I have been looking at what I am going to call Aitch E You’s website, and the more I look at its response to former member Jessie Bains, the more I wonder whether the union is actually helping him get a bigger audience. This is not a small organization. Aitch E You represents more than […]
Apparently, democracy is a wonderful thing, as long as members elect the right people. But what happens when the wrong people have a real chance of winning? Well, there is always one last card to play: TRUSTEESHIP! I recently heard concerns from people involved in other national components affiliated with PeeSack, and the stories sound remarkably […]
Imagine finding out that a senior union leader can bank vacation, lieu days, sick leave or other paid time for years and eventually receive a large payout. My first question is not even whether the arrangement is allowed. My question is much simpler: if unions can create or approve these kinds of perks for their […]
There is something shameful about earning a living in the labour movement while helping bully union members. Union staff know the language of solidarity, fairness, and justice. They know why workers need protection from retaliation and abuse of power. Those principles should guide their work, especially when a member challenges someone influential inside the union. […]
A dispute between British Columbia’s Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU) and former member Jessie Bains has raised questions about how unions respond when their own members or former members challenge their leadership. HEU, the health services division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), represents thousands of health care workers across the province. While unions […]
Dolores Huerta’s story started long before the United Farm Workers. She was born on April 10, 1930, in Dawson, New Mexico, and grew up mainly in Stockton, California. Her father had been a farmworker, miner and political activist, while her mother, Alicia, supported the family through several jobs before eventually operating a hotel and restaurant. […]
I know I am NOT ALONE in being a non-member (who has no opportunity to vote in YEU democracy) whose family and community are being harmed on an ongoing basis by toxic unaccountable leadership in YEU and PSAC. I don’t need to be a member of YEU to see the value in a strong and […]
Something happening in the Northwest Territories caught my attention because I think nurses in Yukon and Nunavut should be watching it too. Bill 26, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, was introduced in the NWT to create a process where public sector nurses could vote on whether they wanted their own bargaining unit […]
I went to the last PSAC North convention expecting politics, disagreements and probably a few uncomfortable moments. That is normal at a convention. People are there to debate, vote and decide who is going to represent them. What I did not expect was to leave thinking so much about how difficult it can be for […]
A lot of workers believe that once a union represents their workplace, that is pretty much forever. You can complain about it, stop going to meetings, get angry about your union dues, and wait for different leadership. But is it actually possible to change unions? Depending on where you work in Canada, workers can sometimes […]
