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Young Worker's Committee Minutes (April 2018)

Winnipeg Young Workers Committee Meeting Minutes - April 9 2018 – 5:30 pm

Attendees: Rita Gordon, Leandra Williams, Mackenzie Campbell, Bernard Baloy, Brett Rainboth

Regrets: Alex Samuel

Call to order:
Co-chair Leandra Williams called the meeting to order at 5:40 pm.
Introductions:
Everyone introduced themselves and their local.
Statement of Harassment:
As everyone was familiar with the Statement of Harassment it was not read out loud. The anti-harassment officer for the meeting was identified as Mackenzie.
Adoption of Agenda:
Moved by Brett Rainboth, Seconded by Rita Gordon. CARRIED.
Review and approval of minutes from March 12 2018 meeting:
Moved by Mackenzie Campbell, Seconded by Rita Gordon. CARRIED.
Election of Secretary and Oath of Office for all Executive:
The duties of the role were explained as follows:
1. Take minutes at each of the committee meetings (8 per year)
2. Provide the PSAC Staff Representative with the agenda and meeting call out two weeks in advance of the meeting date
3. Work with the PSAC Prairies Representative and Winnipeg Young Workers Committee to share the Committee’s communications on all social media platforms
4. Hold signing authority for the Committee. As no nominations were received for the position of Secretary, it was decided to postpone the election until the next meeting.
Treasurer’s Report:
1. Rita provided the Committee with a report for March on the budget. She advised that the $500.00 start up funds had been deposited and that $5.00 had been withdrawn for the bank’s membership fees.
Previous Business:
1. Develop 1-page handout to add to the new member kits geared towards young workers
  FOLLOW UP: It was decided that the Executive would draft a document following the Young Workers Conference in Edmonton. The draft will be shared at the Young Workers Committee meeting in May.
2. Recruitment is an ongoing effort.
  FOLLOW UP: All attendees should forward the name(s) of any young worker reps in their offices and/or components to Mackenzie Campbell. If you have a national or regional component officer you think might be able to share this information with us, you can also pass this on to Mackenzie Campbell.
  FOLLOW UP: Like, Follow and Share @PSACPrairiesYWRep on Facebook and Instagram.
3. Family BBQ Event
  Leandra and Rita advised that Site 18 has been booked at Assiniboine Park for May 26 11:00 – 3:00 pm. Hot dogs, smokies, veggie dogs, and drinks will be provided by Smoke ‘N’ Bob’s. Bookings have been made to obtain a popcorn machine, cotton candy machine, and bouncy castle. Rita will pick up the piñata supplies. The event will be open to all PSAC members and their families. In order to access the food, members will need to get a ticket at a welcome table that will be set up. They will be asked to provide us with their name and contact information so that we can use this for future communication. It was confirmed after the meeting that Co-Chair Alex Samuel has booked the rain date with Assiniboine Park.
  Please note: The BBQ is subject to our budget being approved.
  FOLLOW UP: Leandra to create a poster that can be distributed once the budget has been approved.
4. National Childcare Strategy
  A rally is planned for September 8 2018 at the legislative building. The date coincides with ManyFest. As ManyFest is held on Broadway between Donald and Osborne, there will be a lot of people in the area and it is hoped that holding the rally on this day will attract more attention.
  Rita has submitted the necessary paperwork so that we can legally assemble in that space.
5. Communication Strategy
  The Instagram account has been created. You can follow it @PSACPrairiesYWRep
  FOLLOW UP: Please send any items you would like posted on social media to Mackenzie Campbell via email, text or direct message on either social media page.
New Business
1. Terms of Reference
  The Executive presented a draft Terms of Reference that they developed based on the ones in the PSAC Young Workers Committee Handbook. Co-chairs Leandra Williams and Alex Samuel met with PSAC Staff Rep Tina Matias-Bouchard for some feedback. The Committee discussed the guidance that was provided and made some amendments to the draft Terms of Reference.
  Motion to accept the Terms of Reference as developed at the Committee meeting was Moved by Brett Rainboth, Seconded by Mackenzie Campbell. CARRIED.
2. It was confirmed that Trish Wuttunee will be providing a presentation on engaging millennials in the workplace. It was suggested that it would be held at 5:30 pm.
  FOLLOW UP: Mackenzie to confirm that the boardroom has been booked. She will also create a poster for the event.
3. Leandra advised that the PSAC Prairies Region is fully funding one member who identifies as female to participate in the Prairie School for Union Women 2018. Applications for funding can be found on the PSAC Prairies website and are due by Monday April 16 at noon. More information can be found: http://prairies.psac.com/node/10022
4. Rita provided a report for her young workers related social activism for March. A copy of the report has been attached to these minutes for reference.
5. Mackenzie provided a report from attending the PSAC National Bargaining Conference March 26 – 29 2018. The conference included a presentation on Phoenix and some important information came out of it. A copy of the report has been attached to these minutes for reference. For an update on Phoenix and out-of-pocket expenses please visit: http://psacunion.ca/phoenix-and-out-pocket-expenses-what-you-need-know
6. Mackenzie provided an update from the National PSAC Young Workers Working Group. As some of you may know Loblaws is offering a $25.00 gift card as a result of their involvement in a bread price fixing scheme. The National PSAC Young Workers Reps are encouraging members to register for the gift card. If you need to use it for your household, by all means, please keep it. If, however, you are able to donate it, please consider dropping it off at the Regional Office. The Regional Office will be collecting photos of the donors to share on social media to encourage other members to donate. All cards donated will be given to foodbanks across Canada. Please note, that Loblaws has advised that by registering for the $25.00 gift card you are not waiving your right to join the class action lawsuit.
  FOLLOW UP: Register for the Loblaws card, donate it to the Regional Office and promote the challenge!
7. Mackenzie advised that the CEIU National Young Workers Committee is developing a survey for it’s young workers to determine what are their priorities in the workplace and their preferred communication method.
Future Meetings and Other Key Dates for 2018:
1. May 14 2018 – 5:30 pm (meeting)
  FOLLOW UP: Mackenzie Campbell to submit meeting call out poster to PSAC Staff Representative.
2. May 26 2018 – Family BBQ
3. June 2 2018 – Rain date for Family BBQ
4. June 4 2018 – Presentation by PSAC Member Trish Wuttunnee entitled: Millennials: How do we employ, engage and enable?
5. August 13 2018 – 5:30 pm (meeting)
6. September 5 2018 – 5:30 pm (meeting)
7. September 8 2018 – National Childcare Rally
8. October 22 2018 – 5:30 pm (meeting)
9. November 26 2018 – 5:30 pm (meeting)
Adjournment:
Moved by Bernard Baloy, Seconded by Brett Rainboth. CARRIED.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 pm.

Dear Mr Gerrard,

Please try to make Government more transparent and continue to give people access to public notice. Bill 8, The Government Notices Modernization Act and Bill 19 Planning Amendment Act prevent the nature of democracy and openness of Government. It recommends amendments to 24 statutes relating to the government’s publication of official notices, removing requirements that such notices to be published in local newspapers and replacing them with the requirement or option of publishing them in The Manitoba Gazette.

The Manitoba Community Newspapers Association says by getting rid of requirements to publish government notices in newspapers, the Progressive Conservative government of Premier Brian Pallister will make it even more difficult for Manitobans to monitor its activities and business.

Most importantly, this bill will affect the manner in which everyday Manitobans learn about things such as changes to school board boundaries, condos being built by our homes, zoning or human rights complaints.

The Manitoba Gazette is generally only used by people in government or legal circles and it is genuinely difficult to find online, even when using the search window on the government’s own website. I personally asked my friends, family and co workers if they had heard of The Manitoba Gazette and not one person had. They had heard of public notices though.

Making something accessible does not necessarily mean people will use it, and making The Gazette free does not mean the public will visit the website. How would we even know what we are looking for in some instances? The whole point of a legal requirement to publish government notices is to ensure that such information is broadly distributed. Bill 8 will effectively bury such notices in an internet backwater, while the government touts phrases such as “openness and ease of access.”

This is not a money issue. It is a question of the openness of government and the nature of democracy.

Rather than reaching out directly to the people who may be affected by their notices, via a medium that is still very much useful and familiar, this government is content to wait for people to somehow discover what is happening by visiting a website they’ve never heard of.

What other information would this government like to obscure?Please object to Bill 8 and 19.

INFORMATION FROM SOURIS PLAINDEALER MARCH 29 2018

REQUESTED TO YOU BY RITA GORDON

PUBLIC SERVICE ALLIANCE OF CANADA YOUNG WORKERS COMMITTEE IN WINNIPEG.