Media Release - Sodexo Workers at Stanton Territorial Hospital Join PSAC/UNW
Click the document below to view the release.
 sodexofeb19.pdf
Hands off our Pensions!
February 9, 2010
PSAC fighting to protect our members' pensions and for pension reform for all CanadiansThe Harper government has been sending clear signals it will target the federal public service and use a slash-and-burn strategy to tackle the budget deficit. The defined-benefit pension plans of our members in the federal public service seem to be the government's initial target. Click here for more info from the National Website
Right-wing think tank uses faulty report to attack PS pensions
The C.D. Howe institute's report on the state of the federal public-sector pension is only the latest tired tune that uses public-sector workers as scapegoats in the hysteria over the federal budget deficit. Click here for more information from the National Wesite
Lobby groups with the Harper government's ear are making much of the federal public service's pension. They're calling for cutbacks spreading misinformation and distortions to make their case for funding tax cuts and investment loopholes that would benefit their constituents. Click here for more pension info from the National Website
Town Hall Meeting
There will be a Town Hall meeting in Yellowknife on Thursday, February 18th, to address the proposed reform to the Superannuation Public Pension. Please see the poster below for meeting details. Click here for more information on this campaign.
town_hall_poster.pdf
2010 PSAC National Access Conference - Callout
The 2010 PSAC National Access Conference will be held June 4 - 6, 2010 at the Westin Hotel, Ottawa, Ontario under the theme "LET'S FOCUS ON OUR ABILITIES!".
PSAC members in good standing who also identify as being a member with a disability may apply to this conference.
The deadline for applications is March 4, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. EST.
Please see the complete conference callout and registration package below.
2010_Access_Callout_e_FINAL.pdf
Labour Education Opportunity - Athabasca University - Labour Studies 202
Greetings Sister and Brothers,
Here's an exciting labour education opportunity! PSAC North is sponsoring an on-line session of "Labour Studies 202", offered by Athabasca University. Introduction to Labour Studies, is a three-credit, junior-level course. You can see a description of the course at the following address: http://www.athabascau.ca/courses/lbst/202/index.htm
It is a serious commitment, of course, as this is a university level program. It spans over 21 weeks from start to finish and involves exercises, assignments and tests. It will be challenging but, the benefits to your involvement in the labour movement will be with you for a lifetime.
I am looking for a group of 10 to 20 members so that we have a good mix of location, gender, background, etc. There will be group discussions at every level, so the more people the better.
The registration fee is $570.30. Participants will need to cover the full cost initially and PSAC North will remit $200 to each once the participant has successfully completed the program. This fee includes learning resources such as books.
The start date will be most likely towards the end of March, beginning of April 2010.
I have started a "Facebook" group for this initiative. This will be open to members once you have registered.
So if you are interested or if you know a PSAC member in your local, component, workplace who may be interested in taking this program, please reply to deslauj@psac.com by February 21, 2010.
In solidarity,
Jean-François Des Lauriers
REVP, PSAC North
Logo Contest
The NWT Aboriginal Peoples Commitee needs a new logo! This contest is open to all members. Please see the poster below for details.
Logo_Contest.pdf
PSAC National President , Brother John Gordon sends Message of Solidarity with the People of Haiti on behalf of PSAC
Please see below document to read the message.
Haiti_Statement_January_14_2010_.pdf
Return-to-Work courses
The Northern Territories Federation of Labour is offering Return-to-Work courses in partnership with Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission. These courses will be offered in Yellowknife, and include:
- Understanding workers’ compensation (a one-day course offered Tuesdays, starting April 7, 2009)
- Introducing return-to-work (a one-day course offered Wednesdays, starting April 8, 2009
- Developing return-to-work programs (a five-day course offered the last full week of each month, starting April 20 – 24, 2009)
For more information, please call the Northern Territories Federation of Labour at (867) 873-3695. Please see attachment for more information.
 Back-to-Work_courses
PSAC and UNW Support Senior's Rally
The PSAC and UNW rallied with seniors in front of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly an hour before the Budget Address on Thursday, February 5, 2009 to propose changes to the territory’s Supplemental Health Benefits program. Approximately 50 people stood in the cold to voice their protest to changes that would have some seniors and people with disabilities lose or face reductions to their extended health care benefits. After rallying in -30 temperatures for close to an hour, the crowd filtered into the Legislative Assembly to listen to the Budget Address.
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Media Release - Many Rivers Counselling and Support Services Workers Join PSAC
Click the document below to view the release.
 Many_Rivers_Press_Release.doc
December 6th is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
On December 6th, 1989, the lives of14 feminists were abruptly ended as a lone gunman opened fire upon them at l'École Polytechnique in Montreal. Since then, we have marked this anniversary with rememberance, in hope that from this trajedy, we could begin to build a better world by addressing the issue of violence against women in our society.
Gender-based violence is a symptom of underlying systemic factors of oppression that we need to continue addressing in our homes, workplaces, and society.
Women continue to experience alarming rates of violence in their own homes. In the North, domestic violence is 5 times the national average.
In the workplace, women are likely to suffer from violence and harassment at a much higher rate than their male counterparts. The past decade has seen a 40% increase in workplace violence.
In society, women are still fighting against inequity and discriminatory social policies that limit their full participation. Women of colour, Aboriginal women, and women with disabilities face additional barriers that affect their standard of living, access to resources, and quality of life.
We need to continue our efforts to fight against gender-based violence, and create an equitable society that provides safety and security for all its members. Joining the local Women’s Committee, writing letters to the editor, lobbying your Member of Parliament, and supporting local women’s programs are all examples of ways you can participate in social change.
As we stand in rememberance on December 6th for the women we have lost to violence, let us also renew our commitment to create a better world for girls and women. In doing so, we will have created a better world for everyone.
Dene National Environment and Water Summit Report
PSAC representatives attended the Dene National Environment and Water Summit, November 4 - 6th, 2008. This was an excellent opportunity for the PSAC to gain more information about the growing water concerns within First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, as well as the infringement of privatization on the rights of Canadians.
The full report is available in the attachment below.
Dene_Water_Summit_Report.doc
Colombian Union Needs Your Support
Public Services International is asking for your support to send letters of protest in support of Colombian refuse collection workers whose collective agreement is being threatened by privatization.
To read more, and to send your letter of support for these workers, click here. Urgent Action Required.
*please note: the contact information for the Embassy of Colombia in Canada is consul@embajadacolombia.ca, which you will need for the line that asks for the Colombian mission in your country*
Whitehorse Regional Pride Committe Short Story Winners Selected
November 7, 2008
In honour of Anti-Homophobia Week, the Whitehorse Regional Pride Committee sponsors a Short Story Writing Contest. This year's theme was Homosexuality is Not a Sickness.
Congratulations to the following for their winning submissions!
- Jerome Stueart - 1st Place - Believing in the Dog
- Susie Ross - 2nd Place - The Airplane Ride
- Barry Jenkins - 3rd Place - Vaccination
To read the submissions, please click here.
PSAC fears for safety of Colombian activists
Six Colombian activists, including members of the Oil Workers' Trade Union, have received death threats from a paramilitary group. The PSAC urges members to write a letter to Colombian authorities. Amnesty International has more information.
Click here for more information from Amnesty and to take action now.
Trade Unionists at Risk in Colombia
This action is in the form of an e-petition and hence is quick and easy -- i.e. people don't have to write their own letter although they can add a comment, should they wish to.
More than 1250 people have already signed on. However, we need to bump that number up into the thousands in order to have an impact. So please, sign the petition and circulate it to all of your networks. Your help is crucial to the success of this initiative.
We have approached a number of trade unions in Canada who have generously agreed to put a link to our action on their websites, in order to encourage their members to sign on. If you have connections with any unions, union locals, or like-minded organizations, please reach out to them and seek their support in getting their members to sign the petition via an item on their website or other means of commendation.
Eventually, we will also be delivering a printed version of the petition to the authorities in Colombia and to government members in Canada, as well as key members of the opposition (since the substance of the petition is further evidence of the need for a human rights impact assessment of the proposed Canada Colombia Free Trade Agreement).
We know that Colombian authorities are anxious to achieve ratification of the free trade agreement and hence are particularly sensitive about improving their international image at this moment. At the same time, the number of assassinations of trade unionists in Colombia -- 41 so far this year -- has increased alarmingly from the total for the same period last year.
The lives of courageous human rights defenders in Colombia -- and their vital work -- depend on your action.
Many thanks for your solidarity!
Support for Striking Colombia Sugar Workers
According to a recent release by the International Union of Food Workers (IUF), 18,000 Colombian sugar workers in the Cauca river valley region, organized in the National Union of Sugarcane Cutters, have been on strike since September 15th, 2008. The IUF is requesting international support for their struggle.
Please see these links for further information, and show your solidarity by signing the petition to the Colombian government.
To view the link in english, click here.
To view the link in french, click here.
NEW: Sugar Cutters Hunger Strike Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoLW6QBDSVQ
Media Release: Ratification of Government of Nunavut collective agreement
The Public Service Alliance of Canada is pleased to announce the successful ratification of Government of Nunavut employee’s collective agreement. Members of the Nunavut Employee’s Union collective bargaining team voted 88% in favor of ratifying their new collective agreement, ending a lengthy 18 month long bargaining process.
Highlights of the new Government of Nunavut collective agreement include new provisions for:
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Nineteen percent (19%) compounded increase to rates of pay over the life of the agreement
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A five percent (5%) increase per annum for the Nunavut Northern Allowance and an MOU to work on a new formula that will reflect the costs of living in Nunavut
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Significant retention and recruitment allowance for front-line nurses
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The inclusion of a new Continuous Service Bonus
“This new collective agreement forms a renewed relationship between the Nunavut Employees Union and the Government of Nunavut”, says Nunavut Employees Union President, Doug Workman. “On behalf of our Executive, we appreciate the support of our membership and the commitment of our negotiating team with new terms and conditions that will hopefully retain and recruit the necessary workers who deliver the vital public service on behalf of the Government of Nunavut”.
“This has been the end of a very long saga with the Government of Nunavut, and puts a conclusion for now on a long, drawn out round of bargaining”, says Jean-Francois Des Lauriers, Regional Executive Vice President of the Public Alliance of Canada North. “We are glad that our members now have a contract, and we will be working with them over the next few years on any other issues that need to be resolved”.
The Nunavut Employees Union and the Government of Nunavut are currently working on finding a date for signing the new agreement.
PSAC North 4th Triennial Convention
The Public Service Allianceof Canada North held a 4th Triennial Convention in Yellowknifefrom May 30th – June 1, 2008. Elections for Regional Executive Vice-President, Alternate Regional Executive Vice President, and Territorial Directors were held during this time.
Jean-Francois Des Lauriers won the majority of votes for the position of PSAC Regional Executive Vice President, which will make this Jean-Francois Des Lauriers’ 5th term as Regional Executive Vice President for PSAC North.
Coleman Nyathi was acclaimed to the position of PSAC Alternate Regional Executive Vice President.
Delegates also voted in three territorial directors: Mike Nugent for Yukon, Bill Daltonfor Northwest Territories, and Hannah Uniuqsaraq for Nunavut.
John Gordon, PSAC National President, spoke to delegates on June 1st about the importance of preserving quality public services, and the threat to public services in the North due to budget cuts from the territorial government.
Convention workshops included the PSAC Social Justice Fund and Defending Quality Public Services. Workshops were particularly relevent for 2 rallies that delegates participated in during convention. On May 29th, approximately 120 delegates joined the Dene Nation in their march for the National Day of Action, providing solidarity in the fight against poverty experienced by Aboriginal peoples in Canada. On May 30th, convention delegates marched from the Explorer Hotel to the Legislative Assembly in a ‘Stop the Cuts’ rally, in protest of the territorial government’s unecessary budget cuts. Delegates briefly attended Legislative Assembly proceedings after the rally. “The PSAC North convention was particularly timely with some of the immediate challenges we are facing right now in the North, such as Aboriginal poverty and threats to quality public services”, said Jean-Francois Des Lauriers, PSAC Regional Executive Vice President. “Convention delegates had the opportunity to put their learning into action by participating in workshops, then actively raising their voice together on the issues at hand”.
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PSAC members elected to Northern Territories Federation of Labour executive
The Public Service Alliance of Canada North is pleased to announce the election of PSAC candidates to the executive committee and executive council of the Northern Territories Federation of Labour on June 2, 2008.
Two PSAC candidates were elected for territorial Vice Presidents. Sonja Boucher was elected Vice President for the Northwest Territories, and Geoff Ryan was elected as Vice President for Nunavut. "Now is the time, more than ever before, to come together and stand in solidarity" says Boucher. "We face so many common issues as Labour - from privatization, downsizing, poverty, discrimination, and the decreasing quality of our public services. Our common struggles should unite us as workers in the NWT. I look forward to working with all members over the next 3 years".
Wes Smith, also a PSAC candidate, was elected as secretary for the executive committee.
Five of the six Regional Vice Presidents that have been elected to the executive council were PSAC candidates. Sheila Sauteur-Chadwick was elected Regional Vice President for Dehcho/South Slave; Dudley Johnson was elected Regional Vice President for Sahtu/Inuvik; Jennifer Corporon was elected Regional Vice President for Kitikmeot; Agnes Poksiak-Turner was elected Regional Vice President for Kivalliq; and John Vander Velde was elected Regional Vice President for Qikiqtani.
Jean-Francois Des Lauriers extends his congratulations to the newly appointed PSAC members of the Northern Territories Federation of Labour executive.
Northwest Territories- News and Updates
Click here for the latest news from Northwest Territories.
Yukon - News and Updates
Click here for the latest news from the Yukon.
Nunavut - News and Updates
Click here for the latest news from Nunavut. New updates: Hamlet of Arviat ratifies new Agreement; Government of Nunavut Strike Preparation Training.
Press Release - Minuscule Increase to Northern Residents Tax Deduction: an Insult
Click the document below to read release.
NRTD.doc
Project 2 Front Teeth a Success!
The Regional Youth Committee put out the call, and the citizens of Whitehorse answered! Orgainzers set a goal of 240 gift donations - they received close to 300. More info...
Celebrating National Aboriginal Peoples’ Day 2009
June 21st marks the summer solstice, which has been celebrated for centuries by many Aboriginal communities. In 1996, the Parliament of Canada proclaimed June 21st as National Aboriginal Peoples Day.
National Aboriginal Peoples Day is an opportunity for PSAC to express solidarity with Aboriginal Peoples and support the call for a better life for all Aboriginal Peoples. This is also an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Aboriginal Peoples in our communities and our union.
The PSAC NWT Aboriginal People’s Committee hosted the annual Pancake Breakfast in celebration of National Aboriginal Peoples Day on June 21stat the Elks Club in Yellowknife. The breakfast was open to the public and it was well attended with brochures, posters, and bandanas being distributed along with pancakes, sausages, coffee, and juice. Denis Bevington, Member of Parliament for Western Arctic, assisted the committee with serving breakfast.
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2010 Education Schedule
New courses have been added to the Yukon and NWT schedules for 2010 (still more courses to be posted so check back frequently).
NEU website
click here to access the Nunavut Employees Union.
Union Development Program (UDP) 2009-2010
Dates for UDP have been set. The schedule, course information, and application can be viewed here. All eligible members across the north are encouraged to apply.
Update - New Pictures!
Photos from the 2009 NWT/NU Union School in Yellowknife can now be viewed on our Education page. Click here to have a look!
Summer Health & Safety Newsletter
Click here to visit our Health & Safety page and view the Summer 2009 newsletter.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Click here for information on links to the BRUSH Committee of the PSAC BC region.
No Cuts!
Visit nocuts.ca for information on the UNWs campaign to save our public services.
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