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Yukon Employees’ Union 201-2285 2nd Avenue Whitehorse Yukon Y1A 1C9
Yukon Employees’ Union May 2022
NEWS
Sitting across the table from your employer, negotiating on behalf of colleagues who aren't in the room can be intimidating - in fact many employers make sure it's intimidating. It takes a special kind of courage and commitment to do this work, particularly as it's all volunteer labour. The three elected bargaining teams pictured here have been doing that hard work for their colleagues for many months now. Clockwise, the Yukon government monetary bargaining team (all YG Locals), Yukon Arts Centre Local Y021 team, and the Local Y046 City of Whitehorse team. The next time you see one of these workers on the job, please make sure you let them know how much you appreciate their efforts. It’s a tough job, and we’re very grateful they’re up to the task. These are hree very strong bargaining teams, negotiating strong collective agreements. Show your support by making sure to attend all bargaining update meetings and ratification votes. Subscribe for email bargaining updates, and thank them for their work.
Hats off to the Bargaining Teams!
YEU Community Meetings One of the highlights of the past months was a road a trip to Dawson and all points in between with PSAC Negotiator Erna Post. After such a long hiatus due to COVID, it was great to be back out visiting the communities with YG Bargaining updates, and more. We planned informal meetings in Faro, Mayo and Dawson, both for YG members and City of Dawson workers. We also dropped into the Health Centre in Carmacks to learn first-hand from the staff. Members had much to tell us and it wasn’t all positive. We answered what we could and promised to get answers to the questions we couldn’t answer on the spot. I want to thank the members for bringing forward their concerns, and for their patience while awaiting responses. We are planning more community visits over the summer and look forward to seeing you soon. Subscribe for email updates and we’ll let you know when to expect us. Steve Geick
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YEU NEWS May 2022
NEWS
From the President’s Desk Steve Geick
Despite starting talks early in September of 2021, the YEU/PSAC bargaining team and that of the Yukon government are further apart than I’ve seen in more than 20 years with YEU. For the first time, we are applying to the Yukon Public Service Labour Relations Board for conciliation. In essence, we have broken off talks with the employer. By following the stringent conciliation process, we can pursue other actions should our efforts at mediation fail. We have informed the government that we are more than ready to return to the bargaining table before we arrive at mediation if they are willing to move the process along in a respectful way. Bargaining requires give and take; we never expect to get everything we ask for, but we will not give up on items that our members have told us are essential. With staffing levels for front line positions at critical levels, our team came up with some progressive demands to help improve recruitment and retention for this government. After more than two years of COVID challenges, our front‐line workers including those in healthcare, corrections, EMS and education are burned out. Too many have left the territory, and more will continue to leave because YG has shown they are far from the top 100 employer they profess to be. It’s clear they have little respect for their employees. Bargaining in the public forum is not our usual practice. Therefore, it came as a surprise when Minister McPhee stood up recently in the Yukon’s Legislative Assembly and announced that YEU was responsible for the lack of midwives in the Territory. She went on to announce that the union had refused to agree to a $12,000 market adjustment for midwives and made it sound as though that was the only issue. A market adjustment is not added to the base salary; it is not pensionable nor does it make up for the 20‐to‐35‐thousand‐dollar salary deficit compared to the other Territories or Provinces. Our team tabled a comprehensive package at the bargaining table addressing not only the salary shortfall, but also hours of work and more to protect work life balance for midwives in the Yukon. Their response was a hard NO. McPhee has since admitted that the position was not classified as high as it could or should have been, promising it will be re‐ classified. This is precisely what we proposed at the table, but were flatly told NO. We have brought forward similar proposals for many other groups, met again with the familiar NO. We can clearly see that this government makes up their own rules, ignoring ideas that could help improve services, working conditions and their own reputation and record.
Yukon Employees’ Union Newsletter
Bullying, harassment, and racism is alive and well within YG ‐ we have heard that from our members loud and clear for years. We have also heard that the respectful workplace office (meant to be an “arm’s length” office of YG whose mandate is to deal with the above noted offenses and human rights issues) is a JOKE. To date YG has not agreed with any of our proposals to transform this fiasco into something viable that genuinely serves the needs of the work force. The issue of Severance pay is again a hot ticket; the employer wants it gone. They rationalize the plan because “Changes have been made to the teachers’ contract and to management con‐ tracts”. Our members do not belong to either of those employ‐ ment groups. Our members are not willing to abandon their severance pay or authorize the creation of a two‐tiered work‐ place with severance for some, none for others. For a government that ran on a platform of respecting Public Servants they are failing miserably. They would rather invest millions of dollars in new management positions and create “Boutique Websites” to improve recruitment rather than listen to any suggestions from their workers. So where do we go from here? Stay tuned, it’s a rocky road ahead. We have seen some great energy building at Local Y025, Yukon Hospital Workers. The local is re‐building, holding meetings and preparing for bargaining. They have been through a lot in the last couple of years and we look forward to helping them strengthen their collective agreement and strengthen their membership. City of Whitehorse workers have been in negotiations as well, for the first time as the combined Local Y046 – Whitehorse Municipal Workers (previously Local Y023 and Y022). They have a strong bargaining team and we have confidence they’ll do what they must to reach a solid deal. Summer is almost upon us. If this were any other round of bar‐ gaining with the Yukon government, we would be planning our Yukon‐wide contract ratification trip. We visit every communi‐ ty so members can learn about proposed changes and vote on a new collective agreement. This year is markedly different than other years. I hope to see you online at our upcoming Virtual Strategic Planning meetings June 14‐17. If you have something you feel strongly about and want to help the union build a plan to address it, please register ASAP. Like I always say, it’s your union – it’s really democracy in action. Get involved; attend union meetings, read your newsletter, volunteer ‐ your voice matters.
May 2022 Page 3
Justin Lemphers, Vice President The humble manila envelope has always played an important role in the transfer of important and sensitive information. In the union world, a plain brown envelope in the mailbox signals a serious concern that someone thinks we should know about. The anonymity it promis‐ es has allowed workers to share concerns without fear of retribution. We know the act of contacting us in this way is not with‐ out risk, and we know it can carry enormous emotional weight. When members reach out to us like this, it’s almost always because something has gone very wrong, and the people who should be addressing a problem simply are not. We regularly receive tips about unsafe workplaces, awful employers and terrible working conditions. Sometimes its direct outreach – a worker makes an unscheduled visit to the office, sends an email or leaves a late night voice mail. And sometimes it’s a plain brown envelope of documents slid under the door, or a link to an anonymous Dropbox account Yukon Employees’ Union wants to thank everyone who has taken that brave step. Many Yukon workers are not covered by a collective agreement, or able to file a grievance but they experience workplace problems and want to see things improve. Members or not, we work with them to try and address the problem. No matter how we receive information, we pay atten‐ tion. Some of our most important fights and wins have been as a result of this anonymous information sharing. We have created a new online form that will make it eas‐ ier for you to flag issues that need our attention. The form can be completed and sent to us without any iden‐ tifying data and you can upload documents, forms, or photos ‐ as many as you’d like. The form will be deliv‐ ered only to the email inbox of the President of YEU. This is just one more option for you if you want to reach out. To everyone who has contacted us in the past, anony‐ mously or not, THANK YOU. We are grateful for your trust and are committed to keeping your identity safe. Rest assured that Yukon Employees’ Union will always protect your identity and keep your efforts confidential. In solidarity,
Find the form at yeu.ca/members or yeu.ca/confidential_submission
COVID-19 IS AN AEROSOL YEU has been investigating our concerns over Continuing Care management’s apparent reluctance to provide N95 masks to staff. Corresoindence received May 4 2022 has revealed that the Yukon government’s COVID-19 mitigation practises are based on the idea of droplet transmission, not aerosol (airborne) risks. A Health and Social Services Director confirmed that fitted N95 masks were only available for instances where droplet transmission was considered possible.
This is shocking. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) recognized Covid as an aerosol on June 29, 2021 with this statement: “SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spreads from an infected person to others through respiratory droplets and aerosols when an infected person breathes, coughs, sneezes, sings, shouts, or talks. The droplets vary in size, from large droplets that fall to the ground rapidly (within seconds or minutes) near the infected person, to smaller droplets, sometimes called aerosols, which linger in the air, especially in indoor spaces.” Since then, PHAC has issued numerous statements on the airborne risks of COVID-19, yet YG has not updated their safety measures to acknowledge this. This could answer questions like: • • •
Why do Whistle Bend Place and Copper Ridge Place keep suffering outbreaks? Why are there so many healthcare staffing challenges throughout YG? Why are many staff completely out of sick leave?
YEU expects YG to immediately update their protocol to recognize COVID-19 as an aerosol to safeguard the health of people living in care, and the workers who care for them.
Thinking about Retirement? Do you know your post-retirement wage? When you think about it, your pension is simply deferred wages, and both you and your employer have contributed over the years. Do you know what your pension “wage” will be? Unions fought hard for all Canadians to retire with dig‐ nity. The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) are part of every worker’s retirement income but for most people with a workplace pension, this pension is the biggest chunk of their retirement income. In fact, it’s one of the negotiated benefits we fight hardest to protect and preserve. It’s not just workers getting close to retirement age who need to know about their pension; there is a lot to learn about the YG defined benefit pension plan for workers at every stage of their career. Is your pension protected against inflation? Is it portable if you change jobs? How will taking unpaid or deferred leave affect your pension? We have scheduled 2 sessions for you to learn about your YG pension when it suits you best. We'll also dis‐ cuss retiree benefits which YG employees can choose to opt into upon retirement. PSAC's pension and bene‐ fits specialist James Infantino will be on hand to answer all your pension‐related questions. If you are not a YG employee but would like a similar workshop tailored to your workplace, let us know and we'll plan a session for you and your co‐workers.
ZOOM: Tuesday, May 24th 7 to 9pm IN PERSON: Wednesday, May 25th, 9 am to 12 pm (seating is limited – register early).
Visit yeu.ca/training and save your place in the Zoom meeting or the in-person session.
Retired?
I
n the past few weeks, several retirees have come to YEU with concerns about the delay in receiving their pen‐ sions. Often there is not much the Union can do in these cases, other than phone Human Resources and try to encourage them to get on the problem. In some situations, however, where there are systemic problems and where the pension plan is specifically incor‑ porated by reference in the collective agreement, the Union might be able to use a policy grievance procedure. This was the case with the Yukon University recently. The University (previously Yukon College) has had a pension plan since 1990 which is specifically included in their col‐ lective agreement. Last year the employer tried to walk away from a long‐standing practise of having a parity Pension Committee – half the members appointed by the PSAC, and half appointed by the Board of Governors. The Pension Committee plays a key role in the administration and oversight of the Pension Plan, so tilting the voting bal‐ ance toward the employer could cause problems. Quick thinking Pension Committee members brought the problem to their local and to the YEU. Because the Pension is part of the Collective Agreement (‘incorporated by refer‑ ence’), the Union was able to grieve. Faced with potential testimony from previous members of the Pension Committee that would detail the long history of a parity pension committee, the University backed down. An agreed Memorandum of Settlement keeps the composi‐ tion and role of the Pension Committee status quo. The union bargaining committees at the Yukon University (and Yukon College, going back to 1989) deserve credit for their foresight in writing the pension plan into the collective agreement. This simple act allowed the Union to grieve, and protect the pension committee for the benefit of retired employees.
Coming Events & Union Training YEU Virtual Strategic Planning Local Organizers Watch for us in your Workplace! On April 27 and 28, a group of members from various YEU Locals met to take part in Local Organizer Training. The goal of this pilot project is to strengthen the relationship between employees and their union by connecting local organizers to their coworkers. In this training we received education on how to discuss workplace issues in a constructive and uniting manner. We also brainstormed ideas that could be implemented to gather YEU members in order to have productive and educational meetings. Taking part in this training was inspiring, and motivated your Local Organizers to get to work. It's OUR union, let's work together to make it strong and united!"
June 14-17, Zoom All members are invited. Join for an hour or for all four days. Learn more and register at yeu.ca/stratplan22
Training: May 18 virtual SSRT (Zoom) Learn about Joint Labour Management (JLM) meetings and how Shop Stewards can participate. May 24 (Zoom) or May 25 (YEU Hall) Know your YG Pension. PSAC’s pension expert will explain it all in an evening Zoom session or an in-person, 3-hour session May 26-27 Shop Steward Orientation Whitehorse: We need stewards in many workplaces; this is your invitation to get the training you need to get started. June 1-2 Shop Steward Orientation Dawson: All Dawson-based new Shop Stewards can take this 2-day training. June 14th Welcome to Your Union (Zoom) - A 45-minute introduction to the union for all YEU members
Check out yeu/training.ca
YEU Virtual Strategic Planning, June 14-17 ‘22 In each leadership cycle, Yukon Employees' Union holds a virtual strategic planning exercise to map our path between conventions. We invite you to join us June 14-17, 2022 to help build our Strategic Plan for the remainder of this term.
We’ll tackle the following topics: • • • • • •
Building Leadership and Capacity at the Local level YEU’s Political Positions – Activism and how we get there Member Engagement, Public Relations and Social Justice Union Education, Outreach and Mobilization Representation – Stewards and Staff Open Space – bring your union-building topics for discussion
Each day will begin with a brief plenary session before participants join small-group discussions on these important topics and more. Each stand-alone session reflects the themes that guide the work of activists and staff. You can join the conversation for one session, for a day, or for the full agenda.
Excellent Guest Speakers and CoFacilitators: Our guest speakers are all experienced union activists and leaders who will share with us their stories of successes and challenges faced by union members and activists beyond the Yukon. Several of our speakers will join the elective conversations to bring the broader perspective and inspire us to think big. This is your union, and you are critical to its ongoing strength. Be part of setting our goals and helping to meet them. You will not lose pay* to attend this or any union training or conference. Please complete the registration form linked from the webpage, selecting the elective sessions you wish to attend.
YEU Component Leadership
The 2022 YEU Education Bursary Application Intake is now open.
Steve Geick, President
Justin Lemphers, Vice President
YEU STAFF CONTACTS 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
Tony Thomas, Vice President, Communities
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 May 2022