Local Dispatch (24/08/07)
- Friends and comrades,
In this week's Dispatch, it seems like there's really only one thing to be talking about: our National Executive Committee serving two Notices of Dispute to the Minister of Labour.
There's still some time to go before we acquire our right to strike or the Corporation acquires its right to lockout, but we do have some information to share in order to be prepared for a job action.
Negotiations Update: CUPW Serves Notice of Dispute
On Friday, August 2nd, our union filed a Notice of Dispute for both the Urban and RSMC bargaining units. This decision was made after the negotiation committees and the National Executive Board did not see enough progress being made at the bargaining table.
According to the latest bulletin, the Corporation was giving no signs that it was willing to let up on its demands for major rollbacks and the creation of a two-tier workforce through two-tier pensions and flex benefits, just for example.
What Does this Mean?
This is one of a number of steps in bargaining that leads up to acquiring the right to strike. Currently, the Minister has 15-days to decide whether or not to appoint a conciliator. If the Minister chooses conciliation, there will be a period where a conciliator tries to help move the negotiation process forward. This can take two weeks or two months, depending on what the parties agree to.
If the conciliation process is successful, a strike or lockout is avoided. If not, there is a 21-day cooling off period, at the end of which the union acquires the right to strike and the Corporation acquires the right to lockout. In order for a strike to occur, there must be a strike vote held by secret ballot with the majority of voters voting in favour.
Next Steps
We still have some time to go before a strike or lockout can occur, but there are some things you can do in the meantime to prepare. For some basic information about striking and how to prepare for a strike, you can check out the December 2023 issue of the InsideOut HERE. In particular, you might want to check out "Preparing for a Strike" by Karry Biri (p. 12).
Make sure your contact information is up to date. We've been pushing this a lot, but providing the office with a current cell phone number will be especially important. We will be using an automated texting service to share information about a strike vote, a strike action, or a lockout. To update your contact information, you can contact Secretary-Treasurer Karry Biri at Treasurer@cupwedm.net or you can do it online HERE. There are around 200 members we don't have contact information for, so please bother your coworkers to make sure their information is current.
Attend the next General Membership Meeting. Our next GMM is on Saturday, September 7th at 10 am, and it is happening in person at the Rundle Family Centre at Rundle Park (2903 113 Ave NW). Following this, we will be hosting a family-friendly strike preparation event -- there will be food and activities for children, but we will also be making picket signs. After that, there will be a town hall discussion to provide the latest updates, and there will also be time for questions and answers.
Reminders
- Upcoming Educationals: Applications are currently being accepted for the EDLC Annual Fall School and a Prairie & Pacific Regional 5-day course. For more information, click HERE.
- Elks Labour Day Rematch: The Local has purchased 20 tickets for this EDLC-endorsed match. For more information and to inquire about tickets, see the prior Dispatch HERE. Deadline to get your name in for these tickets is September 4th.
- Women's Committee Equinox: For more information about the Women's Committee Equinox, click HERE. Deadline to apply is August 15th.
- Women's Committee Workplace Harassment Survey: To take part in the workplace harassment survey, please click HERE. This survey is open to all members.
- Disability Supports: To access the Disability Supports portal, which provides a list of programs and services in your community, click HERE.