The Canadian Union Of Labour Employees represents over eighty unionized staff employed in the regional offices of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC). In addition, CULE represents all employees of the Nunavut Employees Union, a Component of the PSAC.

Despite some glitches with the electronic voting system delegates elected Robyn Benson as National President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. Chris Aylward was elected NVP.

CULE will be meeting with both of them on May 4.

There were a number of resolutions passed today none of which had the significance of yesterday’s content.

General Resolutions on anti-bullying campaign and safe drinking water for first nations both passed unanimously. A Constitution Committee resolution calling for all DCL’s to be put into a DCL Component was tabled. Finally, a resolution calling for full time elected officers to only collect strike pay while their bargaining unit is on strike passed unanimously.

The CULE Executive also held a National UMC with the A/Director of ROB and Suzanne Brandon of HR. It lasted 1 1/2 hours and dealt with upwards of 23 agenda items. Minutes will be posted of the UMC next week.

Tomorrow will determine who will be the next National President of the PSAC. We have approached each of the mainstream candidates for National President (Ducharme, Benson & Brooker) and requested a meeting with them on Friday if they are elected. This meeting will be held to discuss the litany of CULE issues which have gone without responses from the employer.

In Solidarity, CULE Executive

After much debate the special levy ($2.58/per member, per month) related to the PSAC staff pension plan was passed by the delegates. The budget was also passed by the delegates. A couple of other resolutions which were dealt with by the Convention was an increase to the Political Action line item (.26 cents dues increase); fully funded regional conventions was defeated by the delegates. A CULE meeting takes place Tuesday evening which will include the Executive, CULE members working the Convention and any interested CULE members in the NCR. One last note…a special retirement get together took place on Monday night in honour of the former National Secretary for CULE, Brother Bob Allen.

In Solidarity, CULE Executive

The first full day of Triennial Convention was spent debating the budget. The main items of debate were related to the budget as a whole; special levy for staff pension plan and a special levy which will kick in if the PSAC membership drops below 170,000.

A referral back to the Finance Committee to remove the special levy for the staff pension plan and the special levy if the membership drops below 170,000 was defeated. The delegates did pass a motion to divide the budget into three different parts. The first would be the special levy on the staff pension plan; the second would be the special levy if the membership drops and the third was the budget overall.

The Finance Committee will do some work as per the delegates referral and report back to Convention on Tuesday. In the meantime, it is expected that the Constitution Committee will be first up on Tuesday morning.

In Solidarity

CULE Executive.

All members are encouraged to take the 2nd CULE Convention Survey, below. If you are having problems with the online form or would prefer to fax in a hard copy, download one here.

The Canadian Union of Labour Employees (CULE) have been representing the staff in regional offices since 1976.  Bernie Dixon (Halifax RO) was the very first CULE President.  Over that 36 year period many regional office staff have volunteered to sit on the CULE Executive and deal with the affairs of their union.  The following lists identify the many CULE members who have stepped up and provided their services, in a variety of positions, to CULE members.  We want to thank the members who have done this in the past and the members who are currently doing this.  We would also like to thank the members who will do this in the future.

Read the rest of this entry »

Before the world wide web written communications was one of the key methods used when trying to communicate with others. In 1989 CULE decided to create its own newsletter to “enhance communications between CULE members scattered throughout the country and bring us closer together.”

Fred Lang, Regional Representative in the Victoria Regional Office, took on the role of “editor”. Check out the very first issue of the CULE-UCES News.

Dear Cule Members

The CULE Solidarity Committee provided funding to the Guyana Railway View Literacy Project, this project is dedicated to addressing literacy issues within Guyana.  The project was awarded the Annual Award of Service from the Rotary Club.

Please see below the communication and pictures.  On behalf of the Railway View Literacy Project please join me in celebrating this honour.

Joan Ann for the CULE Solidarity Committee

Dear friends,

A small note to share with you a very special milestone in the life of the Railway View Literacy Project, today we received the Rotary’s annual award for service (it might as well have been an Oscar!) with great pride, gratitude and a tinge of is-this-really-happening-ness. I thought of each one of you who have helped us along the way and gotten us to this amazing place where we are now. We will soon complete work on our new little centre, we are meeting with a group from De Willem to help them to set up a similar program there and plan to have everyone computer literate by the end of the year!

On behalf of everyone at Railway View, thank you all very much.

Warm regards, Esther

There are more pictures on the blog – www.therailwayviewproject.wordpress.com

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was established six years after an event, known as the Sharpeville tragedy or Sharpeville massacre, which captured worldwide attention. This event involved police opening fire and killing 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid “pass laws” in Sharpeville, South Africa, March 21, 1960.

The UN General Assembly called on the international community to increase its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination when it proclaimed the day as a UN Day of observance in 1966. It also called on all world states and organizations to participate in a program of action to combat racism and racial discrimination in 1983.

Issues of race and racism continue to permeate our society and organization, and we as a Union cannot condone behaviors that are demeaning to individuals because of their race. Certainly, racism at its core detracts from our common purpose of union solidarity. We must continue to confront and challenge racism. Today, on March 21, we ask that you take the time to reflect on the negative impacts incidents of racism have had on our union and our work, and think of ways we can contribute to move us all forward in an inclusive environment.

The next PSAC Triennial Convention is less than two months away. From what we understand the delegates will be debating a resolution related to staff pensions. Who knows what type of dynamic that could create on the Convention floor.

For those of you who remember, it was the 1991 PSAC Convention in Vancouver where a number of delegates made disparaging remarks to PSAC staff working the Convention. These comments were made after the delegates voted to slash the PSAC budget resulting in a reduction of staff positions. An emergency meeting of CULE and AEU members took place and discussion ensued about a number of tactics (eg. walking off the job, boycotting the banquet, filing grievances). After a thorough discussion staff chose to take the high road and continued to provide their services for the remainder of the Convention.

Mike McTaggart, Director of Organization Branch (this later became the Regional Offices Branch), sent out a fax to all RO’s in an attempt to calm down staff who had heard about the staff bashing at Convention.

I’m sure we can all agree that dealing with our Finance Section has its challenges but it couldn’t have always been that way? Afraid it has. See the memo from CULE President Jim Brohman to Penny Bertrand, Coordinator Regional Offices, dated April 26, 1999. Clearly, our employer just doesn’t get it.

Three Unit II members have put their names forward for the position of Unit II Member at Large, and a vote will be held. All CULE Unit II members are eligible and encouraged to vote.

• Babic, Marija, Nominated by Shawna Dalley, seconded by Diane Allen (click for a bio/candidate statement)
• Duggal, Monika, Nominated by Denise Morrison, seconded by Hetty Alcuitas  (click for a bio/candidate statement)
• Loshak, Kellie, Nominated by Collette Mann, seconded by Lynn Eaton (click for a bio/candidate statement)

Balloting Procedures

Download and return a ballot and return to

Pamela Peckford c/o
PSAC Gander Regional Office
The Polaris Bldg, 2nd Floor
61 Elizabeth Drive
Gander, NL A1V1G4

prior to the deadline – close of business March 7th 2012 – please take this into account when sending ballots via mail.

As always use the double envelope method and please ensure your name is clearly marked on the outer envelope. Note that ballots will not be accepted by email, fax, or proxy. A physical ballot must be used and must arrive in Gander prior to March 7th. Note that depending on the outcome a second ballot may be necessary.

Bonjour consoeurs et confrères,

Mes excuses pour les fautes d’orthographes et de grammaire!!

M. John Gordon aimerait mettre sur pied un groupe de travail interne, sur le fait français à l’AFPC. Il aimerait que l’UCES participe avec les autres syndicats de l’AFPC. L’exécutif de l’UCES voudrait savoir si vous désirez participer à ce groupe de travail comme membres francophones de l’UCES. Les réunions se dérouleront en français et il y aura aussi des membres exclus. S.v.p., aviser Stephanie Penwarden et Mark Rogers avant le 16 février si vous démontrez un intérêt. Malheureusement, ce sont les seuls détails connus à ce jour.

Syndicalement,

Stephanie et Mark

********************

Hello Sisters and Brothers,

Mr. John Gordon will be striking a working group to examine the situation of the French language within the PSAC. He has requested the participation of CULE and the other staff unions. The CULE executive would like to solicit the interest the francophone members of CULE to participate in this working group. Meetings will be in French and there will be excluded members present as well. Please advise Mark Rogers and Stephanie Penwarden by February 16 if you are interested in participating. Unfortunately we have no further details at this time.

In solidarity,

Mark and Stephanie

CULE has a long history of wading into the political agenda of the day -  in October 1983, a motion was passed at a membership meeting which read:

“That the President of CULE, on behalf of the membership, send a letter to the Prime Minister, to the leaders of the official opposition parties and to the members of the E.M.C. (Executive Management Committee) of the P.S.A.C. expressing opposition to the testing of the Cruise missile and calling on Canada to play an active leadership role in ending the madness of the arms race that both jeopardizes the lives of every living person on this planet and contributes to the deplorable Third World poverty that is a shame to all humanity.”

You can read the complete text of the letter sent to Pierre Trudeau on December 9, 1983 here. In addition, the same letter was sent to Brian Mulroney, Leader of the Official Opposition and Edward Broadbent, Leader of the NDP.

This post is the first in a series, looking back through the archives at CULE’s long and proud history. We hope you enjoy it!