Alec Goertzen, Calgary Area Council Representative
Report to the Prairie Region Council
November 2011
Brothers and Sisters, this reporting is for the period of July to October, 2011
Celebrate the Steward – July 24th
As part of an initiative that began out of Calgary, the Calgary Area Council and the PSAC-Regional Office want to recognize the efforts and work that they do in their role as a Steward. Under the direction of a planning committee, we hosted a BBQ picnic event which had 12 steward and families attend. Sister Robyn Benson, REVP/Prairies, presented all the Steward in attendance with their Shop Steward Kit. It was a spectacular day and a good time was had by all, with good food, great games, and fun day in the sun.
Labor Day BBQ – September 5th
Labour Day Barbeque was planned and held on September 5th at Olympic Plaza. This event is sponsored & coordinated by the Calgary District Labor Council and is hosted by Calgary Unions (i.e. UFCW, ATU, AUPE, AFL, etc.). The PSAC RO & CAC were again included in several planning meetings and outreach for donations for the event. There were about 10 volunteers through out the day, and our booth was once again very busy. Some of our activities and handouts included:
- gathering support and signatures for the petition to Tony Clement, regarding Cuts to Public Services
- handout of “STOP HARPER” cookies and cake were particularly popular, in support of Cuts to Public Services
- gathering signatures cards for the Parks Agency campaign, and handing out of First Aid Kits
- awareness for “Think Public” there were frisbees, mugs, fans, bandanas, as well as RCMP Kids ID kits supplied by RCMP/USGE
Prairies on Patrol Leadership Meeting – October 12th
In follow-up to August PRC, it was decided to have Local Presidents attend an area Leadership Meeting to discuss a number topics. The Calgary AC hosted a Meet n’ Greet that also displayed each of the campaigns currently underway, and to be discussed at the Meeting. It was a pleasure to have our own primus Prairie Region Leader (Sister Benson) present in order to have the one-on-one discussions to interested guests/participants that may not happen at the meeting. It was a great fun night, and the following days ideas and strategies were outstanding. We are awaiting the Calgary-RO’s report, to discuss at the upcoming November quarterly meeting.
In addition to these activities and events, I also attended the first meeting the new PRC since elected at Prairie Region Convention, August 26 & 27th in Winnipeg.
Also in August/2011, I wanted to bring to your attention a favorable PSLRB Adjudicator decision that was made regarding union members’ rights in the workplace.
During the ‘Hands Off our Pensions’ campaign in February 2010, I was denied from circulating & posting the Pension petition, and wearing stickers at the CBSA worksite in Calgary. This led my employer, thru Treasury Board, to issue direction of cease & desist, as I’m sure they did to many other departments/agencies. Brother John Gordon mentioned in his Board report that this was a Home Run win in the fight to protect members rights under Article 12 (Use of Employer Facilities), but also Article 19 (No Discrimination – Alliance activity). While we won on being able to post petitions on Union bulletin boards, and to wear such campaign stickers, we lost on being given free reign to circulate by email, and to put stickers on workplace equipment.
Refer: PSAC vs Treasury Board (File: 569-02-91) dated Aug. 16/2011
Respectively submitted,
Alec Goertzen