November 2019 Volume 6, Issue 13 Unifor5555 UNIT 1 BARGAINING UPDATE Dear Unit 1 members of Unifor Local 5555, This update is to inform you that on November 7, 2019, this Bill received Royal Assent, which As most of you are aware, our most recent round is the final stage in the approval of a Bill in the of negotiations was interrupted by the Provincial Legislature. What this means for the introduction of Bill 124 into the Provincial membership of Unit 1 is that the contingency Legislature by the Ford Government. The Bill increase of .5% will not be realized. It is titled, Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for important to note, as I understand not future Generations passed the first reading on everyone has the time to take a deep dive into June 5, 2019, just one day prior to the Provincial the language of this Bill, that if we were not Government taking a 5-month summer break. subject to the terms of the 3-year moderation The content of this Bill was to impose a 3-year period now, our next agreement would have moderation period that prescribed a cap on total been subject to it. There is no way to know what compensation for Public Sector employees (in will unfold at the end of this moderation period, organizations that receive $1M in funding or but you can be assured that your local Union will more) at 1% over this period. Your local continue to fight against the Ford Government’s leadership sought out more information and went attempt to undermine our collective bargaining so far as to send delegates to the first power at the polls and in the halls of our consultation and a recent round of consultations Provincial Legislature. hosted by the Ford Government. What we knew was that this Bill was only in its first reading and In solidarity, that when we returned to negotiations after not reaching a deal in April of 2019, that we would Sarah-Kai Antanaitis fight it with all the support and knowledge from Unit 1 Chairperson our national office. When we reconvened for what turned out to be the final days of bargaining for Unit 1 in July 2019, the University made it clear that although this Bill had only passed the first reading, that they were not prepared to approve any deal that provided the membership with a total compensation greater than 1%. Needless to say, this was a frustrating time for your Unit 1 Bargaining Committee. Through the negotiation process, the parties agreed to a contingency plan for an additional .5% increase if the Bill did not pass its final reading. NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND ACTION ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN NATIONAL DAY OF December 6th began as a starting at the Student Memorial Garden in front day to remember the mass shooting of fourteen of MUSC. The first stop is the Nina DeVilliers women on December 6, 1989 at Ecole Garden in front of University Hall. The second Polytechnique in Montreal, in what became stop is at John Hodgins Engineering Building at known as the Montreal Massacre. At the school, the Memorial Stone acknowledging the murdered gunman Marc Lepine entered an engineering women at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal. The class and separated the women from the men. final stop is in front of the Wilson Building at the Marc Lepin announced that he was “fighting Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls feminism”, ordered the men to leave and shot Memorial Stone. Each stop will be 5-7 minutes all nine women who were in the class, killing six in length, inviting participants to reflect in silence of them. He then started roaming through the or share aloud, then walk together to each school, targeting women and shooting them, location. before killing himself. By the end of his shooting spree, fourteen women were dead, ten women The third event taking place on Campus is injured, and four men injured. This was the sponsored by the faculty of Engineering and is deadliest school shooting in Canada. the 30th Anniversary Polytechnique Commemoration at the John Hodgins December 6th is now known as the National Day Engineering Building (JHE) Patio from 4-5:30pm. of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. At McMaster, December 6th is also a *Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report on day to remember the missing and murdered the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, who number in the Indigenous Women and Girls. thousands. In Canada, from 2001 to 2015, the number of Indigenous women who were victims of homicide increased from 9% of all homicide victims in 2001, to 24% in 2015.* The Red Dress (or REDress) Project is a public art installation dedicated to the remembrance of missing and murdered Indigenous women. It consists of red dresses which will be hung and displayed around campus. Metis artist, Jaime Black began the project in 2000. There will be a commemorative event on Campus on December 6th from 11:30am to 1:30pm in CIBC Hall. The guest speaker will be Jaime Black, the Red Dress project artist. For program details, visit [email protected]/events. There are two other events on Campus on December 6th. There is a Men’s Walk in Solidarity with the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. The walk is from 10am to 11am, Men’s Walk December 6th- in the morning, every year. On Dec 6. 1989, a young man walked into ’Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal, separated men and women and shot and murdered 14 women, injuring 14 other students, screaming that they were a “bunch of feminists”, before killing himself. Each year, a group of men and male identified people gather on December 6th for a walk around campus on the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women to think about the 1989 massacre at “Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal, gender-based violence and violence against women and how these matters relate to us and McMaster University. At each stop one volunteer takes a rose and places it at the commemorative marker and is invited to share why they are here today. Each stop is ended with a moment of silence. We gather… Planter outside of Student Centre: John Hodgins Engineering Building: This is often where we begin the walk, Our next stop is the John Hodgins introduce ourselves to one another. We stop Engineering Building where we convene in to think about students who have passed from of the stone memorial at McMaster to away here at McMaster University. On this commemorate and remember those who day we think about the 5 women who have were murdered in 1989 at ‘Ecole been killed from McMaster specifically. Polytechnique, Montreal. Prepared by: Ameil J. Joseph December, 2018 Rose Garden: Wilson Building: In September 1993, the Nina de Villiers Here, we gather to think about the over 1200 Garden was opened in front of Convocation Indigenous women and girls who have gone Hall. Twenty-year-old de Villiers was a missing or murdered in Canada over the last student at McMaster when she was abducted 20 years. and killed by a violent offender while jogging in Burlington two years prior. The solemn garden is a place to reflect on Nina’s memory, but also stands as a symbol of peace, compassion and understanding. A plaque in centre of the garden reads: “as the garden renews itself, let it remind us of what we can do to make the world a better place.” After our shared walk, remembering, critical thinking and reflection, we gather for the McMaster December 6th commemorative events. Prepared by: Ameil J. Joseph December, 2018 SECRETARY-TREASURER/EFAP REP. REPORT 2019 This year has been a very busy year for Local What Are Boundaries? 5555 and the Local Union Hall is a busy hub of Boundaries are guidelines, rules or limits that activities for many. Our local is very fortunate you can create to identify for yourself what are and therefore we are able to give back reasonable, safe and permissible ways for other financially to support our community. We have people to behave around you and how you will supported the following groups this year: respond when someone steps outside those limits. The easiest way to think about a United Way of Burlington & Greater Hamilton, boundary is a property line. We have all seen Heart & Stroke Foundation, Alzheimer “No Tresspassing” signs, which send a clear Society, Royal Canadian Legion, Tee Off for message that if you violate that boundary, there Mental Health, Halton Women’s Place, will be a consequence. This type of boundary is Neighbour To Neighbour , Native Women’s easy to picture and understand because you can Centre, Good Shepherd Centre, Cancer see the sign and the border it protects. Personal Assistance Program, Hamilton Food Share, boundaries can be harder to define because the Mission Services, Rank and File, Workers Arts lines are invisible, can change and are unique to & Heritage Centre, City Kidz, Special Olympics each individual. – Draft and Athlete, Holiday Wish Hamilton & Threads of Life. Personal boundaries, just like the “No Tresspassing” sign define where you end and So the holidays are just about upon us again, others begin and are determined by the amount school will be out for the seasonal break and the of physical and emotional space you allow shopping lists of things to buy just keeps getting between yourself and others. longer. Please remember there is more to life than spending a small fortune on wants of our Physical Boundaries children and family.