LOCAL 846
British Columbia provincial Election Day – October 24th – is approaching quickly. We encourage all union members to engage in this election and especially cast your ballots. The provincial government can profoundly affect the lives of workers.
CUPW is over 7,000 members strong in British Columbia. We can be a big factor in electing a government that supports better lives for working people, that will improve public services and that will put people first in our fight against the pandemic.
October General Membership Meeting
Thursday , October 22nd, 7pm Via Zoom Video/Phone conference
You must register in advance for this meeting. Registration Deadline Wednesday October 21st @7pm
*Due to the information needed to be sent to participants, and the time required to authenticate registrations, all participants must register by the deadline above. *Admission to the meeting will close fifteen (15) minutes from the start of the meeting.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
AGENDA FOR THE OCTOBER GMM:
In Solidarity,
Blair Bancroft
Acting President
**Notice of Motion:
Whereas the Vancouver Local Bylaws speak to coverage for absences of the President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, 3rd Vice President, Grievance Officer, and Secretary Treasurer;
And Whereas the Vancouver Local Bylaws have no mention regarding coverage for absences of executive members other than those listed above;
And whereas long uncovered executive absences can impede the business of the local;
Therefore, be it resolved that the Vancouver Local Bylaws include the following new language:
14.3(d) **New: In the event of a known absence of more than ten (10) days of an executive member other than the President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, 3rd Vice President, Grievance Officer, or Secretary Treasurer, the executive committee is empowered to select a temporary replacement from the current elected shop stewards of the Vancouver local until the incumbent of the executive committee position can return to their duties.
The challenge of our generation will be getting through the pandemic and putting a halt to the climate crisis. As we prepare for a meaningful and Just Recovery for people and for the planet, we must seize the moment to impart CUPW’s ideas for expanding services, and reducing Canada Post’s carbon footprint. The content of the recent speech from the Throne is significant and CUPW will take full advantage of this moment to make our vision take hold broadly.
Under the umbrella of Delivering Community Power, CUPW is excited to announce that we are launching a new chapter called “Fighting to Win Expanded Services”. This new initiative will be robust and include important actions to promote Delivering Community Power and ensure it is on everyone’s lips in the weeks and months ahead.
CUPW has been fortunate in having a lot of help from our members, activists, allies and the public in ensuring our campaign gained ground. We have some solid advocates who promote our vision whenever they can. For instance, David Suzuki has spoken highly of our vision, and continues to want to partner with CUPW in fighting to make it a reality. We have all have worked hard to spread the vision, and we have had some success.
There has never been a more auspicious and urgent time to double down on our efforts.
Just when the Federal Government commits to a massive investment in the manufacture of e-vehicles, helping seniors remain safely in their homes for longer, investing in retrofits of homes and buildings, and creating new jobs, in line with Delivering Community Power, we must insist that Canada Post take up our appeal to bolster and expand services, create community hubs and introduce postal banking.
Our President was eloquent in her blog when she said: “The planet is burning.” (https://www.cupw.ca/en/campaign/resources/taking-action-mitigate-climate-crisis). Indeed, we have no choice but to act now to halt the crisis of our lifetime. Much needs to be accomplished in a narrow window of time.
Stay tuned to find out how we will roll-out this new chapter and go big on Delivering Community Power to win expanded services, and a greener Post. There will be webinars in which to take part, all sorts of actions in which to become involved, and even a symposium bringing in all the key players, to help make this a reality.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the United Nations International Day of Older Persons. Since its inception in 1990, the world’s population has aged dramatically. Today, virtually every country in the world is experiencing growth in the number of older persons in their population.
Remembering and Honouring Residential School Survivors
On September 30, we observe Orange Shirt Day, a movement that officially began in 2013 in British Columbia to commemorate the residential school experience, to witness and honour the healing journey of the survivors and their families, and to commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation.
It has since become a national day for meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind. It is a day to honour survivors, to reaffirm that they matter.
The date is significant as, historically, it was during the early Fall that children were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it is an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year. It is an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.
While this day has been recognized since 2013, in reality, the idea behind this day began in 1973, when six-year-old Phyllis Webstad was brought to the St. Joseph Mission Residential School outside of Williams Lake, British Columbia.
“I lived with my grandmother on the Dog Creek reserve. We never had very much money, but somehow my granny managed to buy me a new outfit to go to the Mission school. I remember going to Robinson’s store and picking out a shiny orange shirt. It had string laced up in front, and was so bright and exciting – just like I felt to be going to school!
When I got to the Mission, they stripped me, and took away my clothes, including the orange shirt! I never wore it again. I didn’t understand why they wouldn’t give it back to me, it was mine! The color orange has always reminded me of that and how my feelings didn’t matter, how no one cared and how I felt like I was worth nothing. All of us little children were crying and no one cared.”
– Phyllis Webstad
Orange Shirt Day may have originated in British Columbia, but it is a national day of remembrance and reconciliation across the country. The suffering and the strength of Indigenous Peoples from coast to coast to coast should be recognized.
We are encouraged by the resolutions passed by local and provincial governments and school districts in support of Orange Shirt Day.
On September 30, we call on our fellow CUPW Sisters and Brothers to wear orange and listen with open ears to the stories of survivors and their families, and to remember those that didn’t make it.
In solidarity,
Dave Bleakney
2nd National Vice-President
on behalf of
the Indigenous Working Group
Canadian health authorities predicted a second wave of the coronavirus early on, and indeed, COVID-19 cases are rising in some parts of the country.
CUPW members everywhere have done an amazing job preventing COVID-19 from spreading in the workplace.
Once again, forest fires have hit Western Canada and threaten nearby communities. They also affect air quality, which will make physical work even more difficult in the weeks ahead for postal workers.
People with respiratory issues could be at greater risk and must monitor the situation closely.
Due to the high number of forest fires in recent years, Canada Post and CUPW have put in place a Functional Policy on Air Quality for Employees Working Outside.