover the content and context in which this game was used in our activity. All I can say is that history and theory of where we are going is not so great for the Labour movement.

At the end of week one I found myself contemplating this statement of the union’s purpose, “The elimination of competition among workers”. Take a moment and think about that phrase. Where are we as union in comparison? At the time I found myself in a situation whereby I both agreed and disagreed simultaneously. For the rest of the college, it would be in the back of my mind as I hope it stays with you. In many ways our purpose as a union and how we define this statement will shape our own lives and the lives around us.

At the end of the first two weeks, we went home to our lives, to think about our ILP’s as well as a new frame of mind. If anything the college provides an interesting ability to centre oneself on the bigger picture. This is understandable since the premise behind the school is built on a larger idea. The CLC umbrella is a body that combines many unions of different origins, and directions. I went home with a new group of colleagues and a better foundation for why I believe what I do and why other believes what they do. Seeing both sides of the argument is crucial to understanding the path in which each is following. Their moment of intersection is crucial in realizing how each side markets those structures.

Out of the second session, two classes were continued from the first few weeks. While the third and fourth week was filled with courses, we were past the half way mark and for the most part we were now responsible for presenting our ILP’s in our Labour Research course as well as moving from theory to practice in Re-Imagining Leadership. In Union Theory and Practice we spent time in the practice portion of why unions do what they do. It was great in both classes to come back and show what we all accomplished as well as discuss why unions act the way they do.

My ILP was on the development of a union application for users with mobile devices/phones. I felt as if in this contraction in union development we as a movement need to develop a better means for reconnection the movement. From a perspective of the CLC I chose to include the entire union movement in Canada. My premise was that social medial is connecting movements and driving change yet unions are stepping back weighing the benefits with the negative legal issues of protecting workers from corporate policies that prohibit negative comments about the corporation.

My argument is simple, people have mobile devices, they are spread out over large areas, and thanks to previous union advancements many workers are oblivious to the next steps in the labour movement. To connect members with all unions we need to make the message come to the members. The app I described would be able to meet the information needs of the members and reconnect the leadership throughout the country. Imagine knowing why or when a union is going on strike? Knowing the gains in collective agreements or who makes up the new executive of a sister local. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to vote on your phone for the next executive or on an upcoming motion?

I was excited about presenting my ILP but I also know that my idea had a long way to go. Development, debugging, and buy-in were major roadblocks. Even legal issues about inter-union information became evident. The general feel from the crowd was that they were interested in the idea. The app would start off the idea of supporting educational programs first and then growing later. I always knew that the app would have to start off small and expand with development. Education was a huge part of my drive for this app. We our educating on such a small scale, by creating educational tools on a mobile scale we can bring the Labour movement up to speed on the issues that currently affect us. Needless to say I was very happy with what discussions came from the ILP and hope that it continues in the future.

The Theory and Practice of unionism was fascinating to me. I was acclimatized to the CUPE internal system and with so many other unions being discussed the outcomes had many factors to consider. We talked about the politics of decision making, the expectations on the reciprocity of political partnerships and how they can fail as well as suceed. We spent most every class talking about case studies some which were very personal to members in the room. It was important to talk about what the practice was and the theory behind it all.

Canadian Political Economy was humbling from an Albertan perspective. I was not aware how economically tied the east and west are. When the dollar is strong the manufacturing sector suffers because the NAFTA agreement favors labour when it is cheaper across the border. The same is true on the opposite end. When the dollar is strong the oil development increases, but automobile jobs are stressed and their work slows.

Even the historical significance of how we colonized native peoples to how we continue to attack French speaking Quebec cultures. Protecting ones culture only seems vitally important when the majority are concerned. Yet as a people in a multicultural country we seem to all forget that at some point in Canadian history it was our ancestors that held the minority title. It is our diversity that makes Canada so strong. I now don’t rush to condemn those who are trying so desperately to protect their own identity, instead I realize that it is their individuality and culture that will one day make up the fabric of our Canadian culture. Their struggle which bleeds into the political and social arena almost always becomes misunderstood.

The school was very good about showing all sides of the argument. In the end the union movement is about protecting people from unfair business practices. Unionism can be looked at on a micro or macro scale. In either end the goal is the same, to eliminate competition amongst the workforce. Once I, a union member realized this I began to truly believes in that struggle. Everything else started to make sense for me. I understood the final goals, the aspirations of the labour movement. I was able to separate union values for personal advancement.

As a city worker I had a closed view on how unions work. My job protected by taxation, backed up by years of trusted public service delivery, and the fortune of being situated in an oil rich province made me see with tunnel vision of the seeming stability of my job. The perception of my stability really depends on how deep I want to look. For example, the Federal government is at this point attempting to pass CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) which from the information I have been presented with will open the doors of currently publicly owned infrastructure to international corporations that wish to provide those services privately. Now I am no expert on CETA but if this statement is true in any fashion, the stability of my job could be in jeopardy if this agreement sees the light of day.

Closer to home, there is a constant move presently to eliminate the defined benefit pension plan for the everyday worker. The fear instilled is that the system is too costly to continue and if we don’t move to a defined contributions plan the economics of retirement will all fail. Funny how this is true when everyday Canadians have access to this type of pension, but CEO’s who contractually prefer these methods make this pension sustainable. The end game is about quality of life issues and for Canadians this issue will either be in their hands or the hands of other services. An aging society converns everyone in the end.

The hardest part of this school was the understanding that with the massive amounts of information out there, our members are actually fighting to let go of their labour rights. People want to see the work, but they fail to see the system for what it is. Capitalism is essentially an exercise of competition. Pitting people against each other in the hopes of every dollar and savings to the investor will be had. In this market it is part of the game, globalization at this stage only acts to divide the labour force. Without unions, Labour would be further picked apart.

That was a key component to labour college. To be able to understand why people argue the way they do and what it means to follow these economically charged issues. For some of these issues there is no middle ground to be had, while other issues would require both sides to radically think differently about their ideologies. Thinking bigger picture in the union world might mean even looking beyond where unions have come and taking a chance that unions may need to be so much more different then they have become today. Labour college is in every way a seed implanted in the students minds, given food to grow for the future.

Allow me this commonly used idiom. Labour College for me was about seeing the forest for the trees. For many of us, we are bombarded by information that without context or foundation becomes irrelevant to our daily lives. The Labour College is collection of history that provides a foundation for why unions are relevant and how we are constantly battling issues that can sometimes affect our own lifestyles. A truth for me was that I am part of a union that is both striving for a better system that protects labour and sits at the very table for which the change is required. We are involved in capitalism and our members are relying on the protection of that system at the same time they rely on fighting for a more equitable one. You can’t change the system if you’re not part of the process. The union appears to be at the table, but the truth is with globalization, that table is getting really big, and protecting Labour has become less about physical borders and more about social community. From a local that sits in an oil rich economy, I can sometimes forget that the capitalistic system I live in is leaving massive amounts of people behind.

I would like to suggest that my journey to Labour College was just as important as the school itself. The school is made up of a lot of history and reflection on how that history formed the current union format. The amount of information that I filtered through was both worrisome and encouraging. Unions have shared in some pretty huge struggles that have changed labour for the better. Unions have also suffered losses through the history of their existence. Unions have changed and adapted and unfortunately the union movement is suffering a contraction right now. CUPE is a large union, but we have not been immune to the loss. Being aware of this contraction was a little upsetting, but by understanding history I know great things come from these types of struggles.

Obviously thanking this membership is something I will do for years to come. In the end of all of the theory comes the actual practice of unionism. I hope that I can produce for our union and affiliates huge returns on your investment in me. I am one of only a few in a sea of National unions that was given the opportunity of Labour College and I can only hope if you are interested you to will have the opportunity to go. If you are interested please take the opportunity to visit the Canadian Labour Congress (http://www.canadianlabour.ca/labour-education/labour-college-canada). The school is challenging, rewarding, and very valuable. Interested applicants will need to fundraise and apply for available scholarships. From my personal experience it is everything I could have asked for and more. The days were long, the people were great and the experience will be with me for a life time. It’s is akin to a week of Labour Law multiplied by six other courses, and 40 hours of research for your ILP.  

JEQ Appeal Deadline October 9th.

I want to talk to you today about appeals of the JEQ. The deadline is coming quick and if your job is going to be appealed, you need to know some information.

If your job title is going to be appealed submit an appeal to the union hall. If you need help call the hall and they will help you with the forms. Once filed the job title needs 50% plus 1 to move forward of those who were identified in their most hours worked as of 2011. In order to achieve this, once an appeal is filed those identified need to be made aware of the pending appeal. Those people need to decide whether they are with the decision or not. If they do agree they must sign the appeal which will be held at the hall.

Before you sign, realize that the job will be subject to both a positive and negative outcome. Appeals will open all of the factors for review. I don’t want to scare you but if you believe that your current banding is protected, it doesn't.

Also the appeal is on what is written currently in the JEQ. Adding new information about how the job has changed since 2012 or earlier will not be considered. A new JEQ will need to be filed after implementation.

Confused about what would be new information? If you have questions, call the union hall or Cheryl Biggs. You may be surprised to find that your appeal is based on the wrong criteria. Don’t worry, after implementation the maintenance procedure which will continue until the process is revised again will be in place for anyone to access.

Now don’t put off doing your appeal. It takes time to file and to inform the others who may be part of the appeal. If you don’t file this week, your chances of beating the deadline are slim depending on how many people are under the job title. As of this post you have until October 1^st to come to the hall and the official deadline is October 9^th (Keep in mind the time line.)

My advice is to take a moment and consider the appeal, then if you want to go forward, don’t doddle. File the appeal this week. Otherwise if the job has changed significantly write a new JEQ, get your supervisor to approve it and then file in the maintenance section after implementation in 2013. The earlier the better.

Week 4 Begins and Ends

Second stage of Labour College.

I have a paper due tomorrow and my ILP will be presented tomorrow which means I don't have much to write. The second week is proving to be just as exciting as the last two. I am looking forward to the very full days ahead.

Officially we start every day at 7am with breakfast and by Lunch we are through 4 hours of classes. Our afternoon finishes off with 2 hours either early or just before supper at 5:15pm. The truth is I don't get to bed until midnight and I am up by 6am every day. It's a long worth while day mostly because the people are at such a high level of involvement with their unions and we are all excited and ready to take on the day.

I am in the midst of my 600 word essay and by the end of the night (I estimate 1:30am) I will be finishing the final touches on my ILP. I had planned a 20 minute presentation on mobile applications and how the CLC would be the perfect group to administer such an app to all the unions, but I have to cut 8 minutes off... I'll be fine.

I will try to keep you updated.

Labour College Survey

I am going to be a little selfish today. I have a project due in a couple of weeks and I am in need of survey responses.

If you could take 3 minutes out of your day and fill out this survey it would help with my Labour College project. I am trying to see if the labour movement is in need of a technological reboot. Where the union movement regroups and coordinates on a much larger scale.

Please go here. Labour College Survey Site

Thank you, and enjoy the summer.

This week, many of the Local 37 members who have been waiting four years to ratify the JEQ (Job Evaluation Questionnaire) will be given that opportunity. Being that I am on the Joint Job Evaluation Team I too am very glad to see this process come closer to conclusion.

Many people are not as excited as I am. Most commonly I have heard criticism surrounding what information that will not be shared at this ratification meeting. I am talking about the money. Financial gains or freezes will hit those working the jobs. It’s very easy to understand that what matters most to our members is the financial aspect of the JEQ over and above the procedure associated with job evaluation. I get it and I empathize because I too will be affected. In the bigger picture my bias is for a clear ratification of this piece of the JEQ. I should share why and if you can relate, I would urge you to vote in favour as well.

As much as I want to know how much I am going to make, it is the wrong reason to be voting for this stage in the process. What I am voting for right now is how the LOU will be applied to the collective agreement. After that everything else is just speculation and personal privilege. 

The resulting JEQ will in the long run will simplify and bring to the present a model by which to rate and rank jobs in our Local. By reducing the current pay bands we will start a return to a more seniority run structure where people are protected rather than a system where seniority is being stripped away for specialized work within the corporation. We will be able to stop a large misappropriate means of pay inequity between each member and have people all across departments being paid the same amount for the same or very similar work.

Keep in mind that the PAQ system has been in place for 30+ years. 30 Years ago computers were not even close to what we use them for today. Our tasks have been added upon and duties more commonly done by foreman are now being done in the field. The lines have been blurring and the PAQ system doesn’t value those changes.

For some voting no is an easy way to just stick it to the City. For others voting no is a protest for the information that is not being shared with the members. For others this is about retiring with their best 5 years. It could mean the difference between keeping a relief posting or giving it up entirely. The reasons for ratifying the JEQ are far from just the facts of the process. When peoples lives are involved, their situation muddies the waters. Clearly this process reaches further than just the JE process but in the end all that we are officially deciding is whether or not the system is better off with the JEQ as it was developed or if we are content with returning to the older out of date PAQ.

I am not a fan of the older system. From where I sit, the system as it is defined right now divides our members to such a degree we are fighting ourselves over pennies. Instead we should be working together on making this work place a better place and allow our own seniority to dictate where we are needed in the corporation. I have had to accept that HR will not divulge certain information like wages and band information, but to me the process is far larger than how it will affect me personally, it will help our members so many times more in the future so much more than it will affect me. At the very worst I will be red circled, and I will loose out on my next 3% raise and maybe a few collectively bargained raises in the future. From the data I have been given that works out to just over 300 members being red circled till January 2013 and under 50 members still being frozen after that.

I'm a numbers guy though, and in the beginning we were using a model of up to 33% red circling. To hear that the number is more like 8% till 2013 and less than 2% afterwards is unbelievable.It says to me that our members have been undervalued for many years, and finally they will get a little more in an economy that is used to barely meeting inflation when it comes to wages.

Keep in mind the numbers are not a reason that you should ratify this LOU. As a member you should look at how it will affect your future collective agreements and most importantly how your job is deemed valuable within the Corporation.

Thanks for your time, and make sure you attend one of the final ratification meetings.

JEQ LOU Ratification

Straight from the most recent email. This is the ratification schedule. Please pick one, make sure you go to the meeting, and cast a vote. Just a note, these are the open to anyone sessions. There are a few that are not listed because they are full.

The dates, locations and times for the information sessions are as follows:

July 17	Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment Plant  Administration Building - Boardroom 4302 15 Street SE	8:30 am End at 10:00 am
July 18	Waste and Recycling District 1 – Residential Collection / Spyhill Landfill Coffee Room 11308 69 Street NW	6:30 am 8:00 am End at 9:30 am
July 18	Spring Gardens Traffic (Sign Shop) Boardroom – Building G 840 32 Avenue NW	5:00 pm 7:00 pm 9:00 pm
July 19	Roads – Central Manchester - Building F (near the back of the building) 651 25 Avenue SE	6:30 am End at 8:00 am
July 19	Water Centre Bow River Conference Rooms 1 & 2 625 25 Avenue SE	8:15 am End at 9:45 am
July 19	Fleet Services Manchester Fleet Auditorium – Building R 651 25 Avenue SE	10:30 am End at 12:00
July 19	Glenmore Water Treatment Plant Training Boardroom 1668 56 Avenue SW	12:30 pm End at 2:00 pm
July 19	Waste and Recycling District 3 – Residential Collection / Shepard Landfill Coffee Room 6655 114 Avenue SE	3:00 pm
July 19	Southland Leisure Centre Cedarbrae Room 2000 Southland Drive SW	6:00 pm 7:30 pm
July 20	Water Centre Bow River Conference Rooms 1 & 2 625 25th Avenue SE	6:00 am 8:00 am 10:00 am

Follow the Money

Came across this today. Thought I would share it with you the Local member. Just to be clear, I'm not Liberal, but this message is an interesting one about what we think and what is happening. I may just buy the book.

Important Meeting

Because it is summer, Regular General Meetings will not be held in July and August. However on July 17^th there is a special called meeting on a notice of motion on the removal of the dues you and I pay on overtime and other items to the hall. Because it is a special called meeting, all that will be discussed is the union dues and how they are currently being applied to things like overtime. The motion is a lot bigger than I am presenting it. There is a feeling out there by some of the members that union dues deducted on things like overtime is too drastic. As an executive member, I would share with you my views on the subject. I know your gut reaction is to vote against paying union dues on overtime, but take a few long slow deep breaths and allow me to explain my perspective on the issue.

At this moment you pay 1.65% of your income in dues. 0.85% goes directly to the National body, which pays for services like our full time national rep, research, the national strike fund, and committee projects that defend programs like your defined benefit pension plan. The other half allows the union hall to function. It allows us to represent member when they are in trouble without the pressure of financial restraints. The funds are important, and we as union members have benefited from the years of collective bargaining agreements that CUPE has negotiated for us. One of those negotiations was overtime at 2X normal wage. Labour Standards sets the minimum at 1.5X normal wage. What we are talking about is roughly a $1/hr (@ $50/hr when an employee is working overtime) goes to the union hall. It’s very small in the bigger picture for employees,but what it means is very big for the union hall.

As an employee you may not know that your union dues are tax deductible. This for me is a good reason to give to the hall. It means money that goes to bettering us as a union will in part come back to me instead of going to taxes. I buy RRSP’s and give to charities, but the automatic dues deduction on my wages help my bottom line during tax season. I see the dividends down the road. It’s like giving to my pension. The forced deductions were hard at first, but after seeing what many years of investing in a collective body can do, I understood the importance of the deduction. The argument is a simple one for me because I have been part of the inner workings of the union hall and I know what 1.65% of my wages and yours allows us to do during the year. When our contract comes up for renegotiation your dues make sure the bargain committee is educated, and members are given to access to schools and processes that help us grow in the movement.

One thing we need to remember where ever we work in the City is that overtime is not mandatory (most of the time) and it is not guaranteed (For most of us). As a collective giving dues on our overtime, is a way of paying it forward to a body that represents us on issues work related and beyond.

Keep in mind that I haven’t input the taxes, and other deductions. If I was to have worked 40 hours of overtime at my current rate (@$29.91/hr) I would have $2392.80 (before taxes/deductions) and would have paid $39.48 in dues. Without the union I would have made $1794.60 and paid no dues. The difference before taxes is $598. I think that I can afford to give $39.48 for my extra $550. But I’m just one guy and one vote.

To me the dues I save don’t make much sense in my pocket. Now I know this argument is weak because at the moment I am an executive member and our union officers are not about to say to the City “We want to just return to the labour standard.” but as a union member, you have to take the time to realize that your collective bargaining agreement is filled with clauses that make your life better than what it would be as an individual worker. I’ll get off my pedestal but we as a labour force need to realize there is a bigger picture issue at work here. Greed is a part of all of us, but in order to advance as a whole we must stop arguing about the penny and a half we pay per dollar that goes to the union. Because that penny and a half has helped our overall quality of life.

The long and the short of it is I am against the notice of motion and I hope that after what you have read you are too. Either way democracy is going to take place July 17^th, 2012 at 7pm in the hall. Please attend this July meeting as it is very important to what you as a member might visualize where your union local is headed.

Green Shield is Here, Stampede Breakfasts

First off let me just congratulate all you new green shieldmembers. If you haven’t received your card in the mail phone up Green Shield. They are officially our service provider. Between now and the middle of July you can be entered into a draw for one of the two iPads! Which means you have a one in a couple thousands chances to win. It will take about a year to figure out if the move from blue to green was worth it. Make sure you voice your pleasure (or displeasure). MEBAC representatives have ensured us that they have been told this process will be as painless as possible but these next dozen months could be a potentially stiff transition (pun intended).  I am ready to submit my first contact prescription,so fingers crossed.

Stampede breakfasts will abound this year as the 100 year anniversary is days away. The union hall will be having a late breakfast from 9am – 12pm onSaturday July 7^th, 2012. We would love to see you there if you have the time come down and enjoy some food at the union hall.

From Blue to Green

For many of us we share a common bond, our benefits. This year our benefit provider will be changed from Blue Cross to Green Shield. This is a big deal. Our local has been assured that this process will be as smooth as possible. In order to properly ask the members of MEBAC formal questions, I am asking you for your support.

On June 20, 2012 at 5pm in Fort Calgary we need 150 people to show up to the meeting. Quorum my colleges is important for the Annual General Meeting. Lets make an evening of this. At 5pm the meeting starts and 7pm the Job Steward Meeting begins at the hall. If we provide 30 members, the other partners in MEBAC can pick up the remainder. You will need your city ID.

Lets make sure that all questions are covered while we make the move from BLUE to GREEN.

Western Canadian Municipal Workers Conference

May 24 - 26

After getting back from Labour College I was fortunate enough to be sent to the WCMW conference in Edmonton, Alberta at the Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel. I have had the fortune of going to the conference in Winnipeg last year. The conference back then allowed us to run into the president of the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and their dealings with the JEQ. It stemmed another meeting where we learned some of the tricks of their evaluation procedure. It seems that the city of Kelowna is also dealing with their JEQ process. In their case the city has decided to not go through with the three year process that they themselves signed off on. I will be asking further questions tomorrow, but I find it interesting that of the two outside municipal jurisdictions that have recently finalized their JEQ process, some major issues have surfaced in a negative light. My hope is that we don't repeat those issues with our members.

An interesting side was a report from the workers of the University of Vancouver. They have been up against a board that seems to be able to dictate 0% increases. Basically people are making less when inflation goes up and their job doesn't compensate for the increase. The city of Calgary once went though a few 0% increases. It was tough to hear about the struggles other municipalities are going through right now. Our coalitions have helped us fight back against management dividing the unions, perhaps it should be expanded to more municipalities.

The flow of this conference is very comfortable. We are filling gaps between speakers with municipal reports, listening to very interesting issues about CETA and how we should stay vigilant in keeping water public. BC has been successfully fighting back on P3's and it isn't just the left leaning politics driving the desire to keep water public. I guess people from all political walks realize that some things should not be in a for profit capitalist driven system. We did touch on water rights and how in Alberta water markets are developing. Being from Calgary, many of you know that we are preparing to sell Calgary water to surrounding areas in a more profitable manor. Being from Calgary, I am in the middle of the issue.

The National President and Treasurer have stopped in and the address was pleasantly candid. It seems that this conservative government is making the world of unemployment even more difficult for those who need to access the program. It's too bad the workers can't buy credit default swaps on their employer... the derivative markets would surely collapse if we could guarantee our livelihood like investors can. But I digress.

The CLC should triple the Labour College

For the last two weeks I have been attending a Labour College that is put on by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). The course material is massive and resembles the material the Labour Law course by CUPE week-long schools. It is a prerequisite in Alberta to take Labour Law before applying to the college and I now know why. The course attempts to prepare you for a higher level of thinking in the Union environment. If I knew just how much higher I would have brought a parachute.

Labour College is fast paced, and expects students to put as much forth as they possibly can. The days are long, the courses are advanced and the reading is unreal. It is worth every minute of it, and you get exactly what you put into the program. It was refreshing and exhausting all at the same time. The small size classes is my only complaint, but with the cost of the college I can see why the need for the concentrated classroom size.

I have been very critical with my Union local on the involvement  we continue to have with the CLC. The convention floor of the CLC is overwhelming in both it's size and complexity of the unions involved. It offers a strict trait style approach to it's handling of business. The many Unions all meet under one roof had so much potential to come together. It was a disappointment to me when it became apparent that the convention floor is a very well choreographed piece of theater. With so much politics on the floor, I was amazed to see anything accomplished. The college offers me a sense of solidarity on the issue of the importance of the CLC. An importance that I desperately needed to see.

Even though I have only completed 1/3 of the course, the style and manner of the school is above and beyond any educational I have ever been a part of. This could be due to the exclusivity of the process in getting into this school, the sheer cost of the program or the lead up before even attending. When I was preparing for the course I was sent a small pacakage with the course material we would be covering. The small package was a substantial amount of books, and coiled binders that was half of my weight allowance on the plane ride out there. In Toronto I was able to meet about half of my classmates as we went to Port Elgin.

My classmates who are involved are so open minded to challenging themselves and the others it is almost surreal. From the very start, the collective group was able to socialize respectfully. We aren't all in agreement, but we know that everyone attending has a little different look at the system we are part of and are willing to share that experience in order to grow. I have enjoyed that in other educational processes put on by CUPE but when other Unions are involved the difference is palpable.

The school is located in the CAW Family Education Centre in Port Elgin, Ontario. The campus is in my most sincere opinion resort quality. Condo rooms hold 1 to 3 students and are connected to a mirrored room by way of a double one person man-door. The rooms are ideal for sleeping, studying and unwinding. Complete with a mini fridge, television, living room, patio and study area. The dwelling is designed for short stay learning. My only complaint is the wired internet, for which I will remedy with a wireless router when I return in a month or so. The grounds are situated in a means that encourages walking and since the food is so rich, walking is the minimum we need to fit in our packed luggage.

I have subsequently returned home to my regular duties and I want to take a moment to tell you CUPE needs to send double or triple the amount of students. The course is just that good. Why is it good? The teachers are strong in their related fields, the material challenges you to your very core union beliefs, the pace is fast, and furious. In the end I came out with a different perspective going in. It is a shame that only only 31 could attend this term. The dedication level is quite unique to anything I have ever been a part of when it comes to the union environment.

For many people the thought of going to an educational for two weeks would be unheard of. For fourteen days I was asleep by one in the morning and waking up by five or six. There is so little time to benefit from the locations ammenities. I was engaged from the beginning to the end, and I want to go back for more.

Below I have included some of the videos I took while I was eating or had a spare moment. My next step is my ILP. I will be researching a proposal in bringing unions affiliated to the CLC even closer. I call it the "union app" because nothing yet exists out in the phone/tablet application world and I think it is high time we started in on that. I have a few months to prepare the project and hopefully I can put something worthy together by the time I go back in August.

Labour College is an absolute must for people looking in the movement to strengthen their resolve.

Flying by...

It's day 5 or 6... I think. The days are physically flowing together now. I wake up at 5am and go to be at 12:30am the next day. It is all worth it, every minute of it.

We are stretching our minds together. Whether we know it or not. The discussion here is unheard of. In many ways I miss the scholastic part of my old life. As a group we are talking at a higher level of Union discussion than I thought possible. My personal view of the CLC convention is 180 degrees different from my view on this college. It would be far more beneficial to the membership of all the Unions involved to spend a month in this course.

Let me give you an example. Years ago I spoke about how I discovered my National and Provincial Union. It was a kin to discovering a mansion starting in the cellar. If the National is the property. The CLC is the neighborhood. Although not all the Unions are represented at the college, those in attendance are able to provide a perspective that is challenging to my conventional thought. The CLC is doing a great job pointing out the obvious and oblivious in a way that forces you to come outside your box.

The history presented itself here is a record of how we not only repeat our past, but it provided context for our future if we continue on this path. I have been in search of a study group like this for quite some time, and now that I found it, I don't want to miss any of it.

I am missing out on one thing. Our group socializes in the off hours. The course work and preparation is proving to be more time consuming that I planned for. My ability to connect socially is suffering but I have a plan. I am going to let loose on our day off which is a little under 24 hours away.

Solidarity is a Pin - Day 3,4.

I found this picture on the wall of the CAW Learning Center. It is a commemorative pin on solidarity. If you look closely you will see CUPE on the left one from the top. I love to look at history like this at union associations. There is probably a whole lot of back story to this picture and I guess a few missing.

Today we dove right into the classes, I have enough readings and assignments to keep me busy all day. I am loving the conversations that are circulating. This is a really good group of people, and I am starting to settle into the routine.

Admittedly I am a little frazzled. My condo neighbor was nice enough to return my binder I left on the patio. If they hadn't done this I would have had some expensive paper mulch since it rained most of the night.

When I received the package I saw a lot of books. Now that I am here I see a lot of history and examples of how unions got to where they are now. It is kind of scary when I look at unions throughout history. Mostly because they are gone now or changed in ways that they are not even close to where they are now. I am learning about how unions are classified, how leaders struggle with paradoxes (but must realize they exist) and make decisions knowing full well the consequences. Time is always against us and I find myself falling asleep in my bed reading. I would not trade this experience for more sleep, maybe for some more workout time. I have been here for 4 days and I just rush by the gym to get to my next course.

I am starting to formulate a picture in my mind on the future of unions. The mere thought of what is to come is a little frighting. It seems that unions are caught in a dangerous loop of disconnecting with the members. Not because they are moving away, but more because they are doing their job of servicing the members more efficiently. The union movement is always transforming itself to combat negative attacks on the working class no matter where it comes from. Luckily I have an idea on how to bring the membership ever closer together, and it has everything to do with technology, and with a little lead time, I hope to unveil the idea in the near future.

Tonight we will be watching a film on the Winnipeg strike of 1919, specifically about a woman named Mrs. Armstrong. Afterwards I will be on a bike reading, and in my bed reading myself to sleep. In the morning I will start preparing an essay that will be due on Friday. So much to do my head is still above water and I hope to maintain that throughout the week.

Canadian Labour College - Day 1 and 2

What can I say about this place... wow. The facility is probably one of the nicest learning facilities I have ever seen. The CAW sure know how to treat their guests. Let me elaborate.

This place is designed to teach courses. It is just far enough to be out of the way. It has enough of the amenities to never think about leaving. The rooms are designed to study and relax in. The people are friendly and the food is amazing... almost too amazing... am I sleeping... wait no I am awake.

The cafeteria is an assembly line of good food. I figure I will have to work out hard while I am here just to break even. On the menu yesterday. Turkey with all the fixings. Today it was prime rib. Yes prime rib.

This facility is set up mostly for the CAW members and education programs to help further their members. Each person is given PEL (Personal Education... ?) credits which they use to come out here. I can only imagine how expensive this place is. I estimate it is about $3000 per student per week and that is just for us guests.

I am looking forward to the next few weeks as today we are having a crash course into what to expect. The expectations are what brings this facility to the top of my list. The teachers really seem to want to teach the course material and I really want to learn about it. We have week long courses like this in Alberta, but there is a vibe here that is a little different and it is hard to explain why it feels so different. Maybe its the rose color glasses, I'll figure it out later.

This is how the days will go. Wake up eat at 7am. 8am we start classes and by 5:30 we finish the final part of the classes to go have supper and prepare for the next day. It is intensive and I am loving every minute of it. Yesterday we talked about what we wanted out of Labour College and for me this has been years of building to get here. There are only a handful of CUPE here. Out of 600,000 members I was one of a handful. It is an honor to be here knowing just how many things had to go right for my butt to be on the plane. I will update this blog as I go in the hopes that those who are thinking about what CUPE offers may just think about putting their name forth in the years to follow.

On a side note, this place is what I would hope that one day CUPE would have in Alberta. There is a facility like this in Naramata, BC but it is no where near the exclusivity of this place. I would say this is a resort compared to anything else I have ever been to. A resort of pure learning.

To give you a hint of what my days will look like, I am both updating this blog and writing a 2 page summary of an article entitled "After the Fur Trade: The Aboriginal Labouring Class of British Columbia, 1849 – 1890” by author John Lutz. You don't get that in many CUPE week long schools. The only course that was even close to this was "Labour Law" and it was a pre-requisite to apply for this.
 

Retirement Banquet 2012

Last Saturday we celebrated our retirees at our annual banquet. I have been fortunate enough to be able to go over the last few years and I enjoy the event for different reasons.

-          I like seeing the many people who have had the opportunity to retire from this corporation and live long and fruitful lives.

-          I get to have fun with the members of CUPE Local 37 and our guests. I also like seeing what our members want to see in the future.

My overall impressions of the event were wonderful. Right down to the Retirement Packets at everyone’s seat. The food was good, the band was good, and the people were great. This year we had cheerleaders from Strathmore who showed us their stuff on the dance floor. The routine was quite heart stopping a few times for me as I watched the group narrowly miss the roof in their pyramid manoeuvres. I think next time we may have to change up the entertainment but in the end I was very impressed with the crowd, the hotel, and the food.

Make sure you come to the next one.

Water Services - S/A Policy

If you have noticed, your mail box contained a letter that informed you of the policy of calling in sick and what is required after so much time and within certain dates. I will post the actual letter that I recieved so that if you didn't get you can read it here.

Inability to Report to Water Services

Successful Thinktank

The executive have finished meeting to discuss the future of the executive. I have been to a few of these meetings, and this one seemed different. I am looking forward to the next two years and here's why.

We have a lot of important issues facing our local. Some are based on the individuals we represent while others are broader issues that effect us as a whole. Constantly unionized work forces have to defend the work that is done and value of that work. We also have sub-locals that are facing some of the same issues that the City of Calgary faces. The next two years will be filled with more validations of what kinds of work we do for the citizens of Calgary and outlining areas.

Validations that concern our services vs. the constant drive of private industries to intertwine their profit driven motives into carefully controlled municipal services. It`s a labour equality vs. capitalism  greed argument and we will be highlighting it once again in the municipal environment.

As always I will let you know whats coming down the pipe. Our next general meeting will cover some bylaw changes, and we will be having a positive rally for our sub local members outside Heritage Park May 5th, and our Retirement Banquet is coming up fast on April 28th.

Overtime Dues

Union dues are usually a hot topic item with any member. Like taxes we all wish we were paying less. This tuesday we will be discussing the issue of paying dues on overtime. Our local currently takes dues off of overtime.

A notice of motion was passed last month on this issue, if you wish to be part of the discussion please join us at 7pm.

Some people think that the amount of dues we pay is enormus. Others see the value in it. Personally the amount of overtime I make works out to be almost nothing extra in union dues. We get paid double time when the labour standard is time and a half for overtime. I see this as something the union has negotiated for me and in the end the less then 2% of my overtime dollar going back to the union is nothing compared to the 50% gain in the extra money I would be making when I do get the overtime.

This will affect all of the brothers and sisters that get massive amounts of overtime. I am guessing that we will see those members at the meeting on tuesday. I hope to see you there.

The issue of dues is an interesting one. Considering you can deduct a large amount of those dues on your taxes, some people would suggest the amount of dues we pay could even be higher to help our own bottom line come tax season. I am not a tax specialist so I will just leave it there. If you are please come to the meeting.

Final Day of Convention + Education Day.

It is commendable on just how smoothly the convention went this year. The resolutions that were presented were all dealt within a responsible manner and time frame. The coordination of speakers, business and education was done very well. Even the elections were run with such professionalism I was glad to be a part of this years program. Of course there is always room for improvement. Some would have liked to see more NDP involvement. For myself it was nice to just see the amount of our own members running for the NDP in this election.

My mistake in procedure the previous day was a good lesson for me. I found out how politics extends in everything I do in CUPE. Whether I would do a good job or not, I was not the choice of my colleagues. I won't get into the details but I watched as my actions lead to many being instructed to distance themselves from me. As my core brothers and sisters extended their opinions openly to me, others were not so direct. In the end, I removed myself from running, and learned a lesson I will not soon repeat in the future. Officially I look forward to what sister Jody Carey will bring to the provincial division and will watch as she prepared the newest executive for their tasks.

The education day proved to be valuable for me as well. I took the social media course and I learned a little more than I was expecting. I have been really switching gears lately on the whole social media aspect of the union movement. It seems as if we need to centralize the process, and I am starting to see how this can be accomplished in a secure manner.

I am very pleased with where CUPE Alberta is going, and I am going to be paying close attention to it along with National this year. I am very glad I got to go to Red Deer and will be reporting great things at my next general meeting next month with the Local.