RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:
Yukon Employees’ Union 2285-2nd Ave. Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 1C9
Yukon Employees’ Union October 2018
NEWS
An Open Letter to Many Rivers’ Board of Directors:
W
e speak on behalf of the workers of Many Rivers Counselling and Support Services, counsellors and administrative support staff. Thanks to the governance model under which the organization operates, Many Rivers’ workers have no means to speak directly with the Society’s Board of Directors. We hope you will take note of their issues through this very public forum. The workers of Many Rivers in Whitehorse, Haines Junction, Dawson and Watson Lake are on strike watch. These members voted overwhelmingly to take strike action if a reasonable contract cannot be achieved at the bargaining table. They have tried. Together, we’ve been at the table for over a year. Members have been working without a contract for over a year, with working conditions that seem to change from day to day, in violation of the freeze on terms and conditions under the Canada Labour Code. More than anything, they would like to get back to focusing on helping Yukoners – a vocation they have trained for and love, work we all know is important to the families and communities they serve. Negotiations have been lengthy and difficult, to the point that an Unfair Labour Practice complaint was filed with the Canada Industrial Relations Board, the federal body which administers the Canada Labour Code.
The employer has recently removed online access to the membership form allowing Yukoners to become voting members of the Society. We are concerned that this may have been done to limit public engagement and participation, and that this unilateral move may inhibit the democratic process at the overdue Annual General Meeting. The employees who work at Many Rivers don’t wish to bargain in the press, but they want you to know that patience with this long, drawn-out process has worn thin. The Union, in a last ditch effort to avoid a strike, has notified the Mediator that workers are willing to meet for one more conciliation session before taking action. Due to time constraints of all parties, this will happen in the last week of October. We urge you to direct the Society’s Executive Director to negotiate fairly with the workers. The outstanding issues include hours of work, wages, duration of work, and an increase to the EAP allowance. Workers would like their health and well-being to be as valuable to the employer as that of the people they serve. We all hope you will help move this organization quickly toward resolution and help us avoid a strike. There is so much at stake. Respectfully, Yukon Employees’ Union, on behalf of the members of YEU/PSAC Local Y031 Many Rivers Counselling and Support Services
