Equality | FairnessALSO INSIDEICBC Lessons From SGIRemembering Bob DerbyAlberta Choses a Better WayFighting for $15 in VernonSummer Institute for Union WomenQuarterly publication for members of the Canadian Ofce & Professional Employees Union, Local 378VOLUME 10|Issue #3 Summer 2015COPE 378 Convention Coming UpIn This Issue CONTENTSFinding My Voice106Lockout at BCAA153PRESIDENTS OPENING MESSAGE By David Black4TRANSLATIONS 6PRESIDENT'S WORD7SGI OFFERS B.C. CUSTOMERSA RANGE OF INSURANCE PRODUCTS8NEW PENSION BENEFITS STANDARDSACT AND REGULATIONSBy Lori Mayhew9 REMEMBERING BOB DERBY 10FINDING MY VOICE AND SPEAKING UP By Joyce Galuska 11 ALBERTA CHOOSES A BETTER WAY By Gil McGowan 12 TIME FOR CHANGE TOUR INSPIRESPOLITICAL INVOLVEMENT 13 COPE 378 AIMS FOR CHANGEIN OTTAWA 14TRAINING BC HYDRO AND FORTIS 15 BCAA LOCKOUT 16 MEMBER PROFILE: GREG BANMAN 17 HEATHER LEE: A SISTER'S JOURNEY 18 FIGHTING FOR $15 IN VERNON 19INVITING NEW MEMBERSINTO COPE 378 20IMPLICATIONS OF SASKATCHEWAN'SCOURT RULING ON B.C.'SESSENTIAL SERVICES By Iain Reeve 21SUMMER INSTITUTE FORUNION WOMEN 2015 By Gagan Gill 22BEFORE YOU ASK, THE ANSWER IS YES By Annette Toth 23REP ASSIGNMENTSPresidents Opening MessageUSW 2009David BlackPresident, COPE 378 We need to defend the interests of those whom we've never met and never will. Jefrey D. SachsEquality and fairness are two concepts drilled into us from a young age, from the moment our parents teach us to share. For some, these early les-sons are straightforward and grounded in the golden rule of do unto others as you would have them do unto you. For others, whose families dont have as much as some do, this early lesson is a more painful one about how far our espoused ideal is from their reality. Asanorganization,COPE378sentireworldrevolvesaroundequality and fairness. They form our mission and our mandate. We work hard to bar-gain good, fair collective agreements for our members, and we police those agreementsthroughourstewards,councillorsandunionrepresentativesto make sure everyone is treated fairly in the workplace. Themechanicsofthiscanseemalittledull,andtheprocessmayalso seem divorced from our larger societal context. However, when we perform thisfunction,we,alongwiththerestofthelabourmovement,becomea powerful force for fairness and equality for all. Whenwebargainwages,werecreatingastandardthatallemployers must keep in mind if they want to attract employees. Unions also have a sto-ried history of advocating for strong social supports, from education to health care to fair fees and taxation, which bolster the existing middle class and help others move into it. Multiple studies have demonstrated the decline in union density has been bad news for fairness and equality in both the U.S. and Can-ada.Thetrendlinemappingoutthedecreaseineconomicequalitymirrors diminishing union membership; our society is becoming less equal as unions lose traction. And there are growingindications that rising inequality actually dampens economic growth.So we ght to perform our mandate, and we ght to grow. Because we play an equalizing role in society, one that ensures power and wealth doesnt rest solely in the hands of the one per cent. What that means is that those kids who learn hard lessons early in life will have a chance to live in a fair and equal society a little closer to our ideal.The Canadian Ofce and Professional Employees Union, Local 378, is afliated with the Canadian Ofce and Professional Employees Union, the British Columbia Federation of Labour, the Canadian Labour Congress, UNI Global Union and IndustriALL.Canadian Ofce and Professional Employees Union, Local 378, Executive Board Members:President: David BlackSecretary-Treasurer: Lori MayhewVice Presidents: Annette Toth (ICBC), Gwenne Farrell (Utilities), Heather Lee (Combined Units)Accenture Business Services:Melanie Greenlaw, Nancy de VriesBC Hydro:Calvin Jonas, Rysa KronebuschICBC: Yasmin Carroll, Karin Cirez, Joyce Galuska,Trevor Hansen, Robert StarcevichFortisBC Energy: Tim BouzovetskyFortisBC Inc. and FortisBC Customer Service Centres:Kathryn PrinzCombined Units: Safar Alikhani, Colleen Finn, Laurie Kirk, Petro Koromvokis, Keith Parkinson, Tim WeigeltCOPE 378 Communications & Campaigns:Communications Director: Sage AaronCommunications Ofcer: Jarrah HodgeResearch Ofcer: Iain ReeveCOPE 378 Senior Union Representatives:Brad Bastien, Glen MacInnesCOPE 378 Union Representatives:Theresa Davie, Carrol Edwards, Tony Geluch, Cathy Hirani, Trevor Hansen, Barry Hodson, Barbara Junker, Cindy A. Lee, Sarah Melsness, Brian Nelson, Kevin Payne, Cheryl Popeniuk, Kelly Quinn, Karen Rockwell, Kevin Smyth, StephenVon SychowskiCOPE 378 Administrative & Ofce Staf:Joanne Baneld, Karen Caston, Elaine Chilman, Adele Earwaker, Yudon Garie, Sarah Hall, Lisa Jefery, Shelley Lockhart, Carol McLuskie, Karen McRae, Michelle Mihaichuk, Kim Smith, Barbara Stephen, Marilyn VassellCOPE 378 Financial Staf: Jenny Chen, Barbara Liang, Sandi Malhame, Amandeep NijjarOccupational Health & Safety & WCB Appeals:Steve MilneOrganizing:Georgi Bates, Caitlin GilroyLTD Trust Administrator:Jim MoynhamHuman Resources Manager:Ram AtwaiCOPE 378 Local Voice is the ofcial quarterly magazine published for the members of the Canadian Ofce and Professional Employees Union, Local 378.ISBN 1918-9753 COPE Local 378 VoiceLetters to the editor are welcome but may be edited for brevity and clarity. Please contact COPE 378 for permission to reprint articles, graphics, or photographs.Address all correspondence to: COPE 378 CommunicationsSuite 301-4501 Kingsway, Burnaby, B.C. V5H 0E5Phone: 604-299-0378 Toll Free: 1-800-664-6838Fax: 604-299-8211Visit COPE 378s website at: www.cope378.caOr contact us via email at: editor@cope378.caEditor: Sage AaronCOPE 378 Local Voice VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015 | 34 | VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015COPE 378 Local VoiceCOPE 378 Local Voice VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015 | 5PRESIDENT'SWORD5 reasons Why You Should Attend TheCOPE 378 Convention1)ITS THE SUPREME AUTHORITY OF YOUR UNION No,seriously.ItsaysthatrightinArticle12ofthe COPE378constitution.Thesupremeauthority.This meansthatconventionisthetimewhenmembersof theuniongettogetherandexamineallaspectsofthe union'sbusinessandchartacourseintermsofvision, goals and governance for the next three years. Resolu-tions are put forward, debated and adopted. Those reso-lutions direct the union and all of its elected representa-tives. Its a pretty big deal, hence the word supreme.2)COMMITTEE REPORTSWhile committee reports may not be the most ex-citingtitle,COPE378hasseveralhard-workingcom-mittees who do great work for the union and its mem-bersinbetweenelections.Acoupleofbriefexamples includetheWomensRightsCommittee,whichhas beenworkinghardtoprovidetrainingandempower-menttoitsmembersaswellasmarshallingdonations forwomenssheltersonVancouversdowntowneast side; and the Health and Safety Committee, which stays in close touch with any changes to rules and regulations that may impact worker safety. 3)WORKSHOPSEachconventionincludesaneducationalcom-ponenttailoredtotheneedsoftheunionduringthat cycle. While the details of the workshops are still being nalized were pretty excited to ofer some great train-ing which will help members network within their work-sites, build their personal skills and gain deeper insight into the workings of the union. 4)SPEAKERS We have some top drawer speakers for this conven-tion, and there is one person in particular were excited to highlight: Hahrie Han. Hahrie is a political scientist at Wellesley College and the author of the new book How Organizations Develop Activists. She delivers high ener-gy speeches that engage and inspire. Shes advised sev-eral civic and political organizations on how to mobilize participation in politics and policy advocacy, and to de-velop civic leaders. Were very pleased shes joining us! 5)ELECT YOUR VICE-PRESIDENTS COPE378spresidentandsecretary-treasurerare elected by the membership on the whole by mail in bal-lot. But our vice-presidents are elected by the delegates toconvention.Ifyoureadelegateyouwillbepartof choosing your vice-president for the next three yearsthats pretty cool. InAugustallmemberswillreceivenoticeofcon-vention along with a form that can be used to express interestinbeingadelegatetoconvention.Therules for delegate entitlements are in the constitution, which isavailableontheCOPE378website.Yourexecutive councillorswillhelpconductlocaldelegateelections. Newmembersarewelcomeandencouragedtoput their names forward to serve as a delegate. Convention isagreatopportunitytolearnmoreaboutyourunion and have a say in how it runs.Convention is a great opportunity to learn more about your union and have a say in how it runs.6 | VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015COPE 378 Local VoiceICBCBY ANNETTE TOTH, VICE-PRESIDENT AND IAIN REEVE, RESEARCH OFFICERSGI ofers B.C. Customers a Range of Insurance ProductsWhy Cant ICBC? In July, Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) the provinces public insurance company that special-izes in compulsory auto insurance started selling a varietyofinsuranceproductsinBritishColumbia.This moverepresentsasignicantchangetoB.C.sinsur-ance market, as it allows a Crown corporation from an-other province to operate within B.C.s borders. Could it also point to a potential direction for ICBC? Could ICBC emulate SGIs model by diversifying its insurance ofer-ingstootherareasandcompetinginothermarkets? WhatbenetscouldthishavefortheCorporation,its customers, and all British Columbians?LikeICBC,SGIholdsamonopolyoncompulsory autoinsurance,whilealsooferingoptionalextended autoinsuranceinacompetitivemarket.Thisiswhere thesimilaritiesend,asunlikeICBC,SGIofersawide rangeofindividualandbusinessinsuranceproducts through brokers on the open market. For individual cus-tomers, this includes home, condo, tenant and risk re-duction insurance. They also provide a variety of com-mercial and industrial insurance products to businesses, including transportation, property, building, and liability insurance.SGIproudlytoutsitselfasamajorWestern Canadian insurance force and its representatives speak openly about the benets of expanding the depth and range of their insurance oferings.BesidesabriefperiodinitsinceptionwhereICBC dealt in home insurance, its oferings have remained lim-ited: compulsory and optional auto insurance. There are at least three good reasons that ICBC should seriously in-vestigate the possibility of expanding its insurance ofer-ings within British Columbia and beyond.First,asSGInotes,andasinnumerableinsurance companies have demonstrated for years, increasing the numberofproductsoneofersanddoingsoinmany diferentjurisdictions,stabilizesinsurancecompanies. ThisproductdiversicationcouldinsulateICBCfrom major shits or downturns in auto insurance such as the innovation of autonomous vehicles. The arrival of these vehicles could dramatically reduce the number of vehi-cle collisions and eventually even eliminate the need for personalspecializedautoinsurance.Whileweshould all welcome any new technology that would save thou-sands of lives and prevent millions of dollars in property damage, an exclusive reliance on auto insurance could make ICBC vulnerable when this technology arrives. Second,diversicationcouldloweroptionalrates forBritishColumbiansinatimewhentheincreasing cost of bodily injury claims and the rise in the represen-tation rate is driving them up. ICBC has little exibility in these circumstances an increase in claim costs must leadtohigherratesunlessthediferenceismadeup from external funding or cutbacks elsewhere. However, ifICBCcouldspreadouttheirriskacrossmanyinsur-ance portfolios, trends and changes in one area may not have as direct an impact on rates. Further, packaging or bundlingofotherformsofinsurancecouldkeepop-tional costs low and yield further savings for customers. Third,asSGIshows,expansionintobusinessinsur-ancecouldnotonlydiversifyICBCsportfolioofinsur-ance, but also provide economic benets by providing an avenue, as BC Hydro does, to incentivize certain types of business without needing to provide broad-based tax re-ductions to all corporations. It could also provide another stream of revenue to support government services. While much more research would need to be done to determine the exact right expansion possibilities for ICBC, we feel it is worth examining to secure the future oftheCorporation,andthebestvalueandservicefor British Columbians.SGI ofers a wide range of individual and business insurance products through brokers on the open market.COPE 378 Local Voice VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015 | 7PENSIONSBY LORI MAYHEW, SECRETARY-TREASURERNew Pension Benets Standards Act and Regulations"These new rules come in to efect on September 30, 2015 and many pension plans have been scrambling to comply with some of the new requirements."InMay2012,theB.C.governmentintroducedmajor changestothePensionBenetsStandardsAct,the law that governs how pension plans are run. Howev-er, the regulations owing from these changes werent ready until May of 2015, so we have been working under the existing rules until now. These new rules come into efect on September 30, 2015 and many pension plans have been scrambling to comply with some of the new requirements.Therearemanychangesthatarehappeningwith these regulations. Ill highlight a few that will be of most interest to plan members.VestingOne of the more important changes is the require-ment for immediate vesting. Vesting means that plan membershavearighttocertainbenetsinthepen-sionplan.Beforethischange,mostplanmembers hadtowaituptotwoyearsbeforetheywerevested. If they quit within that two years, they simply received their contributions and some interest refunded to them. With this change, if a plan member quits their job, they willhaveachoiceofleavingtheirmoneyintheplan or taking the commuted value (the present value of the future pension payments). This is usually more than the actual dollar amounts contributed to the plan. In addition to the commuted value issue, vesting in thepensionplangivesworkersaccesstoalltheben-etsintheplanrightaway,ratherthanhavingtowait for years. This is good news for pension plan members. Plan governanceTheotherimportantchangeforplanmembersis thenewemphasisonplangovernance.Allplansmust now have both a governance policy and a funding poli-cy in place by January 2016. There are many things that the governance policy is supposed to do, but the two main goals of this policy are:Settingoutthestructuresandprocessesfor overseeing,managingandadministeringthe plan.Thepolicyalsoneedstoexplainwhat those structures and processes are supposed to achieve.Identifying who has the authority to make deci-sions about these processes and structures, and settingoutperformancemeasurestomonitor and assess how those individuals are performing their tasks.Funding policyThe funding policy, only applicable to dened ben-etandtargetbenetplans,alsohastoachieveafew goals. First, it needs to set out the objectives for the plan around benet security, benet levels, and contribution levels.Italsohastosetoutexpectationsaroundboth thegoingconcernandsolvencyratiosandwhatwill happenwithanysolvencydeciencyoranyactuarial excess in the plan. Therewillalsobesomechangestotheannual statement that plan members receive, starting in 2016, including mailing them out to pensioners as well as ac-tive members. Keep an eye out for notices from your pension plan these will tell you how your plan is complying with these new regulations.PLAN GOVERNANCEFUNDING POLICYPENSIONPENSIONPLAN GOVERNANCEFUNDING POLICYVESTING8 | VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015COPE 378 Local VoiceINMEMORIAM Remembering Bob DerbyOnJune9,wewereshockedandsaddenedto learn of the passing of former COPE 378 Vice-PresidentforCombinedUnits,BobDerby.Bob was the sole casualty of a tragic motor vehicle accident.AnyonewhoattendedoneofCOPE378ssocial eventsbeforeBobDerbysretirementin2011,froma baseballgametotheannualbreakfastwithSanta,had Bob to thank. Bob took his role as social events coordi-nator seriously and, as a gregarious, afable, back-slap-pingScotsman,hewaswellsuitedtoit.Hemadean efort to extend his warmth to new members and did his best to make everyone feel welcome. Bob was always happy and energetic and support-ive of new members to our union, as well as supportive of me, personally, said current Vice-President of Com-binedUnitsHeatherLee.Hewasabraveandcoura-geous Scot. We shared many arusty nailand I will miss him very much.Bob also worked tirelessly behind the scenes on such unglamorous but crucially important tasks as moderniz-ing the COPE 378 constitutionand by-laws and serving asoneofthebeston-the-groundcampaignersforthe unions campaign in support of public power.BobDerbydeeplytouchedeveryonehecame into contact with. He was a committed trade unionist, astrongadvocateforpublictransitandalwaysonthe sideofthosewhoneededhelp,saidPresidentDavid Black. He was a good man. He was a loving husband to Amanda and a loving father to their daughter, Lindsay.Blackcontinued,Bobwassomeonewhowould nd ways to go out of his way to help others. If some-thing needed to be done, he was the rst one to roll up his sleeves and get it done. He volunteered his time on whatever project needed doing around the union, from our big campaigns, to organizing social events for our members, to the smallest maintenance around the of-ce.Hetookonthesetasksablyandcheerfully.Bobs service was seless, he felt no need to hold big titles or get public recognition. Knowing that hed lled a need was enough. You also knew that Bob had your back, no matter what happened. He earned that loyalty in return.Bobwasalong-timeunionactivistbacktothe time he worked as a mechanic supervisor at the Coast Mountain Bus Company. First elected to the COPE 378 executive board in 2001, Derby had previously served as an executive councillor and as job steward. He played a key organizing role in the marathon 2001 transit strike in Greater Vancouver, and will long be remembered for orderingtheshutdownoftheentireSurreyGateway building with pickets after managers reneged on a pick-eting agreement.Bobs lasting legacy at COPE 378 is the strong foun-dationofsocialeventshehelpedbuild,givingmem-bers from all bargaining units in diferent communities an opportunity to get together in friendly spaces away from both the workplace, and from union business. Bob tried to make sure that there was something for every-one, while also opening the doors to events in commu-nities around the province.We mourn his loss and we will miss him deeply.We mourn his loss and we will miss him deeply.We mourn his loss and we will miss him deeply.Bob Derby deeply touched everyone he came into contact with..." President David BlackCOPE 378 Local Voice VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015 | 9INDIGENOUS VOICES Finding My Voice and Speaking UpBY JOYCE GALUSKA, EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERHowlifelovesirony.InthepastIneversought structureorpolitics.Yetnow,closelyinvolved with both, I realize it was simply fear and the un-knownthatcausedmetoshyaway.Icertainlydidnt grow up thinking I would do political work, which is by nature structured. But advocacy has a way of embrac-ing you and giving you a backbone.OccasionallyIndmyselfasking:whoIamand wheredoItinthelabourmovement?HowdidIget hereandwhyamIhere?AmIherefortherightrea-sons? The simplest answer that comes to me is: Im here to help. Thats what I do as a COPE 378 board member. But how does my role as the Aboriginal Caucus Repre-sentative for the BC Federation of Labour t in?Well,havingbeenbornandraisedinSkidegate,a reserve on Haida Gwaii, one would think thats a redun-dant question. But I assure you, until recently, my First Nations identity had not found its purpose.Ive been a COPE 378 steward for several years. But in 2011 I took a writing course with Richard Wagamese andmetChristyJordon-Fenton:bothaccomplished writers who inuenced me profoundly. Richard is Ojib-way and a published author of several books and Christy, whom I am proud now to call a friend, writes childrens books about her mother-in-law who went to residential school. My entire life I had shied away from my First Na-tions roots because of racism, jokes, and the lack of re-spect Aboriginal people were given. Richard and Christy changed that for me. The Haida are an extremely noble people and while I had always been proud of my heri-tage, I hadnt given voice to that pride.Christyalsoconnectedmetotheproceedingsof the The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Cana-da, which dealt with residential schools. I listened to the storiesandIbecamehorried.AndIwasashamedof myself for what I didnt know.Through COPE 378 Ive been able to take courses on reconciliation. I met Chief Robert Joseph through Reconciliation Canada and he taught me how to teach othersaboutreconciliation.SincethenIvetaughta weekendsessionwithRobbieWaisman,aHolocaust survivor.Wehuggedonthethirddayandthanked each other for the insights we gained into each others communities.I spoke at the BC Federation of Labour convention in 2012 and again in 2014 about the need for a national in-quiry into the murdered and missing Aboriginal women. IwroteandchampionedmotionsatCOPE378which resulted in our president writing to the Prime Minister to call for a national inquiry. I also created an email and let-ter writing campaign from the union of ce. The motion hasmovedtotheCanadianLabourCongresssothat all unions can be encouraged to get involved in a cam-paign for a national inquiry. A few weeks ago, I spoke in front of the Governor General and leaders from across Canadaaboutthisveryissue.Andatthe2014BCFed convention I ran for and was elected as the Aboriginal CaucusRep,representingFirstNationspeopleacross B.C. at the labour table. Im proud to raise my now richer and more robust voicenotonlyinsupportofCOPE378smembership but also in support of all First Nations people."The Haida are an extremely noble people and while I had always been proud of my heritage, I hadnt given voice to that pride. "Like the BC Aboriginal Workers page on Facebook:www.facebook.com/pages/BC-Aboriginal-Workers/10 | VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015COPE 378 Local VoicePROVINCIAL POLITICSBY GIL MCGOWAN, PRESIDENT OF THE ALBERTA FEDERATION OF LABOUR Alberta Chooses A Better WayThis spring, Alberta chose a diferent path a bet-ter way than the one the province had been on. The election of Rachel Notley and more than 50 otherNDPMLAstotheprovinciallegislaturewasthe culminationyearsofhardworkandresearchfromall parts of the provinces progressive community, includ-ingthelabourmovement.Itwasalsoavindicationof beliefsthatwehaveheldhereattheAlbertaFedera-tion of Labour: that Albertans want their government to act like owners of our natural resources; that Albertans arewillingtopayforhigh-qualitypublicservices;that Albertans want their government to be inclusive and re-spectful of the rights of minorities.When I rst became president of the Alberta Federa-tion of Labour, we were facing the far-right government of Ralph Klein, who had famously attempted to privatize health care. This was against everything we knew Alber-tans wanted from their government, and yet they kept votingforthesamepeople. OvertherstfewyearsI was AFL president, we developed a two-pronged strat-egy that focused on the long-term to shift the province away from these failed policies.The rst part of this strategy was to put issues on the table for public discussion issues like revenue reform andvalue-addedoilsandsinvestment.Themostsuc-cessful of our issues-based campaigns, the Better Way AlbertaCampaign,wasre-launchedthisspringwitha seriesofanimatedvideospointingoutwhichpolicies were to blame for the provinces budget decit. Alber-tans watched these videos upwards of 400,000 times.The second part of our strategy was to pool union money to build a political machine to support progres-sive candidates during provincial elections.Although this political machine was starting to help candidatesin2012,itwasinfullswingby2015.This springwemobilizedourmembersinunprecedented numbers in an unprecedented number of ridings.There were more than 130 campaign workers mobilized and coordinateddirectlythroughtheAFL,andasimilar numbermobilizedthroughunionsaf liatedwithus. CollectivelyweestimatethatpeoplemobilizedbyAFL af liatesknockedonnearlyonemilliondoorsduring the provincial election.Thesuccessthattheseefortshadprovinciallyis justthebeginning. Ourfederalefortsinmakingthe TemporaryForeignWorkerProgrampartofthena-tionalconversationhavealreadyforcedtheHarper Conservativestobackdownonatleastaportionof the program. Through the provincial breakthrough in Alberta,wevesetthestageforCanadasrstfederal New Democrat government.Thelabourmovement hasbeenattheforefront ofalmosteveryprogressivechangeinCanadianhis-tory. IfwecanhelpbringchangeinAlberta,thenwe can achieve it anywhere in this country.130CAMPAIGNworkers mobilizedthrough AFL"The success that these eforts had provincially is just the beginning... Through the provincial breakthrough in Alberta, weve set the stage for Canadas rst federal New Democrat government." Gil McGowanCOPE 378 Local Voice VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015 | 11CANADIANLABOURCONGRESSTime for Change TourInspires Political InvolvementEarlierthissummerunionmembersgatheredin communities across Canada to commit to work-ingforchangeinthefallfederalelection.Each freeeventontheCanadianLabourCongressTime forChangeTourgaveunionmembersanopportu-nitytomeetandlearnaboutfourkeyissuesinthe upcoming election: Retirement SecurityNo one should have to retire in poverty, but 11 mil-lionCanadiansdonthaveaworkplacepensionplan. TheCanadaPensionPlanissafeandefective,with lowmanagementcostsandadenedbenetthat keepsupwiththecostofliving.Justasimportantly, it covers everyone, following workers from job to job across the country. For less than the cost of a cup of cofee and a donut a day, the average worker could double their CPP retire-ment benets. Unfortunately, the Conservative govern-ment is ignoring our looming retirement savings crisis, despitecallsfromprovincialleaders,economistsand the public to expand the CPP. Good JobsNearlythreequartersofthejobscreatedoverthe past six years have been precarious: part-time, tempo-rary or in the self-employed sector. Nearly a million Ca-nadians have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. CLCPresidentHassanYussufspokeattheLower MainlandtourstoponJune8.Thisisntthekindof Canadawepromisedourkids,hesaidofourcurrent economic situation.TheCLCsaysitstimeforagovernmentthatwill investinpublicinfrastructure,includingrapidtransit, andmakejobsandtrainingapriority,particularlyfor health care professionals, to better prepare for our ag-ing population and the demands that will be placed on our health care system.Health CareHaveyoustruggledtondafamilydoctor?Ifso, yourenotalone.FourmillionCanadiansdonthavea family doctor. While Canadians wait for health care and long-termcare,theConservativegovernmentiscut-ting health spending by $36 billion by 2024. The better choice would be training more health care profession-alsandinvestinginauniversaldrugcoverageplan.As wellashelpingthethreemillionCanadianswhocant aford the medication they need, a universal drug plan wouldmeana32percentreductioninspending,ac-cordingtoastudypublishedintheCanadianMedical Association Journal.Child CareFouroutofveCanadianchildrenunderagesix dont have access to a regulated child care space. When afamilycangetspacefortheirchild,thecostoften becomestheirsecond-highestexpenseafterhousing. Quebecspublicchildcaresystemhasseena254per cent return in socioeconomic benets. A national child care system is a better choice for children, families and the economy. YussufwasveryclearthathebelievestheNDPis the party most committed and best positioned to make thesebetterchoicesforCanadians:WhattheNDPis ofering is very clear: a government that will make bet-terchoices.Onthiscampaign,Imaskingyoutogive alittlebitoftimeandbringafriend.Wehavetowork hard, because whats at stake is greater than any of us; this is about the future of our country."This is aboutthe future of our country." CLC President Hassan YussufTop left photo: Hassan YussufMiddle photo:Lori MayhewConservative government is cutting health spending by$36 $36 $36BILLIONBY 202412 | VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015COPE 378 Local VoicePOLITICAL ACTIONCOMMITTEE COPE 378 Aims for Change in OttawaWiththefederalelectioncomingupfast, COPE 378isgearinguptoengagemembers on issues that matter to them and train activists in campaign skills in order to bring change to Ottawa. "Canadians want positive change: a federal govern-ment that will create good jobs, x retirement security, helpthemndafordablechildcareandinvestinthe healthcareservicesweallneed.TherecentAlberta election showed us that we can vote for the change we want and get it," said COPE 378 Secretary-Treasurer and Political Action Committee Co-Chair Lori Mayhew.Buildingtowardsthatchangeisalreadyunderway. COPE378hasbeencoordinatingwithotherunions andtheCanadianLabourCongresstopromotethe #BetterChoice campaign and betterchoice.ca website. Thecampaignhighlightsfourkeyareaswherethe federalgovernmentcanandshouldbemakingbetter choices: health care, investing in good jobs, child care, and retirement security."TheCLChasdoneagreatjobonthesematerials andwe'regettingtheleaetsouttoourmembers,as well as sharing content on social media. We're also pro-motingthe#BetterChoicecampaignthroughtabling atcommunityevents,"saidCommunicationsDirector Sage Aaron.Overthecomingmonths,COPE378willbecon-nectingwithmembersontheirmostimportantissues and getting them mobilized to vote and trained to vol-unteerfortheirlocalNDPcandidates.Theunionwill alsobereachingoutthroughthewebsiteandsocial mediatohighlightkeycandidatesandissuesanden-courage members to vote.I do believe we can elect a new national NDP gov-ernment this fall. We have a choice. We can choose to electpeoplewhorepresentourvalues.LookingatAl-berta we can already see what a diference that makes, Mayhewadded,notingthenewAlbertagovernment hasalreadyintroducedaplantoraisetheirprovinces minimumwage,andlegislationtoreverseProgressive Conservative funding cuts to health care and education. October 19 is really not that far away, said Political ActionCo-ChairKarlRiley,We'vegotalottodobut it's exciting to feel the possibility for positive change in Ottawa and know our members have a real role to play in that. betterchoice.caVISITCOPE 378 Local Voice VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015 | 13JOBSTEWARDSTraining Brings New Energy to BC Hydroand Fortis Steward RanksInthemonthsleadingintothesummer,COPE378 heldtwotrainingsessionsfornewBCHydroand FortisCustomerServiceCentrestewards.TheFor-tisstewardtrainingtookplaceinPrinceGeorgeand wasledbyVice-PresidentforUtilitiesGwenneFarrell and Union Representative Cindy A. Lee. The BC Hydro stewards were trained at the new union of ce in Burn-aby with Gwenne again, and Union Representative Bar-bara Junker.Job stewards are the lifes blood of every union, ex-plained Utilities Vice President Gwenne Farrell. Theyre the people who liaise with the union of ce to keep the elected leadership and union representatives informed, and theyre also the ones who are nipping problems in thebudintheworksite.Itsourresponsibilitytogive them the tools they need to be efective. COPE 378s goal is to increase the number of stew-ardsuntileverydepartmentandeveryooratboth utilitieshasasteward.BCHydroissupportingthere-cruitmentefortsastheyareawarethatactiveand knowledgeablestewardscanpreventlargerproblems for both members and the employer. Iwasreallyimpressedwithhowquickandhow keen [the BC Hydro stewards] were, said Barbara Junk-er.Theywereeagertogetthetoolstheyneededin this training to really dig into their roles. I can tell these people are on their way to being really great, efective workplace advocates.New steward Sheryl Moreau has been a COPE 378 memberforalongtimebutthiswasherrstinvolve-ment with the union. When asked why she chose to be-come a steward, Moreau said, Well, I like to help people. And I hope to use this training to help my coworkers. GwenneandBarbarawerefabulousteachers.I learnedalotfromthecourseanditwasbenecialto have the training tailored to BC Hydro so we could dig into Hydro-specic issues, like contracting in, she add-ed.IalsoenjoyedmeetingotherBCHydrojobstew-ards from around the province.The new Fortis stewards were all original hires from when the customer care centre rst opened, explained UnionRepresentativeCindyA.Lee.Thesefolkshave some time under their belt with the employer and they understandtheirworkplaceandhowitschanging.Its really great to have them on board.JasonHauserisoneofthenewstewardsinthe Fortisgroup.Thetrainingwasverygoodandreally grounded me in the nuts and bolts of our rights at work. Wecrammedavedaycourseinoneday,hesaid.I learned a lot, and am looking forward to more training. I decided to become a job steward as I wanted to learn more about the union and to help my fellow members, and this helped set me on that path.If youre interested in becoming a steward, get in touch with your vice-president at the union of ce by....info@cope378.caEMAIL 1-800-665-6838PHONEBC HYDRO & FORTIS STEWARDS14 | VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015COPE 378 Local VoiceLOCKED OUT!BCAA Lockout Hurts Their MembersAs Well As Their EmployeesInSeptember2014,COPE378membersatBCAA EmergencyRoadsideServices(ERS)wentintobar-gaining, hoping to rectify the unfairness they were ex-periencing in terms of pay and hours.Our members at BCAA-ERS are working 40 hours a week for the same pay as similar BCAA employees who workonly35hoursaweek.Itwasplainlyunfairand that was what we hoped to address in bargaining, said COPE 378 Vice-President Heather Lee.Unfortunately, BCAA was unwilling to listen. Early in June,COPE378membersatBCAA-ERStookastrike vote, with the intention of taking limited job action that would pressure BCAA without jeopardizing roadside as-sistance. Ontherstdayourmembersviolatedthedress codebywearinghatsandcasualattire.BCAAreacted by locking them out, Lee said. Some of our members were even asked to put calls on hold in order to be es-corted of the premises.BCAA is now attempting to staf their roadside as-sistancecallcentrewithahandfulofuntrainedman-agers.SowhileCOPE378membersarestillforcedto beoutonthepicketline,BCAAmembersarending themselves stuck at the side of the road, waiting much longer than usual for service.Many people join BCAA because of the great ser-vice members receive. BCAA doesnt seem to recognize theimportanceofthehigh-qualityserviceourmem-bers provide to their customers, and now theyre taking their own customers for granted, Lee said.If youre a BCAA member, you can help by phoning BCAAat1-800-811-5900andaskingthemtoendthe lockoutandnegotiateafairdeal.Youcanalsotweet them @bcaa or post on their Facebook page. Ourmemberswanttobebackatworkhelping peoplewhoneedroadsideassistance.Weregrateful forthepublicsupporttopressureBCAAtomakethat happen, Lee concluded.Did you know BCAA owns Evo Car Share, a car sharing service operating in Metro Vancouver? COPE 378 is asking the public not to buy an Evo membership or pay for trips in Evo cars until BCAA ends the lockout and negotiates a fair deal with its Emergency Roadside Services employees. Many people join BCAA because of the great service members receive. BCAA doesnt seem to recognize the important and high-quality of service our members provide to their customers, and now theyre taking their own customers for granted...Instead, please choose one of these other car sharing options: Modo Zipcar Car2go Student Car ShareCAR SHARING?SAY NO TO EVO!Evo Car Share COPE 378 Local Voice VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015 | 15MEMBER PROFILECOPE 378 Helps Greg Keep the BeatCOPE 378 job stewards and union representatives spendalotoftimehelpingindividualmembers withworkplaceproblems,butoftenthework stewardsandunionrepresentativesdogoesunrecog-nizedbeyondthemembersdirectlyafected.Hereis one members story.In 1987 Greg was walking in downtown Vancouver withafriendwhenanintoxicatedmanpunchedhim hard in the jaw. The attack caused a blood clot that led to a stroke and partial paralysis on the right side of his body. He was only 26 years old.GregspentaboutsixmonthsatG.F.StrongReha-bilitationCentreandbecameabletowalkwitharight leg brace, but was never able to recover full use of his right arm.In 1992 Greg started working for BC Hydro answer-ing customer inquiries via phone and then later, by email. Greg helped BC Hydro customers with everything from routine billing inquiries to unusual research requests. In 2003 BC Hydro contracted their customer service work to Accenture and Greg became a Customer Service Ac-count Representative for them in Burnaby.ThroughoutthistimeGregalsocontributedtohis co-workers morale by starting an employee band. The group spent months practicing each year to play at the annual summer barbeque for customer service and bill-ingstaf,andthebandcontinuestodayunderanew group of customer care centre musicians. Ihadntplayeddrumsformanyyearssincemy strokeandreallyneededtoplayagain.Mydisability mademethatmuchmoredeterminedtosucceed, says Greg.In March 2014, after more than two decades of as-sistingBCHydrocustomers,Accenturebecamecon-cernedaboutGregsongoingdisabilityandsuggested he might retire early and take severance. Being forced to retire would have been very bad for Greg and his family, as his wife also sufers from serious healthissues,saidTonyGeluch,theCOPE378union representativewhotookonGregscase.Incaseslike that, its extremely important to have access to ongoing medical benets.The situation was very upsetting and the stress level was very high for me. I had worked for the company for over 20 years and even though I have health problems, Im not ready to retire just yet, said Greg.GeluchnegotiatedwithAccenturetondabetter way, and nally the company came back and suggested Greg apply for Long-Term Disability. I went through all the rigamarole and got the forms and submitted them to the insurance company. Finally, I was approved, Greg explained.Greg is still concerned about his health and ongoing LTDclaim,buthesrelievedthatheandhiswifehave access to the medical benets they really need.Through all of it, Tony was just the best, Greg said. Hefoughtforeverylittlebit.IwasworriedIwasgo-ing to be pushed out the door but Tony did everything possible to make sure that didnt happen. He demanded that the company honour our collective agreement.Photo:Greg Banman"...it's extremely important to have access to ongoing medical benets." 16 | VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015COPE 378 Local VoiceRETIRING VICE-PRESIDENTA Good Sisters JourneyRETIREMENTHeatherLeewasinherearlytwentieswhenshe appliedtoworkatBellCanadainToronto.It was1967andshehadrecentlyemigratedfrom Dundee, Scotland with her parents. Like most new im-migrants, nding work was an imperative. ThatwasthersttimeIreallycameface-to-face withworkplacediscriminationagainstwomen,she said. At Bell, men were paid more than women for the exact same work. This realization was a formative one that would pull her into union activism. WhenHeatherwashiredatAlliedTowersMer-chantsshortlythereafter,shewasassignedtothe HumanResourcesanddataprocessingdepartment. Againshewitnessedgenderedpaydiscrimination. They would hire a young man straight out of school and he would start at a higher wage than most of the women working there, even female supervisors. She approached the UFCW through the local labour coun-cilinorderunionizesotheworkerscouldbargain equal pay. Even though her eforts werent successful she was set on a course she would follow for most of her working life. When working at the Canadian Standards Associa-tion Heather became a CUPE 967 job steward. She was electedtotheirexecutiveboardandthensoonafter becamepresidentofthe500personlocal.Ontarioin the 1970s was the site of many social justice battles and protests.TheAnti-InationBoardwassetuptoght runaway ination, and labour and social justice activists called for price controls to match the wage controls in-icted on workers. A young Heather found herself front andcentreatmanymarchesandralliesinsupportof working people and economic fairness. Heather moved to B.C. in the early 1980s and, after a stint working for the City of Prince George, she settled inMetroVancouver.Allthewhilesheremainedactive within her union and worked in movements like Opera-tionSolidarity,ahistoriccoalitionoflabourandcom-munity groups that formed to ght social service cuts in 1983. Heather found work at the City of Burnaby, again inHumanResources.IdontmindHR,actually,said Heather, because sometimes you have the opportunity to help peopleif youre not slimy. Heather ended up going to work in the CUPE 23 of ce, and shortly there-after became a COPE 15 member. Iwasdoinginterestingworkforthecity,butIkept coming back to the same path, she said, referring to her gravitationtowardsthelabourmovement.Iguessits because I think that you have to give voice to what you believeinanddotherightthing.Ifyoudothat,itpulls people to you.Heatherwaselectedasvice-presidentofCOPE15, andwasinstrumentalinthemergerbetweenCOPE15 and its sister local COPE 378 in 2010. She spent two terms as vice-president of COPE 378 and is retiring this year. Reectingonheractivismandtimeasanelected unionof cial,Heathersaid,withatwinkleinherperi-winkle blue eyes, Im grateful for the support that our members have given me. Its been a hoot! Wehaveanincrediblenewgenerationofyoung workerscomingupwithinourworkplacesandour union,shesaid.Ihavenodoubtthattheywillcon-tinue to ght for equality and fairness. Maybe the labour movement of the future wont look exactly like it does now, but people will always come together to work for the betterment of all. Its in our nature.Below photo:an example of Heather's hardwork with the new generation of young workers coming upand continuing to ght for equality and fairness.Im grateful for the support that our members have given me. Its been a hoot! Heather LeeHeather!Congrats on your retirement,Congrats on your retirement,COPE 378 Local Voice VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015 | 17MINIMUM WAGE Fighting for $15 in Vernon It all started a few days before the 2014 BC Federation ofLabourconvention.COPE378memberElizabeth Zlot was at a barbeque with friends and she surprised herself by getting into a fairly heated discussion about theminimumwage,andtheneedtoraisethewage to$15perhour.IdidntknowhowpassionateIwas abouttheissue,shesaid.WhenLizarrivedattheBC Fed convention as part of the COPE 378 young worker delegation, Unifor member Nadia Santoro approached her to start a Fight for Fifteen chapter in the Okanagan. Liz lives in Vernon and works at the Accenture call cen-tre there. Isaidnoatrst,recallsLiz,butnooneelsewas stepping up, so I decided I had to step in. So far, were a small movement but were starting to build momentum. In March of 2014, the BCLiberalgovernment announcedasmallhike totheminimumwage but the increase to $10.45 will do next to nothing to improve the situation for morethanhalfamillion low-wageworkersin B.C.Whilethegovern-mentsaysthewagewill goupovertime,under theirplan,theminimum wagewontreach$15 per hour until 2034. B.C.sminimum wagecontinuestolag behindOntario,Mani-toba,andQuebec,even though B.C. has the highest cost of living in the country according to Statistics Canada.Folksdontrealizehowmanypeoplethisafects, how many people this low wage keeps in poverty, said Liz.WhenwegocanvassinginVernonwiththeFight for $15 we purposely target areas where we know well reach people who work minimum wage jobs. Ive talk-ed to single moms whove said that if they had an op-portunity to earn this wage, they wouldnt have to rely asmuchongovernmentservices.Ispoketooneguy, an adult, who was taking online classes to improve his prospects while working three jobs just so he can aford togetmarriedthissummerandstartafamily.Ireally appreciate the opportunity to talk with these people. It really puts a face on the problem.Lizsconversationsarereectedinthedata.Over 80 per cent of workers earning less than $15 per hour are 20 years or older, and 60 per cent of workers earn-ing less than $15 per hour are women. Some B.C. work-ers are not even guaranteed the minimum wage. Farm workers are paid a piece rate and liquor servers can be paid as little as $9.20 an hour.Liz is working on building momentum through the summer by inviting more people into the campaign and settingupsomefun,creativeeventstogetpeoplein-terested. The local labour council has been supportive andLizhashadalotofencouragementfromJacqui Gingras,theNorthOkanagan-Shuswapcandidatefor the federal NDP.IeventalkaboutitinthelineupatHomeDepot, Liz laughed. I am looking for other folks to help me out, though, because Ill be having my rst baby in Decem-ber. I dont want to lose the momentum because I really think we can make a diference. If youre interested in helping Liz out, contact her at ezlot@cope378.caof workers earning less than $15 per hour are 20 years or olderTop photo:Elizabeth ZlotBottom photo (left to right): Dan Sutherland, Jacqui Gingras, Leo Joy, Elizabeth Zlot and Kayla Hilstob at a day of action for Fight for Fifteen Okanagan18 | VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015COPE 378 Local VoiceORGANIZING Inviting New Members into COPE 378COPE378sorganizingandcommunicationsde-partmentspairedupforanewprojectaimedat inviting new people into the union: micro-web-sites for credit union and car rental workers. Ourmainwebsiteatwww.cope378.caisre-allygearedtowardsourcurrentmembers,explained COPE 378 Senior Union Representative Glen MacInnes. Theresalotofcontentontherebecauseweservice suchadiversemembershipfromnearly100diferent workplaces. When new members join COPE 378 all of thatcontentcanbeoverwhelming.Wewantedtoof-fer potential members something simple that speaks to directly to them, without any clutter. The union chose to pilot project microsites aimed at credit union and car rental workers because COPE 378 alreadyhasalargepresenceinthosesectors.Forcar rentals, COPE 378 represents members at worksites like Hertzandothers.Theunionalsorepresentsmembers atcreditunionsincludingCoastalCommunityCredit Union and Island Savings. Themicrositesworkalittlelikeinteractiveonline brochures, explained MacInnes. Both sites explain the benetsofunionmembershipandwhatwecanhelp the members achieve. On each site we feature a COPE 378 member who works in one of those industries. That member tells their personal story about how the union has helped them achieve fairness, respect and stability in their workplace. It was important for us to show potential members that COPE 378 has a track record of success in their in-dustry, so the sites also detail the wages and benets in each of our credit union and car rental collective agree-ments,aswellasanyotherimportantrightsthatpo-tential members may want to consider, MacInnes said. Both microsites have a contact us form that allows anyonetocontacttheunionsorganizingdepartment foradiscreet,completelycondentialfollowupcall. Thesitesalsoprovideabriefstep-by-stepoutlineof what the unionization process looks like. We hope that people who are considering unioniz-ing their credit union or car rental workplaces will share thesesiteswitheachotherinordertotakealookat COPE 378, what weve been able to do for other work-ers in their industries and feel condent that we are able to help them, nished MacInnes. By growing its membership COPE 378 gains greater stability and inuence, which benets all of the unions members.Ifyouknowsomeone whocouldbenetfrom theprotectionandsecu-rityofunionmembership attheirwork,visitCOPE 378sorganizingmicro-sitesatwww.theunion-forcreditunions.caand www.carrentalunion.ca or get in touch with COPE 378sorganizingdepart-mentatjoin@cope378.ca to learn more.By growing its membership COPE 378 gains greater stability and inuence, which benets all of the unions members. www.theunionforcreditunions.cawww.carrentalunion.caVISITwww.theunionforcreditunions.caCOPE 378 Local Voice VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015 | 19LABOUR LAWImplications of Saskatchewans Court Rulingon B.C.s Essential ServicesIn January of this year, the Supreme Court of Canada deliveredadecisionwhichcouldhaveasignicant impactonlabourrelationsandcollectivebargaining rights in Canada. Saskatchewan Federation of Labour v. Saskatchewan,2015sawtheCourtoverturnthesec-tions of the provincial governments Public Service and EssentialServicesAct,2008(PSESA)dealingwiththe denition of essential services. THE LEGISLATIONIn2008,thenewlyelectedSaskatchewanParty government, in a package of changes aimed at attack-ingthelabourmovement,passedthePSESA.Among other things, the PSESA sought to change the process bywhichpublicemployersandpublicsectorunions deneessentialservices.Thesedenitionsareimpor-tant,asemployeesdeemedtobeprovidingessential services can have their strike rights limited or eliminated altogether.InB.C.,essentialservicesarethosethat,if absent,wouldposeathreattothehealth,safetyor welfare of the residents of British Columbia or the pro-vision of educational programs for students. The PSESA created a system where public employ-ers and unions would meet to determine what consti-tuted essential services and agree on which employees wouldbeexcludedfromjobaction.However,ifthere wasdisagreementbetweenthetwosides,thegov-ernmentwouldhavethepowertounilaterallydecide whichworkconstitutedessentialservices.Thelawlet thegovernmentstretchthedenitionofessentialser-vices to include any job.THE SUPREME COURTS DECISIONAfter a victory for each side in the provincial courts, thecasearrivedbeforetheSupremeCourtofCanada latelastyear.Thecourtrejectedthelaw,arguingthat it violated the right to strike, which is recognized under theCharterofRightsandFreedoms.WhiletheCourt acknowledged essential services provisions can consti-tute a reasonable limit on the right to strike, the PSESA didnttintothiscategory.Assuch,thecourtrecom-mendedthatSaskatchewanuseaseparate,alternative bodytomakethesedeterminations,asisthecasein other provinces. IMPLICATIONS FOR B.C.Whileitstruetherighttostrikehasbeenrecog-nized, all rights have limits, and the Court clearly noted that the right can be limited to protect essential services iftheprocessisvalid.B.C.sprincipalprocessforde-terminingessentialservices negotiationand,ifnec-essary,mediationthroughtheLabourRelationsBoard isgenerallyacceptedandunlikelytobechallenged via this decision.However, the decision couldbe used to challenge any future attempts by the provincial or federal govern-mentstopasslegislationdeemingparticularpositions to be essential services. Like the Saskatchewan law, this would constitute one side in labour negotiations den-ing the rules to their benet; it would limit the right more than is necessary, violating the principles the Court set out. Similarly, the section of the B.C. Labour Code that listseducationalservicesasessentialservicesmaybe disputed along similar lines.Beyond this, COPE 378 has already seen the deci-sion make an impact in other areas of essential services work.Asnotedabove,theB.C.denitionofessential services partly hinges on the term welfare," a term that the LRB has often interpreted very generally, including things like lost revenue from a movie industry strike. In ourmostrecentessentialservicesnegotiationswith Fortis and Capilano University, we have been successful in arguing that the Supreme Courts decision forwarded a diferent interpretation of welfare, one which prohibits softer claims. This has helped our workers protect their right to job action and put more pressure on stubborn employers.WhileSaskatchewanFederationofLabourv.Sas-katchewan, 2015 may not have entrenched an indisput-able right to strike, it certainly had a serious impact for public workers in that province and could easily prevent similar abuses in other provinces.The Supreme Court of Canada delivered a decision which could have a signicant impact on labour relations and collective bargaining rights in Canada.BY IAIN REEVE, RESEARCH OFFICER20 | VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015COPE 378 Local VoiceWOMEN'SRIGHTSBY GAGAN GILL, COPE 378 MEMBERSummer Institute for Union Women 2015From June 23 to 27 I attended the Western Regional Summer Institute for Union Women in Portland, Or-egon,asarepresentativeofourunionsWomens Rights Committee. IfIhadtosumuptheexperienceinoneword,it would be empowering. Taking courses with and get-ting to know women from across B.C., Washington, Or-egon, California and even Hawaii was powerful. Learn-ing about their experiences, the culture of their unions andthehardshipsfacedwhilebecomingactivistswas really eye-opening. Various union sisters asked me, on ourlastday,whatmyfavouritemomentoftheweek was. This was a question I couldnt answer right away. I had so many!The theme of the week was Fighting for a Fair Fu-ture:WomenLeadtheWayandmuchofthetraining wasfocusedondevelopingskillstohelpwomenbe more active in their unions. IparticipatedinacoreclasscalledActivistto Leader: Our Organizations Grow When We Do. In the class, we created a brick wall to symbolize the obstacles women face when trying to take on leadership roles. It was an overwhelming wall, with all our fears/restrictions laid out for us to see. Next, the facilitators told us to write on paper leaves whatcouldhelpusbreakthroughthewall.Themost inspiring and empowering part of this activity was to see thatwehadmoreleavesthanbricks.Thisshowedus that no matter what obstacles we think are in our way, we can nd many diferent avenues to assist us with be-coming the leaders we want to be.On the second to last day we held a minimum wage rallyoncampus.Itwasgreattoseesomanypeople come out to support this campaign. One of my favou-rite moments was listening to two women attending the schooltelltheirstoriesfromwhentheyworkedmini-mum wage jobs and how hard it was for them to make endsmeet.Theyusedtheskillstheylearnedintheir class on public speaking to put real faces and voices to the struggle to raise the minimum wage.I think the Summer Institute for Union Women is an experienceeverywomancommittedtobeinganac-tivistshouldhave.Notonlyisitgreattoconnectwith otherwomenwhohavehadsimilarexperiences,who are willing to help you when you need it; you also learn valuable skills that can help you throughout your life as an activist. Gagan Gill is a COPE 378 member who works at the BCGEUinBurnaby.Sheisajobstewardandmember of the COPE 378 Womens Rights Committee. She was bornandraisedinAbbotsfordandlikestoshinher spare time.EMPOWERMENTEMPOWERMENTEMPOWERMENTEMPOWERMENTCOPE 378 Local Voice VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015 | 21BY ANNETTE TOTH, VICE-PRESIDENT UNIONS TODAY Before You Ask, The Answer is YesAsaCOPE378Vice-President,mydutiesinclude attending events and meetings with members of thepubliconbehalfourmembers,andIoften talk about the good work this union does. Occasionally someone will ask me, Do we still need unions in 2015? Without hesitation, I always answer yes. Heres why:Formanypeople,especiallythosewhodont haveaunionatwork,theironlyexposuretothework COPE 378andotherunionsdoisthroughthenews. They hear about some type of job action, strike or lock-out, which creates the perception that unions are only aboutbargainingandconict.Infact,thisworkonly scratchesthesurfaceofthepositivewaysthatunions touch our lives.IN WORKPLACES:Unionsprovideemployeesaplacetocomewhen theyrefeelingaloneandisolatedatwork.Unionreps and stewards not only speak up when members are vic-tims of harassment and bullying, they also work to nd solutions.Weofersupporttomembersindistress.Weve helpedmembersndtreatmentforaddiction.Weve alsoguidedmembersthroughleavingunsafehomes andweveencouragedpeopletoseekcounsellingfor mental health concerns.Ourstewardsandrepslookforcreativewaysto help injured and sick workers get to work in a safe and supportive manner. They also stand up when employ-ers discriminate against a workeror groups of workers.IN OUR COMMUNITIES:Unions support groups like the United Way who ad-vocateforstrongcommunitiesandworktoendchild poverty, to keep preteens safe and support seniors from becoming isolated and alone. Through the United Way weraisemoneyforfoodbanks,supportsheltersand provide assistance to a lot of people who need help. SHAPING GOVERNMENT POLICIES:Unions lobby and push back on governments when theirdecisionsnegativelyimpactourmembersatwork and in their non-work lives. We also speak up against gov-ernments that victimize workers who dont have unions, like those in the temporary foreign worker program.We proudly take on tough social issues in the name ofequalityandfairness.Weveadvocatedformarriage equality, the creation of our Canada Pension Plan, uni-versalhealthcare,adequatefundingofpubliceduca-tion,theconceptthatworkofequalvalueshouldre-ceive equal pay and that no one should earn less money basedontheirgender,race,maritalstatus,religionor sexualorientation.Wevefoughtagainstchildpoverty, inadequateminimumwagesandcutstoEmployment Insurance. We speak up against bad trade deals, like the Trans Pacic Partnership, that hurt jobs and our coun-trys economy as a whole.INTERNATIONALLY:Unions were among the loudest voices speaking out againstapartheidinSouthAfricaandwearereadyto mobilize again against this type of fundamental injustice. Wewerealreadycallingforanendtotheappall-ingconditionsinthegarmentindustryinBangladesh beforetheRanaPlazacollapsein2013whichclaimed 1,129 lives and left over 2,515 people injured. We raised international awareness about this tragedy and pushed forcompensationforthevictimsandadoptionofthe BangladeshAccordonFireandBuildingSafety.Every day, unions across the world lend support to each oth-ers causes, in search of greater global equality. Ifanissueoracauseseekstomaketheworlda fairer, more just and caring place, or improve the qual-ityofworkerslives,Iguaranteeyouthatunionswill getinvolved.Itmaybe2015,butthelabourmove-ment's work is as urgent as ever. Do we still need unions in 2015?Without hesitation, I always answer yes. Heres why:22 | VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015COPE 378 Local VoiceCOPE 378 members work at the following propertiesAccenture Business ServicesUnion Rep: Tony GeluchAlma Mater SocietyUnion Rep: Trevor HansenAlma Mater Society SecurityUnion Rep: Trevor HansenAviscarUnion Rep: Cathy HiraniBCAA SC & ERSUnion Rep: Trevor HansenBC Computerized Dispatch (Yellow Cab)Union Rep: Kevin PayneBC Federation of LabourUnion Rep: Barry HodsonBC Ferry & Marine Workers UnionUnion Rep: Barry HodsonBCGEUUnion Rep: John ValleBC Hydro (including Powertech Construction Services)Union Reps:Barbara Junker, Doug Jefs, Joe NexBC Nurses Union Union Rep: John ValleBC TransitUnion Rep: Cheryl PopeniukBeach Place VenturesUnion Rep: Kevin PayneBerlitz CanadaUnion Rep: Kevin PayneBoilermakers 191Union Rep: John ValleBonnys TaxiUnion Rep: Kevin PayneBurnaby English Language CentreUnion Rep: Stephen Von SychowskiCanadian Freightways Ltd.Union Rep: Tony GeluchCanadian Northern Shield/RSAUnion Rep: Barry HodsonCapilano UniversityUnion Rep: Joe NexCarpentry Workers Benet and Pension Plans of BCUnion Rep: John ValleCatalyst PaperUnion Rep: Tony GeluchCIATUUnion Rep: John ValleCoast Mountain BusUnion Rep: Cheryl PopeniukCoastal Community Credit UnionUnion Rep: Sarah MelsnessCoastal Community Financial ManagementUnion Rep: Sarah MelsnessCoastal Community InsuranceUnion Rep: Sarah MelsnessCollege of Pharmacists of BCUnion Rep: Tony GeluchCollege of Registered NursesUnion Rep: Tony GeluchColumbia HydroUnion Rep: Brad BastienColumbia Valley Credit UnionUnion Rep: Sarah MelsnessCommunity Savings Credit UnionUnion Rep: Sarah MelsnessCMAW Bargaining CouncilUnion Rep: John ValleCMAW Local 1995Union Rep: John ValleCoral Cabs (Richmond Taxi)Union Rep: Kevin Payne CUPE 454Union Rep: Barry HodsonCUPE 2011Union Rep: Barry HodsonCUPE 3338Union Rep: Barry HodsonCUPE BC & LocalsUnion Rep: Barry HodsonDA Townley & AssociatesUnion Rep: Cheryl PopeniukDollar ThriftyUnion Rep: Cathy HiraniEcojusticeUnion Rep: Barry HodsonEnterprise Rent-A-CarUnion Rep: Cathy HiraniFirst Canada ULCUnion Rep: Trevor HansenFortisBC Customer Service CentresUnion Rep: Cindy A. LeeFortisBC Energy Inc.Union Rep: Cindy A. LeeFortisBC Inc.Union Rep: Cindy A. LeeGulf & Fraser Fishermens Credit UnionUnion Rep: Sarah MelsnessHandy PackUnion Rep: Cindy A. LeeHastings Entertainment Inc.Union Rep: Tony GeluchHertzUnion Rep: Cathy HiraniIAMAW Transportation District Lodge 140Union Rep: John ValleIAMAW District Lodge 250Union Rep: John ValleIAMAW Local Lodge 764 Union Rep: John ValleIBEW Local 230Union Rep: John ValleICBCUnion Reps: Kevin Smyth, Kelly Quinn, Stephen Von Sy-chowskiIsland Savings Credit Union and InsuranceUnion Rep: Sarah MelsnessIWA Forest Industry PPUnion Rep: Barry HodsonKekinow Native Housing SocietyUnion Rep: Barry HodsonKelowna Cabs Ltd.Union Rep: Kevin PayneKonica MinoltaUnion Rep: Trevor HansenKruger Products (Scott Paper)Union Rep: Joe NexLadysmith & District CUUnion Rep: Sarah MelsnessLake City CasinoUnion Rep: Kevin PayneLuMa Native Housing SocietyUnion Rep: Barry HodsonMacLures Cabs Ltd.Union Rep: Kevin PayneMarine Workers & BoilermakersUnion Rep: John ValleMaster Trade Of ceUnion Rep: John ValleNew Democratic PartyUnion Rep: Barry HodsonPlumbers Local 324Union Rep: John ValleSchneiderUnion Rep: Cathy HiraniSeaspan International Ltd.Union Rep: Kevin PayneSEIU 2Union Rep: John ValleSouthern RailwayUnion Rep: Cindy A. LeeTeamsters Local 31Union Rep: John ValleTeamsters Local 155Union Rep: John ValleTeamsters Local 213 & 213 Member Benet PlanUnion Rep: John ValleTelecommunications Workers Union (TWU)Union Rep: Barry HodsonTelecommunication Workers Pension PlanUnion Rep: Barry HodsonTeletheatre BCUnion Rep: Tony GeluchThunderbird Winter SportsUnion Rep: Barbara JunkerTransLinkUnion Rep: Cheryl PopeniukTree IslandUnion Rep: Cindy A. LeeUnifor Local 1928Union Rep: John ValleUnited Fishermen & Allied Worker UnionUnion Rep: John ValleVancouver Musicians AssociationUnion Rep: John ValleVP Credit UnionUnion Rep: Sarah MelsnessVancouver Shipyards Ltd.Union Rep: Kevin PayneVancouver Taxi Ltd. (Central Taxi Dispatch)Union Rep: Kevin PayneVantageOne Credit UnionUnion Rep: Sarah MelsnessVictoria Shipyards Ltd.Union Rep: Kevin PayneVictoria Trade UnionUnion Rep: John ValleWestminster Savings Credit UnionUnion Rep: Sarah MelsnessWorking Ventures Insurance Solutions Union Rep: Barry HodsonXylem Water SolutionsUnion Rep: Tony GeluchYellow PagesUnion Rep: Barry HodsonIS PUBLISHED BYPhone: 604-299-0378Fax: 604-299-8211E-mail: editor@cope378.caISSN 1918-9753 COPE Local 378 VoiceCOPE 378: President David BlackSecretary-Treasurer Lori MayhewLOCAL VOICE Editor: Sage Aaron USW 2009DESIGNED BY: Dansk Design Groupdanskdesigngroup.comPRINTED AT: Mitchell Press, Burnaby, B.C.Canadian Of ce and Professional Employees Union, Local 378,Suite 301-4501 Kingsway, Burnaby, B.C. V5H 0E5POSTAL AGREEMENT #41267023COPE 378 Local Voice VOLUME 10Issue #3Summer 2015 | 23RETURN UNDELIVERABLECANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:#200 - 4595 CANADA WAY,BURNABY, B.C.V5G 1J9PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 41267023Canadian Ofce & Professional Employees Union, Local 378www.COPE378.caAnnual Financial Report2014www.COPE378.ca2|Annual Financial Report 2014|COPE 378Message from your Secretary-TreasurerIm pleased to present COPE 378s 2014 nancial report toourmembers.Eachyearwecompileournancial information for our auditors to pore over and verify. As perourconstitution,theauditedinformationandde-tailscontainedwithinthisreportareforyou,asCOPE 378 members, to review. We hope this helps form your assessment of us as money managers, and gives you in-sight into the responsibilities and workings of the union. Onpagethreeyouwillndinformationaboutour defencefund,whichisafundsetasidetonancially support our members in the event of any job action and to fund the costs of labour arbitrations. Page four ofers an overview of the state of our general fund, which sup-portsCOPE378sday-to-dayfunctions.Thedefence fund continues to grow, guided by our socially respon-sibleinvestmentpolicy.Followingthat,thenextpages feature consolidated statements of nancial position for theunionoverall,thedefencefund,thegeneralfund andOf ceEmployeesBuildingLtd.,oursubsidiary. Page seven breaks down our 2015 operating expenses so you can see what was spent on the various depart-ments and on overhead. Overall2014wasanotherstableyearforour-nances. On the revenue side we took a hit when we lost several Accenture members due to layofs. The bulk of thelayofshitin2013-2014andourAccenturedues revenue was reduced by half. While the unions nances werent badly hurt on the whole, I cant say the same for thepeoplewholosttheirjobs.Thisoneexampleun-derscores why the union engages in political action: to protect our members. Had the BC Liberals lost the 2013 provincialelectioninsteadofwinningit,thoselayofs would not have happened. As many people know, COPE 378 has moved into a new building, one that weve bought, instead of paying rent to. This wont show up on the balance sheet until next year as the associated costs did not come into play until the spring of 2015. Keep an eye out for next years nancialreport,whichwillshowthepurchaseofthe building and all associated nancial changes.Lastly, I want to thank the hardworking staf of the unions nancial department, on whom I depend to help memanageandreportonCOPE378snances.Our controllerBarbaraLiang,ouraccountspayableclerk Amandeep Nijjar and our membership systems admin-istrators Sandi Malhame and Jenny Chen are consum-mate professionals whose eye for detail is matched only bytheirdedicationtoourmembership.Wereallvery proud to present you with this years nancial report. Lori MayhewLori MayhewSecretary-Treasurer, COPE 378COPE 378|Annual Financial Report 2014|3COPE 378 Defence FundCOPE 378 members have the strategic advantage of being protected by one of the largest defence funds, per capita, of any Canadian union that we are aware of. Our predecessors in COPE 378 structured our dues allocations in such a way that the defence fund started growing exponentially. The nancial crash of2008didimpactourdefencefund,butthefundquicklyrecovered.Some changesweremadetotheallocationformulaandwhatcouldbepaidoutof the fundarbitrations are now covered by the defence fund. However, the fund keeps growing.Were pleased with the state of the fund as it covers the nearly 12,000 mem-bers of this union in case any of you should ever have to take strike action to backupyourrightsinbargaining.Thisfundwouldensurethatyoucouldstill pay for groceries and for a roof over your head.Defence Fund2004-2014Balance in FundYear4|Annual Financial Report 2014|COPE 378COPE 378 General FundGeneral Fund2002-2014Thegeneralfundisthefundfromwhich most of the unions day-to-day operations arenanced.Therefore,itisunderquitea few more demands than is the defence fund. Arecordhighin2006starteddecliningover time for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the unions inability to pay for big ticket legal expenses like arbitrations from the defencefund.Asyoucansee,thefundhas beenstabilizingandrecoveringoverthelast two years.Thegeneralfundcontainsseveralre-servesintowhichfundsareallocated.Those reservescanonlybeusedfortheirintended purposes.Thereservesincludethemember protection reserve, the organizing reserve and the carbon ofset reserve. On June 30, the Conservative Senate passed the union-bashing Bill C-377. The bills intent is to make all union expenses available to all members of the public.LikeCOPE378,thevastmajorityofCanadianunionsvoluntarily disclose detailed, audited nancial records to members, to ensure transparencyandaccountability.Mostprovincesalreadyrequire unionstoleauditednancialreportswithprovinciallabour boards.The new requirements will draw staf time and nancial resources awayfromprotectingourmembers,asstafwillberequiredto time-trackandreporteveryfacetoftheirwork.Receivingand ling the reporting will also cost Canadian taxpayers. The Canada RevenueAgencyestimatedthelegislationwouldcostover$20 million to implement and almost $4 million annually to maintain. Buteventhatonlyestimatedforreportingfrom1,000labour organizations. Bill C-377 includes every union and their locals in the country about 25,000 labour organizations. AnothersignicantconcernisC-377sthreattoprivacy.C-377 saysthatunionsmustpubliclydiscloseallexpendituresover $5,000andanysalariesover$100,000.Anyrecipientofan amountover$5,000,includingrecipientsofunionpension, disabilityorbenetspayments,willhavetheirpaymentdetails andaddresspubliclyavailable.TheNationalHockeyLeague PlayersAssociationlicensingprogramiscaughtinC-377.The privacy concerns have led several constitutional experts and the CanadianBarAssociationtoopposethelegislation,sayingitis likely unconstitutional. CanadianLabourCongressPresidentHassanYussufsaid,in responsetothebillspassageonJuly2:Itisclearwhatweare up against. Stephen Harper is prepared to do whatever it takes to silencethevoiceofourlabourmovement.Asweheadtowards thefederalelectiononOctober19,2015,itiscriticalthatwe remind our members, and others, about Harpers partisan political attack on our labour movement. The best way we can ensure this bill is repealed is to defeat Stephen Harper and elect a new federal government this October.Update on Bill C-377COPE 378|Annual Financial Report 2014|5COPE 378 Financial StatementsCOPE 378Consolidated Statement of Financial Position 2014COPE 378Defence Fund Statement of Financial Position 2014The next pages include nancial statements for: Consolidated Statement of Financial Position 2014 Defence Fund Statement of Financial Position 2014 General Fund Statement of Financial Position 2014 Ofce Employees Building Ltd. Statementof Financial Position 2014ASSETS 2014 2013Current assetsCash & short term deposits $ 14,157$ 77,634 Temporary investments 21,263,23219,982,398 Accounts receivable 192192 Current portion ofinterfund balances247,815310,720 TOTAL ASSETS$ 21,525,396$ 20,370,944 LIABILITIESCurrent liabilitiesAccounts payable &accrued liabilities$ 19,972$ 19,047 Current portion ofinterfund balances49,433200,186 TOTAL LIABILITIES $ 69,405$ 219,233 NET ASSETSRestricted for thedefence fund21,455,99120,151,711 TOTAL LIABILITIES &NET ASSETS$ 21,525,396$ 20,370,944 ASSETS 2014 2013Current assetsCash & short term deposits $ 612,786$ 844,517 Temporary investments 21,595,08820,278,382 Accounts receivable 703,936511,005 Prepaid expenses 911,900932,613 Current portion ofinterfund balances2,925,0033,395,385 $ 26,748,713$ 25,961,902 Property & equipment 1,780,3801,749,280 Interfund balances 944,036944,036 TOTAL ASSETS$ 29,473,12928,655,218 LIABILITIESCurrent liabilitiesAccounts payable & accrued liabilities$ 1,715,912$ 2,136,157 Current portion ofmortgage payable19,09719,086Current portion of interfund balances2,925,0033,395,385 $ 4,660,012 $ 5,550,628Deferred lease benet 0 26,290 Mortgage payable711,817730,914Interfund balances 944,036944,036 TOTAL LIABILITIES $ 6,315,865$ 7,251,868 NET ASSETSUnrestricted $ (739,151) $ (1,191,224)Internally restrictedreserves599,027640,900 Restricted for thedefence fund21,455,99120,151,710 Investment in property& equipment1,780,3801,749,280 Restricted for the education & training fund61,01752,684 $ 23,157,264$ 21,403,350 TOTAL LIABILITIES &NET ASSETS$ 29,473,129$ 28,655,218 6|Annual Financial Report 2014|COPE 378COPE 378 Financial StatementsCOPE 378General Fund Statement of Financial Position 2014COPE 378Ofce Employees Building Ltd. Statementof Financial Position 2014According to the COPE 378 constitution, the COPE 378 executive board shall be responsible for appointing an independent auditor to review the unions books and accounts. The executive board is also responsible for publishingand generally distributing to the executive council and membership an overview of the auditors reports.These statements are contained in this report.ASSETS 2014 2013Current assetsCash & short term deposits$ 164,839$ 559,188 Accounts receivable 6,5614,028 Prepaid expenses 46,440798,196 Deposit on building 750,000 0$ 967,840$ 1,361,412 Property & equipment 1,780,3801,749,280 TOTAL ASSETS $ 2,748,220$ 3,110,692 LIABILITIESCurrent liabilitiesAccounts payable & accrued liabilities$ 50,148$ 31,686 Current portion ofmortgage payable19,09719,086Current portion of interfund balances2,627,7552,884,479 $ 2,697,000$ 2,935,251Deferred lease benet 0 26,290Mortgage payable 711,817730,914 Interfund balances 944,036944,036 TOTAL LIABILITIES $ 4,352,853$ 4,636,491 NET ASSETSCapital stock $5$5 Decit (1,604,638) (1,525,804)$ (1,604,633) $ (1,525,799)TOTAL LIABILITIES &NET ASSETS$ 2,748,220$ 3,110,692 ASSETS 2014 2013Current assetsCash & short term deposits$ 383,621$ 165,562 Temporary investments 321,008285,434 Accounts receivable 697,183506,785 Prepaid expenses 115,460134,417 Current portion of interfund balances2,677,1883,084,665 $ 4,194,460$ 4,176,863 Interfund balances 944,036944,036 TOTAL ASSETS $ 5,138,496$ 5,120,899 LIABILITIESCurrent liabilitiesAccounts payable &accrued liabilities$ 1,645,790$ 2,085,424 Current portion ofinterfund balances247,815310,720 TOTAL LIABILITIES $ 1,893,605$ 2,396,144 NET ASSETSUnrestricted $ 2,645,864$ 2,083,855 Internally restricted reserves599,027640,900 $ 2,724,755$ 2,724,755 TOTAL LIABILITIES &NET ASSETS$ 5,138,496$ 5,120,899 COPE 378|Annual Financial Report 2014|7COPE 378 Operating ExpensesCOPE 378General Fund Operating Expenses 2014Union GovernmentAdministrationMembership Services31%46%17%CommunicationsOrganizing2014MEMBERSHIP SERVICESCollective agreement management1,780,263Arbitration & grievances 12,652Bargaining & strike 378,522Member education 290,350Member maintenance255,519$2,717,306 COMMUNICATIONS $ 224,829ORGANIZING $ 274,678ADMINISTRATIONStaf holidays and leaves 993,311Of ce administration support 744,075Services and supplies 318,183Staf benets 860,798Of ce furniture and equipment leases 281,828Of ce rent and occupancy costs 504,598Finance department salaries 259,626Bad debt expense 1,111Audit fees 34,016Staf education 28,189$ 4,025,735UNION GOVERNMENTDisbursements from reserves 69,733Executive council 252,502Conventions 219,492Executive board 346,004Member meetings 82,434Committees 372,894Honoraria 40,608Donations 66,720Elections 2,241$1,452,628 TOTAL $8,695,176 3%3%COPE 378 Financial TeamSuite 301-4501 Kingsway, Burnaby, B.C. V5H 0E5Phone: 604-299-0378Toll Free: 1-800-665-6838 Fax: 604-299-8211 editor@cope378.caCanadian Ofce & Professional Employees Union, Local 378www.COPE378.caSecretary-Treasurer:Lori Mayhew The Secretary-Treasurer is the Chief Financial Ofcer for the union. This position was made full-time in 2008.Controller:Barbara LiangThe Controller position was created in 2005 and is held by a Certied General Accountant to act in a professional capacity as the Director of Finance for the union.Financial Staf:Jenny Chen, Sandi Malhame, Amandeep Nijjar COPE378stafassisttheSecretary-TreasurerandControllerintheday-to-daynancial operations, including accounts payable and receivable and data management.Were happy to welcome Jenny Chen, who replaced Donna Morris who retired earlier this year. Auditors:MNP LLPTheindependentauditorsconductanannualauditoftheaccountsoftheunionand prepareareportfortheexecutiveboard.Theboardinturnsharesthendingswiththe executive council and membership.Sandi Malhame Accounts ReceivableLori Mayhew Secretary-TreasurerBarbara Liang ControllerAmandeep Nijjar Accounts PayableJenny Chen Accounts Receivable