CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT: September 2016 by Barb Abrams.
I hope that everyone had a safe summer. We all know that the heat was terrible and I certainly cannot remember a summer being so hot and dry. Even our flowers and gardens were not the same. Even though we do not meet in the summer months, the Retired Workers Executive remain busy working on your behalf. We still have our meetings and when there is a rally or demonstration anywhere we are there.
I attended the “Constitutional Convention” in Ottawa where our Local had put in a Resolution for a Constitutional change. This change was non-concurrence from the committee. Many retirees spoke against the committee recommendation of non-concurrence but we still lost the vote. So the Constitution will remain the same. I have to say that a lot of recommendation for Constitutional changes were non-concurrence from the Committee. Hours and hours of debate from the floor didn’t seem to do much good as they were still voted down. Our recommendation didn’t come to the floor until 12:30 p.m. and the conference was supposed to be over at 12:00 p.m. even though we had asked for it to come forward earlier. We even met at 8:00 a.m. to try and get business done. It is no fun driving home from Ottawa in the middle of the afternoon and getting into Toronto at rush hour.
I attended the “Retired Workers Conference” in September with delegates from our Local. I had been the Recording Secretary for (18) years with the “National Retired Workers Executive”. This year was an election year and I ran for the position and was defeated. I certainly have no regrets for the defeat and I wish the new executive the best. I know that they will do a good job on our behalf. It is almost a brand new executive with (7) new people being elected.
Our delegates that attended the conference will be giving their reports on the conference. On October 1st, there will be a rally in Toronto to raise the minimum wage to $15.00, put on by the CLC and OFL. Sign-up sheet is on the table. The Local is hoping to get a bus to attend the rally.
I was in touch with the members who wanted to take the “Smart Serve” course and they all agreed to wait until October to take the course. I will call everyone with the date.
In October, we will have elections for the executive of the “Retired Workers”. The box will open today and close on October 6th. I had stated October 7th at our last meeting not realizing that it was a long weekend. We have to have the ballots made up.
I received an email from Local 1973 with a video what their Local had done in support of our negotiation team. I was hoping that I could have got it downloaded and show at this meeting. Well done Local 1973.
I also sent an email to the Master Bargaining Committee telling them that they have the support of our chapter.
Well, we all know that a strike has been averted. They will be having a ratification meeting on Sunday at Brock University at 2:00 p.m. We will have to be there to hear what the outcome was. Don’t listen to a lot of rumours, come out to the meeting and if you have any questions they will be answered there.