Satinder Bains
Regina Area Council Rep
Prairie Region Council November 2016
February 2016 – November 2016
I continue to attend meetings and work with the Regina Human Rights and Regina Area Council committees on regular bases. Continued to participate in on the PRC conference calls and the PRC By-law committee, also keep up to the current events and issues in our regions and the PSAC.
February 4th and 6th made phone call to our members to get involved and lobby or meet their local Members of Parliament asking them to reinvest in federal public services and to respect collective bargaining rights.
February 10th attended the PSAC lobbying workshop and continues to work with Area Council and other activists to ensure they are given the opportunities, resources and support needed to effectively lobby MPs and encourage members to recruit other members in their riding to assist them.
February 23rd attended the Regina Human Rights AGM
March 5th attended the Federal Liberal Convention in Saskatoon. This provided me the opportunity to meet Ralph Goodale Liberal MP Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness in person. We were able to discuss and remind him that, apart from the RCMP, USGE represents all of Canada's federal parole officers, Aboriginal Liaison officers, teachers and others who support the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders into the community. There have been many cuts and changes to programs that could compromise public safety. He needs to know about these changes. We want to work with him towards positive solutions!
March 9th attended the Regina Area Council AGM
August 9 –14th- I attend the 2016 World Social Forum in Montreal from August 9th to the August 14th. The Forum was well attended with thousands of delegates from all over the world, I had the honor of meeting activates from China, India, Puro, Italy, Germany just to name the few places. On daily bases we had opportunity to attend so many different seminars, classes and rallies to get informed, network and share common problems we are facing around the world. I attended eight different forums and seminars and I feel Trade Unions for Democracy and Blue community Project were the most important for me as they affect our communities, environment, jobs and the future of our country and the world.
TRADE UNIONS FOR DEMOCRACY;
As we are facing energy emergency, fossil fuel use is rising, temperatures are going up as we can all see and feel the effects around us, droughts, wildfire, tornados and flooding are common news in Saskatchewan and around the world. The air quality is affecting our health in major large cities in Canada and especially in the third world countries where there is no laws if there are laws they are not enforced due to corruptions or activates are simply killed. If this trend continues the human civilization is in real danger.
This workshop we debated and discussed transition to renewable energy over a period of two to three decades, as union jobs in fossil fuels would be protected and millions of news jobs would be created. Also to develop high impact union educational material to encourage debate and help create a network to analyze the energy and climate issues.
BLUE COMMUNITY PROJECT:
There is nothing more important than clean water and how we need clean water to survive and for economic, social, cultural purposes. Countries around the world including right here at home need to take action right now. These projects ensure clean, safe water source and reliable public services for generations to come.
The Blue communities are to encourage municipalities and Indigenous communities to recognizing water and sanitation as Human Rights. They want to ban and phase out the sale of bottled water and promote publicly financed. Owned and operated water and waste water services. If we do not take action the poor people around the world will not be able to have access to clean water to drink and we will also not afford to buy water as multinational companies will profit from our basic need.
As I mentioned there were so many classes, seminars and rallies to attend and write about these two are affecting my family, community, country and the world as we speak.
September 9th -11th
As PRC we made history in our Prairie Region and help provide representation for Racial Visible members and its members with diverse activists and the most current professional knowledge and skills. We had our first Prairies Racially Visible conference from September 9th to the 11th 2016 in Winnipeg Manitoba. We had great keynote speakers including PSAC President Sister Robyn Benson and REVP Sister Marianne Hladun and members of Canadian Labor Congress Human Rights. For me the conference explored ways to renew the labor movement, celebrate our diversity and better understands the changing nature of work which our members will be facing. The Conference also facilitated and offered exciting workshops and programs to improve the lives of all Canadians and the future of the labor movement.
I was able to meet with my peers and find out what’s working as well as what isn’t working at other departments and organizations. We connected during the conference at networking sessions and also after the conference, to continue sharing solutions and ideas to improve our respective workplaces.
In Solidarity,
Satinder Bains
Regina Area Council Rep