President's Report: Thank You and the Road Ahead

Happy Summer, Everyone! To start, I'd like to thank the Local for electing me as President and for electing Evelyn Ray as 2nd Vice President – EMPP. While all of our elections are important, the true weight of this election is that it demonstrates our Local's continued commitment to organizing and improving the lives of postal workers by using our collective power. We have a long road ahead of... (read full report)

Local Elections

At our July 9^th GMM, we had floor elections for interim President and interim 2^nd Vice President – EMPP. Devon Rundvall (formerly the 1^st Vice President – Organizing) was elected President and Evelyn Ray (formerly the Chief Steward EMPP Shift #1) was elected as 2^nd Vice President – EMPP.

It takes a lot to even consider putting your name forward for these positions, so congratulations not only to our newly elected representatives but also to everyone who took part.

This opens up Devon and Evelyn's former positions. Anyone who is interested in how to be nominated for those positions should keep their eyes on the dispatches and GMM notices for further information on how to qualify and be nominated for those open spots.

How Should We Host GMMs Going Forward?

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and our desire to keep members safe and engaged, we have been hosting our local GMMs on Zoom for the last two years. Our next GMM (September 2022) will also be done online, but we understand that restrictions have lifted and people are interested in meeting in person.

In order to get an informal sense of how people are feeling, we have put together a poll. This poll will not be used to decide if the meetings will be in person or continue to be done on Zoom, but it will be used as a point of discussion at the next Executive meeting. A motion will then be brought forward to the members at the next GMM.

There are some things to consider before answering this poll. For one, having meetings in person does bring more energy to the meeting and it allows us to enjoy each other's company. On the other hand, the Edmonton Local, while based in Edmonton, covers a very wide area – stretching from Jasper to Lloydminster and from Camrose up to Athabasca. We also have members with health issues that could prevent them from being able to attend meetings in person. If we are concerned about member involvement, this is something we need to keep in mind.

To take part in the poll, please click here. You have two weeks to respond to this survey before it's closed so that we can analyze the results.

The Struggle Continues: Roundtable Discussion Recording

On April 23^rd, 2022, our Local hosted a virtual screening of “The Struggle Continues” (English/French) a CUPW documentary about the 1978 postal strike. Afterwards, we had a roundtable discussion featuring former National President Jean-Claude Parrot, Sister Brooke Bachus (President of Local 740 – Royal City) and Brother Matthew Aitken (President Local 856 – Winnipeg).

We have now uploaded the recording of the roundtable discussion for you to watch at your leisure. Subtitles are not yet available but they are forthcoming.

Ongoing Reminder: Local Office Access

To stay aligned with the federal health guidelines affecting our members, our office remains available by appointment only. We are trying to conduct all meetings with members over the phone or via video conferencing. Exemptions can be made for unique circumstances. In either case, please call (780) 423-9000 to arrange an appointment with the appropriate officer. We are extremely busy in the office so please leave a message if you’re unable to catch us on the phone.