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Yukon Employees’ Union 201-2285 2nd Avenue Whitehorse Yukon Y1A 1C9
Yukon Employees’ Union
NEWS
YEU Statement on the “Freedom” Protests Why ‘more authority’ is not the answer.
Members elected to the Yukon Employees’ Union Executive are no strangers to protest. Our action and activism is centered on supporting people who are marginalized and under-represented. Alongside the Public Service Alliance of Canada, our activists work on women’s, pride, and racially visible workers’ committees and advocate to promote accessibility, Indigenous peoples’ and young workers’ rights on PSAC Regional Committees. Our Executive is also composed of people who fall into one or more of these groups. When our union protests, we focus on empowering people who face discrimination. We support disempowered equity groups because we are trying to fix the inherent power imbalances established by institutions - institutions predominantly created and maintained by privileged, straight, white men. These institutions and those who benefit from the current status quo perceive this as an attack. They don’t see it as a move toward balance, they only see the shift of power as a loss - as discrimination. This is why the convoy encampment in Ottawa and related actions across Canada are receiving markedly different treatment than most other protests - because colonial governments and police forces, the very bodies responsible for reacting, are primarily made up of and led by the same people who are out blockading international borders and occupying Ottawa - privileged, straight, white men. The fix is not ‘more authority’ or more police action. Those authorities are not always allied with the equity seeking groups we work with - the authorities are often part of the problem. They are why Indigenous peoples are fighting for their lands, why BIPOC people are carded, why young workers die so frequently on the job, why 2SLGBTQIA+ feel unsafe at work, why workplaces are built with a lack of accessibility, and why pay inequality continues to be a problem for all these groups. We, the undersigned members of the YEU Political Action Committee and the YEU Executive do not support the convoy or the satellite “freedom” protests. Steve Geick, Tony Thomas, Justin Lemphers, Lisa Vollans, Sherry Masters, Charlene Smith, Roberta Wurtak, Derek Yap, Julie Abel, Jordan Laudon
Notes from our Community I grew up in Whitehorse and moved back later in life. In between, I lived in Ottawa. For a few of those years I lived in Centertown. While I was there I saw quite a few protests. During all those protests, I was never limited in my ability to move freely through my neighbourhood, I never saw any major public transit hubs shut down, I never saw the Rideau cen‐ ter close, and most importantly, I always felt safe. What's happening in Ottawa now may have been inspired by the desire to protest, but it's grown to be something much uglier. To give some context to the scope of this, the popula‐ tions of Centertown and Lowertown make a commu‐ nity larger than Whitehorse. The occupation is demanding a change to border traffic policy (which would be irrelevant because of an equivalent U.S. mandate), or a reduction of other mandates (which are provincially, not federally, managed), or the dis‐ solving of elected government (I probably don't need give any context to explain why this is wrong). Even if you believe the reports of aggression or threats are inflated, a truck air horn can reach 150 decibels (permanent hearing damage happens any‐ where over 85 decibels), imagine your life with a continuous 150 decibel soundtrack. This occupation is hurting people more than the mandates ever have. It's hard to see so many people willing to do harm to a community and not be over‐ whelmed by confusion and fury. So I'm trying my best to think of the advice that Mr. Roger's got from his Mom when he saw scary news;
Cornerstone is a group that helps women and gen‐ der diverse individuals experiencing homelessness. Their downtown emergency shelter is having a hard time. You can donate to them here: https://cornerstonewomen.ca/ways‑to‑ give/donate‑2/ Youth Services helps out young people in crisis. They've had to shut their downtown crisis drop in center a few times. You can support them here: https://www.ysb.ca/donate/ Restaurants in the area have had a hard time open‐ ing, even for delivery, because delivery drivers and supply trucks experienced difficulty getting through and staff faced unprecedented levels of harassment. There is a go fund me to support as many of them as possible, as well as the staff that work at them. You can find it here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/Ottawa‑ Restaurant‑Fund The Ottawa Humane Society has paired up with a city councillor to get pet food to the occupied areas for pet owners who are struggling. You can donate to them here: https://ottawahumane.ca/ And if it just pisses you off to see people disrespect monuments to fallen heroes, you can donate to the Terry Fox Foundation here: https://terryfox.org/ways‑to‑give/ And Veterans support here: https://woundedwarriors.ca/donate/ Kayla Morrison Open letter reprinted with permission
"Look for the helpers, you'll always find people that are helping." So I'm looking for the helpers, I'm trying to be one, and I'm hoping that some of you will help too. I've listed some places below that need support.
Kindness is the only way through. Shephard's of Good Hope is a shelter and outreach center that got hit hard in the first weekend. You can donate to them here: https://www.sghottawa.com/ways‑to‑give/ Photo provided by the Shepherds of Good Hope Shelter.
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YEU NEWS March 2022
NEWS
From the President’s Desk Steve Geick
As we close in on two years of living and working in a COVID19 world, I want to thank all the front-line workers who have put themselves in harm’s way to keep the Territory running. My genuine thanks to all of you, from healthcare providers to those keeping streets and highways safe, hard-working grocery store staff and those in the retail sector. “You want to scream about what’s going on”; some of you may have read the letter published in the Whitehorse star on February 4th. Written by a healthcare worker, it offers painful insight into our Continuing Care facilities, illustrating what life is like for those working and living in Yukon’s longterm care homes during COVID lockdowns. Yes, I do want to scream, specifically at Yukon Government for the incompetence and arrogance they have shown our members, especially their front-line workers, during the Pandemic. I have had many fruitless discussions with leadership at Health & Social Services regarding desperately low staffing levels, their abysmal recruitment and retention strategies, and the lack of any meaningful attempts to rectify the situation. The convenient response sounds something like “it’s COVID, there is a shortage.” Bullshit! Staff, physicians, and the Union have raised red flags over near catastrophic staffing shortages in healthcare for many years, but still, they feign innocence. So, let’s put this into perspective. Over the last two years the Department of Health and Social Services have excluded over 20 new managerial positions; this means positions created from scratch or those removed from the bargaining unit. Some quick fact-checking indicates that the combined salary and benefits for these positions over the two years is $4,272,750 and that’s without annual raises and performance bonuses. These new excluded positions include such intriguing titles as Manager of Talent Acquisition and Workplace Planning, and the new Director of Transformation Innovation, Putting People First. It seems they’re putting the wrong people first; they’ve spent over FOUR MILLION DOLLARS for new management positions in only one Department, with little to show for it where it matters; the urgent acquisition of front-
Yukon Employees’ Union Newsletter
line health worker talent. That same $4,272,750 could have paid a year’s wages for 46 Critical Care Paramedics, 72 Nursing Home Attendants or 41 Community Nurses. It's worth noting that the Carcross Health Center is currently only open for emergencies due to staffing issues. That means that there is only one nurse available to service a community that’s reeling from opioid overdoses and COVID outbreaks. The Teslin Health Centre has also been placed on emergencyonly status as well, effective February 15th “due to staffing challenges”. YEU first drew attention to this epidemic of understaffing in 2017*. Promises were made, nothing really changed, and then came COVID. It’s long past time for the Yukon government to spend our tax dollars where they’re needed most – supporting workers on the front lines, not padding the ranks of management. _______________________________________________________________ Strategic Planning meetings will be held in late April, guiding the direction of YEU’s work for this abbreviated two-year term. We’ll be meeting in the virtual world, and we hope to get a lot done over four days of meetings with staff, Executive, Locals and rank-and-file members. We will invite members from all locals to participate in these planning discussions so we can hear directly from you about issues that need our attention. This is a new process, and we hope to see many of you around our virtual table. Bargaining will take centre stage over the next six months as we enter into negotiations with 12 separate employers and continuing bargaining with Yukon government and the City of Whitehorse. Stay in touch with your Local and be sure you’re subscribed for bargaining update emails so you can have your say in the bargaining demands that will be taken forward to the bargaining table. Your union, your priorities, your bargaining teams. Steve Geick, President Yukon Employees’ Union *https://www.yeu.ca/community_nurses_need_support_stat
March 2022 Page 3
WE NEED YOUR HELP
Here’s why we’re asking.
Joint Health and Safety Committees
YEU has been investigating reports we have heard from workers *who we keep anonymous* regarding the JHSCs for large employers, and we have found some problems. For example, we recently learned Justin Lemphers, Yukon Hospital Corporation has a single JHSC for all Vice President three hospitals. We also learned that Yukon govern ment and the City of Whitehorse have workplaces Yukon Employees’ Union (YEU) has been investigating without JHSCs. Those are three of the biggest employ Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSC) for ers in the Yukon. employers we work with, and we’re finding some problems. Why aren’t they meeting basic requirements of the OHS Act to ensure worker safety? We don’t know, so To explain our concerns, we’re going to refer to the we asked the responsible parties. Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHS Act) and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (regula YEU reported our findings to Yukon Workers’ tion). Compensation Health and Safety Board (YWCHSB), and they have begun their own investigations into our And, we’ll be focusing on three questions: concerns. While we’re pleased YWCHSB is looking into our concerns, we have to ask how and why the JHSC •Does your workplace have a JHSC? oversight persists? •How many workers are in your workplace? •how are the two questions above related? Over the years, YEU has received copies of orders In order to answer those questions, let’s make sure issued after YWCHSB Safety Officers have conducted we’re talking about the same thing. What exactly does investigations. How thorough are the investigations if ‘workplace’ mean and how is it defined? The answer they are missing basic legislated requirements, like to that is in the regulation: “workplace” means a place having an adequate and functional JHSC in a work place? where a worker is engaged in work Your workplace is wherever your work requires you to be for more than a month. It could be a building, a maintenance yard, a highway, a helicopter, a moun tainside, a river, and it could be basecamp for a fire. The next step is to count the number of workers in the workplace. When a threshold for the number of work ers in a workplace is met or exceeded, the require ment for the workplace to have a JHSC is triggered. The thresholds vary based on the number of workers and the type of work being performed. Those thresh olds can be found in Sections 12 and 13 of the OHS Act. The requirement to form a JHSC lies with the employ er and worker participation is not only guaranteed, it is also protected by the OHS Act.
We also sent our concerns to Richard Mostyn, as the Minister responsible for YWCHSB, with the request he take them on as Ministerial casework. We are still waiting for Minister Mostyn to acknowledge our con cerns. Our goal is to improve worker safety – by having YWCHSB and the Minister ensure that employers are meeting legislated requirements. This is where you come in. YEU would like to know more about your workplaces, unionized or not. •Does your workplace have a JHSC? •Are you on the JHSC, or, would you like to be? •Do you have safety concerns about your work? •Have you reported those concerns? •If not, why? •If yes, were you satisfied with the outcome?
Now, knowing how the workplace you’re in is related to the number of workers, let’s return to the first Contact me at jlemphers@yeu.ca with any concerns question – Does your workplace have a Joint Health about workplaces and worker safety. and Safety Committee? Justin Lemphers, Vice President Yukon Employees’ Union
Notes from the Bargaining Table YEU/PSAC and Yukon government:
What’s next?
The YEU bargaining team met remotely with the employer’s team from January 31st to February 4th. These talks included a review of all outstanding pro‐ posals and their various stages of discussion.
The Union team has reviewed all letters of agreement (LOAs) signed off over the past two years. These letters of agreement are not part of the Collective Agreement and usually cover specific situations that occur between rounds of negotiations. The Union team has formulated a response to the LOAs the Government wishes to renew, and we expect to discuss these at our next session of bargaining.
As a priority, we returned to the lack of progress regarding the current state of emergency and continu‐ ity plans. We again brought up the dismal frontline staffing levels throughout the pandemic and the impact it’s having on the mental health of all frontline workers who continue to report to duty. Additional time was spent exploring possible solutions to the chronic problems with the Respectful Workplace Office and the Public Service Commission (Articles 5 & 6 and Letter of Understanding J). Also discussed were Joint Consultation Committees, Injury on Duty, and employer‐proposed changes to Whitehorse Correctional Centre (WCC) Hours of work. We look forward to welcoming Laurel Cole, a new bar‐ gaining team member from Watson Lake who will join the team when we meet for our next round of talks.
An early‐stage overview of the controversial Putting People First plan will be provided to the Union team. We intend to hold a series of townhall meetings specif‐ ically with members who work in health care. This will be done prior to tabling a comprehensive series of pro‐ posals to address shortcomings within the nursing classification, midwifery, and other front line health care occupations in the communities and in Whitehorse. We will be back at the table February 28 to March 3, and again April 11‐14. We hope to finally bargain in person, and meet the employer team face‐to‐face at one or both upcoming sessions.
Sexual Harassment; When will YG Learn? Yukon Employees’ Union (YEU) read the findings of the Hidden Valley Elementary School investigation with great interest. We’re pleased to hear Premier Silver accepts all of the recommendations contained within the report. However, we’re angry that the Yukon government (YG) so consistently lacks common sense and integrity when dealing with sexual harassment allegations in the workplace. YEU was involved in a recent and completely separate YG investigation into workplace sexual harassment. The accused employee was terminated after YG determined the sexual harassment allegations were supported.
Imagine our surprise when YG reached out to us and asked, “Would it be okay if we hire that employee back again?” Of course, we said, “NO!” however we found out that YG went ahead and did it anyway - the employee was returned to work. And so began an exercise in accountability, where we asked direct questions and got ambiguous answers in return. At the time of writing this (Friday, February 11, 2022), the individual in question was still employed by YG. Apparently, this individual’s last day is imminent but we’ve been told that before … and watched with disbelief as the individual’s employment term was extended, again and again. When we challenged YG on the carelessness of the situation they created, they did not give us direct responses. So in lieu of actual dialogue with YG, we’ll post our questions for them here:
Coming Events & Union Training Local Meetings: Local Y017 AGM, March 17, 2022 6:00 pm, YEU and ZOOM
Training: Shop Steward Orientation March 22 & 23, 9am ZOOM
1. Do you really need a policy that tells you not to rehire someone you just fired for sexual harassment?
Welcome to Your Union March 29, 5:30pm ZOOM
2. How are you keeping workers and the people served by YG safe from sexual harassment?
Strategies for Workplace Problems Virtual SSRT April 20 9am
3. How often is this happening, beyond this one instance? If you’re reading this and you are feeling as disgusted as we are, let the government know. Premier Silver can be reached at Sandy.Silver@yukon.ca. John Streicker, the Minister ultimately responsible for Public Service Commission hiring decisions can be reached at John.Streicker@yukon.ca The recommendations that Premier Silver accepted involving the Hidden Valley Elementary School investigation can be found at the link below. https://yukon.ca/sites/yukon.ca/files/edu/edu-independent-reviewreport-hidden-valley-school-january-31-2022.pdf
Shop Steward Orientation
May 12,13 9am Dawson Know Your Pension, YG May 24 or 25 9am-12
yeu.ca/training to RSVP
From the Ground Up Warren Edmonson, PSAC Negotiator and the First YTPSA Collective Agreement, 1971 On a Sunday afternoon in late 1965, a group of Yukon civil servants gathered together in the Whitehorse Legion Hall to adopt the constitution of an association meant to unite the territorial government’s employees. Salaries were not on par with southern public servants, and with rocketing inflation and the high cost of living in the north, workers were fed up. Poor morale wreaked havoc on the territory’s public service, causing a turnover rate that was tremendous - it was time to unionize. In a move to improve the lives of all YTG employees and their families, the Yukon Territorial Public Service Association was born. In the early months of the YTPSA, the immediate goal of the union was to acquire a pay increase of 10%. Although lacking collective bargaining rights, they sought through their negotiations to provide a higher standard of living for their members. In a letter addressed to the Commissioner of the time, G.R. Cameron, YTPSA President Bob Smith wrote that it was time “for an imaginative, courageous, and positive approach to salaries, [and] working conditions.” By April, 1966, they were successful in achieving their wage recommendation. In 1969, the YTPSA affiliated with the Public Service Alliance of Canada, securing the right to bargain collectively. The first two contracts were negotiated during a period for which we have almost no records so it was a wonderful surprise when retired PSAC Negotiator Warren Edmonson reached out to YEU in late 2021 Mr. Edmonson was PSAC’s lead negotiator for the first two Collective Agreements bargained for employees of the Yukon Territorial Government. Those two CAs laid the foundation for the benefits our members enjoy to this day, and established a history of member-driven bargaining that continues to this day. No novice to bargaining in the far north, Edmonson had negotiated the first CA with the Government of the
Northwest Territories. His trips to the Yukon were many and often fraught; air travel in the late 60’s and early 70’s was still pretty “seat of the pants”. He recalls the Travelodge and the single restaurant nearby - welcome, after long days of talks and challenging meetings. Although the names of the team members are perhaps lost to history, Edmonson recalls their determination and skill. There were many long nights of bargaining and discussions were often intense, but a mutual respect and collective willingness to get the job done won out; a deal was reached without needing to call in a third party. Hard bargaining he says, but both sides were committed to the process. Not surprisingly, the issues on the table in 1970 were much the same as those our teams are addressing now. He recalls difficult conversations around hours of work, job classifications, pay grids and equity. When asked if he could offer any advice to today’s bargaining teams, he stressed the importance of communication with the members and their support of the process. He said there are a few key priorities to healthy bargaining: 1. Manage expectations, set realistic goals. 2. Strong leadership; the leaders must lead and set the pace. 3. Relationships built within the team and with the other side make for respectful and successful negotiations. 4. Facts; set emotion aside and get to the facts. You can’t argue with facts, and solutions become evident when the facts are clear. And he should know. After his time as PSAC’s Chief Negotiator, Warren Edmonson served as Federal Deputy Minister of the Department of Labour and ended his career as Chair of the Canadian Industrial Relations Board. We’ll bring you more of this story in a later issue of the YEU Newsletter.
How many new Canadians do you know or work with? How many Indigenous people? Do you know their “real” names, or do you opt for anglicized versions that are just easier for you to say? How do you feel if someone arbitrarily abbreviates your name, or chooses a nickname for you? Infantilized? Disrespected? Demeaned? Choosing to mis-name someone for your own convenience is a microaggression; it’s racism. Our names are our history - our connection to family and our own origin stories. Mothers gift children with names for reasons that are key to identity. Learn the names of the people you meet - it’s a simple way to show respect for someone’s humanity, and to make spaces safer and more welcoming. If you can say charcuterie, pad thai or Bombardier, you can learn to call your co-worker by their given name.
NEW YEU MEMBER DISCOUNT!
YEU Component Leadership
We’re excited to announce a GREAT new discount offered by Mt. Sima especially for members of YEU/PSAC. If you’ve ever wanted to learn to ski or snowboard, or could use a few lessons to improve your skills, you’re in luck! Show your PSAC Member ID for 10% off all rentals and save 10% off one-hour private lesson bookings for any age group!
www.mountsima.com
Steve Geick, President
Members Build a Strong Union YOU can make a difference Become a Local Organizer.
Justin Lemphers, Vice President
YEU STAFF CONTACTS
Tony Thomas, Vice President Communities
Roseanne Elias, Membership Services Officer; relias@yeu.ca Jim Crowell, Labour Relations Advisor; jcrowell@yeu.ca Beckie Huston, Intake Advisor; bhuston@yeu.ca Jessica Kish, Labour Relations Advisor; jkish@yeu.ca Rowan MacPhail, Labour Relations Advisor; rmacphail@yeu.ca Tammy Olsen, Financial Officer; tolsen@yeu.ca Lynne Pajot, Education Officer; lpajot@yeu.ca Haley Philipsen, Executive Assistant; hphilipsen@yeu.ca Dan Robinson, Senior Labour Relations Advisor; drobinson@yeu.ca Deborah Turner-Davis, Director of Communications; dturner-davis@yeu.ca Richard Wagner, Labour Relations Advisor; rwagner@yeu.ca Michelle Parsons, Executive Director; mparsons@yeu.ca
Yukon Employees’ Union, 2285 2nd Ave. Whitehorse YT Y1A 1C9 PH: 867-667-2331 Fax: 867-667-6521 1-888-YEU-2331 contact@yeu.ca www.yeu.ca Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Page 8
YEU NEWS March 2022
