APPENDIX G
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PRESID=
ENT
Th=
e last
few months have been stressful for many of our members. The Government restructuring
announcements left members wondering where they belong. Our collective bargaining process =
has
come to a halt. The Mar=
ch 23,
2004 budgets may also bring about some changes.
Collective
Bargaining
Co=
llective
bargaining is a key activity for this union and a number of steps have been
taken to support the current round. Ultimately, success is obtained when all
levels of the organization – local, regional and national – play
their part. I am encouraged by the effort shown by our bargaining teams and=
I
thank them for their work to date.
A =
number
of component presidents sit on the PSAC’s National Strategy Committee=
and
I am proud to be one of them. I am joined by CEIU member Barbara Hall who a=
lso
sits as a member of the Table 1 team. Important work is done by this commit=
tee,
much of which must, understandably, remain confidential. I can say that
CEIU’s voice is clearly heard on the committee and that the discussio=
ns
are balanced and constructive.
I =
have had
the opportunity to speak at CEIU conferences that have focused on collective
bargaining. The Collective Bargaining Committee in Ontario organized a
successful conference early in the year that combined planning with a spiri=
ted
demonstration on Parliament Hill. The conference was highlighted in a story=
on
our new website and in my visits across the country, members have told me t=
hat
they appreciate news of this type and, of course, the excellent work of
grassroots members in Ontario.
To=
support
our teams, the national office has taken steps to raise the profile of
bargaining with our members. In early February, we mailed postcards to all
members on the bargaining theme and reports indicate that this initiative w=
as
very well received. The discussion boards at our new website hosted a numbe=
r of
debates on subjects such as the main issues in this round, the role of the
local, actions that can be taken in support of bargaining and the
employer’s behaviour to this point. These lively exchanges will devel=
op
further as the site traffic builds in the coming months.
2
The
employer’s pathetic offer to us has forced us to conduct a strike vot=
e to
strengthen the mandate of our teams. We must succeed with this vote. Success
means a massive vote in favour of strike action. All levels of the union mu=
st
contribute to this effort. At the national level, a number of initiatives h=
ave
been taken. First, I have authorized up to $50,000.00 to be available to
National Vice-Presidents for the purpose of visiting locals in their respec=
tive
regions, to rally a strong Yes vote. This work can contribute significantly=
to
our success and the national level stands firmly in support of NVPs.
Se=
cond,
the national level is undertaking a mail-out to all members on the strike v=
ote.
The brochure will outline the key issues at stake in this round and the rea=
sons
for supporting a Yes vote. The mail-out will be supplemented by an e-mail
campaign that will reinforce the same themes. When NVPs visit their locals,
members will already have received an initial message. This will allow NVPs=
to
build on the need for a strong Yes vote.
Th=
ird, the
website will feature stories and discussion forums that focus intensely on =
the
strike vote. The discussion forums have been an extremely popular destinati=
on
for visitors to the site and I hope to harness this popularity to the task =
of
winning a strong Yes vote.
I =
have
traveled extensively to speak on collective bargaining. I have attended the CEIU Bargaining
Conferences NFLD/Labrador, Nova Scotia/PEI, New Brunswick, Ontario,
Headquarters, Alberta/NWT and BC & Yukon.
Du=
ring the
period of the strike vote, I plan to visit members in as many sections of t=
he
country as possible. This month, I attended Local 60254 (N.B.) and Local 70=
704
(Headquarters). For the month=
of
April, I will be attending the Quebec’s Bargaining Conference in
conjunction with their Presidents’ conference,
th=
e UDP
course (French) for PSAC, Vegreville, Canada Place in Edmonton, and Kitchener, Ontario. I also will be attending other fun=
ctions
such as the Quebec Regional Women’s Conference and the CIC National
Conference where I will address collective bargaining.
A
successful outcome to this round of bargaining is crucial. We have gone thr=
ough
10 years of job cuts, poor raises and difficult working conditions. Our mem=
bers
need to make breakthroughs in this round and we have the opportunity to suc=
ceed
if we all make this our priority over the coming months.
3
Communications
Our communications has improved greatly. Although the internet subsidy has
increased, we need to continue to encourage local participation. Our Regional Action Network =
(RAN)
has also increase. This allow=
s for
a quick dissemination of information.
National pays for one member per local, however, we must encourage
members who have home e-mails to join our network.
Citizenship and Immigration
We held two very successful conferences for the Prairies
and the Atlantic. Members’ input and discussions provided some valuab=
le
tools to address CIC issues and concerns.&=
nbsp;
This is a good lead into the upcoming National CIC Conference in
April. The Citizenship
representative for the CIC Advisory Committee was appointed. Another call out for a representat=
ive
for the Enforcement Committee from the Atlantic was sent out. Shortly after the CIC Conference, a
meeting will be set up.
The CIC Advisory Committee held their meeting in Decemb=
er.
The main topics of the discussions were the feedback from the Atlantic and
Prairies Conference and the National CIC Conference. A working group to assist with the
conference was put in place. =
That
group met in March to set out the agenda and the workshops.
Government
restructuring
The
announcements made by the new government in December 2003 have generated
uncertainty and concern in the minds of many members. The creation of the
Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) saw many CEIU members at Citizenship=
and
Immigration move to the new agency. At this time, it is unclear if more CIC
members who work at Ports of Entry will move to the CBSA.
Th=
e former
HRDC has been split into Human Resources and Skills Development (HRSD) and
Social Development (SD). The decisions about employee movement are not fully
resolved and will require on-going attention by the union. Although we are aware of the split=
, it
continues to be uncertain how some of the administrative functions will play
out.
4
Al=
ong with
concerns related to where members will work are those connected to union
representation. Speculation has run in many directions on this subject, but=
at
this time, all such thinking is at least premature. We do not know the final
shape that the new government structure will take. We do not know how job
functions will be organized within the new departments. Without crucial
information such as this, we cannot review any potential modifications to u=
nion
representation.
To=
date,
meetings with the PSAC on this topic have recognized the points already not=
ed
and have encouraged even closer cooperation between component unions. I am
pleased to report that we have achieved increased cooperation with other
components and I anticipate that this will continue. We all recognize that
members’ interests are best served in this way.
Un=
til
developments require a closer review, the current component representation
remains in place. A review of this representation may be undertaken in the
future and the democratic provisions of the PSAC constitution will provide =
the
necessary guidance in such a project. And while none of my comments should =
be
taken as criticism of any PSAC component union, I will say that CEIU remain=
s an
excellent choice for members. We are the only component with an extensive
support structure in place from one end of the country to the other. Both
senior elected officers and staff offer the assistance that members require=
and
they are backed by the significant resources we have assigned to this work.=
We
provide what so many members want: effective help when they need it.
Vision for CEIU
For many years, the document titled The Fight Contin=
ues provided
an overall orientation for CEIU. We
were well served by it, but changing circumstances require a re-thinking of=
our
basic orientation. The docume=
nt,
appendix “A”, maps a new vision for our union by first consider=
ing
the general circumstances we face.
In closing, I want to thank the staff for all their hard
work. Their commitment and
dedication is an asset to the organization. As well, I want to thank Sister Ja=
net Letwinka
for all her work and dedication.
5
In solidarity,
Jeannette Meunier-McKay
6
APPENDIX A - AGENDA ITEM 23 -=
MARCH
2004
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PRESID=
ENT
A New Vision for CEIU
For many years, the document titled The Fight Contin=
ues
provided an overall orientation for CEIU. We were well served by it, but
changing circumstances require a re-thinking of our basic orientation. This
document maps a new vision for our union by first considering the general
circumstances we face. Following this overview, three topics are considered=
in
more detail:
_=
Building and maintaining the
effectiveness of the local union;
_=
Fighting contracting out and
privatization;
_=
Improving the results of coll=
ective
bargaining.
The relentless ca=
mpaign
of governments, employers, corporations and the media for the past 20 plus
years to undermine and effectively destroy the public sector developed in t=
his
country during the post-WW II period has placed CEIU members under enormous
pressure at work and in their communities
The corporate pus=
h for
the deregulation of both the national and international economies has requi=
red
that public sector services and public sector workers be attacked as
ineffective and inefficient. =
A cult
of impotence on the part of government was created within society and the
private sector was held up as the model for providing services and handling re=
sources
appropriately. We have seen t=
his
process begin with Mulroney and come to fruition under the Liberals led by
Chretien (but masterminded by Paul Martin).
We know our members have
experienced this assault in the workplace in a variety of ways - some very =
clear
and some more insidious. The
destruction of 50,000 federal public service jobs in the mid-90s directly
impacted the ability of
7
our membership to
deliver the services Canadians need and have wanted from their federal
government. The on-going
contracting-out and privatization of a variety of services - employment
services, job creation, security, and so on - have meant that scandals and
corruption are increasingly commonplace. This leads the public to reg=
ard
the public service as somehow a part of a corrupt political process and
therefore not worth defending. As
the workers remaining in the downsized offices can attest, the workload
continues to grow and there is no respite from it. The public wants the services that=
we
provide but finds the way these services are provided to be unacceptable.
We know our members suff=
er in
their personal lives as well. This
re-structuring of Canadian society affects all aspects of our lives. Schools are cut back and bec=
ome less
educational institutions and more babysitting services. University education is out of rea=
ch of
all but the upper middle classes.
Health care is increasingly difficult to get as waiting lists grow
longer and longer. Public transit is in disarray, the roads are in need of
repair. User fees for everyth=
ing
from recreation to transportation are on the increase. Our aging membership needs these
services more than ever and they are increasingly less available and more
expensive.
We know over the past decade, the union its=
elf
has been under attack. Wage f=
reezes
and legislated contracts took away our fundamental right of collective
bargaining for almost 10 years - and left our members without a voice in
establishing the terms and conditions of their employment. Victories won through adjudi=
cation
and/or the appeal route are being eroded through Bill C-25 and public servi=
ce
modernization. The victory ar=
ound
pay equity has not resulted in a non-discriminatory classification system. =
At
the same time, we are being seduced into playing the role of junior (i.e.
non-decision making) partner at the local, regional and national level in a=
ll
aspects of workplace life - training, staffing, scheduling and so on.
Our local leaders=
, we
must recognize, are simply tired.
They all have stressful full-time jobs and their volunteer work for =
the
union is increasing, not decreasing.
Our members have more and more complicated complaints in the workpla=
ce
and are demanding more from their local representatives.
8
We know these local lead=
ers
are increasingly looking for their regional and national union leadership (=
who
have access to resources, both financial and human) to provide more active
leadership and to relieve their union workload in the workplace.
We have many exce=
llent
policies and have produced effective action plans on a variety of issues.
_&nbs=
p; Building
and maintaining the effectiveness of the local union;
_&nbs=
p; Fighting
contracting out and privatization;
_&nbs=
p; Improving
the results of collective bargaining.
If we can succeed=
in
these tasks on an on-going basis, CEIU will be in a much stronger position =
to
address issues, whether they be government reorganization, collective
bargaining or changes in social policy, as they arise than we are now.
This document wil=
l not
restate our existing union policies and what we have already agreed to do at
conventions or other gathering. We
will continue to be guided by those decisions. The focus of this document a=
re
specific strategic initiatives that CEIU must undertake in the near future =
to
meet the challenges identified above.
I. Building and
maintaining the effectiveness of the local union
Background
Our membership le=
vel
has stabilized after the downsizing of the mid-1990s and we can now operate
from a reasonably stable membership base.&=
nbsp;
Positions that, in the past, were simply left vacant in order to meet
budget cuts are now being filled by younger workers who unfortunately seem =
to
have little or no union experience or knowledge. This means that we have new challe=
nges
in
9
maintaining our
relationship with the rank and file of the union. Many of our rank and file me=
mbers,
both old and new, are not engaged in every day union life nor do they see t=
he
union as being relevant to the problems they experience in the workplace.
Many of our local=
s seem
to lack effective stewards, lack effective administration and are barely ab=
le
to pass on information to members.
These members will not have a positive relation to the union, if they
have any relationship at all.
Our locals are un=
der
tremendous financial pressure because members are not willing to finance un=
ion
activity through increased union dues.
These are all sig=
ns of
cracks in the union’s foundation that we have to fix before we, and o=
ur
members, suffer even greater damage.
Strategic Plan
In each three year
period, CEIU will carry out an extensive training program where needed to
ensure that each and every local and its leadership has access to training =
on
representation as well as training on the role of union leadership in the C=
EIU
context. While we recognize t=
hat
our local leaders have many highly-developed skills, we must also enhance t=
heir
trade union knowledge.
Emphasis will be =
placed
on the skills required to undertake:
_&nbs=
p; the
representation of members within legal recourse mechanisms;
_&nbs=
p; the
recruitment of local members into union activities using various communicat=
ion
networks and techniques
_&nbs=
p; the
education of members in CEIU’s overall agenda (in bargaining, in the
workplace and in the broader community)
We will be approa=
ching
each local to establish a contact list and to share that list with the nati=
onal
union through our website. If=
local
leaders go to each and
10
every member of t=
heir
local and explain why this is an important first step, we will have establi=
shed
an initial contact with these members and have a method for further
contact. We will then be able=
to
follow up with personalized as well as mass messages.
CEIU will promote=
its
equity agenda by specific programs at all levels of the union. The mentoring program approved by =
the
2002 convention will be extended until such time as it is no longer
required. We will encourage f=
irst
time participants by giving them priority for attendance at all conferences=
(except
those of a policy making nature such as presidents’ conferences, nati=
onal
conventions) as a way of involving new members and of bringing new ideas in=
to
the union.
CEIU will continu=
e and
intensify its communication work with the membership through its website.
We will increasin=
gly
rely on our senior staff (regional coordinators) and the resource officer f=
or
assistance, information and materials for union campaigns and activities.
Training on techn=
ical
matters such as representation, local officer responsibilities,
negotiation/consultation skills will be provided by CEIU staff with, if
possible, the assistance of member facilitators.
In order to asses=
s the
effectiveness of the plan, prior to each convention, a complete report will=
be
provided outlining the content of training delivered, the locals to which t=
he
training was given as well as a summary of the evaluation of the training by
the participants.
11
II. Fighting
contracting out and privatization
Background
There can be argu=
ment
that the agenda of privatization and contracting-out of public services has=
not
been fully achieved. Bu=
t that
agenda has not gone away. Rum=
ours
abound that Paul Martin is considering selling the CBC, the Ontario governm=
ent
is thinking of balancing its books by the sale of public assets and other
provincial governments are ‘studying’ the privatization and/or =
sale
of public assets and services.
Other public sect=
or
unions have launched significant and often successful campaigns against the
privatization and contracting-out of their jobs and services. CUPE has stopped the privati=
zation
of water filtration plants in Vancouver, sewage treatment plants in Halifax
and, in conjunction with other unions, the sell-off of Ontario Hydro. There are numerous examples =
of
successful campaigns against contracting-out and privatization run by both
unions and community organizations across the country and we should both ta=
ke
heart from those successes and learn from them.
Privatization has
failed miserably throughout the world.&nbs=
p;
In Britain, the privatization of rail service is known as the Great
British Rail Disaster - both in terms of service and safety. E-coli outbreaks are becoming more
common as the privatization of water systems has resulted in a virtual stop=
to
infrastructure investment. In
the past few years, Canadians have lived through some major crises that can=
be
linked to cutbacks in public services - the power outage in Ontario, SARS, =
the
Walkerton water tragedy are only a few examples. Increasingly Canadians are listeni=
ng to
experts who are concluding that privatization and contracting-out are not
solutions to either allegations of inefficiency or suggestions that public
services are too expensive. In
fact, Canadians are increasingly of the view that the public sector offers
better service than the private sector and that the public sector is
accountable to the public in ways that the private sector refuses to be.
12
All of this has c=
reated
an opportunity for unions and other progressive movements to re-establish t=
he
value of government and the public sector in the economy and society.
Strategic Plan
Locals, NVPs,
committees, national officers, staff -- all must be responsible for providi=
ng
information on the process of contracting-out and/or privatization of our
members’ work. Failure =
to do
so will simply undermine any attempt by the union to defend the jobs of our
members. We believe that this
communication of information - from the local or region to the national - w=
ill
make possible not only effective campaigns against contracting-out but will=
, through the sharing of that inform=
ation
on a national level across the country, help to build a culture of resistan=
ce
at the local and regional level throughout our organization.
We must also beco=
me
involved in the campaigns of other union and community organizations to pro=
tect
public services. Regions must=
be
involved and help locals be involved in campaigns to defend public services=
at
the municipal and provincial as well as the federal levels. In Toronto, the labour council, in
conjunction with other community organizations, is leading a public campaig=
n to
restore public transit in the city.
CUPE is committed nationally to a vigorous campaign against
contracting-out of public services wherever this is proposed.
We, like CUPE, sh=
ould
be involved in the struggle to stop the attempt of the Charest government to
destroy the public sector and social safety net in Quebec. The national offi=
ce
will produce a series (at least 3 per year) of backgrounders on examples of
contracting out and the impact this has had on jobs, on service delivery an=
d on
public safety and security. R=
egions
must ensure that at each regional conference there will be at least one hour
put aside for a presentation and debate on the issue of contracting out.
13
security, legisla=
tive
and due process implications. The
national office will provide resources for such events. These educational initiatives will=
be
reported on the national website.
Locals and region=
s must
be involved with other unions and the community in this process. National will initiate discussions=
with
other unions and organizations at the national level but regions must take
responsibility for working at the provincial level and ensuring that locals=
are
encouraged and supported working at the municipal level to protect public
services and public sector jobs. We
will be reporting the role played by the various levels of our organization=
in
the fight against contracting-out in all its forms on our website.
III. Improving the
results of collective bargaining
Background
Collective bargai=
ning
continues to be the most important and central function of any union. It is through collective bargainin=
g that
we advance and build the rights of our members in the workplace. It is through of bargaining and the
outcome that our members are most engaged in union activities.
CEIU, while the l=
argest
component at Table 1, still only
makes up approximately 25% of the Table 1 bargaining unit within the
Alliance. Given those numbers=
, it is
unlikely that we will ever be able to control in any meaningful way the
direction of bargaining at that table.
Since bargaining =
rights
were restored, the bargaining process and resultant ratification votes were
seen by some a source of friction and division between PSAC and CEIU. This is not to say that the decisi=
on of
CEIU to oppose the tentative agreements was incorrect. It was correct. Rather it is to point out that par=
t of
the bargaining baggage that we now carry is perhaps a sense within the PSAC
that CEIU, in its opposition to a tentative agreement, attacked rather than
debated the bargaining agent and the bargaining teams.
14
The employer is
continuing to use its legislative power to remove collective rights from the
union and to diminish our power in areas where bargaining can continue. With Bill C-25, it will be more
difficult to bargain and more difficult to mount effective strike action.
We need to work t=
oward
working more closely with PSAC around bargaining without sacrificing our
principles and we need to re-think our traditional approaches to bargaining=
.
Strategic Plan (at the end of t=
he
2003-2004 round of bargaining)
CEIU will work wi=
th the
PSAC in developing a full analysis of Bill C-25 particularly as it applies =
to
bargaining. We will use that
analysis to develop a set of proposals for changes to the next round of
bargaining to be approved by PSAC and a set of proposals for changes on how
CEIU should deal with collective bargaining. The orientation committee of the
national executive will be asked to take on this task with the support of s=
taff
resources. Members will be ab=
le to
participate through the website by commenting on the work of the committee.=
At the end of each
round of bargaining, we tend to put the issue of bargaining aside until the
next PSAC call for demands. A=
fter
this round and subsequent rounds, we will implement a series of information
sessions to help regions and locals develop demands for the next round of
bargaining. The orienta=
tion
committee of the national executive will be asked to plan the strategy for
this.
Staff will be ask=
ed to
analyze the adjudicable grievances filed by our members over the past years=
to
establish what issues exist within the collective agreement that need to be
addressed.
We will encourage
regions and locals to involve themselves more fully in PSAC regional
structures, area councils and other bodies which cross component lines.
Whatever the stru=
cture the
PSAC uses to develop bargaining demands and elect bargaining team members, =
CEIU
will play an active role in those processes. We will be in a position to go for=
ward
with a set of demands which will meet the needs of all members and we will participate fully in those process=
es on
the basis of our program of demands, not just as CEIU. Prior to these processes, regions =
need
to meet with members and leaders of other
15
components to talk
about a common program of demands and hopefully go forward together on the
basis of that program not on the basis of component membership.
The orientation
committee of the national executive will be asked to create a subcommittee =
of
the national executive to organize and plan the strategy for the next round=
of
bargaining. Staff resources w=
ill be
assigned to the subcommittee to help with that work. Members will be given an opportuni=
ty to
participate in the development of the plan through a series of draft versio=
ns
put on the website for comment.
The plan will have to be in place for the national executive meeting=
in
the spring of 2005 and then reviewed/revised with member input at the natio=
nal
executive meeting subsequent to the end of each round of bargaining.
Conclusion
CEIU, like other =
public
sector unions, faces enormous challenges in the new millennium. The employer feels stronger than e=
ver
and is acting in an ever more arbitrary fashion. The public has suffered
several decades of propaganda attacking the public sector and the role of
government in making their lives better.
We, as CEIU, have
decided to commit our resources to ensuring that the lives of Canadians,
including our members, are improved in the future not made more dependent on
corporate good will. This will
involve us in changing our focus and addressing those areas where we are mo=
st
vulnerable.
Within the public
sphere, it is our ability to stop or even slowdown the contracting out of o=
ur
jobs and the services we provide.
Within our own
organization, it is the ability of our locals to mobilize our membership.
Within our union,=
it is
our ability to move forward a program within the PSAC.
A commitment to, =
and
the implementation of, the plan outlined in this document by all levels of =
the
union gives us the possibility of re-directing CEIU to address these challe=
nges
in the coming years.
16
In solidarity,
Jeannette Meunier=
-McKay
National Presiden=
t