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Looking out the window and seeing the dark clouds and pouring rain it is difficult to believe that summer solstice is just a few days away. With the setting of record low temperatures in our city and the abnormal weather patterns across the globe there is no doubt our environment is changing and is something every person should be concerned about. I am not sure about your garden but my tomato plants are struggling to stay alive.
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of representing our union at the Canadian Labour Congress 25th annual convention in Toronto. While a more detailed brief will be put together for September’s edition, I thought it was timely to report that the delegates unanimously approved a resolution supporting Vancouver’s supervised injection site (Insite) and further expansion across Canada. Given the Stephen Harper’s Government plan to appeal a B.C. Supreme Court decision ruling that allows it to stay open I was pleased obtaining the support for Insite from the CLC who represents 3.2 million workers in the country. With CUPE members integrated with this facility and knowing the positive effect Insite has had on people in the downtown eastside and our city I was content with being able to speak in favor of the resolution on the convention floor filled with 1700 delegates.
After last summer with almost a half of our membership out on strike our Executive Board and staff is looking forward to a quieter and restful time but it looks like local 15 will be going full steam ahead over the summer months.
With just serving notice to bargain with the Vancouver Museum, H.R. Macmillan Space Centre and the Vancouver Maritime Museum we plan to be at the bargaining table on behalf of our members at these sites during the summer. I am extremely concerned about the status of the Maritime Museum in light of the all the speculation of their doors closing and the possibility of folding into a proposed National Maritime Centre in North Vancouver. Keith Graham from our staff and myself recently met the new Executive Director of this facility to express our concerns and to discuss the museums future and funding problems. We will be doing everything possible to protect our members and their rights who work at this museum.
On the bargaining front as well we are already preparing for collective bargaining at the Vancouver Art Gallery, which will commence later this year. Our bargaining committee has already met a few times which has put us in good position. Now that Premier Campbell has tossed $50 million towards relocating the Art Gallery we will be taking the required steps to ensure our members are guarded from the effects of a possible move of location. It simply amazes me how Mr. Campbell can cobble together this money and other dollars like the $200 million for a new roof on BC Place at the same time spend the least than any other province on public housing knowing the expanding homeless epidemic in B.C.
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