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What's New
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Click here to watch the PSAC Prairie Region YouTube channel, with videos from various events and campaigns. |
Click here to view the PSAC Prairie Region photo stream on Flickr, with photos from various events across the region. |
Click here to follow the PSAC Prairie Region Twitter feed, with updates, news articles and more. |
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SO LONG, STRIKE!
PSAC and SGC reach an agreement
Let the games begin, again. After more than seven weeks on the picket line, members of PSAC and management at Casino Regina have struck a deal that will see Casino workers, including table dealers, cashiers, security and others, return to their jobs July 27.
Over the past 52 days, hundreds of people showed their support for the striking workers by walking the line in solidarity, sending letters and cards and donating food and money. Fellow unions, members of the public and Casino patrons all rallied in support. But no one fought harder for a fair and equitable collective agreement than the Casino workers themselves.
“I am in awe with the commitment and camaraderie of these members,” says Robyn Benson, Regional Executive Vice-President for the Prairie Region. “”The majority of these members have never dealt with a strike before, yet the solidarity, dedication and determination on the line was unparalleled.”
Together we stand
As is always the case, these PSAC members at Casino Regina have encountered increasing financial hardship during their seven week strike. Now, more than ever, our Brothers and Sisters need your support and solidarity.
With September fast approaching many of these members have children returning to school and they will require school supplies. W e are asking all Locals in the Prairie Region to consider making a financial donation, or a donation of school supplies, to help relieve some of the stress these members are encountering.
Please contact your Regional Office to find out how you can help.
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STOLEN SISTERS
Save the Sisters in Spirit Campaign!
We have been in contact with the Native Womens Association of Canada (NWAC) and the New Democratic Party Aboriginal Affairs Critic Jean Crowder. There is some new concern that the Conservative government will not fulfill their promise to fund the Sisters in Spirit project.
(See the Native Women's Association of Canada website for more information on the Sisters in Spirit project)
Below you will find the petition to the House of Commons calling on Parliament to ensure NWAC-AFAC receives sufficient funding to continue on its work of protecting Aboriginal women. Please circulate to your contacts and return as many signed petitions to the PSAC Winnipeg Regional Office by Wednesday, September 8, 2010. The petitions will be forwarded to PSAC HQ, who will be gathering the petitions from across the country. (Note: The House of Commons resumes September 20, 2010)
Sisters in Spirit Petition (PDF) Sisters in Spirit Petition (RTF)
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22nd Annual International Two Spirit Gathering
A GATHERING OF MEDICINE STONES
The gathering will take place on September 3-6, 2010 at the Dr. Jessie Saulteaux Resource Centre, Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada (64 kilometers or 40 miles) northeast of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Aboriginal / Native American gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender people, their partners, friends & families are invited to gather in the land of the Cree, Dene, Dakota, Inuit, Metis, Ojibway-Cree and Ojibway.
For information about registration, accommodation and travel, contact :
Albert McLeod at 204-783-6424
Email: twospiritedmanitoba@hotmail.com
Website: http://intltwospiritgathering.org
ALCOHOL & DRUG-FREE EVENT
Registration Fee: $100.00 CDN
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Pension Campaign Gag Order goes to Arbitration
PSAC will go to arbitration over a Treasury Board directive to managers aimed at silencing the union's pension campaign.
Did your employer take down PSAC petitions or otherwise interfere in the pension campaign? If so, let us know by filling out this Pension Petition Gag Order .
Please visit the PSAC National webpage to read an update from Brother John Gordon, PSAC National President .
Posted July 9, 2010
JUNE 21 IS NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY
View the letter to all members from Sister Robyn Benson in PDF or RTF
Events in your area:
Manitoba Region
Monday, June 21 - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Robinson Street, Indian & Métis Friendship Centre
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Spokesperson: Clayton Sandy
Contact Phone Number:204-945-8319
Web page: The Indian and Metis Friendship Centre of Winnipeg
SaskatchewanRegion
June 18, 2010 - 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
June 19, 2010 - 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
June 20, 2010 - 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Melfort Exhibition Grounds
Melfort, Saskatchewan
Spokesperson: Debbie Edin/Joanne Yakowec
Contact Phone Number:306-752-4950, nad2010@sasktel.net
Web page: Canadian Metis Heritage Corp. Marguerite Riel Centre
June 21, 2010
21 Bradbrooke Drive
Yorkton, Saskatchewan
Spokesperson: Terri-Anne Lepowick
Contact Phone Number:306-782-3644 ext. 265
June 21, 2010
Cree Nations Treatment Haven
Ahtahkakoop First Nations, Saskatchewan
Spokesperson: Freda Ahenakew
Contact Phone Number:306-468-2072
Web page:Cree Nations Treatment Haven
Alberta Region
June 21, 2010 - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (main stage 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
Canada Place, Main Atrium
Edmonton, Alberta
Spokesperson: Heather Poitras
Contact Phone Number:780-495-6728, Heather.Poitras@inac.gc.ca
June 27, 2010
Lion's Park (Sir Winston Churchill Avenue & Tache Street)
St Albert, Alberta
Spokesperson: Gwen Crouse
Contact Phone Number:780-717-6783, gwencrouse@hotmail.com
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CASINO REGINA IS ON STRIKE
June 5, 2010 - PSAC members on the picket line in front of Casino Regina
Follow the strike with daily updates, photos and more
on our Strike blog and show your support by joining
our Facebook page.
JUNE 9, 2010 - UPDATE:
While employees of Casino Regina continue to walk the picket line, representatives
from both the Union and the Employer met today for an informal check-in. The purpose
of the meeting was to review and clarify the costing of each party’s proposal. Currently there
are no dates scheduled to return to the bargaining table.
“It’s standard procedure to touch base every once in awhile,” explains Robyn
Benson, Regional Executive Vice-President for PSAC Prairie Region. “We’re
happyto oblige, but we’re hoping the employer will invite us back to the table to
discuss an agreement that is fair and competitive.”
PSAC members have been on strike since June 3 at 6:00 p.m. The Union has been in
negotiations with the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation (SGC) since September of 2009
and its members have been without a contract since May 31, 2009.
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Walkers for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)
The commission has undertaken to organize seven (7) National Events across Canada. The first
will be held in Winnipeg on June 16-19, 2010.
The TRC is gathering information on the history of the residential schools, the impacts they have
had on communities, and statement gathering. All of the information will be put a Residential School Survivor Resource centre. The commission is also tasked with involving the general public and
educating them on the issue of residential schools.
TRC website and letter from Residential School Program Coordinator PDF or RTF
A group of walkers left Cochrane, Ontario on May 9, 2010, and are scheduled to arrive in Winnipeg, Manitoba for June 15, 2010. If you have a relative who has passed on, you offer a ribbon to the
Walkers, which they will carry with them during their walk. The ribbon should be about a metre
long. You can also walk with them for a day or two.
Let’s all remember our experiences in the residential schools, and let us honour those who
went before us, and those who cannot be there.
Support our Walkers, Thank you
Posted on June 1, 2010
2010 Prairies Regional Women's Conference
"Putting Our Passion into Action"
| Conference Dates | September 10-12, 2010 |
| Conference Location | Sheraton Cavalier Hotel, Saskatoon |
| Application Deadline | Friday, July 2, 2010 at 4:00 PM CST |
| Resolutions Submission Deadline | Friday, July 2, 2010 at 4:00 PM CST |
| Call-Out Package | PDF or RTF |
| Contact Regional Reps | Louise Mardell or Deanna Kimball |
| Contact Admin Assistant | Patty Pasloski |
posted on May 11, 2010
May 17 is International Day Against Homophobia
Please see Sister Benson's letter in *.PDF or *.RTF
posted on May 11, 2010
2010 PSAC National Women's Conference
"FIGHTING BACK MOVING FORWARD"
| Conference Dates | October 22-24, 2010 |
| Conference Location | Westin Ottawa Hotel |
Application Deadline |
Friday, June 4 at 4:00 pm EST |
| Resolutions Submission Deadline | Friday, June 4 at 4:00 pm EST |
| Call-Out Package | *.PDF or *.RTF |
posted on May 11, 2010
posted on April 14th, 2010
April 28th National Day of Mourning
April 28th has become a day to
commemorate the lives lost.
please see the poster from Robyn Benson in both PDF and RTF
posted on April 7, 2010
March 31, 2010
Canada Post
Is going to privatize 300 contact centre jobs
across Canada
Ottawa—The Public Service Alliance of Canada, the largest federal public service union in the
country, will be taking swift action to prevent Canada Post from privatizing an important part of its operations. Yesterday, the crown corporation announced that it would outsource its contact centres
and the National Philatelic Centre, resulting in the elimination of more than 300 jobs across the country.
Affected locations include:
- Edmonton
- Ottawa
- Winnipeg
- Antigonish
- Fredericton
“This obsession with privatization will badly damage the quality of the Canadian postal service as
well as the communities it serves,” said Robyn Benson, the PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President
for the Prairies. “Many regions in the country will lose local contact with Canada Post as well as jobs
that are important for the local economy,” she added. For Benson, the privatization of Canada Post’s answering services also raises the question of protection of confidential information provided by Canadians. “I’m not sure that Canadians are ready to see their postal service become an information collection agency for the American government,’ Benson said. “If an American company answers calls
for Canada Post, then the U.S. Patriot Act gives the government access to all information the company collects. Is that what Canadians want?”
Richard Deslauriers, the National President of PSAC component, the Union of Postal and Communications Employees (UPCE) said this type of economic reasoning will bring Canada Post
closer to a complete privatization. “The privatization of Canada Post has always been an objective of
the current management and the conservative federal government,” Deslauriers said. “The slippery
slope of partial privatization of services will end up with Canada Post in the hands of private companies and Canadians will be deprived of a service they have relied on for decades”.
The PSAC represents more than 172,000 members across the country including 2,000 at Canada Post.
To arrange media interviews:
Alain Cossette, PSAC Communications, 613-293-9210
Date Modified : 2010/04/01
posted on March 10th, 2010
March 21st, 2010
ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
Please see the letter below from Robyn Benson
posted on March 8th, 2010
Federal Budget
targets public service for cuts,
PSAC
will defend members, jobs, services
Please see the poster in PDF and RTF
posted on February 5th, 2010
Access Conference
The Access Conference is being held in Ottawa
from
June 4th - June 6th, 2010
Please see the link for the application for the
posted on February 4th, 2010
Request for Advances
If you are attending training, education, conferences, etc. and require an advance for any loss of salary, please see the letter from Robyn Benson on the process for the request of the advance in both PDF and RTF.
posted on February 2nd, 2010
We must fight against any attack on public services and
defined-benefit pension plans. We must bring the focus back
to the real issue: Retirement Security for everyone!
Click here for the Online Petition and background information.
posted on January 27th, 2010
Hello,
Please join and circulate the new "Retirement Security for Everyone!" facebook page to your contacts. This page contains information on upcoming forums, videos, directs fans to send a message to their MP, and has a downloadable leave behind booklet. The link is: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Retirement-Security-For-Everyone#/pages/Retirement-Security-For-Everyone/260209311318?v=info&ref=ts This is a huge component to our outreach in trying to get our members to send letters to their MP's on this important issue!!
In Solidarity,
Deborah Jamerson
CLC Manitoba Prairie Region Rep
W-204.947.9494
F-204.956.7418
500-275 Broadway
Wpg, MB R3C4M6
posted on January 14th, 2010
See below the link to the CLC pension campaign
http://www.canadianlabour.ca/action-center/retirement-security-for-everyone
posted on November 26th, 2009
HEALTH & SAFETY CONFERENCE - NOVEMBER 2009 MONTREAL, QUEBEC
The wonderful Prairie Region members!
posted on November 26th, 2009
Keep the Gun Registry: Disarm Domestic Violence
A gun in the home increases the risk of harm
for women and children.
The law is working:
Gun-related spousal homicides are down 50%.
Keep the gun registry.
http://www.canadianlabour.ca/action-center/keep-our-communities-safe
posted November 17th, 2009
Retirement Security - Canadian Labour Congress
Send a Message to your Member of Parliament! Canada is at a crossroads, just like it was forty years ago when it was time to do something about our health care system. Today, we need to do something about retirement income, and we need to do it soon. All that's needed is some leadership from the federal government. Which is why we need you to tell your Member of Parliament that you support the Canadian Labour Congress' campaign for "Retirement Security for everyone!" Send this message to your MP today. |
Envoyez un message à votre député ou députée! Le Canada est à la croisée des chemins, tout comme il y a quarante ans, à l'époque où des gestes ont dû être posés pour notre système de santé : il faut agir pour protéger le revenu de retraite et il faut agir rapidement. Tout ce qu'il faut, c'est un certain leadership du gouvernement fédéral. C'est pour cela que nous vous encourageons à faire savoir à votre député ou députée que vous appuyez la campagne du Congrès du travail du Canada pour « La sécurité des retraites pour tous! » Nous avons transformé le Canada pour le mieux lorsque nous avons réclamé en bloc un système de santé pour tout le monde. Envoyez ce message à votre député ou députée dès aujourd'hui. |
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| Archives |
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posted on Sept 9, 2009
PSAC Prairie Regional
Health & Safety Conference
Attached is the
FINAL HEALTH & SAFETY
CONFERENCE REPORT
in both PDF and RTF
June 3, 2009
Save our Farms
The ‘Save Our Farms’ campaign was launched by the men and women who oversee, instruct and work with inmates in federal prison farm programs, the Union of Solicitor General Employees (USGE-PSAC). We welcome the support of national, regional and local organizations that have an interest in a safe, secure and sustainable food supply.
Please visit the website below to show your support and learn more about the campaign:
May 20, 2009
Bill to make Employment Insurance Fair for Mothers
Sisters and brothers,
Last week, the New Democrat’s Labour Critic, Chris Charlton, introduced legislation to make the Employment Insurance system fair for new mothers. And she called on the Harper Government to fix the EI inequities before Mother’s Day. Please help us build momentum and support for this important change to the EI Act and bring fairness to working families.
Attached to this message is a copy of the bill, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) one-pager and the press release we sent out last week. I have also included a petition in both French and English - please feel free to circulate to your contacts. You can mail them to Chris, postage free, for introduction in the House of Commons.
Download the EI BILL: *.PDF & EI PETITION: *.PDF
We have also set up a rapidly growing facebook group that calls on the Harper Government to act now and make EI fair for new moms and others on special benefits. Please join the group and send it to your friends!
Hard working moms deserve more than flowers and chocolates this Mother's Day. They deserve fairness when it comes to EI.
In Solidarity,
Sam Dinicol
Legislative and Communications Assistant to Chris Charlton, MP Hamilton Mountain
For more information on the bill and the issue, please visit the following links:
Chris Charlton’s website
CBC Nation’s report on EI and Maternity Leave
Hamilton Spectator’s coverage of the Bill
Edmonton Sun’s opinion piece on EI loophole
Read Good Jobs Coalition's media release: 'EI maternity leave discrimination must stop'
May 20, 2009
Food Safety First Campaign
When 22 people were killed by tainted Maple Leaf cold cuts last summer, Canadians were shocked and demanded to know how this could happen. Its a sad fact that the food industry in Canada has taken an ever larger role in self-policing its own food safety practices. Instead of directly supervising food safety at companies like Maple Leaf Foods, government inspectors now mostly verify that safety regulations and sanitation practices are being done properly by reviewing reports supplied by the company.
There simply are not enough meat inspectors to properly verify industry compliance with the safety rules. Meanwhile, Maple Leafs Foods President Michael McCain is calling for more industry self-policing, if you can believe that! Right now, a special parliamentary committee is investigating last summers food poisoning outbreak. Government MPs have adopted delaying tactics to frustrate the work the committee. And the minister responsible, Gerry Ritz, is serving up a version of the state of food safety in Canada that bears little resembles to the truth.
What YOU can do:
The food industry in Canada is huge and incredibly well-connected to Ottawa decision-makers. Our only counter to this huge lobby is the power of you and thousands of other concerned Canadian voters.
I am asking you to join the FoodSafetyFirst.ca campaign. You will receive opportunities to take action at key moments when your intervention will make a critical difference. With your help, we will shine a light on the truth and, get to the bottom of what happened last summer and make meaningful change to ensure the food we eat is safe.
February 10
Cash Compensation Available for Settlement of a Federal Pay Equity/ Human Rights Complaint
Attention former federal government workers who were transferred to provincial governments in 1992, 1997 and 1998 under the terms of an employee transfer agreement.
