I don’t know about you, but this summer has certainly flown by for our office.
I would like to wish you all a happy Labour Day weekend. Unions are planning celebrations and marches across the Atlantic, and I’d encourage you to show your support at an event near you!
This has been quite the year for the labour movement. PSAC saw one of the largest strikes in our union’s history. Without solidarity and support from workers, we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish a strike of over 150,000 members.
We secured a compounded wage increase of 12.6% for members working for treasury board and the CRA, we attained the strongest remote work protections in the federal public service, we got the best language to protect workers against contracting out in the federal public service, and so much more.
I would like to recognize that together we accomplished this. Many of our members who weren’t on strike still came out to support the picket lines, and for that I am extremely grateful. The support of other members and the public kept morale up on the lines, which we know had highs and lows. Whether you were on strike or not, this strike helped all workers across the country and kicked off a summer of strikes. A summer of workers showing their employers that they have the power to fight for a living wage, job security, and fair working conditions.
We need to keep the momentum up! This coming year we need to make sure that members can reach out and learn about their union. We have a larger mailing list, we have education courses filling up, and we have members reaching out to us – Now is the time to foster our local development and plan events through our regional committees. I am looking forward to working with PSAC members in the Atlantic to make sure our members know who we are, and to encourage them to get involved. Because we know that for a union to succeed, it needs members to lift it up!
I will be walking with workers in Halifax on Monday for the Labour Day Parade, then I will be joining PSAC members and staff in the Peace and Friendship Park for a post parade gathering. After the Halifax event, I will head to Kentville to catch the end of their celebrations.
All the Atlantic Labour Day events are all posted on our website: https://psacatlantic.ca/labour-day-2023/ and as I said, I hope you’re able to make it to an event near you!
Happy Labour Day everyone!
In Solidarity,
Chris
Regional Executive Vice-President, Atlantic