Dear Members

We hope these next few days spent with family and friends bring you joy, peace and relaxation.  Towards the end of next week we will send out our letter of how the year was and what it all means.  There are some successes and continuing areas of concern.  There seems to be a pattern in all of this.  Over the years former presidents and executives have hoped the year past the election, or bargaining or budget cuts would bring a year of rebuilding relationships with the employer and reconnecting with our biggest supporters, the public.  If we work flat out we get 50% of what we want, so make sure you come to the General Meeting, January 25th, 2012, (Robbie Burns Day, another great holiday, albeit another guy being toasted) and let us know your concerns.

This year some of us lost those near and very dear to us.  It alters how we spend our time during these holidays but I am learning that that is a good thing. Christmas was always about my mother.  Huge feasts and celebrations with friends. Celebration of music, light and glorious kitsch.  Much too much money spent on gifts. Some of it wandered into community support.  My mother died January 21st of this year and we lost my eldest sister December 18, 2000.  The immediate family is getting whittled down but is resilient due to help from family and friends.  We thank all of you for your support, Those of you that have lost loved ones may be feeling the gamut of emotions; anger, sorrow and loneliness.  I am thankful that we have so much evidence of my mum as a “life well lived”.  I have lost my biggest cheerleader so I am only letting go gradually.

My brother and I are spending this holiday season with friends and extended family, some of whom knew my mum when she was twenty-eight, about ten years before I was thought of.  My brother and John Okronog are exchanging seasonal and ethnic insults.  “ Why is the Swedish Epiphany on January 6, and later Hilarymas on January 13, which ends the Christmas season in Sweden?  Because it took longer to find three wise men in Sweden.” Oh ja?” Well, why is Ukrainian Christmas on January 7th?  Because is took longer to find three wise men and a virgin”. These men are about ten and twelve years older than me and reflect the northern culture of mining towns in Canada.  Every new wave of immigration in Canada took its knocks in ways that are fortunately now considered to be not the answer when building strong communities.  Vive la Commission Canadienne des droits de las personne.

My roommate is a Kosovar of Albanian extraction.  She celebrates both Muslim and Roman Catholic holidays as she is secular in practice.  She seems to be able to feast and fast, and dance a lot more than me.  My Jewish relations, the Kronenbergs, used to have a secular approach to their faith but are now spending the Hanukkah holidays in closer communion with their children.  Their history as a people is now celebrated and their faith brought more into practice with the next generation.

My brother, roommate are not exchanging gifts this year.  With mum not with us for the first time at Christmas, we thought we should take our gift money and buy a holiday in Hawaii.  We depart on Ukrainian Christmas.  Two days ago, we received the best expression of the meaning of Christmas.  We received a phone call from a friend in Merrit.  He had a detached retina and was driving to Vancouver General to have it reattached.  He had already been sent to Kamloops and Kelowna.  The doctor in Kelowna said we don’t do that kind of surgery here, what are you thinking of?  Fortunately, he was able to hook him up the VGH eye clinic on the eve of December 22nd.  I paged the doctor at 7 pm that Dave was on his way.  Reid drove him in from White Rock as Dave’s vision was getting progressively worse.  The doctor froze his eye and prepped him for surgery in the morning.  We drove him in, he had a very successful surgery and he is recuperating in the Youngberg residences.  Our Canadian medical system does deliver in emergency surgeries.  Great doctor.  Left his home in the evening to make sure that the operation could wait until the morning.  Reid and I were rather giddy with happiness that we were given the opportunity to help.  Tis better to give than receive, as they say.  But you cannot have my Hawaiian holiday.

However you celebrate, may it bring you pleasure, peace and a safe and happy time!. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and God Jul.  Hardy wait to get into the Lutefisk!

Love to all and to all a good night

Alex

CUPE 391 General Meeting - Bargaining Proposals Ratification
Maritime Labour Centre
Sunday, December 4 @ 6.30 p.m.
1880 Triumph Street

Five years and a bit of time have passed since we last ratified bargaining proposals.  More people participated in the survey this time and were very clear on what our issues should be.  The Bargaining Committee sorted this information and found that members as a group were consistent in what you wanted to protect and expand.  All will be revealed at the meeting as we are not inclined to share bargaining strategies with the Employer.  Other information will be sent through your CUPE 391 e-mail.  Please write to info@cupe391,ca or askbargaining@cupe391.ca if you are having trouble accessing your address.

Note: the Job-Share Committee would like the opportunity to discuss proposed changes the Job-Share Letter of understanding.  There are some interesting proposed changes that offer some advantages to part-time and auxiliary members.

It is vitally important to our local that our members show up and ratify what you filled in the surveys.  With the seven day week it becomes more difficult to find a time that is outside of libraries hours of opening.  Sunday, December 4 @ 6.30 pm is not ideal but it is the only time that we can all be together at a civilised hour.  Bargaining contract language governs how we are paid, what we are paid, our quality of work life balance and the kind of public service we can offer our citizens that we serve with integrity, respect and pride.  Please come on Sunday to the Maritime Labour Centre, have your say and vote on your future.

in solidarity

Alex

Download poster

CUPE 391 along with CUPE 1004, CUPE 15 and the Vancouver and District Labour Council have endorsed all Vision Vancouver and COPE candidates running for Vancouver City Council, Park Board, and School Board. Let’s kee strong public services and programs the only option. On November 19th please vote for Gregor Robertson and the entire COPE and Vision Vancouver slates. 

MAYOR
Robertson, Gregor – Vision Vancouver

COUNCIL
Aquino, RJ - COPE
Deal, Heather - Vision Vancouver
Jang, Kerry - Vision Vancouver
Louie, Raymond - Vision Vancouver
Louis, Tim - COPE
Meggs, Geoff - Vision Vancouver
Reimer, Andrea - Vision Vancouver
Stevenson, Tim - Vision Vancouver
Tang, Tony - Vision Vancouver
Woodsworth, Ellen - COPE

PARK BOARD
Barnes, Constance - Vision Vancouver
Blyth, Sarah - Vision Vancouver
Granby, Brent - COPE
Greenwell-Baker, Donalda - COPE
Jasper, Aaron - Vision Vancouver
Loke, Trevor - Vision Vancouver
Sharma, Niki - Vision Vancouver

SCHOOL BOARD
Bacchus, Patti - Vision Vancouver
Blakey, Al - COPE
Bouey, Jane - COPE
Clement, Ken - Vision Vancouver
Giesbrecht, Gwen - COPE
Lombardi, Mike - Vision Vancouver
Payne, Cherie - Vision Vancouver
Wong, Allan - COPE
Wynen, Rob - Vision Vancouver

I loathe stumping for political parties but find myself doing it every election.  Whether it is “better the devil you know” or a vote for real change, I find myself compelled to participate and I hope you do too.

We have had the worst economy to contend with in the last century, brought about by an unfettered lack of controls on capitalist ventures.  It is our pay cheques and sacrifices that has helped the bailouts.  Yet we hear from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation that unionised workers with our pension plans are further destabilizing the economy.  We use our wages to pay into our pension plans and the Employer’s portion is deferred wages.  We know because they have offered pensionable earnings as part of our salary in previous rounds of bargaining…

I have sent the rest of the post to your CUPE 391 email addresses.

CUPE 391

Special General Meeting

October 20, 2011: 6 p.m.
Alice MacKay Room
Central Library, VPL

Talk to your Special Guests/councillors about the State of the Union

* Door Prizes

*Food and Refreshments served

*Send childcare receipts to Union office (internal mail or fax 604-879-3034)

CUPE 391 is partnering with CUPE BC, CUPE 15 (City of Vancouver), CUPE 389 (North Vancouver District) and CUPE 1004 (Outside workers, City of Vancouver) this year.  We have a very large tent (20’ x 20’) on Homer Street (T4 in the WOTS programme guide).

CUPE will be handing out great swag and socially relevant publications on the environment, our water, P3’s.  We are also have the good fortune to present three local authors performing author readings: the passionate civil society advocate Dan Gawthrop (The Rice Queen Diaries, Highwire Act Politics, Pragmatism, and the Harcourt Legacy, Vanishing Halo Saving the Boreal Forest, Affirmation The AIDS Odyssey of Dr. Peter) at 1.00 pm; the very entertaining Charles Demers (Vancouver Special) at 2.00 p.m and social justice advocate Derrick O’Keefe (The Lesser Evil, Michel Ignatieff) at 3.00 pm

We need your support to engage our public at the big tent.  This is a fine opportunity to find out what our patrons want in library service and have a discussion about how socially important library and municipal services are to our public.  It is also fun to wander about collecting fabulous swag from the magazine and book publishers and to listen to the authors read from their latest books.

CUPE is sponsoring four authors this year.  Todd, photo op!

We probably have enough volunteers at the big tent but the more the merrier.  Sustenance will be provided.  Solidarity and fun will abound.  We are organising the coverage in two-hour blocks (or whatever works for you).  Word on the Street starts at 11.00 a.m. but we need some people there at 10.00.

10.00 am to 12.00 pm
12.00 pm – 2.00 pm
2.00 pm – 4.00 pm
4.00 pm – 5.00 pm.

Please contact Mike at the Union office 604-322-4879 or e-mail him if you are interested in participating.

In solidarity
Alex