May 3, 2006

$145,000 for Ekati mine workers from PSAC delegates in Toronto

Delegates pledged in excess of $45,000 to help members of PSAC Local 3050 on strike against BHP Billiton at the Ekati diamond mine, 300 kilometers north-east of Yellowknife. This amount comes in addition to the $100,000 already pledged by the UNW for its hardship fund. Donations and pledges were made by individual delegates and observers, Components, Locals, Area Councils, equity committees, Regions and the largest staff union at PSAC.

The pledges were announced after members and supporters took to Toronto streets in a demonstration in support of Ekati workers.

“In every struggle there is a light” said Ekati mine worker Robert Beaulieu. “In this case the light is the union,” he added.

Beaulieu, who made the trip from Yellowknife to address the Toronto demonstration, was clearly overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from his sisters and brothers from the PSAC and the Canadian labour movement.

We're all responsible for the environment

We are accountable to future generations for the environment we will leave them. That makes cleaning up our environment an urgent priority. Since signing the Kyoto accord in 1998, Canada has done too little too late to live up to its commitments. The Conservative government will spend less to fund Environment Canada in 2006-07 than it did in 2005-06 and it appears poised to abandon Kyoto altogether.

PSAC is doing its part. By providing one copy of documents to each delegate we have reduced the amount of paper distributed to delegates, observers and staff by 2.3 metric tons over 2003. This Convention also continues the strong commitment of the PSAC and our members to using public water and not bottled water, to reusing and recycling, and to reducing energy consumption whenever and wherever we can.

General Committee

Defending Quality Public Services Policy (covers Resolution GEN153). The policy articulates the union's support and commitment to strong public services and service delivery and provides broad direction for the union in various areas including research, collective bargaining, fightback campaigns, communications, political action, organizing, education and the Social Justice Fund, to increase our opposition to the privatization of public infrastructure and public services and ensure their accessibility from coast to coast to coast. Recommendation of concurrence – carried.

The adoption of this resolution increases PSAC dues by 18 cents per member month.

Following the adoption of this policy, Government Services Union President Mark Brunell immediately pledged $250K from the Component in support of fightback campaign activities.

Res. GEN50 : PSAC, Components and Directly Chartered Locals to review the union's structure to better respond to members' needs. Recommendation of concurrence – carried.

Res. GEN10 : PSAC will fully fund a national conference for its Aboriginal members and a separate national conference for its racially visible members (previously one national Unity conference). There is no additional dues increase as the costing for the two conferences was included in the proposed 2007-09 budget adopted on May 2. Recommendation of concurrence – carried.

Finance Committee

Strike Fund: PSAC will institute a special levy to replenish the strike fund. From July 1 to December 31, 2006 , the levy will be $2.00 per member per month for members earning $30K a year or less; $5.00 per member per month for members who earn more than $30K. From January 1, 2007 until the strike fund has a balance of $25 million, a levy of $2.00 per member per month for members earning $30K a year or less and $2.75 per member per month for those earning more than $30K.

The month after this special levy ends, the regular contribution by members to the strike fund will increase to $1.00 per member per month (up from the current 35 cents). In future, whenever the strike fund balance falls below $10 million, a special levy will be implemented until the fund balance exceeds $25 million. That levy will be $2.00 per member per month for members earning $30K or less and $4.00 for members earning more than $30K. Recommendation of concurrence – carried.

Res. FIN14 : PSAC will help remove barriers for members with family care obligations to participate in union activities by increasing payments for family care expenses as follows: a maximum of $50 per day for the first family member; maximum of $25 per day for each additional family member; maximum of $30 per night per family member for overnight care. No dues increase involved as the costing was included in the proposed 2007-09 budget adopted on May 2. Recommendation of concurrence – carried.

Res. FIN08 (covers FIN 09): The Alliance Executive Committee (AEC) will consider allocating further resources to help promote and coordinate activities related to health and safety in the North. Recommendation of concurrence – carried.

Res. FIN10 (covers GEN94): The PSAC will consider allocating resources to help promote and coordinate activities related to education in the North. Recommendation of concurrence – carried.

Constitution Committee

C-S 85 : Provides fully funded delegate status to each Regional Council member representing women to the PSAC convention. Recommendation of non-concurrence – carried.

C-S 26 : Alternate Regional Executive Vice-Presidents would be allowed to participate in National Board of Directors meetings as technical advisors. Recommendation of concurrence – defeated.

C-S 36 (First two Be it resolved sections): Changes the Constitution to allow for the establishment of separate regional committees for Aboriginal and Racially Visible members and set up a separate fully-funded national conference for Racially Visible members. R ecommendation of concurrence – defeated.

C-S 04 : This resolution deals with the status of members employed for intermittent but regularly repeating periods of temporary employment. After being referred back to the Committee on Tuesday, the Committee returned with an amended resolution that was again referred back to the Committee.

C-S 06(A) : Amend the Constitution to specify the process for revocation of membership. Recommendation of concurrence – defeated.

UPCE presented a banner to protest against the July closure of the Québec Sorting Centre. Richard Deslauriers, and Ginette Chartrand, of UPCE made the presentation.

Banner to protest against the closure of the Québec Sorting Centre

The Union of Postal Communications Employees asked delegates to sign a 6-meter long banner to protest against the July closure of the Québec Sorting Centre. The “Keep our jobs in our city!” banner was presented to delegates by Richard Deslauriers, UPCE President and Ginette Chartrand, Québec Regional Vice-President.