Public Employee - Spring 2022

ANTI-RACISM | INVISIBLE DISABILITY | TOXIC DRUG OVERDOSE CRISIS | COMMUNITY SOCIAL SERVICES

PUBLIC EMPLOYEE SPRING 2022

BEARING WITNESS TOGETHER CUPE BC SETS ACTION PLAN FOR ANTI-RACISM, RECONCILIATION, AND SAFER UNION SPACES (CONVENTION REPORT, PP 8-9)

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LEADING US

KAREN RANALLETTA, PRESIDENT

It’s time to bring on the recovery With a united labour movement, we can build back a better B.C.

If you were a delegate to last month’s CUPE BC convention, I hope you were as happy as I was to be able to be present with CUPE members, face-to-face, for Karen Ranalletta the first time since 2019! I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed being able to be in the same room as other dedicated trade unionists united by a common passion and dedication to working SOLIDARITY WORKS CUPE members support striking BCGEU library workers people and our communities. It was so great on Vancouver Island by joining their picket lines. A deal was reached in April. to chair so many excellent debates, and to learn so much from our guest speakers—and our delegates. largest ad campaigns in our history over the past number of We know that COVID hasn’t completely gone away, and that we months. You may have seen one of our digital billboards, or heard need to remain vigilant and listen to the advice of public health “sponsored by CUPE BC” on your local radio station. That’s just officials. But the fact we were able to gather for the first time in part of my commitment to you that we’re going to make sure we three years is definitely a sign that we’ve begun a new chapter. And increase our visibility all over the province. as we begin the process of rebuilding, of opening the province back Building back better up with hopes of better times ahead, I think it’s important that we incorporate the lessons we’ve learned since the pandemic began.

As COVID restrictions continue to be reduced, I’m really looking First, women—especially racialized and low-income women—were forward to getting out and about around our province, and disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Precarious workers, meeting CUPE members in as many communities as possible. I too, generally felt the brunt of workplace closures and restrictions look forward to talking with you about our campaign for public much more than those with higher incomes. As we rebuild our childcare, and to learning more about the issues that affect your economy, we must ensure that the most vulnerable and lowest paid communities. We all know how difficult the past two years have workers get their fair share of prosperity as it returns. been, and there’s no guarantee that there won’t be yet another wave of COVID. But despite the stresses and the fears, and the Keeping our communities running deep sense of loss that so many have experienced, I believe we We’ve also seen how important public services truly are to our can build back stronger—both as a province and, closer to home, communities. CUPE members have always known this, of course, as a union. but it’s been over the course of the pandemic that this has really I want to take a moment to thank all of our local presidents and hit home for many members of the public. This was especially the executives who have shouldered the challenges of supporting case during the summer heat domes and the fire that destroyed CUPE members during these uncertain times. I have made it a Lytton, and during those record floods in the fall that devastated so priority to meet with local presidents during the first year of my many of our communities. Both the public and decision-makers now term — it’s been an important way to connect and find out what’s understand that public services need to be strengthened so that no happening in your communities. Together, we can all help British one is left behind.

Columbia build back better from the pandemic. Working together, Coming up in October, local government elections will be held all we can also make CUPE BC a stronger, more effective, and more across the province. CUPE BC will be campaigning to encourage all inclusive voice for our members and our communities. our members to vote for stronger public services in this election.

ON MY BOOKSHELF… This year in particular, we all need to ask tough questions of the candidates. Do you support public services and making them 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph stronger? Do you support bringing before- and after-school and The Bridge by Bill Konigsberg. childcare into our public schools?

Reminding our fellow citizens of the importance of strong public services to our communities is why CUPE BC launched one of the FOLLOW KAREN on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram: @kranalletta

MEMBERS ON THE FR­ONT LINE

CUPE ACT ION

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CUPE advocacy nets wins for B.C. labour law, budget

INCLUSION NOW CUPE BC’s Racialized Workers committee members at Convention.

Working to end systemic racism in B.C. BURNABY | CUPE BC’s Racialized Workers committee earlier this year engaged with union members who are Indigenous, Black, and racialized/people of colour (IBPOC) as part of a provincial government initiative to introduce new anti-racism data legislation.

In January, the CUPE BC committee spoke with 234 members of our union and people within the labour movement as well as their families. There was a survey and 14 online focus groups, attended almost exclusively by participants who identified as IBPOC. Former CUPE staff representative Rachna Singh, now B.C.’s Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives, attended one of the focus group sessions.

“Systemic racism exists everywhere—including in government policies and programs—so the BC NDP government was seeking better information to ensure that IBPOC have equitable access to services,” said CUPE BC Diversity Vice-President Edward Parsotam.

“The purpose of race-based data collection is ultimately to produce legislative changes that will improve racial equity.”

To build community, Parsotam and alternate Diversity Vice-President Nicole Cabrejos, along with member facilitators from the CUPE BC Racialized Workers committee, plan to host a town hall session on Zoom this spring or summer to provide feedback to participants.

Keeping our work public CUPE BC’s Anti-Privatization Committee wants to make sure that every CUPE member is aware of the constant threat of privatization of public services—and how to campaign to ensure that privatization doesn’t creep into their workplaces. That’s why the committee worked hard at last month’s CUPE BC Convention in Victoria to distribute a bookmark promoting Bringing Our Work Home: A Guide to Standing Up For Public Services.

“There will always be right-wing politicians and big corporations who see public services as something they can make money from at the expense of workers, and at the expense of reducing quality through privatization,” says committee chair Michelle Waite. “The committee wants to ensure we keep public services strong, and this excellent guide book helps members do just that.”

FRONTLINE FACES During the month of May, CUPE community health workers are featured in transit shelter and billboard ads throughout the Lower Mainland and Victoria.

The provincial government’s April 6 introduction of Bill 10—single step certification, also known as card check—was the latest good news confirming how the advocacy of CUPE BC and other unions has led to progressive change for British Columbians.

Card check removes an unfair and damaging barrier to workers seeking to access their constitutional right to join or form a union: it means that certification can be achieved when at least 55 per cent of employees in a workplace sign union cards.

Card check was one of the priorities CUPE BC took to most meetings with elected MLAs and cabinet ministers in the last year.

“It’s nice to see that our work educating and advocating for more protections for workers in this province has paid off with this progressive legislation,” said CUPE BC President Karen Ranalletta.

Earlier in the year, Finance Minister Selina Robinson’s second provincial budget included important investments that continue the BCNDP government’s work to address the key issues impacting workers and their families.

“I was very happy to see that our advocacy for bringing before- and after-school childcare into B.C. public schools is beginning to show results,” said Ranalletta. “I was also pleased to see continued action to fight climate change, additional resources to support Reconciliation, and an overall recognition that public services and the people who provide them will help our communities recover from the pandemic. While there are obviously very significant challenges ahead of us, B.C.’s economy is in much better shape than most of the rest of the country.”

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CUPE ACT ION

MEMBERS ON THE FR­ONT LINE

VOICES

CUPE MEMBERS IN THE MEDIA

“Without hesitation, I’d say 500 paramedics.” — CUPE 873 President Troy Clifford, on the number of new paramedic positions per year he estimates the BC Ambulance Service needs to keep up with attrition and retirements—and with call volumes increasing at a rate of six per cent annually. Prince Rupert Northern View, March 24, 2022.

“Duncan employees know what it takes to keep our community beautiful, prosperous, healthy and safe.” — CUPE 358 President Jeff Parker, commenting on a new collective agreement with the City of Duncan, says the union looks forward to helping the City improve services for local residents. Cowichan Valley Citizen, March 24, 2022.

“In September, there was a shortfall of 37 education assistants (EAs) in classrooms across the district. Was this to save money? Was it to provide additional services needed elsewhere? I don’t know the answer, but what I do know is that cutting must stop on the backs of EAs, where ultimately it affects students and classes.” — CUPE 1091 president Daun Frederickson calls on the Delta School District to pass a 2022/23 budget that ensures all staff within schools receive support, fair pay, and growth opportunities. Delta Optimist, March 3, 2022.

“We cannot support the extra week for spring break unless School District 23 is willing to support adding extra minutes per working day to 10-month employees.” — CUPE 3523 President David Tether, in a letter to school board trustees calling for a return to the one-week spring break, notes that— unlike teachers—CUPE members working as EAs, janitors, bus drivers, and clerical staff are not paid for the second week of spring break. Kelowna Daily Courier, March 10, 2022.

“The school district needs to make the bus driver positions more attractive to applicants, so the positions can be filled and they are then able to provide reliable bus services for students.” — CUPE 779 President Christina Forsyth says a staffing shortage for bus drivers in Sea to Sky School District is due to the low wage rate, low daily hours being offered and split shift schedules. The Squamish Chief, January 13, 2022.

“The government comes out with many recommendations.

Recommendations don’t have teeth.” — CUPE Airline Division President Wesley Lesosky says that Ottawa should mandate a rapid test closer to the time of departure on most flights.

Lesosky was commenting on a Sun Wing Airlines flight from Montreal to Cancun, Mexico in which unmasked passengers in close proximity were recorded singing and dancing in the aisle and on seats, some clutching bottles of vodka and rum while others vaped and snapped selfies. Victoria TimesColonist, January 6, 2022.

SECONDS COUNT CUPE 8911 President Donald Grant and Secretary-Treasurer Carrie James display the union’s logo at their booth for the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities AGM on April 2. For more on the Local’s campaign for a fully funded 9-1-1 service, visit: www.ecpbc.ca

CUPE 1760 nets big wins for members at United Way BC

Mental health coverage improved, multiple precarious jobs converted to regular status BURNABY | United Way British Columbia (UWBC) and CUPE 1760 have agreed to increase extended health coverage to a combined maximum of $1,200 per year per person for accessing psychologists (including clinical psychologists), registered clinical counsellors, social workers, and online cognitive behavioural therapists.

The agreement was reached in April outside the collective bargaining process, which has been paused until June. The parties agreed that the increased coverage—which originated from a union bargaining proposal—would be effective immediately rather than waiting for the completion of collective bargaining.

“We are pleased to see this increase in coverage, which reflects the timely need for mental health supports—a priority for our members”, said CUPE 1760 President Lena Shillington.

CUPE 1760 has also achieved the conversion of 12 temporary status jobs to regular status. This reflects a major priority of the union to address precarious work through collective bargaining and through the application of existing collective agreement terms between the parties.

Every job converted from temporary to regular gains access to the full terms and conditions of the collective agreement. These additional rights for members becoming regular include seniority, full access to benefits, sick time, vacation, layoff and recall rights, long term disability, and enrolment in the pension plan.

The arbitration between CUPE 1760 and UWBC, on the subject of pay rates in regions outside the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, was resolved on April 20. The arbitrator, while setting a wage grid for employees who became members of CUPE 1760 last year, also affirmed that those employees will have all terms and conditions of the collective agreement apply to them.

CUPE Local 1760 represents approximately 120 employees of United Way British Columbia working with communities in B.C.’s Interior, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Central and Northern Vancouver Island.

MEMBERS ON THE FR­ONT LINE

CUPE ACT ION

Reconciliation through union representation CUPE BC is forging ahead to increase the representation of Indigenous members on local executive boards.

Following through on a resolution passed at last year’s CUPE BC convention encouraging local executives to add Indigenous representatives, the Indigenous committee has developed a guide to help locals looking to take this step.

The guide is based on the experiences of CUPE 523 in exploring the idea. The local was the first to approach the Indigenous committee for help on adding an Indigenous member representative seat to their executive.

“We know there are a lot of questions on why Indigenous members need representation. Education is a big part of making this happen,” says Shelley Saje Ricci, CUPE BC Diversity Vice-President for Indigenous workers.

“It’s an important first step for locals to take on the long path of reconciliation.”

AT THE TABLE Bargaining committees for CUPE 951 at UVic and the K-12 sector have been busy this year, with their respective members seeking improvements for the next contract.

Pushing back against daytime custodial budget slashing in SD 61 VICTORIA | CUPE 382 is pushing back on a Victoria School District decision to cut daytime custodial services. The local says the cuts are ill-conceived and will leave Victoria schools less clean and healthy.

“Daytime custodians are our first line of defence for preventing the spread of colds, flus and other communicable diseases in our schools,” said CUPE 382 President Paul Knapik, a school support worker in the district.

Unlike many school districts across the province that cut daytime custodial services in the early 2000s, Victoria School District 61 has

maintained the services for decades.

“When the pandemic hit, universal daytime custodial hours were implemented in all B.C. schools for the first time in twenty years and this was a major part in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in schools. Our district was really ahead of the game,” said Knapik.

“Eliminating these services to cut budgets is a step backwards — increased absences will mean little to no cost savings for schools.

And parents with sick kids will mean missed work. If anything, these cuts will cost the local economy even more.”

Paramedics call for better mental health supports, resources RICHMOND | The Ambulance Paramedics of BC (CUPE 873) have been working hard on joint initiatives and government proposals to promote acknowledgement of and increased supports and resources for mental health and wellness (MH&W) for paramedics and BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) dispatchers in B.C. “Our members are struggling,” says CUPE 873 President Troy Clifford.

“We are seeing high rates of affected employees—over 30 per cent of our members are either off work or continuing to work while getting treatment for occupational stress injuries, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. It’s an alarming number, and we think even those numbers are under-reported.”

With significant contributions from CUPE 873’s MH&W director Robert Parkinson and MH&W coordinator Warren Leeder, Clifford has brought the provincial government and BCEHS to the table to address this urgent situation.

“Every week, we meet with either BCEHS or the government on how we can improve access to appropriate supports and resources,” says Clifford, adding that the never-ending illicit drug overdose crisis, lingering COVID19 issues, as well as a staffing crisis continue to generate multi-front challenges for CUPE 873.

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LINKING LABOUR

ANN LENNARSON, REGIONAL DIRECTOR

Making our Workplaces Safer PANDEMIC-RELATED STRESS AND VIOLENT INCIDENTS HIGHLIGHT THE NEED FOR CHANGE OF ALL THE ISSUES that drive us as a union, occupational health and safety (OH&S) has always been at or near the top of CUPE’s list.

Whether it’s improving contract language or simply educating local members about best practices, making our workplaces healthier and safer has always been a priority.

Sadly, we’re reminded of the need for better protections every time a worker is Ann Lennarson injured—or killed—on the job. This happened again early in the New Year, when we were shaken by two accidents involving members of CUPE 1004. On January 23, a City of Vancouver sanitation worker was seriously injured at work only two weeks after Gord Dolyniuk, a 64-year-old truck driver and 32-year city employee, was killed on the job. (See obituary, page 13).

As well as casualties resulting from accidents, we have seen an alarming rise in the number of workplace violence and mental healthrelated incidents in the Community Social Services sector (see page 11), and increases in other sectors, since the start of the pandemic.

Even more alarming has been the realization that employers and CUPE locals alike have not had access to the tools they need to respond appropriately to this problem.

Filling the vacuum There are systemic reasons for this lack of preparedness. One of the more significant is that joint labour/management health and safety committees either don’t exist at the local level or don’t function as intended. OH&S reps should be elected by the union, but in many cases they’re being appointed by employers. These reps are then supposed to receive training, but often they don’t.

In response, we are reaching out to our locals to find out how many of them have joint OH&S committees and helping them establish such committees where they don’t exist. We’ve also put together fact sheets and other resources that reps and locals can use to make sure their committees function more effectively.

One of the first things our training courses emphasize is the importance of knowing your basic rights. When it comes to OH&S, there are four: the right to know if there are hazards, the right to participate in addressing them, the right to refuse unsafe work because of them, and—if you’re the whistleblower—the right to

protection from reprisal for exposing them.

What makes a successful health and safety program? It begins with a membership engaged with these important issues. The local executive should make sure there’s a written OH&S policy by the employer that guarantees OH&S promotion, regular workplace inspections, worker orientation and training, and a fully functioning joint OH&S committee. A fully functioning committee meets regularly for health and safety program reviews, conducts proper accident and incident investigations, and keeps good records. It also ensures proper instruction and supervision of workers, with clearly explained emergency procedures and first aid protocols.

Reviewing our performance This spring, CUPE National OH&S representative Tom McKenna created an OH&S program and joint committee checklist for all sectors in the region. As an internal CUPE resource, it doesn’t replace the WorkSafeBC annual joint health and safety committee evaluation tool. But it’s a great way to evaluate workplace practices and compliance. By including such basic questions as: “Is there an OH&S contact person identified on the LEC [local executive committee] for when support is needed?”, it’s also a helpful way to monitor the relationship between the LEC and the joint OH&S committee or the representative.

Meanwhile, there’s good news on the provincial front: the BC Federation of Labour and affiliates are currently engaged with WorkSafeBC in a comprehensive review of the OHS Regulations pertaining to violence. And WorkSafeBC has already introduced some changes.

For example, the definition of “harassment and violence” has been broadened to include “intimidating, humiliating or otherwise offensive” workplace conduct or behaviour.

Risk assessment reviews must now involve all workers in the workplace—not just a representative sample. And these reviews, along with those of policies and procedures, must be conducted annually and “whenever there is a significant change in the risk assessment factors.”

For more CUPE resources on workplace health and safety, visit: https://cupe.ca/health-and-safety.

INVISIBLE DISABILITY

CUPE FOCUS

Empathy should be more than skin-deep PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES COMMITTEE CALLS FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF AND MORE WORKPLACE PROTECTIONS FOR THE HIDDEN CHALLENGE OF INVISIBLE DISABILITY Not all disabilities are visible. Some hide in the shadows, never to be seen. Many people who live with them are fighting their own silent battles.

Invisible disabilities are disabilities that are not immediately apparent but are highly individualized. They can include everything from chronic illnesses, conditions, and allergies to brain injuries, mental illnesses, learning disabilities, and more.

“Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it isn’t there, and it doesn’t make it any less real or life-changing for the person experiencing it,” says CUPE BC Persons With Disabilities (PWD) committee co-chair Laurie Whyte.

“Imagine having to ask people, over and over again, to accommodate your disability just because it’s not noticeable to them. Imagine every day having to brace for looks of judgment, witness people’s doubts, and endure silent criticism that can cut just as deep as open sarcasm.”

Coming out of the shadows Invisible disabilities come with the added challenge of disbelief: it’s as if when people can’t see it, they can’t—or won’t— understand it. A good example is Albinism, a congenital disorder that can result in lack of pigmentation in hair, skin, and eyes, as well as vulnerability to skin cancer and severe visual impairment due to sun exposure.

“People with Albinism often hide their disability, and experience a lack of support and accommodation,” says one PWD committee member, speaking from personal experience. “If they do speak up and ask for help, they are often met with skepticism and doubt.”

People often assume that a person with an invisible disability is fine. If they don’t walk with a cane, have a service dog, or wear the typical “blind person glasses,” it’s assumed they’re lying or faking it to get special privileges or favours. But people with invisible disabilities are not only entitled, under Section 13 of the BC Human Rights Code, to have barriers removed and

accommodations made; they also deserve support and visibility in this advocacy.

Allyship can start through acts of union solidarity. This means trusting our co-workers and friends who declare their invisible disability and putting a stop to comments of judgement and doubt when those disabilities are disclosed. It means building language into our collective agreements to protect all disabilities against discrimination and scrutiny. And it means holding employers to the same standard through their policies on safe workplaces.

Accommodation is the key For a person with invisible disabilities, it can feel exhausting and demoralizing to have to ask for help and always face judgement and criticism. Other people can be quick to make assumptions, or feel resentful if an accommodation is inconvenient for them. This is why accommodation, particularly in the workplace, needs to be standardized and normalized.

Whether it’s a ramp for someone who can’t navigate stairs because of arthritis, large print or braille for someone who can’t see, or an ASL interpreter for someone who is hard of hearing, barriers should be removed—or, better yet, never built in the first place. Accessibility needs to be the norm. At this year’s CUPE BC convention, delegates passed a resolution submitted by the PWD committee to launch an awareness campaign with that message.

Disability doesn’t discriminate. One can be healthy and able one minute, and then—with the squeal of a brake, a misstep, or the onset of disease—life can be turned upside down in the blink of an eye.

Maybe one day it will be you who needs to ask for help. With the rise in health concerns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are facing a time where we can no longer ignore the issues right in front of us—even if we cannot see them.

For more information about the issues around invisible disability and disclosure, visit: https://disabilityalliancebc.org/wp-content/ uploads/2017/06/DisclosureGuide.pdf

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BEARING WITNESS TOGETHER CUPE BC SETS ACTION PLAN FOR ANTI-RACISM, RECONCILIATION, AND SAFER UNION SPACES

COVER STORY

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PARTNERS FOR A BETTER B.C. Premier John Horgan poses with CUPE BC President Karen Ranalletta and SecretaryTreasurer Trevor Davies after his convention address.

TOWARD A LIMITLESS FUTURE Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has dubbed his agreement with the Trudeau Liberals the Anhad Accord, after his infant daughter whose name means “limitless.”

VICTORIA | Delegates to CUPE BC’s 58th annual convention (April 27-30), the first held in person since 2019, committed to building a more inclusive union and labour movement where all voices are heard and meaningfully contribute to the fight for a better British Columbia. The union has pledged to be more inclusive of equity, diversity and reconciliation, and to create safer union spaces for Indigenous workers, women and other marginalized voices.

“We need to ensure that all members can participate in our union with as few barriers as possible,” President Karen Ranalletta said in her opening night speech. “Inclusion in our union also means safe and accountable spaces. Our members need to know they can participate in our union with confidence that we will not tolerate harassment, discrimination, or violence in our spaces.”

A convention highlight was the keynote address by journalist and activist Desmond Cole, who challenged delegates to speak uncomfortable truths and challenge racism in all its forms {see sidebar). Consistent with this message, Elder Sam George Jr. of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation was present throughout convention. In addition to supporting the Indigenous committee, he led a cleansing ceremony each morning, which was open to all delegates, and served as an alternate to the ombudsperson for delegates who needed support.

Premier John Horgan, thanking CUPE members for their commitment to their communities during the pandemic, outlined the work ahead for his government in making a more fair and inclusive economy, addressing climate change, and strengthening healthcare and education. Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, after thanking CUPE members for their tireless political action in the last election, credited the union’s long record of fighting for public services as a factor in helping the NDP reach an historic agreement with the Liberals—a deal that, among other victories, will deliver the largest expansion of public healthcare in a generation.

“You are some of our most ardent supporters, so you deserve to feel excitement about these changes,” Singh told delegates. “People are going ON THE COVER to get dental coverage, access to medication, and Indigenous delegates, more affordable housing because of you.” officers and staff pose On the final day of convention, BC Federation with the Red Dress at of Labour President Laird Cronk cautioned CUPE convention.

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members to never forget the damage done to the province, and working people in particular, by the BC Liberals.

“Kevin Falcon had his hands on the levers. He wants you to forget, but the BCFED won’t,” he said of the BC Liberal leader who, hours after convention adjourned, won his seat in the legislature for Vancouver-Quilchena.

With most of the union’s elections scheduled for 2023, there was only one vote at this year’s convention. David Robertson was re-elected as a Trustee and will serve a three-year term.

National President Mark Hancock and Secretary-Treasurer Candace Rennick outlined their work to fight privatization in all its forms, support public services, and oppose discrimination and intolerance inside our union and across our communities.

CUPE BC Secretary-Treasurer Trevor Davies, reporting on the union’s strong financial position, explained how the growth of CUPE BC’s net assets supported the unexpected costs of the pandemic and extreme weather events, leaving the union in good shape

for continued growth in resources and capacity.

Reflecting on this year’s convention, Ranalletta said that CUPE’s politics have always been rooted in solidarity.

“We are one hundred and four thousand strong in this province,” she told delegates, “and the only way we win is when we stand together.”

Desmond Cole: Disrupting power is never comfortable photo

FAREWELL, MICHELE! CUPE 15 activist Michele Alexander, a long-serving CUPE BC Diversity Vice-President (Racialized Workers) appeared at her last convention before retirement.

POWERFUL MOMENTS Friday morning’s session with the Indigenous caucus provided some of the more poignant moments of convention—and many opportunities for learning and unlearning.

VICTORIA | As union activists committed to confronting racism and colonialism, CUPE members must be willing to move out of their comfort zone in order to effect real change, journalist and activist Desmond Cole told delegates in his keynote address to convention.

The best-selling author of The Skin We’re In, Cole challenged delegates to do more to support Black and Indigenous peoples, and people of colour in our union, communities and province. Recounting recent instances of racism covered in the news media, and some that have been ignored, Cole told delegates that even the smallest steps are important.

“Be the person in your social circle that interrupts the racist’s joke…. The person that says the uncomfortable truth about the place you work when others just want to stay silent. That is so much a part of this struggle,” said Cole. “Pushing everyone to do more than what they are comfortable with.”

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CUPE FOCUS

TOXIC DRUG OVERDOSE CRISIS

CUPE 1004 PHS Licensed Practical Nurse Crystal at the clinic and overdose prevention site (“The Molson” or “MOPS”) she helps support, located near the Carnegie Community Centre in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Putting the brakes on the OD death list CUPE 1004 MEMBERS AT PHS ARE SAVING LIVES THROUGH SAFE SUPPLY ADVOCACY VICTORIA | Last year, more than 2,200 British Columbians died from drug overdose. That each person was a member of someone’s family is a fact CUPE 1004 member Tiffany De Ruyter De Wildt knows all too well, having lost her own brother to overdose.

“I wish he had a safe supply,” says De Ruyter De Wildt, a home support worker for the Portland Hotel Society (PHS) in Victoria.

Nearly 23,000 Canadian families have lost loved ones since the public emergency was declared in 2016, more than 9,500 of them in B.C. alone. Thousands more who have survived overdoses continue to suffer physical damage.

“With an OD there is no oxygen getting to your brain. People lose motor skills; they have long-term disability,” says De Ruyter De Wildt, whose work includes assessing the harm reduction and treatment needs of residents she cares for.

“It is heartbreaking, watching people with so much potential lost. They thought housing would be a step towards a better life. It isn’t. I can help do the paperwork, but it’s at least a six month wait list.”

It’s more like a death list, she adds, noting that addiction treatment offers faint hope when drugs are tainted with fentanyl or benzodiazepines. Such lethal mixtures are killing people daily.

Advocating safer alternatives In response, B.C.’s provincial health officer has been trying to get people away from street drugs and provide prescription alternatives.

“It’s about meeting people where they are at, reducing risk of toxic drug death and connecting people to the care they need and deserve,” Dr. Bonnie Henry stated last year, when introducing B.C.’s safe supply policy—the first of its kind in Canada.

Safe supply programs are now running in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) and parts of Victoria, and PHS nurses are helping people access this life-saving intervention.

“Reading that B.C.’s illicit drug toxicity deaths in January 2022 equates to 6.7 deaths per day is devastating,” says PHS licensed practical nurse Crystal, who works as part of a team of medical professionals and peers in the DTES supplying physicianprescribed safe supply.

“We need to acknowledge that these deaths are preventable.”

Carrying the burden While their work is saving lives, the gravity of the crisis is overwhelming for Crystal, De Ruyter De Wildt and all other CUPE 1004 PHS employees. “I’m one of two home support workers for more than 150 people,” says De Ruyter De Wildt. “It’s too much. My co-workers are getting PTSD.”

The same goes for Crystal: “The work done by this small, mighty group of people cannot be undervalued in terms of preventing overdoses and related death.

That work comes at an emotional, mental, and physical toll. There needs to be more people to help shoulder the weight.”

While deaths continue to rise, safe supply remains limited compared to the need and is unavailable in most of B.C. In 2022, Northern Health recorded 75 deaths per 100,000 individuals, Vancouver Coastal Health 54 per 100,000 and Interior 53.6 per 100,000.

“It is falsely assumed that people who use drugs are concentrated in the DTES,” says Crystal. “People use substances everywhere, and they face barrier after barrier trying to access safe supply and safe consumption resources. There is significant room for growth and improvement.”

Despite the challenges, CUPE 1004 PHS members hope that government action will increase, bureaucratic barriers to safe supply will be lifted, and more funding and support for vital life-saving services will come soon.

“We learned from the government’s response to COVID-19 that actions can be implemented quickly, perhaps setting a new level of expectations moving forward,” says Crystal. “It would be amazing to see the government mobilized against the overdose crisis.”

COMMUNITY SOCIAL SERVICES

CUPE FOCUS

Bringing our members up CSS WORKERS HOPE FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN BETTER BARGAINING CLIMATE BURNABY | For unionized workers in the community social services (CSS) sector, the difference between working under BC Liberal or BC NDP governments has been like night and day. Under 16 years of the former, they were hammered with net zero wage mandates while much-needed funding was stripped to the bone; under the latter, they have a voice in bargaining and are valued for their work helping B.C.’s most vulnerable citizens.

“The NDP government came to the table with low wage redress plus general wage increases—we didn’t even have to ask,” says CUPE BC General Vice-President and CUPE 1936 President Sheryl Burns, recalling the first round of bargaining under the Horgan administration. “They had better insights into the needs of CSS workers, and the fact that we’re an overlooked sector.”

In that round, increases of 18-to-18.5 per cent brought CSS workers in several classifications closer in line with community health wages. In 2022, however, there is still much room for improvement in wages, benefits, and working conditions.

“Some of our members still don’t earn a living wage,” notes Burns. “Many are struggling due to the increased cost of living, and mileage rates have become a significant issue with rising gas prices, as members are having to pay out of pocket for gas in order to do their jobs.”

Guaranteeing safe workplaces One of the biggest issues is violence in the workplace. Statistics vary within the sectors from year to year, and violence is frequently underreported. That said, WorkSafeBC stats for the five-year period of 2016-2020 show that health care and social service workers—who represent approximately 11 per cent of B.C.’s workforce—accounted for 59 per cent of

READY TO BARGAIN CUPE BC President Karen Ranalletta (third from right) joins CUPE Community Social Services bargaining committee members, from left: Mike Varga, Bob Crozier, Lee-Ann Lalli, Sheryl Burns, and Valeria Mancilla. Missing but on Zoom were Jeff Virtanen and Gabrielle Cameron. time-loss claims due to violent incidents. At B.C. residential social service facilities, acts of violence or force—including physical and sexual assault or abuse—accounted for 55 per cent of all time-loss claims, compared to injuries from over-exertion and other accidents.

As well as improvements to health and safety, and measures to address workload, the sector urgently needs to address recruitment and retention challenges.

“It’s a really stressful job. Our kids sometimes are aggressive and violent, so it’s a challenge to get people coming into the field for that wage,” says CUPE 523 member Nikki Kazimer, a 28-year employee of the North Okanagan Youth and Family Services Society. Kazimer, a program supervisor and child & family counsellor for youth with behavioural challenges, says the Society has been chronically short staffed since COVID. “Our casual list is slowly being depleted, and we’re always recruiting,” she says. “But it’s hard. In the Interior, rent is horrendous.

Many of our young workers are living with their families or parents, staying in the basement. So for someone coming in for an overnight position at $20 an hour, it’s tough to afford.”

In Port Alberni, CUPE 3403 President Carla Bailey says that one hundred per cent sick leave would make a big difference.

“A lot of people in our field are single women with kids,” says Bailey. “We have members who are struggling to make ends meet like everyone else but were receiving only 80 per cent of their sick time. They

weren’t taking time off because that 20 per cent over time really added up.”

Recognizing diversity issues According to a CSS bargaining survey, 73 per cent of CUPE members in the sector identify as women and 66 per cent have dependants. Bargaining committee members say the government recognizes these demographics—as well as diversity in the sector.

“The NDP’s re-election with a majority empowered the government to bring in anti-racism strategies [see story, Page 3], and deal more with reconciliation issues—issues that many of our members face every day,” says CUPE 1936’s Lee-Ann Lalli. “So it’s encouraging that we’ve been having meaningful discussions at the table related to equity, diversity and inclusion.”

One of the biggest threats to CSS workers during the BC Liberal years was an employer approach aimed at lowering job security.

“They wanted to shift group homes into even cheaper care,” recalls CUPE 606 General Vice-President Max Miles, a direct care provider for the Nanaimo Association of Community Living.

“They wanted to find people to use a room for a client so that Community Living BC could pay them instead of maintaining group homes that ensure quality of care.

It’s nice to know that, with the NDP, they’re not going to try to squeeze every dollar out of the system like that.”

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CUPE COMMUNITIES

MEMBERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

A history of “red labour” solidarity in the Kootenays Smelter Wars tells a fascinating tale of rebellious trade union resistance and activism in wartime Trail

CUPE 606 bus driver hailed as a hero NANAIMO | School District 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) bus driver and CUPE 606 member Parry Harder is being praised for his role in averting possible tragedy earlier this year.

On a Monday afternoon in January, Harder was driving his bus with two students on board when it was hit by an SUV. But thanks to his expert driving, everyone walked away safely.

Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools Superintendent Scott Saywell praised Harder at a school district meeting shortly after the accident, saying the bus driver’s actions that day saved lives.

“While we are fortunate that no one was seriously injured, fortune and luck had very little to do with it,” Saywell said.

“It was expert driving and split-second decision-making by the bus driver that averted a collision that would have been much worse, including possibly the loss of life.”

Retired CUPE staffer and labour historian Ron Verzuh had long been curious about the history of the smelter and mining company in Trail where he first worked at eighteen, following in the footsteps of his father and uncles who were second-generation Croatian-Canadian immigrants. Years of archival and periodical research—and oral histories—later, he’s come out with Smelter Wars, a riveting account of the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers (Local 480’s) struggle against the powerful Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada.

The story of union activist resilience in the face of opposition from conservative citizens, corporate media, religious figures, and even the leadership of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, Smelter Wars is as much a cultural study as it is the history of a union. It’s the portrait of a community very much shaped by events of the day—a semi-rural, single industry town hindered by economic depression, two world wars, and Cold War intolerance.

SFU Labour Studies professor Kendra Strauss calls the book “highly readable and deeply insightful” while CUPE President Emeritus Paul Moist says it offers both “an important new contribution to a fascinating period in Canadian labour history” and “an inspiring message for today’s workers.”

To order copies, visit www.utorontopress.com

SISTERS UNITED CUPE 389 member Lisa McIvor (left) had a powerful message as she joined CUPE and other sisters and allies for the February 14 women’s memorial march in East Vancouver (top right). Below right, CUPE BC President Karen Ranalletta, BC Federation of Labour Secretary-Treasurer Sussanne Skidmore, and CUPE BC Regional Vice President Sarah Bjorknas joined a solidarity march with locked out members of UNITE HERE! Local 40 at the Metrotown Hilton on International Women’s Day March 8.

MEMBERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

DEARLY MISSED CUPE 798 President Graham Tonks at a local food drive. Inset: a memorial pin for CUPE 1004 member Gordon Dolyniuk.

CUPE COMMUNITIES

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CHAMPIONS FOR EDUCATION Joining CUPE BC Secretary-Treasurer Trevor Davies and President Karen Ranalletta at the British Columbia School Trustees Association AGM on April 23 were CUPE K-12 presidents, from left, Christina Forsyth (CUPE 779), Jennifer Johnson (CUPE 1260), Daun Frederickson (CUPE 1091), and, far right, Tammy Murphy (CUPE 728).

In memoriam

This year started off tragically for CUPE. On January 3, CUPE 798 President Graham Tonks died suddenly at the age of 34. Graham was proud to help represent workers of the City of Powell River, where he was first hired in 2006 as a labourer in the works yard and went on to serve the community as a Level 3 water treatment operator. After first becoming active on the CUPE 798 executive in 2012, he was elected president four years later. Graham’s wife, son and daughter, CUPE 798 members, and the Powell River community remember him as a man of loyalty and integrity who always stuck up for the underdog.

On January 7, a tragic accident at the Vancouver National works yard took the life of CUPE 1004 member Gordon Dolyniuk. An employee with the Streets Branch in the City of Vancouver Engineering department, Gord had worked building and maintaining critical city infrastructure since 1989. At the age of 64, he was in his last year of work before retirement.

While members continue to mourn, this heartbreaking loss has placed added emphasis on the Local’s ongoing work to improve occupational health and safety at work sites so that such an accident never happens again. CUPE 1004 has set up a scholarship in Gordon’s memory, posted on the local website, for which all members’ families can apply.

On February 10, CUPE 2403 member CJ Mattson, a dedicated member of the Public Works department at the City of Dawson Creek, passed away suddenly at age 39. On February 23 Local members gathered to honour CJ, lining the route to the cemetery with City equipment and staff.

HONOURING THE FALLEN Delegates to CUPE BC’s 58th annual convention in Victoria gathered at the Legislature on April 28 to observe the National Day of Mourning for workers killed or injured on the job.

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POWER IN NUMBERS

TREVOR DAVIES, SECRETARY-TREASURER

Adapting to the Great Resignation...and Renewal AFTER KEY DEPARTURES, WE HONOUR ACTIVIST COMMITMENT—PAST AND FUTURE Over the past couple of years, retirements and new opportunities have dramatically changed the faces in our office at CUPE BC. The retirement of Paul Faoro after last year’s convention and the departure of long-time Trevor Davies staffers have meant that decades of experience and service to our union have literally walked out the door. You really feel the BACK IN PERSON CUPE BC staff, with officers Karen Ranalletta impact in a small office with two full-time elected and Trevor Davies, celebrate a final ritual before the first in-person officers and a dedicated staff of only six or seven. convention since 2019: assembling the binders!

It seems surreal to think about, but in my six years in the secretary-treasurer position I have been In the meantime, we pride ourselves on friendly and professional service at involved in hiring or promoting seven out of eight CUPE BC. So if you happen to find yourself at regional office in Burnaby, be sure employees. I still remember my first few months in to drop by and say hello to the CUPE BC staff: the office after I was first elected: figuring out the Executive Director Kiran Kooner job while getting to know staff and their roles, and Senior Accountant Wendy Monkhouse finding out about pending retirements. The pace Accountant Jolanta Osowska of change seemed daunting as I learned a new role Administrative Assistants Darci Schmid, Chika Buston, Pearly Kheriwal, Morgan myself, but you can’t fight the passage of time: I had McCrystal and Maja Bohnic (temporary). to learn quickly. The pandemic has also accelerated the pace of change, as more people have chosen Change is a natural part of any organization, and in a political organization we this moment to retire or change careers. The ‘great know that no elected position is for life. Sometimes change happens faster than resignation,’ as we’ve come to call it, has impacted all we want or expect, with vice presidents becoming presidents in the blink of an levels of our organization, starting with the election eye. We see long-term service reps retire and new representatives of our new and current president, step in to support our locals. These changes are natural, though over CUPE is a great union Karen Ranalletta. the past two years there has been the additional challenge of trying As I said, we must be mindful of because we always to establish new relationships in new positions over virtual meetings. the years of experience we have lost maintain a pipeline of As we start to meet again in person, it’s imperative that we build with these departures, the decades strong relationships at all levels of CUPE to ensure that we have the new activists and staff of collective intelligence gained from support systems in place to keep our union strong. who are committed to past battles. It is easy to speak of our I would like to recognize another significant departure this spring: union in more impersonal terms such our collective success. that of CUPE Communications representative Clay Suddaby, who as “locals”, “executives’, or “provincial has accepted a senior communications position with the B.C. bodies”, but ultimately we are organizations of government. people. Our successes are built on individual efforts When he first joined CUPE staff in 2010, Clay ran the Ten Per Cent Shift and shared experiences. It is the people in our campaign for then-president Barry O’Neill before being assigned full-time to union—members, volunteers, and staff—who make all CUPE BC. This was not long after I was first elected to the provincial executive the difference in our collective fortunes. board, so for most of my B.C. Division career Clay has been my guiding voice CUPE is a great union because we always maintain for strategic communications and a calming presence during emergencies. He a pipeline of new activists and staff who are also taught me public speaking, political strategy, and campaign management, committed to our collective success. New activists guiding me through budget lockups and the adventure of running for office at bring new energy to our union and help us achieve the BC Federation of Labour. I can’t thank him enough for his service to CUPE BC the unthinkable. We should always remember and and our members; we are a better organization from his work and counsel. I wish honour those activists who retire or take on new Clay the best in his new adventures. opportunities while inspiring new activists to join our ranks and improve our great union with their efforts.

FOLLOW TREVOR ON TWITTER @TreasurerTrevor

Powerful Learning!

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Union Education in B.C. has so far offered the most CUPE workshops in the country for 2022. Last year we put on 287 workshops for members; as of April 11 this year, we had already held 170. Mobilizing Mondays, Local Executive Training Tuesdays and Workshop Wednesdays have been very well received. Bargaining has been a priority for locals as well.

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SUPERPO R U O WE Y E R! S U

THIS OCTOBER VOTE

OCT 15

VOTE FOR PUBLIC SERVICES !

VOTE FOR STRON COMMUNITIES !

VOTE FOR C IL C RE IN SC OOLS !

E-Day is October 15. CUPE members know how important public services are to building strong communities—let’s make sure the people we elect support existing public services, and advocate for new ones, like childcare in public schools.

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