What's New

So Long, Strike!

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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Sisters in Spirit

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. The petition is accompanied by a letter from NWAC outlining the important "Sisters in Spirit" campaign, which fights for justice for missing and murdered women across Canada.

Please circulate to your contacts and return as many signed petitions to your PSAC RegionalOffice 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)

NWAC Letter (PDF)                                                                   NWAC Letter (RTF)

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Two Spirit Gathering

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.

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National Aboriginal Day

(June 21, 2010)

On June 21, from coast to coast, Canada will celebrate National Aboriginal Day -- a day recognizing and celebrating the cultures and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada. It’s a time for us all to reflect on the struggle to improve social, economic and political conditions that Aboriginal peoples face, but also a chance for us to re-affirm our Union’s commitment to solidarity and support for our Aboriginal Brothers and Sisters.

Please see the letter below from Sister Robyn Benson regarding National Aboriginal Day:

                                    *PDF                                    *RTF

 

National Aboriginal Day Events

           For more information, visit the Indian and Northern Affairs Website

Manitoba:

Title of Event: National Aboriginal Day
Day/Time of Event: Mon. June 21, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Locations/Venues of Event: Robinson Street, Indian & Métis Friendship Centre
City and Province of Event: Winnipeg, MB
Spokesperson: Clayton Sandy
Contact: 204-945-8319
Web page: The Indian and Metis Friendship Centre of Winnipeg

Saskatchewan:

Title of Event: National Aboriginal Days
Day/Time of Event: June 18, 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

                            June 19, 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

                            June 20, 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Locations/Venues of Event: Melfort Exhibition Grounds
City and Province of Event: Melfort, SK
Spokesperson: Debbie Edin/Joanne Yakowec
Contact: 306-752-4950 or nad2010@sasktel.net
Web page: Canadian Metis Heritage Corp. Marguerite Riel Centre

Title of Event: National Aboriginal Day
Day/Time of Event: June 21
Locations/Venues of Event: 21 Bradbrooke Drive
City and Province of Event: Yorkton, SK
Spokesperson: Terri-Anne Lepowick
Contact: 306-782-3644 (ext. 265)

Title of Event: Family and Community Wellness
Day/Time of Event: June 21
Locations/Venues of Event: Cree Nations Treatment Haven
City and Province of Event: Ahtahkakoop First Nations, SK
Spokesperson: Freda Ahenakew
Contact: 306-468-2072
Web page: Cree Nations Treatment Haven

Alberta:

Title of Event: NAD Official Commemoration
Day/Time of Event: June 21, 9:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. (main stage: 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
Locations/Venues of Event: Canada Place, Main Atrium
City and Province of Event: Edmonton, Alberta
Spokesperson: Heather Poitras
Contact: 780-495-6728 or Heather.Poitras@inac.gc.ca

Title of Event: Sharing our Stories
Day/Time of Event: June 27
Locations/Venues of Event: Lion's Park (Sir Winston Churchill Avenue & Tache Street)
City and Province of Event: St Albert, Alberta
Spokesperson: Gwen Crouse
Contact: 780-717-6783 or gwencrouse@hotmail.com

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Walkers for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
(June 16 - 19, 2010)

The commission has undertaken to organize seven National Events across Canada. The first will be held in Winnipeg on June 16-19, 2010.  The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada 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.

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

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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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International Day Against Homophobia

(May 17, 2010)

The PSAC has a history of fighting discrimination to ensure that members of the LGBT communities are treated with dignity, justice and respect. This fight is often led by the LGBT activists who struggle courageously through their unions and community groups to raise awareness and fight for justice for LGBT issues everywhere.

Please see the letter below from Sister Robyn Benson regarding the International Day Against Homophobia:

                                   *PDF                                    *RTF

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National Day of Mourning

(April 28, 2010)

Each year hundreds of workers are killed and thousands more are permanently disabled or die from work related diseases and accidents.  Their loss is felt every day at work by co-workers, at home by loved ones and within our community by neighbors and friends.  April 28th is recognized in Canada as a National Day of Mourning for our Sisters and Brothers who have lost their lives on the job.

Please see the letter below from Sister Robyn Benson regarding the National Day of Mourning:

*PDF                                        *RTF

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Job cuts at Canada Post

The Public Service Alliance of Canada will be taking swift action to prevent Canada Post from privatizing an important part of its operations. 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:

“This obsession with privatization will badly damage the quality of the Canadian postal service as well as the communities it serves,” said Robyn Benson, 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.

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International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

(March 21, 2010)

March 21st marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and I believe this is an important opportunity for PSAC members to celebrate our diversity and strengthen our commitment to eliminate racism and intolerance in our communities.

Please see the letter below from Sister Robyn Benson regarding the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination:

                                    *PDF                                    *RTF

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Federal Budget targets public service

The March 4 federal budget freezes federal departmental spending. The government
announced they want to balance the budget on the backs of public service workers – a
direct threat to our jobs and the services we deliver.

Our federal employers have a legal responsibility to bargain in good faith, and our union
is already preparing for the next round of bargaining. We can expect employers to
come to the table looking for concessions, and we must prepare to fight back.

Please see the bulletin from PSAC regarding the latest attack on public service:

*PDF                                *RTF

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Requests for Advances

Over the years it has become very apparent that many of our members have experienced frustration with their expense claims. It is not the intention of the PSAC for any member to experience hardship after taking a course or attending a conference/convention.

Please see the letter below from Sister Robyn Benson regarding the process to take when requesting an advance to avoid complications:

*PDF                                      *RTF

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Hands off! our pensions

Speculation about what will be in the March 4 federal budget is rampant in the media. Some reports would lead us to believe that the Harper Conservatives will leave the federal pension plans alone.

So far, nothing PSAC has heard from Treasury Board President Stockwell Day would lead us to believe that we won’t have to continue to fight to protect the pension benefits our members in the federal public sector pay for.

For background information and to sign the online petition, visit the PSAC National website.

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Retirement Security for Everyone!

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.

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!

For more information on the Canadian Labour Congress pension campaign, visit the CLC website.

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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!" We made Canada a better country when we moved forward together and created a health care system that works for everyone. Let's do it again and give every Canadian the chance to retire from work and live their last years in dignity. Send this message to your MP today. Please share this new tool with your networks today. Ask them to share it with their contacts too.

Archives

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:

www.saveourfarms.ca

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

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