Noteworthy - Friday Relief

I do full time relief once every 6 weeks. It happens on Friday and a couple of months ago it was my turn.

We get phone calls all the time about what is happening in the field. In most cases the phone calls come too late, but it is important to document what happens in the course of our members lives.

I have learned that the moment you think you have solved a situation, another one pops up behind it. We had a hell of a winter when it came to the JEQ. After much frustrations, managers in Roads put forward a solution that seemed to solve the issues of pay discrepancies. I knew that the solution would help the majority of the workforce, and when it the proecdure took over I found that like everything the membership decides something always falls through the cracks.

On Friday I had an individual come in who had fallen in the crack. He was on the other end of the spectrum. His story was an emphasis on what I am constantly learning in the union hall. As a very senior employee with Roads, and because of the JEQ his job was red circled. After the amendment he lost about $1/hr on his job. We were dealing with a majority of employees in the department watching helplessly as their paycheques severely declined due to a line in an agreement. In order to fix the bigger problem of the labour pool within Roads, one of the line items was that no more red circling would occur in Roads.

I think it is important for people to understand that for every action, there is an opposite reaction. The amendment was for all purposes supposed to solve a very difficult situation. While it achieved this for the majority of the workforce, for some there was the opposite effect.

I am a big believer in the process of job evaluation, I am not so hot on the process by which we implement the structures. For many people in life, the changes occurring because of the JEQ has both created and destroyed opportunities. I would like to believe that we don't intentionally close those doors on our members, but I think on a level we do.

I have been told by people that I over analyze situations. Guilty as charged. As our decisions may create new opportunities for those around us, we must also accept that those same decisions will strip others.

2011 - 2014 Collectives are here

It took a few years but the new books are here fresh off the press. Goto the hall and pick your copy up today.

2013 Education Day - After Convention

Of the two courses that I chose, CUPE turns 50 was my mornings education day. We talked about CUPE's history as well as some personal highlights to the various moments in the movement.

The course was very well put on and I have ample amounts of historical data that I think many in our Local might find interesting. I need to scan it, but when that is done I will be providing it here below if you are interested in the course information.

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