It has been only a short time since my last report and the last council meeting. I have been extremely busy but I would have to say some of it was due to the holidays, work commitments, and maybe it is just part of heading into Convention “season”. The last Council Meeting in October, 2013 was the start of gearing up for the PSAC Atlantic Convention to be held in Saint John, NB, June 20-22, 2014.
I am the liaison from Regional Council to the Host Committee for Convention and I asssit the Convention Organizing Committee to brief them on the Host Committee activities to date. Your Host Committee is looking at showcasing the downtown area of Saint John with various events being held in different locations. Find Convention information on the PSAC website. As chair of the Finance committee, I have been involved with the calculation of subsidy amounts for Convention that were approved by Regional Council and the committee will prepare a budget that will be presented at the February Council Meeting.
The Harper government has continued their attack on Public Servants, the continuation of the planned changes to our sick leave; Bill C4 Health and Safety issues in the workplace and changes in how someone is determined to be essential services in the event of strike action. MP, Rodney Weston has refrained from meeting to discuss concerns with Bill C4 as his office advised that the Union’s had already met and discussed their concerns. Myself and Sister Debbie Ferguson had met with MP, Rodney Weston in the summer previous to the introduction of Bill C4. I was really disappointed that he would not meet with us again. If anyone sets up a meeting with their MP I would be happy to attend with you. We have to look ahead to Election 2015 when we have the opportunity to vote Harper out!
The PSAC has been building on the “We are all Affected” campaign, it is very important to talk to the membership and have them resign their commitment to the Union. The “Standing together for public services and our rights” cards serve several purposes, one it allows you to obtain email addresses for your membership which can be used as another tool to be able to share information with them, plus it provides for a one on one conversation. It allows the member to ask about the Union and it allows the Union executive member to ask the Union member to ask the member if they want to be more involved.
The Atlantic Region held a telephone town hall that was a huge success. There were over 3,200 Atlantic members on the call, if you were not able to participate this time, try to attend the next one in the Spring. Information is shared directly from the National President and REVP to your home phone. Make sure you update your information online or by calling the Regional Office so you can participate.
Stay informed, read the PSAC websites, follow Robyn Benson, join the PSAC Facebook page, there is some great information. “Like and Share” things on Facebook, sign the petitions that are circulating and tweet about them. These types of actions share information and are an excellent way to show your support.
My contact information is available on the psacatlantic.ca website.
Let’s all work together…Let’s Stop Harper!
In solidarity
Darlene Bembridge