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YEU 10th TRIENNIAL CONVENTION ϮϬϮϯ Vice President Report Justin Lemphers
I’m writing this report on July 30, 2023. I won’t read it until the end of October. Turns out, I have a few things to talk about from the past year and a half. I’ll start with bargaining. A big shout out to all Locals and members who completed bargaining! To those who are now in the process or about to get started – may the process be as smooth as possible. We heard from members that bargaining talks were the most challenging and uncivil in memory. Employers by and large were much more difficult than they had been in the past. Every bargaining improvement under these conditions is all the sweeter for the adversity brought by the employer. To everyone who had any involvement – be it on a bargaining team, on a picket line, sharing information with fellow members, doing desk drops – THANK YOU! All those efforts pay off and build solidarity. Member services and the diversity of membership is the next thing I’ll address. We had a lot to learn from the still on-going pandemic about how we support our members. My prediction for October, when this is tabled, is that Covid is still present and likely beginning to surge again in the Yukon. How I’d love to be wrong! The pandemic was an eye-opener in terms of just how diverse our membership is. By that I don’t mean different employers, I’m referring to differences in belief. This diversity was best represented in our membership newsletter, with *most* of the YEU Executive coming out in opposition to convoy occupations across Canada. Most, but not all. Even on our Executive, there was a diversity of opinion, comfort and belief. YEU staff as the frontline received both support and criticism for our stance on the pandemic. They were often at the receiving end of many political issues related to the pandemic. Members used whatever means of contact they could to praise or criticize YEU. This meant staff were often on the receiving end of communications that were harassing, bullying, and in some cases, hurtful and hateful. It is with gratitude and respect that I acknowledge all the challenges faced by the staff at YEU. The last few years have been rough. Thank you for your work, professionalism, and dedication. Pandemic aside, my thanks to the staff for pulling together this convention. Without you, our work supporting the membership would be damn near impossible. The YEU Executive, similar to YEU staff, had changes throughout the term. To those who stepped away, thank you for all you did. To those who are here with us at the conclusion, it’s been my pleasure to work with you. To those who will be standing for the next term, I have some advice. The best path to walk keeps people and what they need at the core of every decision. Employer relationships, both administrative and political, will hopefully have the new Executive working with employers to walk a people-centric path. Too often, I hear from employers “our system isn’t designed that way”. I’ll admit, it’s a trigger for me. Employers forget that they built systems to be accountable to people. A payroll system is to ensure people get paid appropriately. A health and safety system is to keep workers safe. Systems are a product of people and designed to serve their needs. Far too often, employers cede control to systems and give them more preference, resources, and support than individuals.