75th ARC - St. John’s Branch Report
May 25 - 26, 2018
First, I want to thank the branch executive for their support and guidance during my first year as Branch President. Your dedication and efforts to the success of the branch are greatly appreciated.
The branch held four meetings this year. Our goals for the year focused on: member engagement; increase PIPSC visibility in the community; partnership with the local District Labour Council; and, enhance members’ knowledge of PIPSC issues such as Phoenix and C-27.
Goal 1: Member Engagement
At each meeting we brainstormed various ideas to enhance member engagement. We discussed and analyzed hosting activities such as bowling, skating, curling, and a barbecue. Bowling was ruled out due to venue availability. As the SH, AV, and CS sub groups co-hosted a successful skating lunch and learn event on November 13, 2017, the branch will consider this event for November 2018. A curling event is being considered for late April 2018 and we continue to analyse the option of a PIPSC Barbeque for this summer or early fall.
The branch Christmas social provided the opportunity to network with members and enhance engagement. This year we had several new PIPSC members attend which gave us the opportunity to encourage them to become union involved. These social events provide the opportunity to promote member engagement and steward recruitment. As the Christmas party is well attended by various group members, we aspire to continue this event again in 2018.
While social events do provide the opportunity to informally promote PIPSC’s mandate, the branch executive decided that moving forward we will enhance branch social events by including an education activity such as a lunch and learn. We will aim to include education at each event moving forward.
Goal 2: Local District Labour Council Partnership
The branch continued to work with the District Labour Council (DLC), an organization that focuses on lobbying, education, and community involvement. Travis Kendall is the branch liaison and Christine Newhook has applied to be a delegate at the Labour Council meetings. Members can apply to be a delegate at any time. DLC sponsored events that the branch participated in this year included:
Day of Mourning: The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) officially established April 28 as the National Day of Mourning, a day that commemorates workers who have been killed, injured or suffered illness due to workplace hazards or incidents. Shockingly, statistics from the Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) tell us that in 2016, Canada recorded 905 workplace deaths and 241,508 claims accepted for lost time due to a work-related injury or disease. The 2017 Day of Mourning theme was Remember Westray: Enforce the Law. Rhonda Bridger, a SH group member, and I represented the branch and laid a wreath at this event. Interestingly, the local event was held April 24, 2017 and on April 27, 2017 the federal government announced that it will act to ensure effective enforcement of the Westray Law (2004) provisions in the Criminal Code, allowing for the criminal prosecution of employers whose negligence puts workers at risk. This win is representative of a successful lobbying campaign. The branch will continue to support the Day of Mourning event; the 2018 theme is a Call for a National Ban on Asbestos, a known harmful substance that causes disease suffering and death-all of it preventable.
Pride Parade: The local DLC invited the Branch to participate in the July 4, 2017 St. John’s Pride Parade. Kim Skanes, Susan Harris and I walked in parade passing out PIPSC swag and chatted with parade observers, hence increasing PIPSC visibility. This event was well attended by numerous unions and associations. The branch will continue to support this event and aim to have increased PIPSC presence in July 2018.
Labour Day Event: Travis Kendall, as the branch DLC liaison, attended the annual City of St. John’s and District Labour Council Family Fun Day on Monday, September 4, 2017. The branch contributes funds to this event yearly and is encouraging PIPSC members to take advantage of this public event.
Pharmacare: Susan Harris, Andrew Haggerty, a new SH group member, and I represented the branch at the CLC’s Pharmacare Townhall Forum on March 26, 2018. The Pharmacare lobbying campaign, Pharmacare: A plan for everyone, began in September 2017 and to date has been making some gains. In fact, the recent federal budget committed a pathway to establish a universal prescription drug plan for all Canadians regardless of their age, income or where they live. Currently 3.5 million Canadians can’t afford their prescriptions, and many are making a choice between buying groceries or purchasing the medications they need. While gains have been made, unions are asking members to keep the pressure on and add you voice by signing the petition at http://www.aplanforeveryone.ca/sign_the_petition.
Goal 3: Community Involvement
As a key strategy to give back to the community the branch executive decided that we would support charities at our branch social events. In keeping with this goal, we asked members for monetary donations on admission to the Christmas Social. We raised $130.00, which we donated to the food bank. The branch will continue to support local charities at branch socials.
Other community involvement strategies include: Presenting a trophy/plaque (to a maximum of $100) at the Provincial Science Fair to a deserving student; holding branch executive meetings at local venues (e.g., gathering place, Stella's circle, Legion); and supporting local programs such as “Take Care of Lunch Program” and Ronald McDonald house. Christine Newhook has agreed to arrange a baking event at Ronald McDonald house in near future and heads up, we will be seeking volunteers.
Goal 4: PIPSC Issues
Given the ongoing political climate and looming attack on pensions, the branch hosted a C 27 lunch and learn On October 18, 2017. We had the privilege of having Greg Scriver visit us to deliver the C27 presentation. The event was well attended, numerous questions were considered, post cards completed, and members were ecstatic to hear that this bill had the potential to die on the table as it would not be heard prior to the house closing for Christmas. To date it is speculated that Bill C-27 will stay at first reading and die on the order paper. However, we must keep the pressure on and continue to watch what is happening to other pensions across Canada.
In keeping with pensions, I have confirmed four Pension Education sessions on May 29 and June 1st, 2018. These sessions are facilitated by PWGSC as a part if the SHE Outreach mandate. Each session is a 3 hour interactive session that includes a presentation, a video and examples. Each session will require a venue that includes audiovisual speakers and internet connection, hence please consider this when booking your session. A minimum of 12 participants is required and each session can accommodate a maximum of 50 participants. If you are interested in hosting a session in your respective workplace, please let me know what date and time works best for your members. An email invite will be sent to the membership in St. John’s.
Phoenix continues to cause difficulty for our members. I recently completed the Nix Phoenix lunch and learn training on April 4, 2018. I would encourage you to promote this training in your workplace. The goal of the training is to support our Nix Phoenix activist and build capacity on how to lead a Nix Phoenix Presentation in your workplace. Participants will be provided a Lunch and Learn tool kit which includes: a slide deck, speaking notes, buttons and leaflets. Lobbying MP’s is a key component of this campaign.
Lastly, our retired member, Brian MacPhee, successfully established the Avalon Chapter of the Retired Members Guild (RMG) in St. John’s. The chapter has held three meetings and will have their first AGM on May 10, 2018. The RMG Atlantic Representative, Don Eldershaw, will attend the AGM and provide details on the operations of the RMG. The RMG is a valuable resource for members as they are not employer attached and raise our issues without fear of retribution.
In Solidarity,
Carolyn Hynes
Branch President, St. John’s