PSAC renews commitment to fight for public services

They came from all over the world; 122 countries to be precise. And yet, many of their stories were disturbingly similar. Delegates from many countries spoke of their struggles against the privatization of essential public services and the negative effects of globalization and free trade on their fellow citizens. Some described the daily threats of jail or death faced by trade unionists in their countries who are simply seeking the right to organize and to bargain collectively.

The 27th World Congress of the Public Services International (PSI) brought together almost 800 delegates and observers to adopt a five-year Programme of Action, made up of a number of campaigns, to continue the fight to keep public services in public hands and stem the tide of privatization.

Outgoing PSI President William Lucy, who is also the Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), described PSI as the last and strongest voice defending public services across the globe. "PSI stands ready to lead the fight for human and union rights in the face of globalization. We have a moral obligation to fight privatization in all its forms."

PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President (B.C.) Patty Ducharme, speaking on behalf of the Women's Caucus, urged delegates to continue their efforts to organize the unorganized in the public sector and to mobilize members to ensure adequate government funding for public services as part of PSI's global campaign for quality public services. She pointed out that cuts in public services have a devastating impact on women world-wide as women make up the majority of providers of public services in many countries and are the majority of the users of these services.

Recognizing that gender equality is essential to achieving economic justice, PSI delegates adopted changes to the International's Constitution which provide for equal representation of women on all of PSI's constitutional bodies including 50% representation by women at the next Congress in 2007. At this Congress, women made up 43% of the delegates. And for the next five years, PSI will be lead by Yiva Thörn, of KOMMUNAL in Sweden, who is just the second woman to be elected PSI President.

The Congress also adopted a five-year plan to further the PSI's continuing commitment to equality, equity and diversity. The plan includes campaigns in support of women's rights and commits PSI to working to improve the active participation of women in their unions and for better facilities and working conditions so that women can more easily combine work and family responsibilities.

"As long as women are denied full voice; as long as women are not full participants in the workplace and in the union, issues that specifically address women's inequality will not receive the emphasis and support they deserve," said PSAC National President Nycole Turmel, speaking in support of PSI's campaign plan.

A key component of PSI's activities in support of women's economic equality is their pay equity campaign - Pay Equity Now! PSAC member Christine Collins, UCTE Ontario Regional Vice-President described her almost two decades of activity fighting for pay equity as part of a panel presentation to the Congress.

During the discussion on PSI's Winning Workers Rights campaign resolution National Resources Union National President Bernice Miller acknowledged the courage and resolve of unionists who put their lives at risk by being trade union leaders, simply because they are committed to defending the rights of the workers they represent.

Stephen Lewis, who is the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa brought a sobering message on the failure of the world to deal with the crisis in Africa. Lewis said that he has never seen a situation where millions of people are dying unnecessarily because donor nations refuse to respond.

According to Lewis, this failure to respond is going to have catastrophic consequences. "If the pandemic continues, an additional 70-million people will die between 2010 and 2020, a toll greater than all civilian and military deaths in World Wars I and II." In sub-Saharan Africa, a whole generation is being wiped out and there will be 25-million orphans by 2010. Children are growing up without families and without teachers. Lewis described a situation where the "human dimension of policies is seen to be of little consequence". Health care systems are being ravaged not only by the disease but by the International Monetary Fund structural adjustment programs which have made these systems vulnerable. "We can't defeat AIDS without realizing that the public sector is at the heart of our response," concluded Lewis.

Check out the PSAC web site for more on the PSI World Congress.  Information about the Programme of Action and the various campaigns can be found on the PSI website.

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Call centre workers now just minutes from child care

PSAC's Union of Postal Communications Employees members in the Fredericton area now have a child care centre just a two-minute walk from work. The non-profit Clark Street centre is part of an innovative program established jointly by UPCE and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). UPCE Local 60105 Local President Sandra Dalley, who has been involved in the project from the beginning was on hand for the grand opening together with PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President (Atlantic) Tony White and UPCE National President Luc Guèvremont.

"In 2000, the union bargained a child care fund which is jointly administered with the fund negotiated by CUPW in 1995," says Guèvremont. "We are extremely proud of the results of our collaboration with the CUPW and the Preschool Centre in this project. Our members in Fredericton now have access to affordable, high quality - and most important for our members - flexible child care services."

In conjunction with the Preschool Centre already located on Windsor Street in the south end of the city, the Clark Street Preschool Centre provides regulated child care for children from birth to age 12 that is open flexible hours to accommodate shift workers and provides a summer camp for school age children. UPCE and CUPW members have priority for the spaces but the services are also open to the community.

Members also have the choice of a family child care space in an approved provider's home and can be assured that their children are in good hands. The Preschool Centre provides regular supervision, support and training to the providers they recruit and offers playgroups and other activities for the caregivers and the children in their care.

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Union of Northern Workers convention takes action to support Locals

Labour Day may have a been a holiday for most workers but it was just another day of hard work for the 31 delegates to the triennial convention of the PSAC's Union of Northern Workers (UNW). From August 31st to September 2nd in Yellowknife, delegates worked their way through 65 By-Laws resolutions alone.

Some key changes have been made. Delegates to the next convention will be elected directly by Locals, replacing the current regional system. Participation is expected to increase by about 60% as a result. Local Presidents will now attend and have voice at full UNW executive meetings. The opportunity will be offered to two Presidents per meeting, on a rotating basis. In another change, Local Presidents will now be able to get together at an annual meeting.

In order to support smaller Locals, delegates agreed to provide each Local with a minimum rebate of $400 per quarter. Component dues will be decreasing from 1.7327% to 1.691%. If UNW accumulates a surplus in excess of $400,000, members will have a dues holiday for two pay periods. Excess revenue in the amount of $25,000 will be transferred to a strike contingency fund. In the event of a surplus, $15 per member will be transferred to a wage disruption fund which would be available in the event of a strike.

Delegates did take a break from resolutions to hear from guest speakers Jean-Francois Deslauriers, PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President for the North, PSAC National Executive Vice-President John Gordon, Bob Haywood, President of the Northern Territories Federation of Labour and NDP MP and leadership candidate Bill Blaikie, and to attend a Federation sponsored Labour Day BBQ at city hall.

UNW member Josie Gould was awarded a Life Membership in recognition of some 35 years of active union service at the Local level and as a Regional Vice-President. The convention also launched three annual scholarships of $5,000 each in Gould's name. This year the scholarships have been awarded to James Hawkins, Chris Powell and Sarah Daitch.

Heading up the UNW's executive for the next three years is newly elected President Todd Parsons. He is joined by 1st Vice-President Sheila Laity, 2nd Vice-President Maureen Johnston and Regional Vice-Presidents Paul McAdams (Fort Smith), Mark Heyck (Somba K'E), Kelvin Yee (Hay River), Shawn Hoey (Inuvik) and Gayla Wick (Northern Great Slave).

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Coast Guard funding cuts spell tragedy

The PSAC's Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE) has laid the responsibility for the Canadian Coast Guard's inability to perform its mandated marine rescue during the recent Cap Rouge II tragedy squarely on funding cuts. Five people drowned when the fishing vessel capsized near the mouth of the Fraser River near Vancouver on August 13th.

"We firmly believe that the victims' chances of survival would have been greater had appropriate funding been given to the Coast Guard dive team to allow them to perform the required type of rescue when they first arrived on the scene," says UCTE National President Michael Wing.

Over a year ago, the Auditor General came out with a scathing report on mismanagement at Fisheries and Oceans and specifically the Canadian Coast Guard. The department appeared before the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee acknowledging the problems and vowing to make the necessary improvements.

"Our divers on the west coast are proud to serve, as are all members of the Canadian Coast Guard," adds Wing. "They only ask to receive the necessary training and support to do their job. We call on Canadians to hold Fisheries and Oceans Minister Robert Thibault and the Liberal government accountable and to demand an independent review of this department to ensure that tragedies such as Cap Rouge II do not happen again."

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Yves Ducharme re-elected Agriculture Union National President

The Agriculture Union's 12th Triennial Convention got into the spirit of the Old West and the Calgary Stampede, even though it was held in Edmonton, Alberta, from Aug. 21 to 23. The opening ceremonies included traditional Aboriginal dances by the White Buffalo Dancers, and other evening festivities included a Western barbecue and a mechanical bull ride.

The convention itself was serious business for the 117 delegates as they debated and passed important resolutions that will improve and expand the services the component provides to its members. Delegates approved the new position of Director for Equal Opportunities on the National Council, agreed that appeal representation will paid for by the Component and supported an increase in the number of delegates which Locals can elect to future Agriculture Union conventions. The delegates also passed a resolution mandating the Component's National Council to review and make recommendations to the next convention on the Component's structure.

Guest speakers at the convention included Alberta Federation of Labour President Les Steel and PSAC National President Nycole Turmel. In a show of union solidarity, delegates passed the hat and raised $1,000 for the striking workers at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton.

Yves Ducharme was re-elected as the Agriculture Union's National President. The other members of the new National Executive Council are: First Executive Vice-President Bob Kingston, Second Executive Vice-President R.S. Panickar, Third Executive Vice-President Debbie Forsythe, Fourth Executive Vice-President Denis Sicard. Marianne Hladun was elected to the newly created position of National Director of Equal Opportunities.

Regional Vice-Presidents (RVPs) elected include: Fabian Murphy (Eastern Atlantic Provinces), Allan MacRae (Western Atlantic Provinces), Raphael Tarasco (Western Quebec), Ian Smith (Eastern Ontario), Gary Dionne (Western Ontario), Dawn Aisenstat (Manitoba), Howard Willems (Northern Saskatchewan), Ron Filteau (Southern Saskatchewan), Steve Kaytor (Southern Alberta), Ernie Mazepa (Northern Alberta and N.W.T.), Ruth McDiarmid (Eastern B.C.) and Bob Jackson (Western B.C. and Yukon). RVP positions for Eastern Quebec and Northwestern Ontario will be filled following the convention.

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UVAE convention adopts percentage dues

Delegates at the Winnipeg convention of the Union for Veterans' Affairs Employees (UVAE) adopted some ground-breaking resolutions for the Component, including a switch-over to percentage dues and triennial national conferences for Local Presidents. The convention, held from Aug. 24 to 28, marked 50 years of union activity which started with the founding of the Department of Veterans Affairs Employees Association in 1952.

The percentage dues will mean that members will pay 0.6041 per cent of the lowest step in their salary range, in the same way that the PSAC calculates its membership dues. The percentage was calculated to roughly match the dues members had been paying previously. Members, however, may notice a slight increase after they receive their wage increase this year depending on their respective collective agreements. UVAE National President Denis Dupré says the percentage dues is fairer than the fixed dues previously collected by the union, because about one-third of the membership are part-time employees.

The 53 convention delegates also voted in favour of dividing the budget by regions, enabling the regions to administer their own budgets according to their needs.

Resolutions calling for a four-year mandate for elected officials and another calling on PSAC to fully fund national conferences ­ including the Women's, Unity, Health and Safety and Access conferences ­ were adopted and will be forwarded to the PSAC National Convention.

The members of the new National Executive are: National President Denis Dupré, National Executive Vice-President and National Vice-President for the Prairie Region Bonnie Heidt, National Vice-Presidents Shane Polak (Pacific), Thelma Perry (Charlottetown Head Office), Donna Lamy (Atlantic, except Charlottetown H.O.), Marie-Josée Lecours (Quebec), Yvan Thauvette (Ste. Anne's), Lorne Brady (Ontario) and Pat Mason (Deer Lodge Centre).

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