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President's Update, May 2016
Hi to all of you and I hope this update finds you well. Sisters and Brothers this is my update for the Month of May 2016. We will get these out on the first week of each month as we move forward.
In this update, you will find a few snippets of what's happened during the month of May. Please share this with your locals and union membership with your co-workers and others, ask them to like us on Facebook and to follow us on Twitter. We encourage that you ask your colleagues and others sign up to get these updates through our website. Click Here
What if I am retired member?
The Nova Scotia Federation of Union Retirees (NSFUR) is active. So if you are a retired member or soon to be retired and want to help join us. NSFUR is in the process of creating provincial area councils to provide retirees more opportunities to participate in campaigns in their regions. NSFUR provides a voice and a vehicle for retirees and membership is only $12 per year. call our office for information 902.454.6735
In solidarity, Danny Cavanagh, President
Happy International Workers Day.
We started the month off with a statement on International Workers Day held every year on May1st. We did much on social media leading up to May1st. and may Day celebrations during the month. Every year workers around the world celebrate International Workers’ Day on May 1st. Many labour organizations hold festivals and events leading up to the celebrations on May 1st.
The Nova Scotia Federation of Labour and our community Labour Councils in Halifax and Sydney co-sponsored events throughout the month in both cities.The NSFL and our 70,000 members stood united with workers all over the world. We support the right of workers around the world to fair and free collective bargaining and to resist exploitation. I was pleased to speak at the rally on May1st, in Halifax. Thanks to the Halifax and Sydney Labour Councils for holding May day and May Works events during the month of May.
CLC Municipal Matters CLC workshop.
While we where at the municipal matters participants got to her from the strikers at the Herald. They spoke to delegates about the reasons why they decided to go on strike.
It was great to be invited and speak to the many great activists who participated as the leaders of our Labour Council in Nova Scotia.
The Canadian Labour Congress pulled this together for the leaders of the councils. Municipal elections are happening in the fall, and we need to be ready for those elections in our communities. We currently have about 30 people who are union members sitting on municipal councils. Pictured above is the group, with the Congress staff and the herald strikers who spoke.
CLC president Hassan Yussuff joins the Halifax Rally for Herald Strikers.
I was pleased to join CLC president Hassan Yussuff at a rally for the strikers at the herald. A good crowd of activist join us at the noon time rally on May 6th. Those gathered heard from Hassan, myself, Gary Burrell and from the striking unions leadership
Pictured below are Hassan with Alex Furlong the Atlantic regional director of the Congress, Ingrid Bulmer the president of the HTU and Tony Tracy the Nova Scotia rep for the Congress.
Thanks to everyone of the ongoing support to the 58 strikers of HTU.
The workers are now doing their own local news site called Local Xpress. This is where your news should come from! An amazing bunch of people, HTU members are working their butts off, even while trying to get a fair contract from their employer and to continue to bring us real news by real journalists. Please support them so they can continue to do so! Dedication to the public at its finest right here!
Consider a monetary donation, either one-time or monthly, here:
NSGEU Convention 2016
I had the opportunity to speak and attend the NSGEU convention.
It was a great conference with a lot of really good debate on the many important resolutions. Pictured above is me speaking to the delegates.
Attending conventions is great because I get to hear the issues of the union members and locals and to listen to the delegates thoughts and concerns.
Congratulations to Brother Jason Mclean who was elected as the president of NSGEU at the convention. Seen above is a picture of Jason and I that we took at the conference. The Federation is looking forward to working together with Jason and the NSGEU on the many issues facing the members. There were some excellent resolutions passed at the convention, and there is a lot of work to accomplish as we move forward together with the NSGEU.
Pictured above I am being thanked by Sister Joan Jessome at the NSGEU convention. Just after I spoke to the delegates at the convention and on behalf of the NSFL I had the privilege of presenting our Sister with a gift of our appreciations for her years of service as the NSFL vice president. This was Sister Jessome's last convention as president of the union. It was a privilege for me to be able to speak and off the Sister our best wishes in this new chapter of her life.
It was may 9th in 1992 at 5:18am in Plymouth, N.S. when 26 miners lost their lives. It was reported that the underground explosion shook homes more than a kilometre away. There were 26 men underground at the time working the end of a four-day shift. It’s now been 24 years since that terrible day. Next year will make 25 years, and today like every day we need to work with others including our governments to ensure such tragedies never happen again. |
We celebrated National Nursing week in May.Nurses: With you every step of the way This week we celebrate the contributions made by nurses in Nova Scotia. Nurses are with their patients every step of the way. They are also tireless advocates for positive change in our publicly funded, publicly delivered health care system, for safety of patients, and for rights and benefits for their fellow members. We appreciate your dedication to the people of Nova Scotia this week and every week.
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NS Federation of Labour President Danny Cavanagh is asking why the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce says that raising the minimum age would be disastrous for our economy. I find it outlandish that the Chamber is claiming that a higher minimum wage would reduce the ability of small businesses to sustain low-skilled jobs. Does that mean the goal of small business is to keep people down, not provide good jobs with benefits? If so, then this province is in real trouble.
The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia is observed every year on May 17th. The Nova Scotia Federation of Labour calls on everyone to join in recognizing May 17th as the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
To stand against ongoing struggles of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified and queer (LGBTQ) communities and it offers an opportunity to renew and strengthen our commitment to the struggle for justice. We need to speak out and stop the hate towards LGBTQ workers, and communities.
A few other snipits of Interest ...
Eight more jobs will leave Nova Scotia, and eight workers, administrators of public dental programs, will be unemployed at the end of the May because the government awarded a bid to an Ontario competitor.
This is a story in the Halifax Advocate.
CUPE signed a very good collective agreement that will ensure all employees of Adsum House. Adsum is a Halifax-based organization that supports homeless women, children and transgender person’s.
Including casuals, it has about 40 employees who will now receive a living wage. Job well done and congratulations.
Our friend and brother Darrel Dorey of AIL was in and made a donation to Literacy Nova Scotia. As the Chair of LNS I am pleased to see this kind of support from AIL. Literacy NS does a lot of great work helping adults with literacy and skills training needs.
A few more events I attended.
On May 5th, the CUPW held Canada Wide actions on payday lenders. Pictured above are some shots from a few events I attended with them in Halifax. The postal workers and ACORN held a 7am rally on payday lenders and held a Town Hall on Postal banking workshop at 7pm in Dartmouth. I attended both events.
To your far right is me speaking at the CUPE Local 1867 the NS Highway workers annual meeting in Halifax. There were some 120 leaders from the locals 18 units represented at the annual meeting.
Couple of more events to share.
Speak out and challenge the stigma and discrimination that often goes hand in hand with mental illness.
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Pictured at the bottom is a graphic we shared on social media. Of course the wait times are a concern for all of us. We all use or will use health care.
UNIFOR a proud partner in Pathways to Shipbuilding pilot program for Aboriginal trades training. We offer our congratulations to the members of the union on this program.
Five changes to CETA that are needed.
The Canadian Labour Congress and the European Trade Union Confederation are uniting to call for five changes to the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
Jim Stanford dispels minimum wage myths
More on myths of raising the minimum wage.
Share so the Liberals can learn about why a higher minimum wage would help grow the economy.
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