Yukon Employees' Union Newsletter August 2019

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Yukon Employees’ Union 2285-2nd Ave. Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 1C9

Yukon Employees’ Union August 2019

NEWS

Bienvenido a Yukon!

post belies the stress she felt, and after making little progress, worsened by the language barrier, a Watson Lake VIC staff member stepped in to help. Within minutes, YEU member Jan had sorted out the insurance agent, and a tow truck was booked to take Maggie to Whitehorse the next morning. Nati calls Jan her first Yukon angel, but that’s not where the story ends.

Rena, another staff member at the Visitor’s Centre made some calls and quickly found a place for the family to spend the night – at the appropriately named local shelter, Help & Hope for Families. Facility staff (all YEU members) made them feel at home, and offered kindness and respite after a very stressful day.

atson Lake is a community many of us drive right through, stopping for fuel and a snack, snapping a few photos in the Signpost Forest and continuing on our way. It’s a nice little highway town, and in late June, it proved to be a very hospitable place for a stranded Spanish family.

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What happens when a 7 year old, a 9 year old and Mom and Dad move into a motorhome and hit the highway for three years? At the very least, it’s sure to be the adventure of a lifetime! Nati and Javier are nearing the conclusion of an immersive ‘round the world experience with their kids Alejandro and Carla, now aged 10 and 12. In the three years since they left their home in Seville, Spain, they have travelled just about everywhere their motorhome could go.

Their website summarizes the trip like this: 3 years, 1 motorhome, 68,924 kilometres, 9 flights, 6 ferries, 5 cargo ships, 4 continents, 49 countries. They’ve shipped that motorhome around the world, tinkering under the hood as needed, making friends and learning along the way.

The family was headed for Whitehorse in late June, destination Alaska for the final leg of their journey. With a September 1 date in Toronto to allow home-schooled Carla to write her academic exams at the Spanish Embassy, time had begun to move very quickly. Predictably, that’s when things started to go sideways.

As they approached Watson Lake , Maggie (the family’s beloved motorhome) suffered a serious mechanical failure.

On the family’s Facebook page, Nati described their situation with humour and optimism, but things were not looking great. “Maggie can't walk, drives just 10 km/hr: it looks very bad. We’ve found the only mechanic in town, but as the vehicle is European, he has no idea how to fix the breakdown. The solution is to go to the Ford dealership in the nearest city… that is 450 kilometers away! So it's time to convince the insurance company to cover the tow truck, because our insurance only covers 16 kilometers of towing!”

Maggie limped into the parking lot of the Visitor’s Information Centre, where the family encountered true Yukon hospitality - things suddenly began to look better.

Javier speaks little English, so Nati tried negotiating with the insurance company to organize a tow. The humour in her

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In the morning, Javier left for Whitehorse with Maggie in tow, heading for a repair shop. That left Nati and the children to make their way up the Alaska Highway. Once again, Yukoners stepped in, proving that our legendary hospitality is alive and well. Another resident of Watson Lake (and YEU member!) was heading to Whitehorse, and offered the trio a ride to the city. As Nati says, “When thing get hard, there’s always someone who lends a hand to help, don’t you think?

One favour after another is making our way much easier.”

Once in Whitehorse, the mechanics had bad news – the parts would have to be shipped from Spain, causing a delay of several weeks. Although this created some challenges for the family, they were able to stay in their motorhome for some of the time, and found friends through Servas International determined to help make their stay in the Yukon a pleasant one.

Enriched by new friendships and a dizzying array of local festivals and cultural experiences, their weeks in Whitehorse passed quickly. Their video blog featured the launch of the 2019 Yukon River Quest, Canada Day, and the kids participating in arts workshops at the Adaka festival. Mom and the kids even entered the bannock making competition in Shipyards Park while Dad took pictures and served as official taste-tester.

While a long stay in Whitehorse was not in the family’s plans, it’s an understatement to say they made the best of their time here. Maggie is back in find form, and the family has resumed their travels, heading home to Spain this fall. Nati says they will never forget their new friends or the kindness shown by so many Yukoners.

We’re proud to know that our YEU members helped smooth the way for this family Alejandro, Javier, Carla and Nati of intrepid travellers, making celebrated 1000 days of a lasting impression on a fam- adventure while in Whitehorse ily from the other side of the world.

In so many ways, we are Stronger. Together.

YEU NEWS August 2019

NEWS

From the President’s Desk Steve Geick

n July, more than 2000 members ratified a new collective agreement for Yukon Government workers. I want to give a huge shout out to the bargaining teams, to our negotiator, and to the staff of the PSAC’s Regional Office. I have to give an even bigger shout out to the membership for giving us clear direction, supporting us through the process and especially for coming out to learn about and vote on the agreement. Well I guess that’s it, we’re golden until 2021!

No? HELL no.

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Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s true that the main purpose of the ratification meetings across the territory was to inform the membership of the contents of the tentative agreement, and answer questions so they could make an informed decision prior to voting. By visiting worksites and communities, we also had the chance to engage in important, face-to-face conversations with members about what’s really happening in their workplaces.

What we heard was infuriating. There are many stories of chronic, blatant disregard for the collective agreement (CA) and inconsistencies in the application of the CA between Departments. Even more infuriating were the inconsistencies between branches of the same department.

I have to say what riles me up the most is the overt, flagrant abuse of precarious workers. I am talking about people who have been employed as casuals for up to five years - seasonal Auxiliary On Call workers who are laid off for two days at the end of their seasons, and are then re-hired as casual employees. They continue to work for this employer for the rest of the year without any benefits or protection the contract offers their co-workers. People working side by side are doing the same job, with different classifications, pay and benefits.

We have amazing members doing some of the toughest jobs out there, being treated like 4th class citizens and what happens when they complain? They’re called in for fewer and fewer shifts or they are shown the door. It is an abuse by the employer and we intend to work hard to fix this ongoing embarrassment.

And don’t get me started on some of the recurring Health & Safety issues we hear about when we go door to door visit-

ing worksites. What we don’t hear much about from our members are stories of compassionate, understanding, accountable or empathetic managers. Apparently those qualities will need to be negotiated into the next collective agreement. Meanwhile, you can be damned sure we’ll keep working to improve working conditions until we sit down to negotiate the next contract.

It’s important that we hear from you throughout the life of this agreement. If you see something we were not able to address this round, and you want us to try and fix it next round, get in touch. We’re working on getting a digital bargaining input form on our website, but in the meantime you can email us directly (contact@yeu.ca) or use our contact form on the website; yeu.ca/contact I don’t want to paint every manager, HR person, director, ADM or DM as an inconsiderate and incompetent oaf, because we did hear about the amazing ones who care about their employees and treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve. To those individuals, we offer kudos and thanks. If you are unfortunate enough to work for one of the less competent and conscientious managers, give us a call. We’re working on it.

The weather has turned - leaves are falling and it’s a new season. We have a new collective agreement and we made no concessions - gave nothing away.

Are we pleased with what was accomplished? Yes. Are we going to rest on our laurels? HELL NO!!

Steve Geick, President

Yukon Employees’ Union

Yukon Employees’ Union Newsletter

August 2019 Page

is very proud to launch The Community Laundry Project, a new community initiative designed to help meet a service gap.

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Many people in our city do not have laundry facilities in their homes or apartment units, so they’re forced to visit a laundromat and use the coin operated machines. That’s an expensive routine, and a challenge for tight budgets.

For those of us with in-home washers and dryers, it’s easy to forget how expensive it can be to do your family’s wash at a coin operated facility. For the working poor, homeless and those struggling to get by, the cost can simply be too great.

After some research into the realities faced by people in need of affordable laundry solutions, we learned that it is very difficult to access free laundry in Whitehorse and there are no

programs in place to meet the need. Social Assistance recipients qualify for a $10/month laundry subsidy once they’ve been on SA for six months. That’s not much - in fact that’s about one and a half loads of wash at a laundromat.

Together with volunteers from the Whitehorse United Church, YEU’s Public Relations Committee has committed to a six month pilot project to help. One evening a month for six months we’ll be at the Family Hotel laundromat with coins for the machines, snacks, refreshments and simple activities to keep kids busy while the clothes get cleaned.

We know it’s not a perfect solution, but we hope it will go a long way toward figuring out what kind of need really exists in the city. We also hope to build on what we learn to help lobby for improved services for our vulnerable citizens.

Volunteers welcome, email dturner-davis@yeu.ca

in downtown Whitehorse

YEU Behind the Scenes or: Important things you didn’t know your Union was working on.

Some members from Yukon Government recently approached YEU for assistance because their Yukon Bonus had been reduced. We learned that these members were on reduced hours at work, and therefore on partial leave without pay.

The collective agreement with YG states that the Yukon Bonus will be reduced if someone is on leave without pay for 30 consecutive calendar days. However, these members who were on partial leave without pay were not away from work for 30 consecutive days, and therefore should not have their Bonus reduced.

33.05 If a regular employee takes authorized leave without pay in excess of 30 consecutive calendar days, other

Coming Soon to a screen near you!

In a world... where managers ignore bargained rights even while Collective Agreements exist to make workplaces fair, a hero emerges from the ranks. Unsure at first, with training they become a confident problem solver, a Super Shop Steward!

than maternity or parental leave, his/her Yukon Bonus shall be reduced proportionally for each period of 30 consecutive calendar days of leave without pay that s/he takes.

YEU filed a policy grievance alleging that the employer’s practice does not follow our agreement in article 33.05.

The employer acknowledged the error and has sent instructions to all departments to correct it. Going forward, employees on temporarily reduced hours should no longer have their Yukon Bonus reduced unless they are on LWOP for more than 30 consecutive calendar days.

If something in your workplace isn't working, please reach out to your Shop Steward, a member of your Local Executive or the staff at the YEU Hall. We're all here to help.

You won’t see it on Netflix this fall, but if some of our members had their way, we’d soon be screening a series about a year in the life of a YEU member.

In July, we brainstormed topics for a short video that our activists would create, with a bit of in-house help. With a rough story arc planned, the next step is to get together to write the script, then to shoot and edit their first production. We’ll be using smart phones to create and edit; it’s exciting to realize that, with an app or two, we can do amazing things with the powerful devices we carry.

If you’re interested in participating on screen or by adding your creative energy behind the scenes, please contact Lynne Pajot at YEU.

EU’s Feed the People Labour Day Barbecue was launched by our largest Local, Y010 YGEU with a cooperative of community groups. Volunteers pull off the massive free lunch on the first Monday in September each year, feeding up to 1500 people at a time. After 25 years, the annual YEU Labour Day barbeque is truly a Whitehorse institution.

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How many volunteer hours does it take to ensure the big show runs smoothly year after year? Impossible to count, but more than you would probably guess. Yukon Employees’ Union’s Public Relations Committee took over running the event a few years ago, and we start our work and planning in March. Besides all the people you see at the park on Labour Day, helpers prepare the lists and do the shopping, run coffee, prepare vegetables, manage the set-up and coordinate volunteers. And of course, a few of our volunteers show up to help year after year.

Michael Dougherty is a perennial volunteer - in fact, we’re pretty sure he has attended every Labour Day barbecue. To the amusement of this article’s author it was hard to tell which year was which by the photos, as Michael wore the same sweater and Tilley hat to so many of the early barbeques!

Michael also appears not to have aged a second in the last quarter century.

Samantha Bowers will help out again this year, skillfully working the food line, serving up smiles along with the meal. She is our only volunteer who can truthfully say they’ve spent every Labour Day of their life at the YEU Feed the People BBQ. Her Dad was a YEU activist through his YG career, and where Dad went, so did Sam. She was helping out when she was just a little one, and by now, she’s a seasoned professional. Dad Mark says of the annual event “I think my favourite part is that we, labour, give back to our community.

Some of my favourite memories are of Sam throughout the years. She has always had a huge heart and wants nothing more than to be helpful.” Sam adds “I keep coming back because I am helping people have a hot meal, and also a good time. My favourite part is setting up and after seeing the first people show up, and then the line form.”

Over the last several years, we’ve worked with the Whitehorse Food Bank to help stock their shelves. Based on the needs they identified, and with the community’s assistance, we built impressive mountains of Mac & Cheese, providing over 1200 boxes each year to help curb hunger in Whitehorse.

This year, we’re excited to work with The Union Protein Project to support our food bank. A union funded organization, the UPP offers high quality, low-cost tuna, salmon and peanut butter to food banks across BC. Union support allows for costs below wholesale, and means our donation budget goes much further. We’re not sure our order will arrive in time for the BBQ, but we are really pleased to help in this way.

How do you celebrate 25 years of working to feed the people? Well, you have a party complete with a bouncy castle and games for the kids. Not one but TWO live bands will keep us all moving and warm no matter the weather, and of course we’ll have tons of food!

PSAC’s National President Chris Aylward and National Vice President Magali Picard will be in the trenches, sporting chef hats & flipping burgers to feed our guests. You’ll see representatives from PIPSC, from the Whitehorse Firefighters Association, Carpenters Local 2499, the Yukon Teachers’ Association as well as the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and the Yukon Federation of Labour.

We hope YOU will help us build a Protein Pyramid this year bring your donation of a shelf stable food item to the Labour Day Barbeque, and add it to the pyramid in the gazebo. Then please, go say hi to Michael, Samantha, and all the other smiling volunteers.

Happy Labour Day!

August 20, 2019

PSAC North Fall 2019 Training Schedule

Dear Affiliate Member of the YFL:

TALKING UNION BASICS (TUB) A Northern Perspective September 27th &28th, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

I would like to invite you to attend the All Candidates Meeting hosted by the Yukon Federation of Labour, held at the Yukon College in the Pit. The meeting will take place Tuesday September 24th at 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm.

CONVENTION PREP & RESOLUTION WRITING How to get yourself & your resolution to convention October 12th, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm November 8th, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH & SAFETY October 18th & 19th, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Agenda: • Self-Introduction of the candidates • Pre-determined questions • Audience questions with all candidates able to respond (questions & answers will be limited to 3 minutes with 2 minutes each for rebuttals) • Closing comments by each candidate.

INTRODUCTION TO LOCAL OFFICERS TRAINING How to be an effective Local Representative November 15th & 16th, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

I will be looking for a couple of volunteers; a co-chair, timekeeper and someone to keep notes. Please spread the word and bring as many members as possible.

BARGAINING FROM STRENGTH November 23rd & 24th 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Respectfully, Ron Rousseau, President Yukon Federation of Labour yfl@yukonfed.com 867-456-8250

dalleys@psac-afpc.com to register

We are in this together.

We can make a difference together!

Congratulations to Teresa Acheson, recently elected to the Yukon Employees’ Union’s (YEU) Executive.

Teresa previously occupied a position on the YEU Board, representing members in the role of Treasurer, presenting the budget to convention delegates. Teresa was President of Local Y023, City of Whitehorse through the 2018 round of bargaining - a challenging time for members of both City Locals. A member of the bargaining team, Teresa attributes their success to the strength and solidarity of the membership.

Teresa welcomes the opportunity to step back into a Director’s seat on the YEU Executive, representing members and assisting our communities to help protect the rights of Yukon’s workers.

As a YEU Director, Teresa promises to: • Honor the commitment to be an active and engaged board member • Listen to and advocate for YEU members • Support the elected Executive and respect the YEU staff • Consider carefully all matters brought to the board for consideration.

• Address member concerns and hold our Component accountable to the members.

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YEU NEWS August 2019

YEU 2019-2020 Education BURSARIES YEU is Now Accepting Applications for the 2019-2020 academic year. We award 8 bursaries of $1000 each for eligible full-time & part-time students in accredited post-secondary studies.

September 30 Application Deadline.

yeu.ca/bursaries

MEETINGS & EVENTS Shop Steward Round Table: 3rd Wed, 9am - noon, YEU YEU Monthly Exec Meeting: 2nd Thurs., 5:15 - 7pm, YEU Y010 Monthly Meeting: 2nd Tues., 5:30-7:30 p.m., YEU Y017 Monthly Meeting: 4th Thursday, 7:00 p.m., YEU

YEU STAFF CONTACTS Susan Koser, Labour Relations Advisor; skoser@yeu.ca Dan Robinson, Labour Relations Advisor; drobinson@yeu.ca David Anderson, Labour Relations Advisor; danderson@yeu.ca Jessica Kish, Labour Relations Advisor; jkish@yeu.ca Jim Crowell, Labour Relations Advisor; jcrowell@yeu.ca Lynne Pajot, Education Officer; lpajot@yeu.ca Beckie Huston, Intake Officer; bhuston@yeu.ca Tammy Olsen, Financial Officer; tolsen@yeu.ca Roseanne Elias, Membership Services Officer; relias@yeu.ca Deborah Turner-Davis, Communications; dturner-davis@yeu.ca Christie Harper, Executive Director; charper@yeu.ca

Yukon Employees’ Union, 2285 2nd Ave. Whitehorse YT Y1A 1C9 PH: 867-667-2331 Fax: 867-667-6521 1-888-YEU-2331 contact@yeu.ca www.yeu.ca Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.

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YEU NEWS August 2019