local voice spring 2015

Education | Learning

ALSO INSIDE

Bargaining Lessons at ICBC

Convention 2015 Approaching

Rebranding our Union

Post-Secondary Funding

Training our Job Stewards

Quarterly publication for members of the Canadian Office & Professional Employees Union, Local 378

Local VoiceVoLumE 10 | Issue #2 Spring 2015

Bargaining Lessons at ICBC

In This IssueconTenTs

Supporting Indigenous Education

10

9

Changing the Way We Fund Post-Secondary

15

3 PresIdenTs oPenInG MessaGe By David Black

4 TransLaTIons

6 PresIdenT's word

7 Pre-convenTIon caLL

8 ardeLL broPhy award ProfILe: Joyce GaLuska

9 Lessons froM barGaInInG wITh Icbc and The ProvIncIaL GovernMenT By Annette Toth

10 suPPorTInG IndIGenous educaTIon In GuaTeMaLa

11 TransIT sTorIes

12 Job sTewards shIfTInG our unIon

14 where do your dues Go? By Lori Mayhew

15 we need To chanGe The way we fund PosT-secondary By Iain Reeve

16 chanGes To The federaL Labour code ThreaTen worker safTey By Gwenne Farrell

17 PoLITIcaL skILL-buILdIInG aT forward bc ndP

18 we're MovInG!

19 coPe 378's hIsTory wITh The bc uTILITIes coMMIssIon

20 sTaff TraInInG and deveLoPMenT aT coPe 378

21 sTaff ProfILe: cIndy a. Lee

22 The rooTs and fuTure of woMen's Labour educaTIon By Rysa Kronebusch and Susan Orr

23 reP assIGnMenTs

Presidents opening Message

USW 2009

David Black

President, COPE 378

Education and learning are ongoing projects at COPE 378. When I first became a job steward with COPE 378 I was struck by the extent and detail of our training programs, and the encouragement our union gave its activists to take not only COPE 378 training, but classes offered by other labour organizations, including the BC Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress. I grabbed these training opportunities whenever I could. I learned about labour law, organizational governance, the issues and theories that drive management, and my own leadership style. I also learned quite a bit not only about our union, but the labour movement as a whole. This education enabled me to become a better steward in service of my col-leagues, and I take very seriously the tradition and culture within COPE 378 that supports education for our activists. Educating our activists pays back many times over. Our stewards who attended the Job Steward Seminar in March are making this organization stronger and more effective by honing their skills and knowledge.

But learning doesnt stop with educating our activists. We, as an organiza-tion, are always adapting and learning to better serve you. We keep abreast of federal and provincial policies that may affect your work, and were always learning about new ways to advocate and campaign for your needs. We learn from our members about new changes or programs your employers bring to your workplaces, and whenever possible we work with your colleagues to as-sess the merit of these changes and ensure they do not infringe on your rights. We keenly pay attention to the way the labour movement is evolving to repre-sent non-traditional workplaces in order to support the workers of tomorrow.

We also take care to learn about you. Weve overhauled our member poll-ing to better understand your values, your priorities and what you want to see from us. To supplement this polling COPE 378 will be taking on focus groups and surveys on specific work issues, such as health and harassment, in order to learn how we can make positive change in these areas.

your union is committed to continuing our education. Read on to learn more about what we do.

The canadian office and Professional employees union, Local 378, is affiliated with the canadian office and Professional employees union, the british columbia federation of Labour, the canadian Labour congress, unI Global union and IndustriaLL.

Canadian Office 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 weigelt

COPE 378 Communications & Campaigns:communications director: sage aaroncommunications officer: Jarrah hodgeresearch officer: Iain reeve

COPE 378 Senior Union Representatives:brad bastien, Glen MacInnes

COPE 378 Union Representatives:carrol edwards, Tony Geluch, cathy hirani, barry hodson, barbara Junker, Pat Junnila, cindy a. Lee, sarah Melsness, brian nelson, kevin Payne, cheryl Popeniuk, Miriam Pulsifer, kelly Quinn, karen rockwell, kevin smyth, stephen von sychowski

COPE 378 Administrative & Office Staff:Joanne banfield, karen caston, elaine chilman, Lise cluff, adele earwaker, yudon Garie, Lisa Jeffery, shelley Lockhart, carol McLuskie, karen Mcrae, Michelle Mihaichuk, kim smith, barbara stephen

COPE 378 Financial Staff: barbara Liang, sandi Malhame, amandeep nijjar

Occupational Health & Safety & WCB Appeals:steve Milne

Organizing:Georgi bates, caitlin Gilroy

Job Evaluation:Teresa davie

LTD Trust Administrator:Jim Moynham

coPe 378 Local voice is the official quarterly magazine published for the members of the canadian office 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 communications2nd floor, 4595 canada way, burnaby, b.c. v5G 1J9Phone: 604-299-0378 Toll free: 1-800-664-6838fax: 604-299-8211

visit coPe 378s website at www.cope378.caor contact us via email at [email protected]: sage aaron

COPE 378 Local Voice voLuMe 10 Issue #2 spring 2015 | 3

4 | voLuMe 10 Issue #2 spring 2015 COPE 378 Local Voice

Our union, the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union was named in a fevered, high-intensity afternoon when the Canadian locals of the Office and Professional International Union (OPEIU) decided to split off and form their own organization over ten years ago. The leaders of the soon-to-be independent Ca-nadian union worked with a combination of words that they felt best represented their members. After juggling several different options, they landed on COPE for the An-glophone name, and SEPB (Syndicat cana-dien des employes et employs professi-onnels et de bureau) for the French name.

Over the intervening years the name has caused some confusion for COPE 378. In Vancouver, the name is shared with the civic party the Coalition of Progressive Electors. Reporters, and even some of our own members, often confuse our union with CUPE, the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

COPE 378s organizing department, the people responsible bringing new members into our union, have run up against a few challenges with the current name. When making an assessment of our union, some potential members have balked at certain words in the acronym that they felt did not apply to their work, like office. Another has issue has been the word cope. Un-fortunately it can send a signal that were just coping. We're not coping; we're do-ing better than that. Were working hard to advocate on your behalf, and were mak-ing real improvements. In short, our brand identity isnt clear, its not connecting with our audiences, and it doesnt communi-cate our mission.

In order to better tell the story of who we are and what we do for our members, our executive council voted to undertake a rebranding of the union. Through the pro-cess of defining the basic building blocks of our brand, our board, executive council and key staff members have been asked to think deep and hard about the kind of or-ganization we are, how we work and who we work for. A lot of this is going back to basics: we bargain collective agreements that are in our members best interests and we defend their rights at work if something goes wrong. But we dont just care about our members. We also care about their families and their communities. We advo-cate for changes that will make life better for us all. This self-examination has led us to articulate the core values that connect us to you and all of our audiences: fairness, equality, community and respect. In addi-tion to guiding our branding efforts, this self-study has a real impact in marrying our day-to-day work with our mission.

Now that weve done this foundational work, were testing identities names and graphic representations that best reflect what we know about ourselves and that resonate with our audiences. To do this were running focus groups in Vancouver and Kelowna. Well take that feedback and make sure were on the right track, or do further refinements to the potential brands. We want to get this right this has to be something you can be proud of.

Once this is finished we will work on a roll-out plan which will start with launch-ing the new brand at our convention this November. Im excited to share the results of this work with you.

"This self-examination has led us to articulate the core values that connect us to you..."

PresIdenT'sword

by davId bLack, PresIdenT

a fresh Identity for your union

David Black, President of COPE 378


convenTIon2015Pre-convention call

Every three years COPE 378 holds a three-day convention to de-termine policy and political direction, consider changes to the unions constitution, and elect the Executive Board. Our consti-tution defines convention as the supreme decision-making body of the union.

The 2015 convention will be held in Vancouver from November 5 to 7. In August all members will receive notice of convention along with a form that can be used to express interest in being a delegate to convention. The rules for delegate entitlements are laid out in the constitution, which is available on the COPE 378 website. Your ex-ecutive councillors will assist in conducting local delegate elections. Even if youre a new member you can put your name forward to serve as a delegate. Convention is a great opportunity to learn more about your union and have a say in how it runs.

Members interested in running for the executive board will have until mid-September to submit a nomination form. The president, secretary-treasurer, and other board members are elected via one-member-one-vote system, with constituencies electing their par-ticular board reps (for example ICBC members will choose six repre-sentatives, combined units involved in finance/insurance will choose two). All members will get the chance to vote for these positions via mail. Vice-presidents will be elected at convention by delegates.

Members can also submit policy resolutions to convention, even if not planning to attend as a delegate. heres how it works:

1. Identify the issue or policy you are focusing on2. Determine the action you would like the union to take. This

can be as simple as endorsing a policy or can involve the union taking action such as forming a committee, holding an event, or adopting a major policy change.

3. Draft a succinct resolution that briefly gives background on the issue and clearly defines the action you would like COPE 378 to take.

4. Define the action/policy at the end of the resolution in 1-2 sentences.

5. All resolutions must be sent to the Executive Board, c/o Karen Caston, Assistant to the President at [email protected] Make sure you clearly note your name and workplace on the resolution. All resolutions must be received by august7, 2015.

If there are any issues with any resolutions you submit, someone from the union office will contact you.

We need your voice so COPE 378 can continue to grow as a strong, representative organization, we need your voice.

expense Policy reminder Your Executive Council passed a resolution placing a time limit on

the period COPE 378 staff and members have to file for reimbursement of union-related expenses. The revised policy states that claims should be submitted within 30 days of the day the expenses were incurred. If claims are not submitted within 120 days of being incurred, they will not be paid.

Please be mindful of timelines and ensure you submit expense claims with documentation and on time, using the standard expense claim form which can be downloaded from the COPE 378 website. Go to cope378.ca and type General Membership Forms into the search field to find the expense forms. This assists our financial staff in their bookkeeping and the union in its financial planning.

Mark your calendars:noveMber 5 to 7, 2015

2015


awards ardell brophy award Profile: Joyce Galuska

Joyce Galuska, executive board member from ICBC and the winner of the 2015 Ardell Brophy Award honouring an outstanding COPE 378 job steward, didnt always see herself as an activist.

I didnt see myself as political and I said that many times, she says.

In 1992, things changed when Joyce saw a man-ager being verbally aggressive to a group of women co-workers.

I stepped forward to help them out. I just didnt like how the manager was treating these women, she re-members.

After that, her co-workers started coming to her with their issues. When someone from COPE 378 visited the union office and asked her to step up and become a job steward, she said yes.

Over the next 10 years, Galuska got involved in nu-merous committees and worked on attempts to reduce workload at ICBC, as well as fairer job evaluations for bodily injury adjusters and office administrative staff.

I think every job steward knows when you have a victory you cant shout it from the rooftop but at the end of the day it effects change on how the members are treated in your workplace, Joyce says.

In 2002 Joyce made a big decision to run for the COPE 378 board: I had actually been asked by ICBC to become management, but I chose to run for the union because I thought Id have more opportunity to change things for the better."

She soon found she had the opportunity to make change not just in her workplace, but the broader com-munity: As a First Nations person, an important thing the union has allowed me to do is to get involved in the Aboriginal community.

"I have done reconciliation work, which I absolutely love because it gives me the opportunity to try to build bridges and give non-First Nations people insight into First Nations communities.

In recent years, Joyce has spearheaded COPE 378s campaign for a national public inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women. Last fall she was elected Aboriginal caucus representative to the BC Federation of Labour.

Being involved in our union has given me a voice to be able to speak on these issues. If I had not been involved in our union, I never wouldve been able to. Our union has had more confidence in me than I have, says Joyce.

Based on her own experience, she highly recom-mends becoming a job steward to other COPE 378 members: You will get training not just in union skills but in life skills. It gives you the confidence to stand up for the beliefs you have, to speak in public and effect positive change in the world.

Looking back on her time before the union, Joyce realizes how much shes changed: On reflection, Ive come to realize being political just means you have be-liefs and you actually stand up for those beliefs.

Being involved

in our union has

given me a voice

to be able to speak

on these issues.

If I had not been

involved in our

union, I never

wouldve been

able to. Our union

has had more

confidence in me

than I have.

Joyce Galuska


by anneTTe ToTh, vIce-PresIdenT

barGaInInG

Lessons from bargaining with Icbc and the Provincial Government

Wow, has time ever flown by. It seems like only yesterday I was elected to the position of vice-president for COPE 378s ICBC unit. When I made the decision to put my name forward for the by-election ICBC members had just finished nearly three years of difficult bargaining, which included job action and rotating strikes across the province. Our members were tired, already starting to worry about the next round of bargaining and wondering if there would be more of the same. At the time of my nomination, it looked like B.C. was about to elect a new government, but when the election results were in, we learned we were in for four more years of the BC Liberals.

It was clear we would have to shift our focus to the rapidly approaching bargaining sessions for a new collective agreement. Gone were the dreams of hav-ing a government that valued the hard work that public sector employees provide to British Columbia, one that might actually recognize and reward our contributions. We were in for more of the same: a government that has little respect for its employees and our work on be-half of the province.

By 2014 we finished our bargaining survey, drafted our proposals and were ready to sit down at the table with ICBC. Our goal: to bargain a fair collective agree-ment on behalf of our 4,300-plus members there. We kept a keen eye on the other public sector groups and their bargaining, hoping to glean some insight into what we could expect from what is essentially the same em-ployer. What quickly became apparent was that this

government was immovable on their wage proposal and the length of agreement. It was also clear any gains that were being made were less than modest.

To move us ahead we had to be creative, resource-ful and prudent. We focused on protecting our pen-sion plan; we focused on the falling morale and crush-ing workload; but most of all we focused on what we wanted as the end result. We set out to achieve a col-lective agreement that would bring modest increases in wages, stability for the membership and recognition of the contributions that our retired members have made to ICBC and this union. Looking back, I can say, that is exactly what we achieved.

Bargaining is often a learning process and this time was no different. Ive been part of part of union negotia-tions at other workplaces before becoming a COPE 378 member and I know one of the most important things to learn is to trust in ourselves as the bargain-ing committee and in you, the members. So on behalf of your bargaining committee, I want to thank all members for your patience, under-standing and solidarity through the last year. Your feedback and critiques were as valuable as your support and I am grateful for both.

"To move us ahead we had to be creative,

resourceful and prudent. We focused on

protecting our pension plan, we focused

on the falling morale and crushing work-

load, but most of all we focused on what we

wanted as the end result." Annette Toth

Annette Toth, Vice-President


In February, COPE 378 member Alejandro Ruiz-Carrilo was invited to be a guest speaker at the unions execu-tive council. He came to talk about a project near and dear to his heart, a school for Maya youth in Guatemala.

Years ago, Alejandro immigrated to Canada with his family, and he now works at the Kekinow Native Hous-ing Society in Vancouver. Alejandro is Maya and remains deeply connected to his community of origin. Public education ends for most in Guatemala at Grade 6. To go beyond Grade 6, students must leave their communities and pay for tuition, room and board. While they form about 40 per cent of Guatemalas population, many in-digenous Maya are dispossessed of their land and lack the social and economic resources available to other Guatemalans. The costs of education are out of reach for most Maya families.

But without education, prospects are limited for Maya youth. Staying in their communities without an education means working as day labourers in the lo-cal agricultural sector and early marriage for most girls. Many Maya caught in these dire economic circum-stances attempt to migrate to the U.S. by whatever means possible.

In Canada, Alejandro has been working diligently for years to support a non-profit community-run school in Huixoc, a town in a fertile coffee-growing mountainous region of Guatemala. The school is run by a local orga-nization called the Mayan Health & Education Project, or Asociacin Civil Maya Mam Akaj Qij (ACMMAQ). Their mission is to meet the educational needs of Maya chil-dren beyond Grade 6 through a locally based educa-tion centre with a culturally appropriate framework and to expand social and economic opportunities for the local Maya community. The government-recognized curriculum aims to provide an education that enables students to function in both rural and urban contexts, while fostering awareness of traditional Maya systems of knowledge, including philosophy, mathematics, cos-mology and indigenous language.

Currently the school has approximately 90 students and four teachers. Regular classes are delivered in Span-ish, with partial immersion in Mam, the local Mayan lan-guage. Activities delivered in Mam include weaving, rear-ing chickens and some traditional cultural knowledge.

The school truly is a community supported effort. In Huixoc, people give up space in their houses to run the school. Three classes are taught in the ACMMAQs secretarys house. One class takes over his kitchen, so the secretary cooks his meals outside. Alejandro's rela-tives hosts the schools computer classes in their home.

While the ACMMAQ has raised enough funds to support their teachers salaries for the coming year, Ale-jandro explained to the COPE 378 council that they are trying to put the school on more stable footing by buy-ing land and building a proper schoolhouse. To aid their efforts, coPe 378s councillors voted to donate $5,000 towards this project.

If you are interested in contributing towards the Mayan Health & Education Project, please contact the COPE 378 office at 1-800-665-6838 or [email protected] and the union will put you in touch with Alejandro.

coPe 378 conTrIbuTes supporting Indigenous education in Guatemala

Alejandro Ruiz-Carrilo

Top photo:

ACMMAQ students

Andrs must travel

six hours by foot to

reach the school.

He sleeps on a

local residents

floor and brings

a weeks worth of

food with him.

Mayan Health &

Education Project

contributions:

1-800-665-6838

[email protected]


MeTro vancouver

PLebIscITe Transit stories

Tina is a photocopier technician. She lives in Burnaby and drives all over Metro Vancouver for work.

Ill drive between 25 to 50 kilometres a day and visit four or five different cities. For instance, Ill have to get from Burnaby to New West, then Coquitlam, then back downtown. I also cover North Vancouver, Squamish and Port Coquitlam.

The worst commute times are, no surprise, during the morning and evening rush hours. Bridges are the worst. The absolute worst. They bottleneck because of congestion and if theres one accident, there goes one-third of my day.

Getting more people out of their cars, off the roads and on to transit would be a huge help to me and every other person who has no choice but to drive. When I think about one million more people, with 500,000 to 600,000 more cars moving to the region over the next 30 years, it terrifies me. This impacts my work, my stress level and my health. It means more smog and more congestion. Its not good.

Less traffic and congestion would mean that I could get my job done more quickly, my boss could book me for more call-outs and my company would make more money. And it would also mean less stress for all the drivers out there, and fewer accidents. Frustration can cause accidents.

Vivian works as a Facilities Maintenance Shop Clerk at Coast Mountain Bus Company and lives in Langley.

I take transit most days to get to work three bus-es and a SkyTrain. I drive once a week because work starts quite early. Without transit, I wouldnt be able to go to work four out of five days of the week. It takes me up to one-and-a-half hours to get to work by transit, and 30 minutes to an hour by car, depending on traffic and weather.

A lot of my friends ride transit. My student friends need it to get to university. My mom friends use it to get around with their young kids and strollers. My friends that travel with their children in strollers are often passed up because their buses are too full to accommodate them. We need to provide better transit for new moms.

Ive been stranded in remote areas of town waiting for an hour to get the next bus. Transit in suburban areas of Metro Vancouver needs to run more frequently. If I miss just one bus I can be 45 minutes late for work. When we had the SkyTrain power outages, it took over three hours to travel from North Burn-aby to South Langley, which is three times the amount of traveling time compared to a normal work to home commute. We need to invest in our system, not starve it.

COPE 378 has over 650 members directly employed by TransLink and Coast Mountain Bus. Over the last few years our members have witnessed cuts to services at TransLink, which include cuts to jobs. The Mayors plan includes improvements to transit and driving infrastructure which will result in more time at home with families and less time stuck in vehicles to and from work. COPE378 supports a Yes vote in the transit plebiscite because it will benefit our members, and their communities.

If you haven't yet voted you can drop off your ballot by visiting one of the nine Elections BC plebiscite offices before 8 p.m. on May 29.

Find the closest office by going online here: www.elections.bc.ca/plebiscite/where.html

coPe 378 Members

share the reasons Theyre voting

yes for Transit

Top photo: Vivian; bottom

photo: Tina (right), with her wife


Job stewards shifting our unioneducaTInG acTIvIsTs

Over 150 COPE 378 job stewards from across several different workplaces gathered in Van-couver in late March for the annual Job Steward Seminar, a weekend-long intensive training session for stewards. This years theme was Shifting Our Union, a reference to stewards roles in helping evolve our union to meet the challenges of changing times.

Before the workshops, stewards were given an ori-entation by Vice-President and Education Committee Chair Gwenne Farrell, and President David Black gave welcoming remarks.

I'm inspired by the number of new stewards we have here getting training; it shows our union is grow-ing and getting stronger. I'm also very pleased to see re-turning stewards getting more training, increasing their capacity to serve our members and build our union, said Black.

Black noted the changes that have occurred in the last 20 years since he became involved with COPE 378, both in terms of our employers, our union, and the la-bour movement worldwide.

The workplace is changing, job security is becom-ing more and more elusive, there's more precarious work like temp work, part-time work, contract workUnions, especially in the U.S., have seen their bargaining power and clout begin to erode, Black said.

Black reflected on innovative strategies adopted by the labour movement, such as mobilizing non-union-ized workers with union support to raise standards for everyone for example the fight for a $15 an hour mini-mum wage.

In terms of our unions future, Black said our union is changing to meet the challenges of the times. Part of that is empowering job stewards to defend members in the workplaces.

It saves your union money, and it saves the reps time, allowing them to concentrate what the mem-bers tell us is their number one priority: negotiating good agreements. But even more importantly, it raises the profile of the union in the workplace The union becomes our union, with the face of the union being the workplace steward who is available, responsive, and capable in assisting the members with their everyday problems, said Black.

There is no doubt the most important job in the union is the steward. I proudly wear my COPE 378 job steward pin, because while I'm proud to be president of COPE 378, I'm most proud that I'm a COPE 378 job steward, Black concluded.

Next, stewards heard from keynote speaker Burna-by-Douglas MP Kennedy Stewart. Stewart delivered an inspiring speech thanking job stewards for stepping up to be agents of change in their workplaces and encour-aging them to expand the change to their communities and governments.

Change starts with you and the one question you

need to ask yourself is, Am I a change agent? Am I

somebody whos going to change things or am I some-

body whos not going to change things?

Stewart gave a personal example about trying to make change as a Member of Parliament. When he got elected, he knew he wanted to do something to pro-mote democracy, but he also had to pick something that was achievable under a Conservative government.

He chose electronic petitions previously MPs could only present paper petitions with more than 25 signatures before the House.

I didnt think I had any chance at all. I worked on

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this for three years. I was able to talk to people I didnt usually talk toand find a little bit of common ground, Stewart said. In the end, the vote to accept electronic petitions passed 142-140.

Its those little incremental things that will make a difference. I want to applaud you for the decision youve made as job stewards to step up and start speaking for people in your workplace. The only way we ever do anything is to work together, for some people to take a risk and lead, Stewart said.

After the plenary session, stewards got together with people from their own workplaces or sectors. In these breakout groups, stewards got to discuss work-place-specific issues and ask questions to their staff and elected union representatives.

After lunch, job stewards broke into their main train-ing sessions for the weekend.

Hertz steward Luis Gonzales took the course Our Union, which helps stewards understand the history of the labour movement and the origins and workings of COPE 378. It was a good course. Its good to know where you came from, Gonzales said.

Brian Martens (ICBC) took a course on occupation-al health and safety. Im pumped to go back and use the knowledge we got. I dont think our ability to help members with health and safety issues has been fully realized, but we can change that, Martens said.

Kelly Barrett from FortisBC Energy Customer Care in Prince George and Laura White from Coastal Com-munity Insurance in Qualicum Beach both took the course Facing Management.

The class was about learning how to engage with management and to make it a productive engagement, said Barrett.

I found it very helpful, very insightful and eye-

opening, said White. I face management all the time and it gave me a different perspective on why they are the way they are.

ICBC steward Jennifer Morgan took Job Steward Level 2. I actually wish Id taken it sooner. It was an ex-cellent course. It was really valuable to get all the tools necessary to file a grievance and to understand the case law to better advocate for my coworkers rights, she said.

BC NDP steward Karl Riley took the course on orga-nizing new workplaces to join our union. It was good. I learned how to effectively communicate with non-union members about the benefits of being in a union, he said.

Other courses on offer included Job Steward Level 1, Job Evaluation, Conflict Resolution and Bul-lying and Harassment.

Vice-President and Education Committee Chair Gwenne Farrell summed up the weekend: This years seminar was a success. Its great to know that were sending more than a hundred stewards back into their workplaces with new energy and knowledge to serve their co-workers.

Change starts with you... Kennedy Stewart


2013 dues aLLocaTIon

fInances

by LorI Mayhew, secreTary-Treasurer

where do your dues Go?

Each year, one of the most important tasks of your COPE 378 executive council, the 140-member governing body of the union, is to approve the years budget. This is where we set our priorities and goals, and make sure weve got the money to pay for them. At each meeting of both the executive board and executive council, I report on our finances. And each year, we have an outside accounting firm audit our fi-nances, and then report back to the executive council on the outcome of the audit. The audit is also reported on in this magazine each summer.

The pie chart from our 2013 audit gives an excellent illustration of where your dues dollars get spent. The two highest-spending areas are membership services and administration. This covers everything from paying the staff to making sure we have enough paper in the photocopiers. By far the largest portion of this is griev-ance handling it makes up about 22 per cent of our spending just by itself. When we add in our finance de-partment, administration support staff, member educa-tion, leasing costs and office supplies, we spend about 80 per cent of our dues income running the office.

Where do we spend the rest of it? About 5 per cent goes to pay for the meetings of the executive board and council, and about the same amount to our various committees. The rest of it goes to organizing, commu-nications, internal elections, and our role in the larger labour movement.

Its worth noting that dues are not the only source of revenue for your union. We also accrue interest on our substantial defence fund and we own a building which we rent out. The constitution allows us to either leave the defence fund interest or allocate it to emer-gent needs and the income from our building goes to cover other office costs.

Our auditors recently wrapped up their work on this past year's finances. The results for 2014 were pre-sented to the executive board in April and will be pre-sented to the executive council at the end of May, and to the executive council in May. A report to the general membership will be in the summer edition of the Local Voice. In the meantime, if you have a question about your unions finances, you can contact me at the union office and Ill be happy to talk to you about it.

union Government

administration

Membership services

35%

45%

16%

communications

organizing2%

2%

Lori Mayhew

Ph

oto

: Ban

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PoLIcy and research

we need to change the way we fundPost-secondary

British Columbias system for funding post-second-ary education is deeply flawed. In other provinces, funding is based on clear, consistent guidelines like enrolment numbers, regular funding for new programs and infrastructure, performance incentives, and infla-tionary adjustments. In B.C. our funding is doled out on an arbitrary basis, based on past funding, with new add-ons or subtractions as the government sees fit from year to year. This process puts our colleges and univer-sities at a disadvantage when it comes to their ability to plan. Its particularly hard for institutions like Capilano University, where COPE 378 represents workers, who are caught on the low end of the funding spectrum for no clear or accountable reason.

While the systems in other provinces are far from perfect, most of them provide significantly more core funding clarity than the system here in B.C. For instance, while Alberta no longer provides core funding based on a direct formula tied to enrolment, they clearly incor-porate enrolment into their core funding. Meanwhile, Quebec and Saskatchewan use weighted enrolment calculations as the starting point for their funding pack-ages. This approach gives institutions predictability in their core funding, and makes the amounts given to in-dividual universities and colleges transparent, promot-ing fairness within the system.

Also important, beyond core funding, are targeted programs that both reward institutions for innovative and progressive behaviour, as well as giving them tar-gets or new initiatives to aim for if they want to receive more funding beyond their base grants.

On top of their aforementioned core funding ar-rangement, Alberta provides extra funding to institu-

tions through incentive programs for meeting perfor-mance measures, building new infrastructure, creating new research capacity, or ensuring access for groups who have difficulty accessing post-secondary educa-tion. Nova Scotia provides grants to institutions who work to ensure access to education for part-time, ru-ral, and Francophone students. Lastly, Ontario provides incentives for attaining certain performance measures. Such mechanisms allow institutions to develop clear strategies to pursue should they want to secure some of the extra funding, while also using positive develop-ments as incentives in the sector.

We can see that other provinces have clarity, fair-ness, nuance, and incentives in their funding formu-las. Most citizens of B.C. would probably be surprised to hear that our funding formulas are based entirely on past amounts and random government tack-ons, with no accountability, predictability, or fairness. Many in-stitutions have complained about this in the past, but arguably none has felt it more than Capilano University, which has continued to have its funding based on the levels it received when it was a college before starting to grant degrees.

The B.C. Government has announced a new edu-cation blueprint that they say will direct more funding toward degrees and credentials that are desired in the job market. While incentivizing enrolments in courses and programs with good job prospects is positive, the fear is that this plan will just add another layer of com-plexity to an already arbitrary and unclear system. What B.C. needs is a clear system for funding post-secondary education that provides accountability and fairness.

The B.C. Government has

announced a new education

blueprint that they say will

direct more funding toward

degrees and credentials that

are desired in the job market.

by IaIn reeve, research offIcer


by Gwenne farreLL, vIce-PresIdenT

heaLTh& safeTy

changes to the federal Labour codeThreaten worker safety

On March 3, 2015 I attended a Canadian Labour Congress Health and Safety Committee meet-ing on behalf of the COPE/SEPB national union, of which COPE 378 is a part. Its the first time that COPE378 has had a representative on the committee and its quickly become apparent how important it is for us to participate.

We covered a broad range of topics, but one of significant importance was the set of changes that oc-curred under Bill C-4, which impacted Part II of the Canada Labour Code. It should be noted that all previ-ous amendments to the Code were implemented after extensive consultation with government, employers and unions. However, these changes under Bill C-4 were brought in without any consultation with stakeholders.

One of the significant changes under Bill C-4 deals with the Health and Safety provisions. The Conserva-tive government changed the definition of danger in the provisions by removing the concept of danger as a potential occurrence. It narrows the definition to an imminent or serious threat to the life or health of a per-son. This change effectively waters down the ability of workers to refuse dangerous work as now it must be "imminent." It also allows for employers to discipline workers who refuse dangerous work. Moreover, the au-thority of Federal Health and Safety Officers was trans-ferred to the Minister of Labour, who now has the ability to deny workers the right to refuse dangerous work.

The majority of members of COPE 378 are covered under the provincial Labour Code and are therefore not directly impacted by these changes. However, the right to refuse unsafe work is a fundamental principle that should be applied to all workplaces. In B.C., workers have the right to refuse unsafe work if the worker has reasonable cause to believe that carrying out the work would cause an undue hazard to the health/safety of any person. As further protection, the B.C. Health and Safety regulations also clearly state no workers can be disciplined for refusing unsafe work if the worker uses the process laid out in the regulations.

The concern regarding the weakening of the right to refuse at the federal level is that it may trickle down into provincial jurisdictions, with provincial governments following a similar path as the federal government. The Conservatives are trying to argue that workers are incor-rectly using the right to refuse unsafe work. They allege to change the language is to prevent frivolous claims. Instead what they have done is put workers at risk. That cannot be allowed to happen in any jurisdiction.

The next meeting of the CLC Health and Safety Committee will be held in the fall of 2015.

In B.C., workers

have the right

to refuse

unsafe work

if the worker

has reasonable

cause to believe

that carrying

out the work

would cause an

undue hazard

to the health/

safety of any

person.

Gwenne Farrell


How do people go from caring about issues that affect their lives to actively campaigning for po-litical change? In late February, six COPE 378 members headed to Penticton to learn just that. At a weekend event called Forward, the BC NDP offered workshops, inspiring speakers and opportunities for en-gaging with new and more experienced activists across the province.

ICBC member Lucky Bhullar appreciated the lineup of speakers, including Luis Avila, a grassroots organiz-ing expert and vice-president of 270 Strategies, an or-ganization pivotal in U.S. President Obama's 2012 elec-tion victory (named for the number of electoral college votes needed to win the U.S. presidency).

Luis had command of the room as he was en-gaging, energetic and provided information that could be applied not only to an election but everyday life, said Bhullar.

Fortis member Stephanie Smith said the most use-ful part of the weekend for her was the networking. Not only did I meet my NDP candidate for the federal election, I signed up to be part of his campaign team and met other volunteers from my riding. Whether they were seasoned vets or newbies, politicians or volun-teers, everyone was so genuinely friendly and open and excited, it was one of the most welcoming spaces Ive been to.

Bhullar agreed: I met amazing people with their own stories that led them to this training session and becoming part of the NDP. I met a woman who works in the service industry, an environmental activist and, most shockingly, I met a 17year-old boy who has shown an interest in politics since he was 11. He attended this weekend-long session without his parents.

COPE 378 board member Trevor Hansen took courses on fundraising, communicating using values, and the federal NDPs new Populus database. For him, the weekend was an opportunity to both build on his experience volunteering in the last provincial election and get ready to volunteer in the 2015 federal election.

Bhullar and Coast Mountain Bus Company mem-ber Emer Dubois attended Luis Avilas workshop, called Making Contact, Obama-Style. Dubois says shes al-ready putting the lessons to good use canvassing for the transit referendum:

[The Monday after Forward] I was absolutely pre-pared to recognize opportunities to win someone over or just say, Have a good day. With fresh confidence, I approached people waiting for the 99 UBC bus and collected a few dozen signatures of people pledging to vote Yes.

Bhullar plans to take what shes learned to step up her door-knocking in the next election, using best-practices to engage and persuade voters.

Dubois said if the training was offered again, shed recommend other COPE 378 members attend: There were so many levels of education beyond the actual de-velopment sessions. I had the opportunity to have con-versations with people I would never otherwise have met and developed relationships that strengthen ties to my own union, the NDP and the labour movement at large.

Smith seconded the recommendation: Once you learn the basics and get empowered by the infectious en-ergy, you can never go back. Youll never not volunteer. Youll just have to take part to make a difference.

PoLITIcaLacTIoncoMMITTeePolitical skill-building at forward bc ndP

"There were so many levels of education beyond the actual development

sessions. I had the opportunity to have conversations with people I would

never otherwise have met and developed relationships that strengthen ties

to my own union, the NDP and the labour movement at large. Dubois

Building skills in Penticton February 2015


Soon after this edition of the Local Voice hits mem-bers doorsteps, COPE 378 will be moving to its new home on Kingsway at Willingdon, in Burnaby. Well be in our new office by June 23, and I couldnt

be more pleased, said COPE 378 President David Black. The old space no longer meets our needs. Our new of-fice will have more space for meeting rooms and train-ing, and it will be much closer to transit, which is a big deal for some of our members.

COPE 378 is moving into the third floor of a new de-velopment called the Sovereign Building. After a careful assessment of rising rental rates, the unions leadership

decided the best long-term solution would be to buy office space. Property in Metro Vancouver remains a sound investment and the new office space will accrue value for COPE 378s members.

Weve been at our old space for over 10 years, explained COPE 378 Secretary-Treasurer Lori Mayhew. When the lease came up and the landlord told us the rent would be going up, it was the right time to think strategically about our future.

The new office is within walking distance of hotels that can provide accommodation for members visiting on union business from out of town.

coPe 378suite 301- 4501 kingswayburnaby, bc v5h 0e5At Kingsway and Willingdon

PLEaSE takE a momEnt to uPdatE your addrESS BookS WIth thE nEW addrESS:

The office phone number remains the same:

604-299-0378 or 1-800-665-6838

were Moving!coPe 378new offIce

WE WILL BE In our nEW oFFICE By JunE 23, 2015


In 2009 it was the evidence

and research submitted by

COPE 378 and other allies that

led to the BCUC decision to

curtail the expansion of private

power projects.

bcuc

coPe 378s history with thebc utilities commission

COPE 378 has a strong record of advancing our members interests at the British Columbia Utili-ties Commission (BCUC). Since so many of our members work for employers who are governed by the BCUC ICBC, BC Hydro, Fortis, and Accenture we feel it is essential to ensure that the provinces regulatory procedure for utilities and public insurance takes into ac-count matters that matter to our members. These include issues like workload, compensation, contracting out, and service levels. Heres a quick overview of just some of the work COPE 378 has undertaken at the BCUC in recent years.

In 2008, a few years after the B.C. government out-sourced one-third of BC Hydro to Accenture COPE 378 engaged with the BCUC to fully ascertain the details and costs of the move. It was found that millions of extra dol-lars, not covered in the original agreement, were being shouldered by BC Hydro. These key details of the deal would have remained secret had it not been for the dis-closure requirements of the Commission, and they helped shed light on the true costs of contracting out.

In 2009, it was the evidence and research submitted by COPE 378 and other allies that led to the BCUC de-cision to curtail the expansion of private power projects. The Commission argued agreeing with the unions evi-dence that the government could not drum up need for private power generation by ramping down Burrard Thermal, short-changing conservation efforts, and forc-ing the purchase of private power.

In 2010, the Liberal government moved to cut BCUC oversight of key projects and pricing in their Clean En-ergy Act, despite promises in 2001 to fully restore the BCUCs regulatory role. The Act made sweeping chang-es to Hydros core functions and strategies, changes that the BCUC clearly should have overseen. These changes allowed the government to tie BC Hydro to long-term private power generation agreements, costing the util-ity, and thus ratepayers, billions of dollars. COPE 378 opposed these moves, and called for continued BCUC oversight into all major Hydro policy changes. Also in that year, COPE 378 helped successfully end the previ-ous outsourcing of Terasen Customer Care to Accen-ture, at the BCUC.

In 2011, COPE 378 engaged with the BCUC to learn about BC Hydros rate design, contracting out, and the possibility that the utility would be broken up into smaller sub-parts. COPE 378 continued to call on the government to review their proposed rate increases and place them back under the auspices of the BCUC. Similarly, in 2012, COPE 378 opposed Christy Clarks decision to again interfere with BCUC oversight of BC Hydro rates, in her attempt to delay increases until after the provincial election.

Most recently, in the last year, COPE has engaged with the BCUC on three main fronts. First, we engaged with the BCUC to investigate and ensure accountability on workload and service issues at ICBC, particularly dur-ing the Claims Transformation process. Second, now that the BCUC is again involved with the BC Hydro rate design process, we are intervening to ensure rate design best en-sures the continued viability of BC Hydro, and sees it ful-filling its mandate to provide affordable power to all British Columbians. Third, we lobbied for a core review of the BCUC to focus on transparency and access.

The BCUC has been an important avenue for COPE378 to pursue the interests of our members, and our successes have only encouraged us to keep looking for new opportunities in the future.


Ram Atwal has the unique position of Human Re-source Manager for a union COPE 378. Ram started with COPE 378 just over a year ago, and one of her many duties is overseeing staff training and development.

The first thing we do is we look at the responsi-bilities of the job and the needs of the employee in that role, Ram explained. The union representatives are re-ally great at being proactive and looking for what they need to not only round out their skill sets, but to take themselves to the next level.

COPE 378 union representatives have taken a broad array of training, both inside and outside of

the labour movement. The union has sent repre-sentatives to the Canadian Labour Congress well-known Winter School and to courses offered by the Labour Board. Reps have also attended training courses with external pro-viders such as the Canadian Professional Man-agement Services (CPMS). One of the recent CPMS classes focused on a detailed simulated arbitration, an alternative dispute resolution tribunal that unions and employers often use to resolve workplace problems.

The interesting thing with CPMS training is that you have a good mix of people there. Some are from the labour side and a lot of them are employer representatives, said Ram.

This gives our reps a unique perspective on vari-ous workplace topics and the way employers approach issues.

COPE 378 also participates in Lancaster House webinars and audio conferences. Lan-caster House is an organization that runs labour, and employment and human rights law educational seminars in Canada. The

topics range from employees privacy rights, to ac-commodating family responsibilities, to keeping mature workers engaged at work.

Because theres little formal training in the labour movement most of our reps have built up their skills through extensive experience," said Ram. "But there is still an onus on them and us to constantly keep up to date and to keep people informed.

Luckily COPE 378 has a great collaborative culture, Ram added. When the reps learn something, theyre very eager to share it with their colleagues. We are very eager and keen to teach others, and many times, staff are recommending training to each other.

When asked what she would want COPE 378s mem-bers to know about the staff training, Ram said, Well, theres a few things. First, Id want them to know that this is really about providing value for them, and making sure our staff are armed with the knowledge needed to protect our members rights. I also want them to know theres a lot of thought put into training, as the better prepared our staff are for anything employers might present, the better off our members will be.

I dont know why, but one of the most

surprising things pleasantly surprising

about coming to work for a union was how

heartfelt and passionate everyone is, said

Ram, with a smile. They really want to do

the best job possible and help people, es-

pecially our members.

Ram Atwal

COPE 378

staff Training and development at coPe 378 TraInInG


Cindy A. Lee was already an experienced union representative when she started at COPE 378 in March of 2014. Previously a regional union rep-resentative at the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), she and two co-workers served members in B.C. and the Yukon, dealing with everything from Em-ployment Insurance tribunals to Workers Compensa-tion Board claims to short-term disability applications.

Travelling a lot for work didnt feel unusual to Cindy, a former military brat whose family lived in various cit-ies across Canada as well as Germany when she was growing up.

Cindy became involved with CUPW around 2000 when she was working as a relief letter carrier in Vancouver.

My employer called me in for review, and I didnt think it was fair but I didnt know exactly what to do. So I took a Knowing Your Rights course offered by my union, and then a shop steward course, Cindy says. [Note: some unions use the term shop steward instead of job steward like COPE 378 does.]

Cindy became the shop steward for her depart-ment and was soon elected as chief shop steward for all Vancouver letter carriers. Over the next few years she took on other roles in her union, including serving as an education officer and as a full-time grievance officer for four years, helping members resolve collective agree-ment violations in their workplaces.

In 2011 I was elected as a union representative at our national convention, Cindy explains.

In early 2014 Cindy was ready for a new opportu-nity when she met COPE 378 Senior Union Representa-tive Brad Bastien, who was teaching a course she was enrolled in at the Canadian Labour Congress Winter School in Harrison, B.C. Soon, Cindy was hired onto the COPE 378 team as a union representative for members at all the FortisBC units, Southern Rail, Tree Island Indus-tries, and HandyPack.

I like working at COPE 378, Cindy says. Its good to work more closely with the job stewards, especially at places like FortisBC Customer Service, where they are a relatively new group whom we have to support to en-sure they know their rights.

Cindy also appreciates the environment in the COPE 378 office: Everybody helps each other; theres always a sounding board, she says.

Now, in addition to bargaining new collective agreements and helping members with workplace is-sues, Cindy is teaching COPE 378 job stewards the same way she was taught when she first got involved. For example, she co-facilitated the Job Steward Level 1 course at the COPE 378 Job Steward Seminar in March.

Outside of work, Cindy is a big baseball fan. She played slo-pitch for many years and her office is decorated with Yankees memorabilia. But most of all she appreciates spending time outside with her five-year-old twins.

sTaffProfILeunion representative: cindy a. Lee

Cindy A. Lee

Everybody helps each other;

theres always a sounding board.

"I like working at COPE 378..." Cindy A. Lee


woMen's Labour educaTIon

The roots and future of womensLabour education

The Western Regional Summer Institute for Union Women is entering its 34th year, and has been hosted on both sides of the Canada/U.S. border.The curriculum has evolved since the first days of

women's labour education, which started at Bryn Mawr College in the U.S.

The Summer Institute for Union Women focuses on politics and policy issues, union leadership and per-sonal growth.

The Institute will be held this July in Oregon. COPE378s Womens Rights Committee will be sending two members this year, and are planning on expanding our presence for the 35th year.

Bryn Mawr College is an American womens liberal arts college that was founded in 1885. It was a time when women were not as welcome among the ranks of profes-sionals or in higher education as they are now. Bryn Mawr was the first school in the United States to offer graduate degrees and doctorates to women. Between 1921 and 1938, Bryn Mawr hosted the Summer School for Women Workers in Industry, which was inspired by the English labour education movement and the National Women's Trade Union League training school, and founded with the support of the YWCA. Female factory and garment work-ers came from big eastern cities like Boston and New York to study English and economic subjects. They were sup-ported with weeks of boarding, good food, clean dorms and intellectual stimulation. Most of all, they were offered dignity. Many of the working class women who went to this school learned not only the coursework in their

classes, they also gained the knowledge that they could pursue lives beyond the factory. Some graduates went on to become elected labour leaders, while many others stayed active in their union to support the fight for work-ers rights. Still more left the factory for different types of work, and a survey of graduates conducted in the 1980s found that about 86 per cent of the Summer Schools stu-dents believed this education had a considerable impact on their lives, self-image, and skill development.

The model for this school soon spread across the United States and Canada, opening up opportuni-ties for many more female union activists, and many of these schools continue still. Elaine Bernard, the ex-ecutive director of the Labor and Worklife program at Harvard Law School, has taught at one of the modern descendants of the Bryn Mawr school, the Summer In-stitute for Union Women. Elaine is living proof that just because you didnt graduate from high school, doesnt mean you cant continue your education. After getting a job as a service worker at Carleton University Elaine began taking post-secondary classes. She graduated from the University of Alberta with a bachelors degree in 1976, then went on to get her master's degree from UBC in 1979, and later a Ph.D. from SFU. Elaine has been a strong advocate for womens leadership in the labour movement.

Women still face considerable challenges as we strive for equality. But programs like these schools have given so many the voice, the knowledge and the power to advocate for change.

... these schools have given so many the

voice, the knowledge and the power to

advocate for change.

by rysa kronebusch and susan orr, woMens rIGhTs coMMITTee co-chaIrs

Above photo:

2014 Summer

Institute for

Union Women

(Emer Dubois,

Elaine Piper,

Linda Banxachai,

Rysa Kronebusch

and Patti Kim

rallying for $10 a

day childcare)


coPe 378 members work at the following propertiesaccenture business servicesUnion Rep: Tony Geluch

alma Mater societyUnion Rep: Carrol Edwards

alma Mater society securityUnion Rep: Carrol Edwards

aviscarUnion Rep: Cathy Hirani

bcaa sc & ersUnion Rep: Carrol Edwards

bc computerized dispatch (yellow cab)Union Rep: Kevin Payne

bc federation of LabourUnion Rep: Barry Hodson

bc ferry & Marine workers unionUnion Rep: Barry Hodson

bcGeuUnion Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

bc hydro (including Powertech construction services)Union Reps: Barbara Junker, Karen Rockwell

bc nurses union Union Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

bc TransitUnion Rep: Cheryl Popeniuk

beach Place venturesUnion Rep: Kevin Payne

berlitz canadaUnion Rep: Kevin Payne

boilermakers union Local 191Union Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

bonnys TaxiUnion Rep: Kevin Payne

burnaby english Language centreUnion Rep: Stephen Von Sychowski

canadian freightways Ltd.Union Rep: Tony Geluch

canadian northern shield/rsaUnion Rep: Barry Hodson

capilano universityUnion Rep: Karen Rockwell

carpentry workers benefit and Pension Plans of bcUnion Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

catalyst PaperUnion Rep: Tony Geluch

cIaTuUnion Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

coast Mountain busUnion Rep: Cheryl Popeniuk

coastal community credit unionUnion Rep: Sarah Melsness

coastal community financial ManagementUnion Rep: Sarah Melsness

coastal community InsuranceUnion Rep: Sarah Melsness

college of Pharmacists of bcUnion Rep: Tony Geluch

college of registered nursesUnion Rep: Tony Geluch

columbia hydroUnion Rep: Brad Bastien

columbia valley credit unionUnion Rep: Sarah Melsness

community savings credit unionUnion Rep: Sarah Melsness

cMaw bargaining councilUnion Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

cMaw Local 1995Union Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

coral cabs (richmond Taxi)Union Rep: Kevin Payne

cuPe 454Union Rep: Barry Hodson



cuPe bc & LocalsUnion Rep: Barry Hodson

da Townley & associatesUnion Rep: Cheryl Popeniuk

dollar ThriftyUnion Rep: Cathy Hirani

ecojusticeUnion Rep: Barry Hodson

enterprise rent-a-carUnion Rep: Cathy Hirani

first canada uLcUnion Rep: Carrol Edwards

fortisbc customer service centresUnion Rep: Cindy A. Lee

fortisbc energy Inc.Union Rep: Cindy A. Lee

fortisbc Inc.Union Rep: Cindy A. Lee

Gulf & fraser fishermens credit unionUnion Rep: Sarah Melsness

handy PackUnion Rep: Cindy A. Lee

hastings entertainment Inc.Union Rep: Tony Geluch

hertzUnion Rep: Cathy Hirani

IaMaw Transportation district Lodge 140Union Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

IaMaw district Lodge 250Union Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

IaMaw Local Lodge 764 Union Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

Ibew Local 230Union Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

IcbcUnion Reps: Kevin Smyth, Kelly Quinn, Stephen Von Sy-chowski

Island savings credit union and InsuranceUnion Rep: Sarah Melsness

Iwa forest Industry PPUnion Rep: Barry Hodson

kekinow native housing societyUnion Rep: Barry Hodson

kelowna cabs Ltd.Union Rep: Kevin Payne

konica MinoltaUnion Rep: Carrol Edwards

kruger Products (scott Paper)Union Rep: Karen Rockwell

Ladysmith & district cuUnion Rep: Sarah Melsness

Lake city casinoUnion Rep: Kevin Payne

LuMa native housing societyUnion Rep: Barry Hodson

MacLures cabs Ltd.Union Rep: Kevin Payne

Marine workers & boilermakersUnion Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

Master Trade officeUnion Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

new democratic PartyUnion Rep: Barry Hodson

Plumbers union Local 234Union Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

schneiderUnion Rep: Cathy Hirani

seaspan International Ltd.Union Rep: Kevin Payne

seIu 2Union Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

southern railwayUnion Rep: Cindy A. Lee

Teamsters Local 31Union Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

Teamsters Local 155Union Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

Teamsters Local 213 & 213 Member benefit PlanUnion Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

Telecommunications workers union (Twu)Union Rep: Barry Hodson

Telecommunication workers Pension PlanUnion Rep: Barry Hodson

Teletheatre bcUnion Rep: Tony Geluch

Thunderbird winter sportsUnion Rep: Barbara Junker

TransLinkUnion Rep: Cheryl Popeniuk

Tree IslandUnion Rep: Cindy A. Lee

unifor Local 1928Union Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

united fishermen & allied worker unionUnion Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

vancouver Musicians associationUnion Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

vancouver Police credit unionUnion Rep: Sarah Melsness

vancouver shipyards Ltd.Union Rep: Kevin Payne

vancouver Taxi Ltd. (central Taxi dispatch)Union Rep: Kevin Payne

vantageone credit unionUnion Rep: Sarah Melsness

victoria shipyards Ltd.Union Rep: Kevin Payne

victoria Trade unionUnion Rep: Miriam Pulsifer

westminster savings credit unionUnion Rep: Sarah Melsness

working ventures Insurance solutions Union Rep: Barry Hodson

Xylem water solutionsUnion Rep: Tony Geluch

yellow PagesUnion Rep: Barry Hodson

Is PubLIshed by

Phone: 604-299-0378fax: 604-299-8211e-mail: [email protected] 1918-9753 coPe Local 378 voice

coPe 378: President david black Secretary-Treasurer Lori Mayhew

LocaL voIce editor: sage aaron usw 2009desIGned by: dansk design Groupdanskdesigngroup.comPrInTed aT: Mitchell Press, burnaby, b.c.

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