Edmonton Regional Women's Committee: Meeting Minutes - Mar 28, 2019

Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC)

Edmonton Regional Women’s Committee

Theme: “BUILDING OUR VOICES TOGETHER”

General Meeting

March 28, 2019 PSAC Edmonton RO

Kim Cardinal, Chair            

Charmaine Nelson, Co-Chair

Denise Gugel, Treasurer

Patty Jessome, Secretary

Elizabeth Bagnel, Member

Katheleen Alexander, Member

PSAC Staff:

Anne Juneau, Regional PSAC Rep

1. Welcome to all / Call to Order  / Harassment Statement – Welcome to new members. Kim Cardinal called the meeting to order at 5:35 pm. Patty Jessome read the Harassment Statement.
    
2. This Agenda - Adoption: Agenda approved by consensus with one addition on Kindred House.
3. Posting of Feb. 25 Meeting Minutes confirmed.
    
4. Treasurer’s report: Presented by treasurer Denise Gugel.
   Opening balance: $939.82
   Cheque #49: Nina Babcook RWC food costs: $53.67
   Cheque #50: Anne Juneau RWC food costs: $130.69 (Cost was high as rep was at a meeting and had no time to travel to Costco or Superstore leaving us with a larger meal cost than usual.)
   Deposit cheque from Human Rights Committee: $139.80
   Balance, March 28, 2019: $895.26
    
5. Events / projects:
   5.1 Child Care Campaign: Deb Kosteniuk, Regional Women’s rep for the Prairies, tired to get all the chair’s of the RWC in the prairies together to discuss the childcare campaign but wasn’t able due to scheduling conflicts. Kim suggested we come up with our own thing for childcare. A suggestion was made to have MLAs come and talk to us about the issues around childcare.
   
   5.2 Empowerment of women and the Visual Artistic Journal: Committee realized they had to change the date of the first workshop as it fell on the Easter long weekend. New date is Saturday, May 4. For the first workshop, Tracy will attend and assist us with journal topics and to explain the meaning and intention behind the journal. We will also incorporate an opening and closing ceremony with an indigenous spiritual leader. Kim will take care of the food and Charmaine will create the poster for this event with messaging that includes this is more than scrapbooking, (good explanation), 4-part workshop, free, light lunch. Poster by April 1, with deadline to register by April 23.
   
   5.3 Update in volunteering / partnering with Terra: deferred until next meeting.
   
   5.4 Update in volunteering / partnering with YWCA: deferred until next meeting. But committee will volunteer for the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes campaign.
   
   5.5 Review recruitment brochure: Finish up brochure as per committee suggestions.
    
6. Cheque to Kindred House: Local inadvertently wrote cheque to Kindred House rather than Boyle McCauley. Kindred House sent cheque back to Local. Need this cheque made out to Boyle McCauley.
    
7. Roundtable:

Charmaine: Thank you to the newcomers for coming out to the meeting, we need more to join.

Katherine: Thank you for having me; it was an interesting evening.

Denise: Great to see our second meeting coming along so well, lots of great ideas, Good to hear other opinions: the more people, the more voices. As your treasurer, please ensure you fill out all your vouchers.

Anne: Very nice to see everyone. I’d like to draw attention to union town hall on April 3 with a panel discussion. Gill McGowan of the AFL will be one of the speakers.

Patty: Great to see both new and familiar faces at the meeting. Hearing different opinions or perceptions is both interesting and refreshing. Please join us tomorrow morning at Member of Parliament, Randy Boissonnault’s office, to talk about Phoenix and Collective Bargaining. 

Elizabeth: Really nice to reconnect. Previous shift work job did not allow me to attend the women’s committee. This was fun—lots of laughter and wonderful ideas. It’s an example of a small group that does mighty things.

Kim: Joining a committee comes from the heart. Please share information about the PSAC committees to other members. There will be a PSAC women’s conference on Sept 6th in Regina. The first day there is a course for Women at Work and they are looking at suggestions for the second day. Please send suggestions to Kim.

8. Next meeting date: April 24, 2019

9. Meeting adjourned: Kim adjourned the meeting at 7:35

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