Dear Sisters and Brothers,
On December 6^th, 1989, a man armed with a hunting rifle entered the University of Montréal’s engineering faculty and opened fire on women, claiming he was fighting feminism.  He murdered 14 women, mostly young engineering students, before killing himself. The only non-student, Maryse Laganière, was a CUPE member who worked at the faculty.

As we mark the anniversary of that horrific event, we remember the many women who to this day are injured or killed throughout Canada, often at the hands of their intimate partners.  “First mourn. Then work for change.”  That is the call to action inscribed on the December 6^th monument in Riverview.

Women in our province, like women throughout the country, continue to flee abusive homes, often with young children, and take refuge in shelters. Sometimes their violent partner finds  them in their workplaces.  Poverty and discrimination still trap far too many women in violent relationships. The current austerity climate has had a devastating impact on Canadian workers, including many women who have lost jobs and who have difficulty in accessing Employment Insurance benefits.

Aboriginal women are much more likely to suffer from violence than other women. The Native Women’s Association of Canada has identified more than 600 missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls across Canada, and the violence continues. At the 2013 CUPE NB Convention, members adopted a resolution demanding that the federal government establish a national public inquiry and an action plan to address this tragic situation.

Government action is urgently needed to address the root causes of violence, part of the bigger picture of women’s inequality. The New Brunswick government provides some funding for front-line victims services and awareness-raising initiatives, but lacks a master plan for achieving true economic and social equality for women.  With no national action plan in place to end violence against women, the federal government continues to defund advocacy organizations that have provided a voice for women and the most vulnerable in Canada.

What can you do to end violence against women?  Ask your MLA and MP what actions are underway to improve the situation of women and girls and how they will track progress on gender equality. Stand up and speak out against verbal and physical abuse wherever it happens. Treating others with respect sends a powerful message, particularly if you are male. Support anti-violence campaigns and groups working in your communities. Participate in the national survey on the impacts of violence against women, on workers, and the workplace that will be launched by the Canadian Labour Congress in December 2013.

Everyone is welcome to participate in the December 6^th events organized across New Brunswick:

Shippagan :  Commemorative Walk, Kiosks, Christmas Lunch, etc. – December 4^th; Kiosks from 10 a.m. at the Shippagan campus of the Université de Moncton;  Walk from 12:20 to 1 p.m. (leaves from main entrance of the campus). For more information, contact Karen Lanteigne, phone (506) 395-7632.

Bathurst: Commemorative Walk & Action To End Violence – December 6^th, noon. From Holy Family Church parking lot to Bathurst Youth Center.  For more information, contact Soleil Thériault, phone (506) 545-8952.

Miramichi: Commemorative ceremony –  December 6^th, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.,  NBCC Miramichi, 80 University Ave.  For more information, contact Patty Michaud, Domestic Violence Outreach Services, phone (506) 778-6496.

Fredericton:

Candlelighting Ceremony –  December 6^th, 8 a.m. – 8:30 a.m., , Chancery Place, 675 King St.  Organized by the Women’s Equality Branch, Government of NB.

Commemorative Ceremony – December 6^th, starting at noon at the University of New Brunswick – Fredericton, upstairs in the Student Union Ballroom.

Riverview: December 6^th, beginning at 6:30 p.m., gathering at Father Dan Bohan Centre, 5 Fatima Drive, next to Riverview Town Hall, followed by a candlelight vigil and laying of roses at the monument at Caseley Park. Organized by the December 6th Committee of Moncton and District Labour Council. For more information, phone (506) 852-9609.

St. Andrews: An Hour of Remembrance and Hope – December 6^th, from 7 p.m., Wesley United Church, 77 William St., St. Andrews. Organized by the Charlotte County Abuse Prevention Network. For further information, phone Charlotte County Community Outreach at (506) 469-5544.

MONCTON: The Union representing Health Care workers in New Brunswick, CUPE Local 1252, is worried about the impact of the recent budget cuts and what the next round of budget restriction will have on the delivery of health care in the province.

“We have been informed that the Health Authorities will slash another 1% from their budgets in the coming year.  How deep do the cuts have to be before the citizens of New Brunswick realize they need to speak out to save healthcare?” asked Norma Robinson, the President of the New Brunswick Council of Hospitals Unions, CUPE Local 1252.

“What will be the impact on patient care of these new cuts? What services will be impacted by those cuts.  What closures are we going to see?  New Brunswickers deserve to have these questions answered”, said Robinson.

“The employer has implemented a new nursing model on long term care units and is currently doing studies on the oncology and surgical units; these changes will be applied in early 2014. What will be the impact to patient care when these cuts happen?”

“All these changes have an effect on the workers who deliver the services.  We are currently seeing an increase in the Workers Compensation claims from injured employees who are forced to work alone due to staffing reductions.

“Furthermore, the Department of Health is currently looking at contracting out of Management of the Food Service; Environmental Services and Porters; what does this mean for the system?  Will we see more frozen food systems being implemented? Will those in hospital beds being served food which was frozen months before?  Is this the food New Brunswickers deserve when they are sick and dying in an hospital bed?”

“We have requested information from the Department of Health on the cost to deliver these services today and to date have not been provided this information; why has this not been provided?  Where is the cost savings to contract services to companies outside New Brunswick when we currently have individuals within the system who are trained to provide this service efficiently and effectively?”

“We need to keep health care services public; publically delivered health care is the most cost effective service”, concluded Robinson.

More than 100 members of CUPE Local 1252 are meeting in Moncton this week for their annual meeting.

Sisters and Brothers,

Doing mass membership meetings this fall was a commitment Brother Black and I made to our members when we went around the Province last year.

The two certainties at this point for the agenda are:

1) The unite for fairness campaign and the attacks organized Labour is facing from the Federal Conservative Government

2) The attacks at our bargaining table from our Provincial Conservative Government And our plan to deal with both. We committed to keeping the talking part of these meetings to 45 min. And then open the floor to the members.

Any Locals that have ongoing campaigns are encouraged to bring to these meetings and add to the distribution tables. Also a reminder to bring food bank items for the local area food banks.

Daniel Légère
President CUPE NB

List of Massmembership meeting

FREDERICTON: The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in New Brunswick is calling upon the Alward government to slow down the implementation of the “Shared Risk” model for the Public Service Superannuation Act (PSSA).

“Last week, we met with government officials and indicated to them that our members had concerns and questions about this new model that needs to be considered before it is legislated”, declared CUPE NB President Daniel Légère.

“CUPE simply wants the Alward government to take a pause in its legislation and discuss the many options available to preserve the defined benefit nature of the PSSA and improve its funding”, explained Légère.

“We strongly believe that Defined Benefit Pension Plans are the best and most efficient way to provide a decent, secure and predictable retirement income for the workers in New Brunswick and across Canada. However, CUPE recognizes that some pension plans are facing larger challenges then others.  The “Shared Risk” model was developed by a government task force working with other unions, including CUPE, to address critical problems with the province’s health care workers’ pension plan. CUPE, however, made it perfectly clear to the Alward government – this was not a one size fits all fix for tackling short-term pension challenges.”

“We have never said that the “status quo” is the only option for the PSSA plan. But we also can’t stand idly by as the Alward government tries to shed pension liabilities at the expense of public sector workers’ pensions.”

“We are fully prepared to work with the province in tackling the surmountable challenges facing the PSSA plan, and find options that don’t transfer all the risks onto workers and retirees”, concluded Légère.

MONCTON:  The Union representing health care workers, CUPE Local 1252, is asking the government to stop bleeding health care services in the province.

“Today, the laundry services at the Moncton Hospital and the Tracadie-Sheila Hospital

Norma Robinson during a press conference at the Moncton Hospital concerning the closure of the laundry services at the Moncton hospital and the Tracadie-Sheila Hospital.

are closing.  This is a very sad day for the long service employees in those two facilities,” said Norma Robinson, President of CUPE Local 1252, the New Brunswick Council of Hospital Unions.

“The laundry services in the Moncton Hospital have been operating for 70 years.   At that hospital, 22 employees are losing their jobs; all of them have at least 25 years of services.  Where do you get another job when you have been working for the same employer all your life?”

“The laundry services at the Tracadie-Sheila Hospital have been there for 50 years.  Eleven people are losing their jobs today; those are all long dedicated service employees.  What is going to happen to those families?  Are they expected to go work in laundry in Fort McMurray?”

“In September, other health care workers received their layoff notice; many of them worked in long-term care units. Now, the government is moving ahead with plans to privatize the management of non-clinical services in hospitals, such as food and cleaning operations.  If this plan goes ahead, more workers will lose their jobs and we will see decent paying jobs replaced by minimum wage jobs.”

“It’s time New Brunswickers send a strong message to this government that Health Care is an important service, especially with our aging population.  We need to protect the health services we have in rural communities as well as the urban centers. It’s time to stop the bleeding of health services”, concluded Robinson.

CHIPMAN: The New Brunswick Health Department and Ambulance New Brunswick, the company managing ambulance services in the province, seem to be more concerned about balancing their budget sheet than the life of rural New Brunswickers.

The Union representing the Paramedics, CUPE Local 4848, was informed today that next month, the night services in the Chipman/Minto/Grand Lake area will be reduced from four ambulances to three.

“Reducing the night services to three ambulances will endanger the lives of the people living in those communities.  The paramedics are the only medical services available at night in that area.  There is no hospital anymore and the community health center is closed at night.  The paramedics are the only ones who can provide the first response service”, explained Trent Piercy, CUPE 4848 President.

“We are especially concerned because we have a mill operating 24 hours, seven days a week in Chipman.  During the winter time, the roads in rural areas are dangerous and it increases the response time of the paramedics.

This decision will not only impact the Chipman area, it will have a ripple effect in the entire region, down to Fredericton.  When an ambulance will be dispatched out of the area, another emergency vehicle will have to be moved from somewhere else and so on. “

“For the last few years, rural communities have been hit hard by budget reductions.  If the Minister of Health wants to put care back into healthcare, slashing ambulances services is surely not the way to do it”, concluded Piercy.

QUÉBEC: The Canadian Union of Public Employees is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this week at its biennial convention, being held October 21 – 25 in Québec City.

Paul Moist, national president of CUPE, welcomed over 3,000 delegates, staff and guests to the five-day gathering.

“This week we celebrate five decades of accomplishments to make Canada a better place for workers and to make our communities a better place to live for all Canadians,” said Moist in his address to the convention.

“We have much to be proud of and much to celebrate, but we will also be planning and preparing for the work ahead,” said Moist. “By reconnecting with our members and working together we can build on our past to strengthen pensions, fight for decent wages and build a fairer Canada for everyone.”

Also addressing the convention today was Charles Fleury, national secretary-treasurer.

“Our union is on a solid foundation. We have the resources to stand up for our members and all Canadian workers,” said Fleury in his speech to convention delegates. “Over the coming days, you will set our priorities for the next two years knowing we are in it for the long term to build a stronger fighting team inside CUPE and beyond. You will set our course to fairness.”

Speakers at the convention will include Thomas Mulcair, leader of the official opposition and the NDP, Rosa Pavanelli, general secretary of Public Service International, and Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian Labour Council. There will also be a thought provoking panel discussion on re-inventing the labour movement.

The national biennial convention is the key decision making body for CUPE, Canada’s largest union with over 627,000 members.

Saint John: The Union representing the workers at the St. Joseph’s Hospital in Saint John, CUPE Local 1252, is appalled by the management’s decision to cut on snacks served to seniors in the evening in order to balance its annual budget.

“The employees have been instructed to cut on the food served at night on three floors where approximately 60 seniors are waiting for a nursing home bed”, explained Ralph McBride, CUPE Servicing Representative.

“The management has decided to put the seniors on a diet in order to make up for the $16,000 they overspent in the last three years.”

“From now on, the employees on those three floors will only be allowed a limited amount of milk per day and a package of 12 cookies to be shared amongst 21 seniors on each floor.  The collation at night will now be milk / juice and one cookie or a toast per night but not both.  Nutritional snacks like yogurt and cheese will no longer be served to seniors unless it is a special order request for patient needs”, said McBride.

“Furthermore, we have been informed that if a patient doesn’t eat its lunch, to put the meal aside and give it to the patient later.  Are we now going to serve food that has been sitting there for hours to patients?”

“Recently, Health minister Ted Flemming said it was time to put care back into healthcare.  Hospitals reducing food access to seniors is not putting care back to healthcare. It’s time for the minister to walk the talk.  If he could afford to pay the CEOs of Horizon and Vitality Health Authority a combined salary of $675,000 per year, surely he can find the money to pay for nutritional snacks for our hospitalized seniors”, concluded McBride.

BATHURST – The recent bedbug infestation at the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst is worrying the union that represents support staff, who are asking what proportions the infestation could have taken on if the hospital’s laundry service had been closed.

“The bedbug infestation could have quickly spread to other hospitals and care homes in the region,” says the president of local 871-2 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

According to René Doucet, the bedbug infestation was contained in Bathurst because the linens are still washed at the hospital. “When the hospital’s laundry service closes, the linens will be transported by truck to Campbellton. Infested sheets could have easily contaminated the truck and all the linens before the problem was detected. Such a scenario would be incredibly expensive, because to contain the infestation in Bathurst, they had to destroy mattresses and linens.”

“We oppose the closing of the laundry services in the Moncton area, on the Acadian Peninsula and in the Chaleur region because we know that laundry services play an important role at hospitals,” says René Doucet.

“When there are on-site laundry services, the risk of propagating infections associated with health care and bedbug infestations, as was the case in Bathurst on the weekend, is greatly reduced.”

A petition is currently circulating asking the government to reverse its decision to close the laundry services in the province’s four hospitals.

BATHURST: Women who are victims of violence in the Chaleur region no longer have round-the-clock access to Passage House, a shelter for abused women.

According to the union that represents employees at the Passage transition house in Bathurst (CUPE Local 4229), the house’s management decided to cut services, claiming a lack of funding.

“Women in situations of family violence could well go to Passage House and find the door locked,” said Vicky Smith, union representative for the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

“Unfortunately, this is what could happen since the board of directors has decided to reduce the hours of service when there are no residents in the house. This means that a woman in distress runs a very real risk of finding the shelter closed or if she calls of having to leave a message on an answering machine.”

“We don’t know if the reduction in working hours is a negotiating tactic on the part of the employer or if the financial difficulties raised are legitimate, because management refuses to share the financial statements with us,” Smith said.

“We believe that the house’s management has to be transparent, because the operating budget comes from the province. There should be no secrets when a group receives most of its funding from the government.” The transition house annually receives more than $200,000 from the Social Development Department. This is in addition to amounts raised through fundraising activities.

“The management of Passage House wants employees to be on call and work only when there are women at the house,” Smith said. “But Passage House does more than just offer shelter to women in need; it also offers a phone intervention service. For example, in 2011, the house provided shelter to 40 people and employees received 2,500 calls. Some women do not want to leave the family home or move to the transition house; they access the resources by phone.”

“Women living in such situations need to be able to access services at all times. We take issue with the fact that women in need in the Chaleur region are being held hostage during this round of negotiations.”

Ms. Smith explained that the union has filed an official complaint with the Labour and Employment Board against Passage House for having failed in its obligation to negotiate in good faith under article107.1 of the Industrial Relations Acts. The union also filed a complaint under article 35 of the Act because the employer changed the conditions of employment. The union filed two grievances for the layoff of two employees.

The employment contract for union local 4228 expired in December 2012.