Local Voice 2015 Vol 10 Issue 4

Volume 10 | Issue #4
Winter 2015
Quarterly publication for members of MoveUP, The Movement of United Professionals
ALSO INSIDE
MoveUP: What's in a Name?

Climate Leadership
Storm of the Century
Women at Work
Campaign for a Living Wage
In This Issue
contents
Presidents OPENING Message

By David Black
4 TRANSLATIONS
6 president's word
7 A Name That Suits Our
Members and Our Mission
8 MoveUP Contributes to
Climate Leadership Team
9 Real Leaders Dont
Lock Employees Out
7
Lets MoveUP together
10 CONVENTION 2015
12 Three Worrisome Facts about
Canadas Economy
By Iglika Ivanova
13 THANKS TO OUTGOING
BOARD MEMBERS
14
METRO VANCOUVER ALLIANCE
15 Governor General Canadian

Leadership Conference
16 A Global Movement For
Women at Work
By Rysa Kronebusch and Susan Orr
10
Convention 2015
17 Making Choices: Do I Pay My

Rent or Do I Eat?
18 ICBC: Worth Defending
By Adrian Dix
19 WORKING IN THE
EYE OF THE STORM
20

Political Action Report:

The 2015 Federal Election
By Lori Mayhew and Karl Riley
21 Golden Tree to Honour Lost

Farmworkers
By Benjamin Anderson
22

Campaign for a Living Wage

By Deanna Ogle
23
rep assignments
19
Vancouver Storm 2015
Presidents Opening Message

MoveUP, the Movement of United Professionals, 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.
MoveUP Executive Board Members:
President: David Black
Secretary-Treasurer: Lori Mayhew
Vice Presidents: Annette Toth (ICBC), Gwenne Farrell (Utilities),
Alicia Gallo (Combined Units)
Accenture Business Services: Melanie Greenlaw
BC Hydro: Rysa Kronebusch, Bruce Sarvis
ICBC: Yasmin Carroll, Bryan Finstad, Joyce Galuska, Inner Johal,
Robert Starcevich
FortisBC Energy: Joe Nex
Fortis-Hydro: Kathryn Prinz
Combined Units: Brenda Meyers, Susan Orr, Dana Richmond,
Tim Weigelt
MoveUP Communications, Campaigns & Research:
Communications Director: Sage Aaron
Communications Officer: Jen Holmwood
Research Officer: Iain Reeve
David Black
MoveUP Senior Union Representatives:

Brad Bastien, Glen MacInnes
President, COPE 378
MoveUP Union Representatives:

Carrol Edwards, Tony Geluch, Noel Gulbransen, Cathy Hirani,
Barry Hodson, Barbara Junker, Cindy A. Lee, Sarah Melsness,
Bonnie Merriman, Brian Nelson, Kevin Payne, Cheryl Popeniuk,
Kelly Quinn, Karen Rockwell, Kevin Smyth, Ryan Stewart,
Stephen Von Sychowski
he fall months are always busy ones for this union. The slower pace
of the summer quickly becomes a memory in the rear view mirror as
Thanksgiving and Halloween whiz by, and we head towards December.
This year seems busier than most. While some of our larger worksites are
enjoying a lull between rounds of collective agreement bargaining, many of
our smaller units are not. Its advantageous to have these negotiations offset as we can spend the time our members are due working to get the best
agreements possible.
And, of course, our members at BCAA are still locked out. As the Local
Voice was going to print, BCAAs Emergency Roadside Assistance Dispatchers
had been locked out for over five months. Their employer remains tone deaf
and stubborn. In fact, they recently boasted on social media that they won an
Aon Human Resources award by posting photos of our locked out members. The photos came down quickly in an effort to sweep the problem under
the rug. Fortunately, our members are resolute. They want to work but they
want to be treated and paid fairly. Were incredibly proud to support them.
We also held elections for our union which saw our executive board renewed with a mix of experience and fresh faces. I was honoured to be acclaimed president for my third term and Lori Mayhew was re-elected as secretary-treasurer. Gwenne Farrell was acclaimed as the vice-president for our
utilities group and at our convention, held at the beginning of November, Alicia Gallo was elected as vice-president of our combined units group and Annette Toth was re-elected as vice-president of our ICBC group. My sincere and
heartfelt thanks to all outgoing board members, and to all those who stood as
candidates for election. Their participation makes this organization stronger,
smarter, more resilient and deepens our connection to our members.
Last, but certainly not least, we debuted our rebrand to our convention
delegates. The new name, MoveUP, the Movement of United Professionals,
better reflects our mission and our members. Delegates gave the rebrand a
warm response, and I look forward to fulfilling its promise with you all.
MoveUP Administrative & Office Staff:

Joanne Banfield, Karen Caston, Elaine Chilman, Lise Cluff, Adele
Earwaker, Yudon Garie, Sarah Hall, Lisa Jeffery, Shelley Lockhart,
Carol McLuskie, Karen McRae, Michelle Mihaichuk, Kim Smith,
Barbara Stephen, Marilyn Vassell
MoveUP Financial Staff:
Controller: Barbara Liang
Jenny Chen, Sandi Malhame, Amandeep Nijjar
Occupational Health & Safety & WCB Appeals:
Steve Milne
Organizing:
Georgi Bates, Caitlin Gilroy, Christopher Sano
LTD Trust Administrator:
Jim Moynham
Human Resources and Organizational Development Director:
Ram Atwal
The Local Voice is the official quarterly magazine published

for the members of MoveUP.
ISBN 1918-9753 COPE 378 Voice
Letters to the editor are welcome but may be edited for
brevity and clarity. Please contact MoveUP for permission to
reprint articles, graphics, or photographs.
Address all correspondence to:
MoveUP Communications
Suite 301 - 4501 Kingsway,
Burnaby, B.C. V5H 0E5
Phone: 604-299-0378
Toll Free Line: 1-800-665-6838
Fax: 604-299-8211
Visit MoveUPs website at www.MoveUPTogether.ca
Or contact us via email at editor@moveuptogether.ca
Editor: Sage Aaron
USW 2009
MOVEUP Local Voice
Volume 10 Issue #4 Winter 2015
MOVEUP Local Voice
MOVEUP Local Voice
president's
word
Stewards: Our Foundations and Our Future

By David Black, MoveUP President
"Job stewards have, without

a doubt, the most important
position in the union."
David Black
since 2012. And we know from our member polling

over the last three years that the number of members
who contact stewards first, compared to those who
contact union staff, has increased significantly. This is a
powerful testament to the way our members are stepping into their roles, being effective in their worksites
and showing leadership.
This also allows our union reps to eliminate the
backlog in bargaining, and to prosecute long-standing grievances and arbitrations. Consequently, were
spending less money on lawyers, getting better results
and in a much more timely fashion.
To be honest, its not always easy for the union office to step back and let the members take more control. But its necessary. We draw our strength from our
members, and we take our cues from them as well.
Therefore, we have to keep going.
Im recommitting to top-notch member education
programs that will help us find new ways to empower
our stewards. This means building on our successes as
well as innovating with our member education programs. Our annual Job Steward Seminar, held over three
days each spring, is one such success. Additionally, we
will devise new ways of delivering member and activist education to make it even more accessible. Weve
piloted shorter seminars that travel to our members, instead of asking our members to come to us. With the
expanded space in our new office, we can hold smaller
sessions more frequently.
was recently acclaimed to a third term as your president. I feel incredibly honoured and humbled by this
trust, and fundamentally optimistic about our future.
This isnt to say I dont see challenges coming our
way. We continue to face employers who dont value
the work you do, or your quality of life. We still have
governments who dont value the role unions play as
workers advocates.
But I believe, with smart choices, we can navigate
these challenges, do the right thing by our members and
their communities, and make things better for the lives we
touch. Weve already started by making significant changes for the better, improving the way the union serves our
members by training and empowering our stewards.
Job stewards have, without a doubt, the most important position in the union. But at one point in our
unions history we didnt act that way. We centralized
power to solve problems at the union office with our
staff union representatives and elected leadership.
The people who did this meant well but our impact in the workplace was severely weakened. Stewards
werent given the power or knowledge to be the union
at work, to step in when things went wrong and to make
positive changes for members. At the same time, our
staff union reps were dealing with crushing workloads,
which took them away from bargaining and complicated arbitrations.
Empowering and training our stewards is about
strengthening our first line of defence, and making
sure problems dont escalate. Our stewards skills have
been beefed up through worksite and industry-specific
training resulting in better, faster grievance management. We have the statistics to back this up. Three
years ago stewards opened only about 8 per cent of
all grievances. Now, just a few short years later, they
open about 40 per cent of all grievances. The number
of overall grievances filed has gone down dramatically
Im excited by what weve done and

the work we have ahead of us for the next
three years. I invite you all to learn more
about your stewards roles in your workplace, and consider becoming one.
6
MOVEUP Local Voice
A Name That Suits Our Members and Our Mission
rebrand
By David Black, President
n the Friday of convention we unveiled the culmination of a year-long project to delegates: a

new brand and a new name. This union is now
MoveUP, the Movement of United Professionals.
Why rebrand?
We decided to rebrand because our elected leadership and staff have done a lot of work over the last
few years to create a strong sense of mission and of self,
while distilling a set of values that drive our organization.
However, we were getting beat in the field. In public
relations making our work known to the wider public and in organizing inviting new people into our
union. This was not because of our efforts, but because
of our name.
COPE was not a unique enough name. In Vancouver, we were often confused with COPE (Coalition of
Progressive Electors), and across Western Canada were
confused with CUPE. That name wasnt memorable and
it didnt reflect our evolving and diverse membership.
And, quite frankly, we didnt want to be just COPEing anymore.
Why MoveUP?
We consulted rank and file members, our activists,
our leadership and branding professionals to develop
our new name.
When we talked to our members about who they
are and what they do, one thing was very clear in uniting
them all the degree of professionalism and pride they
take in their work.
MoveUP is about uniting professionals in a movement
for progress and prosperity. We are carrying on the tradition of the labour movement and were also modern.
We hope this new identity communicates our desire to invite people in, to let them know that we have a
purpose and a direction, and that we will be strong and
determined advocates on their behalf.
When we unveiled the new name at convention
it was met with resounding applause and enthusiasm
from delegates. Several people came up to the microphone to express their pleasure with the new name. An
ICBC member who came from the autobody sector
explained how he never identified with the word office in the old name. Another member, a dedicated
trade unionist, who works for a credit union said she
was happy our name stood out and was different than
other unions.
Our legal name remains Local 378 of the Canadian
Office and Professional Employees Union, but we will
be doing business as MoveUP.
MoveUP: were proud, were strong, were united
and were on your side. Lets MoveUP together.
MOVEUP Local Voice
were proud,
were strong,
were united and were on your side.
Lets MoveUP together

7
cLIMaTe
chanGe
MoveuP contributes to
climate Leadership Team
by IaIn reeve, research oFFIcer
Our hope is
that our work
with Green
Jobs BC not
only helps us
make stronger
strides towards
a sustainable
economy, but
also results
in sustaining
existing green
jobs and
creating more
good jobs for
workers in B.C.,
many of whom
will be MoveUP
members.
climate policy: renewable energy, public transportation,

and public building retrofits.
While the potential completion of Site C will help
the province meet its renewable energy needs for the
near future, we must continue to look for new and more
diverse ways to generate renewable power. The submission calls on the government to amend the Clean
Energy Act to allow BC Hydro to research, test, and
then invest in new renewable generation infrastructure
drawing on sources like wind, solar, biomass, and thermal. This will ensure continued renewable energy resources which will only grow in demand as the move
from fossil fuels ramps up and create economic benefit across the province.
Investment in mass transit is essential to a green future and the submission calls on the provincial government to provide leadership particularly in the Lower
Mainland where the failure of the transit plebiscite has
left the funding future of the regions transit in doubt.
Lastly, funding green retrofits for existing public buildings will not only ensure greater conservation
of power, but also create trades jobs particularly in
green-oriented trades, an area where B.C. can clearly
be a leader.
Our hope is that our work with Green Jobs BC not
only helps us make stronger strides towards a sustainable economy, but also results in sustaining existing
green jobs and creating more good jobs for workers in
B.C., many of whom will be MoveUP members.
limate change is one of the defining issues of this

generation. Like most parts of Canada, British
Columbia has many challenges to overcome if it
is going to meet the necessary reduction in greenhouse
gas emissions required to prevent future devastating alteration to our climate. However, British Columbia also
has an impressive array of advantages that could assist
with this transition, and see our province benefit from
similar changes elsewhere.
With this in mind, MoveUP works with a coalition
of labour and environmental organizations in a group
called Green Jobs BC. The purpose of this group is to
inform the public, lobby the government, and unite
opinion around the development of a green economy
in British Columbia. While many politicians, business
leaders, and commentators argue that economic development and action on climate change are in conflict,
Green Jobs BC feels that they can in fact be complimentary, especially in our home province. B.C. has the
resources, environmental ethos, and progressive mindset necessary to be a climate leader and Green Jobs BC
wants to promote that.
Recently, recognizing the need to move forward on
these issues, the provincial government has created a
Climate Leadership Team which will plan the next stage
of climate policy for the province. The process involves
a significant amount of public consultation.
This is why MoveUP has recently contributed to the
Green Jobs BC submission which argues that three major planks make up a significant part of the provinces
Green Jobs bc
renewabLe enerGy
PubLIc TransPorTaTIon
PubLIc buILdInG reTroFITs
voLuMe 10 Issue #4 winter 2015
MOVEUP Local Voice
Real Leaders Dont Lock Employees Out
who get in trouble on the road. Now its easy to find

stories online of people whove waited for hours beside
broken down cars because help was late or it didnt
show up at all.
Instead of guaranteeing roadside help, a BCAA
membership is now the first step to selling members
one or more of BCAAs many insurance products. Indeed, BCAA no longer offers free road safety seminars to members. In fact, theyve recently restructured
their memberships to make them more expensive and
theyve downgraded the
Fortunately, our members are standing up
benefits members get
for the money they pay.
for their rights. Theyre also standing up for
BCAA is hoping most
the kind of organization BCAA once was
people dont notice
how the organization
and should still be.
has changed; how it no
longer values long time members; how it is no longer a leader in the community; how it is just trying to
make a quick buck. Theyre hoping no-one notices if
the lockout carries through the winter season when the
weather will make road travel more dangerous across
B.C. and the Yukon.
Fortunately, our members are standing up for their
rights. Theyre also standing up for the kind of organization BCAA once was and should still be. Our members
are calling out BCAA, its CEO and its board on their lack
of leadership, and reminding them that the true leaders
are walking a picket line for fairness.
CAA works hard to portray a certain image. Their

business is built on the premise that they care about
their members, that they will be there for people
who need them, and that the company is grounded in
old-fashioned, family-oriented values. More than that,
they present themselves as leaders in business and in
the community.
But would a real leader lock their employees out for
half a year?
BCAAs Roadside Emergency Roadside Assistance
Dispatchers have been locked out for over five months.
These people cant work, cant get a leg up to improve
their lives and if it wasnt for MoveUPs defence fund,
they wouldnt be able to provide for their families.
Our members are being denied the basic freedom
of opportunity that all Canadians should enjoy: hard
work should be rewarded with fair pay.
This is part of a larger shift within BCAA. The Canadian Automobile Association started as a non-profit car
club at the beginning of the 20th century as highways
and roadways across North American were being built.
Their mission was to provide services and advocacy
for car owners. The CAA lobbies on behalf of car owners to this day.
Many parents buy their kids BCAA memberships
when they first get their drivers licences. BCAA trades
on that reputation of service and security. But thats not
what they do any more. The first clue was when they
locked out the Roadside Dispatchers who provide what
most people think is their core service helping people
MOVEUP Local Voice
BCAA
convenTIon
2015
our evolution: Member-driven change
MoveuPs 2015 convention brought together members from

across different regions and workplaces with the theme of
evolving together though member-driven change.
elegates took the opportunity to speak on a

number of issues. They participated in interactive
working groups on green jobs, political action,
member-to-member communication, and learning
about how our union works.
Additionally, they heard from a variety of thoughtprovoking speakers from within the union and beyond.
On the Friday the unions new brand was revealed to
delegates: MoveUP, the Movement of United Professionals. The new identity better reflects the unions
members, where the union wants to go, and it invites
people to join.
PresIdenTs address
David Black was acclaimed president for a third
term. He spoke to delegates about the importance of
empowering and training stewards in the workplace,
growing and making a positive contribution to larger
society.He encouraged our members to become more
involved in determining MoveUPs direction.
consTITuTIonaL chanGes
Delegates participated in approving amendments
to our unions constitution. All but two recommendations were accepted. C-2 and C-9 were referred back
the committee for future discussion.
vIce-PresIdenT eLecTIons
Annette Toth was re-elected as Vice-President for
our ICBC group and Alicia Gallo was elected as VicePresident for the Combined Units. President Black extended his congratulations to Annette and Alicia, and
heartfelt thanks to candidates Joyce Galuska and Tim
Weigelt for enriching the unions democracy and debate.
10
GuesT sPeakers:
hassan yussuff, President of the canadian Labour
congress, told delegates that hard work is the only
way to move ahead and re-energize. He talked about
the challenges faced during the last 10 years under Stephen Harper and the opportunity now to move ahead
for progress. Yussuff said, When you pick a fight with
us [the labour movement], we will not stop until you are
defeated. Christy Clark will learn that soon.
deputy Mayor andrea reimer brought greetings from the city of vancouver. Reimer thanked the
delegates for the work they do in their worksites and
in their communities. Your support for fairness and
good paying jobs in a diverse range of sectors is making sure that people across B.C. and Western Canada
can do their job safely and effectively while earning a
decent living to support themselves and their family,
she said.
coPe/sePb national President simon berlin detailed the unions growing global solidarity work. Ive
had the opportunity to travel with your officers to the
UNI Global Union meeting in South Africa and to the
UNI Finance meeting in Turkey. COPE/SEPB is the largest union in Canada which represents finance workers
and in Turkey he learned from other finance unions and
heard about the challenges faced by finance workers
around the world.
Berlin also shared a strong message of support and
solidarity for the locked out BCAA workers. When I was
here I got to visit these brave, strong people, he said.
Theyre inspiring and I am with them all of the way.
MOVEUP Local Voice
bc ndP Leader John horgan said, we will connect to our roots so working people know were on
their side. On the BC Liberal provincial government,
currently mired in scandal for deleting government
records, Horgan explained that theres a three-D approach in BC Liberal land. First, he said, you deny
theres a problem. If that doesnt work, you deflect. If
those two Ds dont work you can always press the delete button.
If were going to get the change we want, said
Horgan, we have to get active off the couch and throw
the buggers out.
Joey hartman, President of vancouver and district Labour council, talked about solidarity at a community level. Hartman told delegates that this convention and this union are all about its members. She
said the fact the executive has chosen evolution as a
theme for this convention signals that your leadership
is forward-looking.
hahrie han, anton vonk associate Professor of Political science at university of california santa barbara,
talked about building people power in the 21st century.
Her presentation focused on the question: how do organized people become organized power?
Han says that there are two key groups in organizing
change. Transactional mobilizers organize large numbers of people who choose how much participation or
power they adopt. Transformational organizers cultivate
agency. When someone new comes into the organization they are given power and form relationships.Successful organizations do both.
Our power comes neither from the money we raise
nor the messages we craft, but from the heartbeat at
the centre of our work, she said.
Irene Lanzinger, President of the bc Federation of
Labour, said the world will be changed by people willing to go to meetings at night (or on weekends). Lanzinger said that in the federal election, working people
and unions were engaged more than Ive ever seen in
the political process.
Looking toward the provincial election, Lanzinger
asked delegates to think of the progress we can make if
MOVEUP Local Voice
Our power comes neither from the money we

raise nor the messages we craft, but from the
heartbeat at the centre of our work, Han
If were going to get the change we want,
we have to get active o the couch and
throw the buggers out. Horgan
we elect a government that will reflect our values. She

said unions and their members make the world a more
equal place.We raise the bar; we raise wages and benefits for everyone.
Iglika Ivanova, senior economist and Public Interest researcher at the canadian centre for Policy alternatives, said good public policy has the potential to
shape a more just society. Inequality is a pressing issue
for us all. It is one of the key issues of our time, she said.
She shared the staggering truth that each year, by
January 2, at 11:42am, each of Canadas top 100 CEOs
will have already earned as much as the average worker
will earn in the entire year.
There are a number of consequences of high and
growing income inequality, Ivanova said. It creates social injustice, is bad for the economy, reduces social
mobility, exacerbates social problems, is bad for the environment and climate change, threatens democracy,
and undermines social and political cohesion.
To Ivanova, this information is a call to action.
Public policy is the key lever to reset the balance,
she said.
11
econoMy
Three worrisome Facts about

canadas economy beyond The drop in GdP
by IGLIka Ivanova, senIor econoMIsT aT The canadIan cenTre For PoLIcy aLTernaTIves
CANADA:
Quarterly Drop in
Economic Activity
0.1%
For more articles

by Iglika and other
CCPA analysts, visit
PolicyNote.ca
Iglika Ivanova
arlier this fall, Statistics Canada confirmed that Canadas economy shrank during the first six months of
2015, officially tipping us into recession territory.
The dip in GDP made a lot of headlines, but there
are three other trendsin the data that suggest the economic slowdown is just the tip of Canadaseconomic
iceberg.
1. business investment is down for the third consecutive quarter
This decline comes on the heels of a long period
of weak business investment since early 2012. Former
Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney famously accused companies of sitting on piles of dead money in
the summer of that year. The latest statistics show little
has changed since.
The problem is that without business investment,
we can expect weaker job growth and a slower economy to continue. The Bank of Canada cut its interest rate
in January 2015 to encourage investment and boost
the economy. But unfortunately, all this seems to have
done is further distort real estate markets, particularly
in places like Vancouver where housing affordability is
hitting record lows.
2. a number of key economic sectors are in decline, not just oil and gas
Over the last decade, Canadas economy has become overly reliant on mining and oil exports. Its not
surprising that when prices tank, as they have over the
last year, our resource sector is hit hard. But the economic decline extends beyond these sectors.
Nine out of 20 major industries have been in decline
or stagnating during the first six months of 2015, including construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade and
transportation. These nine industries account for close
to half of Canadas economic activity. You wont see all
industries scaling back unless the recession gets really
bad, but its clear that the economic weakness is not
confined to the resource sector.
12
3. household debt is on the rise as disposable income declines

Some commentators have pointed to higher consumer spending as a beacon of light amidst negative
economic news. However, this consumer spending is financed by increasing debt rather than by income growth
an often overlooked fact in the current debates.
Despite record-low interest rates, total debt payments are taking up arather large shareof disposable
income (14% on average). The share of household income Canadians spent on debt payments, or the affordability of debt has barely budged since the 2008/09
recession, a new Statistics Canada study shows.
If debt-financed consumer spending is all thats
nudging Canadas economy forward, were in trouble.
While a quarterly drop in economic

activity of 0.1% seems small,these three
trends suggest that Canadas domestic
economic fundamentals are weak.
Unless were prepared to remain at the mercy of
global commodity markets, we need to betalking
about what governments can do todiversify the
economy and set Canada up on a pathfor good jobs
and income growth.
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA)
outlines a number of ideas in its Alternative Federal
Budget (policyalternatives.ca/afb2015). Well make sure
the new federal government hears from us on these
ideas in the months and years ahead.
FOR MORE ARTICLES BY IGLIKA AND OTHER CCPA ANALYSTS,
VISIT POLICYNOTE.CA.
MOVEUP Local Voice
heartfelt Thanks to outgoing board Members
execuTIve
board
Top photos (left to right):

Safar Alikhani, Tim Bouzovetsky,
Karin Cirez, Nancy DeVries,
Colleen Finn
Bottom photos (left to right):
Trevor Hansen, Calvin Jonas,
Petro Koromvokis, Laurie Kirk,
Heather Lee, Keith Parkinson
etween August 7 and October 2, 2015

MoveUP held elections for our executive
board, secretary-treasurer and president
positions. Some board members decided not to
seek re-election and others were not successful in their re-election bids. Each board member
from the 2012-2015 term has made significant
contributions to MoveUP, enriched our democracy and worked incredibly hard on behalf of our
members. We offer our gratitude and thanks to all
of the following outgoing board members.
SaFar alIKHanI became a MoveUP

member at TransLink in 2001. In 2006 he became
a job steward and later was chosen to serve on
the unions bargaining committee. He was elected to the executive board in July 2014. Outside
of work and union involvement, Safar volunteers
extensively in his community.
tIm BouZoVetSKY has been a MoveUP
member since August 1991 when he started work
with BC Gas, now FortisBCEnergy. Tim is a single
father of two, an avid motorcyclist and is very active in his church and hometown of Chilliwack.
He has been a job steward for over eleven years
and has been on the FortisBC Energy bargaining
committee several times.
KarIn CIreZ has been a MoveUP member
since 1993 and currently works at ICBCs Head Office as the union-appointed Return to Work Coordinator in the Wellness Department. Karin served
on the Education, Political Action, and Health &
Safety Committees, and was chair of the Womens
MOVEUP Local Voice
Committee. She is also an avid volunteer who

helps organize fundraisers for local community
organizations such as the Greater Vancouver Food
Bank, Women's Centre's, Charlford House, United
Way and the Burnaby Fellowship.
nanCY DeVrIeS works for Accenture in
Vernon, and has been active and involved with
MoveUP since 2000. She has taken several labour education courses, including Collective
Bargaining, Women in Leadership and Facing
Management, and is a veteran of past ABSbargaining committees.
Colleen FInn works for D.A. Townley &
Associates Ltd. as a supervisor in the remittance
department. She has been a chief job steward for
the past eleven years. Shes a trained Canadian
Labour Congress facilitator and her roots extend
back through to COPE 15. Always eager to learn
more and help others, Colleen gave much of her
time to the unions Education, Constitution and
Bylaws, Womens Rights and Advisory committees.
treVor HanSen started with ICBC at the
driver licensing head office in Victoria in June of
2008 and became a job steward soon after. He
was acclaimed to the executive board in May
2011 and was a member of MoveUPs Youth Action and Electoral committees. A graduate of the
Labour College of Canada, he now works at the
MoveUP office as a staff union representative.
CalVIn JonaS has been a MoveUP member since 1989 when he started with BC Hydro.
Prior to working at BC Hydro, his background
was in education and IT. He joined the executive
board in 2011 and brought 30 years of non-profit
13
management experience to the position. His incisive analysis and expertise were employed on the
unions Audit and Education committees.
Petro KoromVoKIS has worked for Coast
Mountain Bus Company for 20 years in a variety of
positions, from Information Clerk to Transit Scheduler. He was the first chair of MoveUPs LGBTQ
subcommittee, represented the union at the World
Pride Conference in Toronto in 2014, and is an ardent defender of human rights in the workplace.
laurIe KIrK works at Coast Community
Credit Union and became a member of COPE15,
now merged with MoveUP, in 1997. Shes the
chief job steward for 20 branches and sat on the
bargaining committee. Laurie sat on the unions
Grievance Committee and attends Alternate Dispute Resolution meetings and Labour Management meetings.
HeatHer lee served as Vice-President
for MoveUPs combined units after the union
merged with COPE 15 in 2010. Heathers long
service in the labour movement and tireless advocacy on behalf of working people has earned
her the gratitude and regard of many members.
KeItH ParKInSon became an employee
in the Security Division at Hastings Racetrack
and a member of MoveUP in 2000. He became
a job steward in 2003 and was first elected to
MoveUPs Executive Board in October 2011. He
sat on Hastings bargaining committees in 2008,
2012 and 2014. He also served on the unions
Constitution and Bylaws, Electoral and Political
Action Committees.
BUILDING
NETWORKS
Unions and The Metro Vancouver Alliance: Finding

Common Ground and Working For The Common Good
embers of unions across the Lower Mainland

are actively involved with the work of Metro
Vancouver Alliance, a broad based coalition of
community groups, labour, faith and educational institutions, all working together for the common good.
The MVA is comprised of 54 affiliated organizations
representing a diverse cross-section of Vancouverites.
MVA members come from
all walks of life: union loMVAs income justice team was
cals, faith congregations,
successful in pressuring the
youth groups, neighborhood houses, co-ops, acaCity of Vancouver to become
demic departments, coma living wage employer and is
munity non-profits and
small businesses.
now working on showing other
Joey Hartman, President
of the Vancouver and
municipalities and businesses the
District Labour Council,
benefits of paying a living wage.
explains, The VDLC was
one of the founding members of MVA because we thought it was important that
our Labour Council and affiliated unions reach out to
non-traditional partners. By working together we will be
more effective at creating positive change.
Broad-based community organizations like MVA
operate on the principle of power before program. In
other words, they build strong relationships amongst
diverse groups in the community, come together to listen to their members concerns, agree on issues that
can be worked on together, and then move forward.
Prior to MVAs official launch in 2014, leaders within
MVAs member organizations engaged in a listening
campaign, spending time connecting with their membership and hearing directly from them about the issues
that they felt were important.
After hundreds of conversations four issues emerged:

transit, housing, income justice, and social inclusion.
After meeting with Vancouvers mayoral candidates
during the municipal election and using the strength
and diversity of MVAs membership to secure concrete
commitments, campaign teams are now working on
these issues directly.
MVAs income justice team was successful in pressuring the City of Vancouver to become a living wage employer and is now working on showing other municipalities and businesses the benefits of paying a living wage.
The transit team is working on RouteSpeak, a project that provides a vehicle to help bus and Skytrain
users guide transit decisions by creating relationships
with transit managers and governing bodies.
The housing team is working with the City of Vancouver to strengthen by-laws which are designed to
protect tenants from renovictions and on a proposal
to ensure that affordable purchase and rental housing
is built into all new developments. The social inclusion
team is also working with the city, identifying areas civic
planners must work on to strengthen neighborhoods
and reduce social isolation.
Jamey Mills, a union activist with the Public Service
Alliance of Canada sums it up, When I became involved
with MVA I was really surprised that there are so many
other groups out there working on some of the same
issues as the labour movement. Affordable housing, income inequality, transit and the environment, our overall quality of life - these are issues that we all care about
and we can all work together on. And lets face it, union
meetings can sometimes be a bit dry. MVA meetings are
never boring.
For more
information visit
www.metvanalliance.org
14
MOVEUP Local Voice
MEMBERS'
STORIES
Governor General Canadian Leadership Conference

By Joyce Galuska, Executive Board Member
We met a small-business owner that sells sand

sculptures worldwide, learned about the University of
Prince Edward Island's new Sustainable Engineering
degree and how Holland College uses geothermal and
solar panels to heat their building and their woodworking students revitalize the community by renovating
heritage homes.
We learned that truly successful entrepreneurs put
their people and community first. We saw how businesses in PEI partnered to bring in tourism, how innovation is the key to success and sustainability is the
lifeblood of survival.
On Isle de la Magdalaine, also know at the Maggies,
we learned how the Francophone and Anglophone
communities have had to work together to ensure the
survival of their island.
In those two weeks a deep connection was made
between all the participants. Through this we learned
that an organizations greatest asset is their people and
that collaboration is a key element to success.
After leaving the Maggies we flew to Ottawa where
we collaborated on our presentation to the Governor
General and proposed an award called PEIs Next Top
Innovators. It was a resounding hit!
A week later the Governor General announced awards
to honour Canadas top innovators. Coincidence?
y heart pounded as I hung up the phone. Id

been selected for an interview. I hadnt even
told anyone about applying. Weeks passed with
nothing, until the day an email from the Governor General popped into my inbox. I was going!
The Governor General Canadian Leadership Conference (GGCLC) was created in 1983 to bring together
influential people who have acquired considerable experience in their chosen fields. The goal of the GGCLC
is to provide an opportunity to examine the relationship
between industry and community.
I flew into St. Johns, Newfoundland, where the
three day plenary began with an introduction by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnson.
The first conference speaker was, Commander Chris
Hadfield. He was a dynamic speaker, reminding us to
make sustainable decisions that last more than one political term.
We heard from global managing directors, CEOs,
economists, and Hassan Yussuff President of the CLC.
We were told to set audacious goals. We were reminded
to take care of our community and employees. And that
we must have courage; to fail fast, to say no and to accept imperfect answers.
We learned that the Aboriginal community is the
fastest growing market in Canada. Wab Kinew, a highly respect First Nations journalist, writer and speaker,
spoke of collaborative education being foundational;
that we can have economic development without sacrificing core values.
We were then broken into smaller groups. Mine was
headed to Prince Edward Island. Over the course of the
following 8 days in PEI we had 50 meetings.
We dined with Lt. Governor Frank Lewis. We met
with Premier Wade McLaughlin, successful entrepreneurs, and the Worlds tallest free-standing chef Michael Smith. We visited successful distilleries and breweries. We planted grass to stop erosion, served in a soup
kitchen, learned about the seal over-population and
saw collaboration at work in the fisheries co-op.
MOVEUP Local Voice
Photo top left:

Our ICEBERG
escapade in
St. Johns,
Newfoundland.
Photo top right:
Dining at Lt.
Gov. Frank
Lewis residence,
His Excellency the Right

Honourable David Johnson
15
Charlottetown,
PEI.
woMen's
rIGhTs
coMMITTee
a Global Movement For women at work

by rysa kronebusch and susan orr, woMens rIGhTs coMMITTee co-chaIrs
n September more than 300 participants from IndustriALL affiliates in 60 countries took part in the 1st
Womens World Conference in Vienna, Austria. The
conference brought together women trade unionists to
address some of the issues most affecting women in
the workplace.
Austrias President, Dr. Heinz Fischer, addressed
the opening ceremony, with the Austrian Ministers for
Health and Labour, and their Secretary of State. We
heard from a number of prominent representatives from
unions around the world and members who shared
their experiences and expertise in improving health and
safety, increasing maternity protection, preventing HIV/
AIDS, building membership, fighting precarious work,
ending gender discrimination, and achieving a work/life
balance.
here are some of the highlights of our discussions:
Womens health and safety

Panelists led a thoughtful discussion on some of the
health and safety issues women across the world face
in the workplace. Angeline Chitambo from Zimbabwe
discussed why women are more susceptible to the AIDS
virus. Evgeniya Esenina from Russia gave a presentation
around safety issues called "We dont come to work to
die." Nan Aye Mya Mu from Myanmar discussed health
and safety concerns in mining. Perhaps most moving
was a presentation by Phumeza Mgemgo from South
Africa. She spoke of the many women affected by inadequate safety equipment who have miscarried as a
result of exposure to toxins.
Co-Chair Gwenne Farrell started the discussion on the

murdered and missing indigenous women in Canada
and the lack of political support from our federal government. Nuran Gulenc, an activist in Turkey, discussed
the Petro-Is Trade Unions twitter campaign to bring attention to violence against women. Carol Bruce from
IndustriALL Global discussed combating sexual harassment in the garment industry in Ethiopia.
It is unfortunate that in 2015 we are still having conversations around womens safety and respect; that
many women are still looked at simply as sexual beings
or as property and are afraid to go to work. Women are
the caregivers as well as the breadwinners in their family,
yet they are paid less, have less support and are sometimes raped and killed at their jobs or in their homes.
In South Africa, for example, women work in intolerable conditions in mines and are forced to wear mens
clothes that are often too big. Some are raped and killed
underground and most sexual harassment is not reported. A womans only option is to leave her job or transfer.
Gender-based violence and discrimination, whether at work or not, limits womens potential at work and
is therefore a trade union issue. This conference was a
good stepping stone to help women around the world
connect and share in order to emerge stronger and better equipped to improve the lives of women through the
trade union movement.
300 participants
Violence against women

A key theme of the conference was the unions
role in preventing violence against women. MoveUPs
Vice-President and IndustriALL Womens Committee
16
from 60 countries
|
MOVEUP Local Voice
Making choices: do I Pay My rent or do I eat?
The
unITed
way
Do I pay my rent or
do I eat? Do I pay for
electricity or do I pay for
gas? Do I pay for food
or do I pay for feminine
hygiene products?
o I pay my rent or do I eat? Do I

pay for electricity or do I pay for
gas? Do I pay for food or do I pay
for feminine hygiene products? Those
were Victorias choices during Christmas
2013.
The 31-year-old single mother and
her son had just moved to Richmond on
an advance provided by her employers.
She had $1,200 to last till the middle of
January and $1,150 of that had gone to
rent. Victoria found herself somewhere
she never thought shed be.
When I walked into the Food Bank,
Janice didnt even question why I was
there, she was like hey, youre a new person and were here to help, Victoria says
of her first trip to the Richmond Food
Bank. Over the next year, she would return again and again and her friendship
with Janice grew.
As Executive Director of Richmond
Family Place, funded in part by The United Way of the Lower Mainland, Janice
Lambert sees a lot of families like Victorias. Thats because almost 22% of
children under 18 in female lone-parent
families were living in poverty in B.C. in
2013. In Richmond, poverty is hidden.
MOVEUP Local Voice
There are pockets of housing within

Richmond where families on a low income are, but its not just one neighbourhood. Its scattered, Janice says. So
agency programs must go where families
are. Richmond Family Place offers two
early learning programs and an evening
dinner program at the Richmond Food
Bank where she met Victoria as well as at
their main location in Central Richmond.
Richmond Family Place helped Victoria through the ups and downs of the
last few years. It also helped her become
more self-confident.
Poverty is a complex social issue. Not
only does it get in the way of meeting
basic human needs such as access to
nutritious food, stable and safe housing,
and clothing it also marginalizes children and families. The United Way of the
Lower Mainland helps people move from
the margins of poverty to a place of hope
and possibility.
Behind every changed life is someone who makes that happen. You can
help. Pleasegivegenerously.
17
Can you make the month?

One in 6 people in Greater Vancouver
lives in poverty. For a lone parent with
one child, that means living on just under
$24,000 a year (before taxes). Experience
what its like to live at or below the
poverty line and face decisions that will
either make or break the month.
Try it now at
www.makethemonth.ca
Choose Vancouver from the
drop-down menu and hit start.
headline
sub-headline
Icbc:
worth defending
crown
corPoraTIons
by adrIan dIx, bc ndP crITIc For Icbc
I
You can reach
me at my public
e-mail:
Adrian.Dix.MLA
@leg.bc.ca
n September, BC NDP Leader John Horgan named

me Opposition critic for ICBC, in addition to my responsibilities for BC Hydro. Im looking forward to
holding the government to account for its management
and mismanagement of public auto insurance in B.C.
and advocating for ratepayers, ICBC employees and the
public interest.
We forget how controversial ICBC was when it
was created. My late dad, an insurance agent and broker who supported public auto insurance, was a lonely
voice in a sea of opposition by agents, private insurance
companies and right-wing politicians against the new
crown corporation and the Dave Barrett government
that created it.
Yet, the BC NDP initiative has stood the test of time.
This is due to the work of your members in providing
service to the people of B.C. and to the value of an idea
that public auto insurance provides the highest level
of service for public benefit. For all of their bluster, no
right-wing premier has dared privatize ICBC since the
BC NDP lost the 1975 election.
Alas, this does not mean that ICBC has been wellmanaged under the BC Liberals. To the contrary, ratepayers and MoveUP members alike have paid the price
for often arbitrary, politically motivated management.
And, it is often MoveUP members who pay the price for
these Liberal failures as motorists deal with the latest
BC Liberal manipulation.
In October, ICBC management announced the latest rate increase by the Corporation. Average basic rates
have increased on average $185 since Christy Clark became Premier in 2011. The BC Liberals attempted to claim
that their management of ICBC had reduced the rate increase was fundamentally misleading. They had simply
transferred money from the optional side to the basic side
while raising rates for motorists and protecting transfers
to the premiers top priority her own government.
While the government has tried to shift responsibility to increases in claims costs, there is also the impact
of the BC Liberal governments misplaced priorities. In
short since Ms. Clark became premier, provision for
unpaid claims at ICBC has increased by a staggering
$1.6 billion. This reflects the false economy of laying off
front-line staff who provide essential services to meet
artificial staff targets. Who pays? You do, motorists do,
as does ICBCs reputation.
On behalf of John Horgan and his team, I want to
thank MoveUP members for the work you do at ICBC.
And I have a request. If you have information, ideas or
suggestion of how I can hold management or the government to account, please let me know. Together, we
can make ICBC better, and show that the case for public
auto insurance is as strong today as it was in the time of
Dave Barrett.
"On behalf of John Horgan

and his team, I want to thank
MoveUP members for the
work you do at ICBC."
Adrian Dix
Adrian Dix (third from right)

and community members
18
MOVEUP Local Voice
workInG In The eye oF The sTorM
ugust 29th, 2015 started as a normal Saturday for

Accentures Nancy DeVries. A former executive
board member for Accenture, she was submitting
an expense claim. The 25 year employee has spent the
last 16 years working in the Vernon call centre, which
acts as a backup for the Lower Mainland centre at Edmonds. DeVries is also a shop steward and former executive counsellor.
A major storm was hitting the Greater Vancouver area. Things in the call centre were quickly falling
apart. The website, a lifeline for both staff and public,
had crashed. Phone lines were swamped. DeVries knew
they would need extra staff and submitted her name for
the 1:00 am 4:00 pm shift on Sunday all she could
work within overtime guidelines.
I hadnt worked a storm in a long time, DeVries recalls. She arrived to a dark building. A miscommunication meant DeVries was the only person working at that
location.
During a normal 7.5 hour shift staff answer 65 - 100
calls, redirecting calls to appropriate departments. During her shift after the storm DeVries fielded 228 calls.
Over 19,000 people tried calling in during the outage.
Most encountered busy signals. DeVries couldnt get
through to the trouble centre. Their priority was police,
fire and ambulance.
During times like this, DeVries and her co-workers
calm people down, suggesting what they can do and
where they can go. It was a rude awakening, she recalls. This was just a bad storm. How could we manage
a natural disaster? The province needs to get on this,
she adds. People need to be prepared for three to four
days without power for refrigeration, cooking, light, and
heat. Communication will go down. People wont be
able to access services.
710,000 Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island customers lost power at some point during the storm
over half of all customers in those areas. This was the
largest power outage in BC Hydro history.
MOVEUP Local Voice
They never seem to have enough people, DeVries

states when asked about staffing levels. Its a stressful
job and we dont have the kind of management attention we used to.
At one point DeVries was trying to help a woman
from a poultry farm. They had 100,000 chickens and
their generator had broken down. The birds were dying.
It was their livelihood, she recalls. It was heartbreaking.
Along with the stress, mental illness plays a key
role both for staff and customers. Listening to the
struggles of other people takes its toll, DeVries admits,
having struggled herself with anxiety and depression.
Hearing sad stories over and over again is hard. I try
to help people who are down. DeVries admits helping
customers or other members is the best part of her job.
I like to see things resolved. It can be challenging. We
should take the time to listen to people and show empathy, more and more people suffer from mental health
issues and hardship.
72
hours
bc hydro
Over 72 hours crews

restored power to over
700,000 customers
a number never
accomplished by
BC Hydro crews before.
Crews responded to
2,400 Trouble calls
in a normal month
there are 2,000 in the
entire province.
200
Power Poles
10,000
Metres of Wire
1,200
Pieces of Electrical
Equipment
crews replaced
approximately...
19
2,400
"Trouble Calls"
Source: BC Hydro
PoLITIcaL
acTIon
rePorT
Political action report:

The 2015 Federal election
by LorI Mayhew and karL rILey, PoLITIcaL acTIon coMMITTee co-chaIrs
We will see over the coming months if

Justin Trudeaus new Liberal government will make
the real changes they campaigned on...
T
After a decade of
the Conservatives
failures to protect
and create good
jobs, support
investment and
growth in our
economy, and
protect healthcare,
Canadians were
ready for change.
he defeat of the Harper Conservative government this October was welcome news to many
across Canada. After a decade of the Conservatives failures to protect and create good jobs, support
investment and growth in our economy, and protect
healthcare, Canadians were ready for change. Harpers
unprecedented attack on workers rights, the ill-conceived, union-busting bill C-377 and years of erosion of
many of the values that make Canada a great country
will hopefully be things of the past.
We will see over the coming months if Justin
Trudeaus new Liberal government will make the real
changes they campaigned on including rethinking
their ill-advised support for Bill C-51 and reversing the
Barbaric Cultural Practices Act. The Liberals history in
government has been littered with scandal, deficits and
corruption so we will be closely watching to see if this
new government is able to overcome the past and work
to be a champion for the middle-class, to prioritize job
creation, to improve the Employment Insurance plan
and to protect the social programs that are the foundation of Canadian society.
And while the election didnt go exactly as many of
our members had hoped, we still achieved some of the
change we desired. We re-elected some veteran NDP
20
MPs in Metro Vancouver and welcomed Jenny Kwan in

Vancouver East to fill the shoes of the outgoing, highly-accomplished Libby Davies. Unfortunately, we lost
some hard-working NDP MPs in Surrey, throughout
Western Canada, Quebec and in the Maritimes.
However, we painted Vancouver Island orange with
the election of six NDP MPs. Rachel Blaney in North
Island-Powell River, Gord Johns in Courtenay-Alberni,
Sheila Malcolmson in Nanaimo-Ladysmith and Alistair
MacGregor in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford will join Murray Rankin in Victoria and Randall Garrison in EsquimaltSaanich-Sooke as strong representatives in Ottawa to
hold the Liberal government to account and advocate for
the progressive issues that matter to our communities.
It is up to the Liberals now to cooperate with the
NDP if they truly intend to transform Ottawa and rebuild Canada.
It was amazing to see how many MoveUP members were out volunteering on campaigns, participating
in our joint labour canvasses and bringing attention to
important local issues. The skills you developed will be
incredibly helpful in the coming 2017 Provincial Election, where many of us will work to bring change to the
B.C. government.
MOVEUP Local Voice
Golden Tree to honour Lost Farmworkers,

demand workplace safety
oh&s
benJaMIn anderson, bc Labour herITaGe cenTre
Honouring lost workers...

saturday, october 3, 2015
abbotsford, b.c.
saTurday, ocTober 3, 2015. abboTsFord, b.c.
for all workers. It represents a journey from tragedy to

triumph said Manpreet Grewal of Abbotsford Community Services.
In front of the golden monument, speakers honoured the memories of the women and commemorated not only the tragedy but its implications for workers in B.C., pushing for meaningful progress in terms of
workplace safety regulations.
The speeches were followed by a somber, yet celebratory, unveiling. A towering golden tree bearing the
countenance of each woman, her arms extended to the
sky as branches bearing the fruit of the future and of
meaningful change, the monument serves as a reminder of this massive loss and the actions that led to it but
simultaneously gives one hope in the power of collective effort, reminds one of the massive strides in workplace safety that we can achieve by working together.
These women and countless others who have faced
perilous working conditions will not be forgotten. On
the contrary, said Irene Lanzinger, President of the BC
Federation of Labour, the golden tree serves as a reminder of the importance of standing up for the rights
of all workers.
t wasnt lost on me that some of the leaves had already begun to turn golden brown. The event was to
take place in the picturesque International Friendship
Garden & Cultural Gateway in Abbotsford, B.C. At least
200 people had gathered to celebrate the lives of the
three women killed in a crash in March 2007. The women Sarbjit Kaur Sidhu, Amarjit Kaur Bal, and Sukhvinder
Kaur Punia were three of a large group of farmworkers packed into the back of a van, a van with makeshift
bench seats and only two seatbelts: not nearly enough
to protect the 15-passenger-vans 17 occupants.
This wasnt the first such incident, explained former
BC Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair, and unfortunately it wasnt the last. The monument is a tribute
not only to the memories of the women who lost their
lives but also to their families perseverance and their
dedication to the improvement of working conditions
The Golden Tree Memorial stands at the centre of the

International Friendship Garden & Cultural Gateway:
32320 George Ferguson Way, abbotsford, B.C.

learn more at www.goldentree.ca
MOVEUP Local Voice
21
LIvInG
waGe
campaign for a Living wage Gains Momentum

by deanna oGLe, caMPaIGn orGanIZer For The LIvInG waGe For FaMILIes caMPaIGn
M
Across B.C. the living
wage varies from:
$16.82/hr
in Prince George
$20.61/hr
in Kitimat
$20.68/hr
in Metro
Vancouver
y first experience of the living wage was when

my mother was hired on as a support worker
at a local hospital. This was a good union job.
A living wage was transformative for my family and the
impact has been generational. Not only did my mother
make enough to ensure that she could meet her household expenses, it allowed her to shift her focus from
day-to-day to planning to our future.
Many of us see ourselves and our stories represented in statistics on poor children. We know that poor
children are being raised in poor families. In B.C., over
one in three children living in poverty live in homes
where at least one parent is working full time, full year.
By encouraging employers to pay all direct and contract staff a living wage the Living Wage for Families
Campaign offers a concrete solution to address working poverty.
The living wage is a regional calculation that looks
at the amount that a family of four, with two adults
working full time, full year, need to earn to meet their
expenses. Working poverty is a Canada-wide problem
and there are more than 50 communities nationally that
have calculated their regional living wage. Across B.C.
the living wage varies from $16.82/hr in Prince George
to $20.61/hr in Kitimat to $20.68/hr in
Metro Vancouver. The living wage allows working families to support the
healthy development of their children
and participate in the social, civic and
cultural lives of their communities.
The City of New Westminster was
the first local government in Canada to commit to paying a living wage to all staff and contractors. Last fall the
Huu-ay-aht First Nations, located on the west coast of
Vancouver Island, became the first First Nations government to make this same commitment. As a result of a
wide campaign of public support for the living wage,
from both community organizations and unions, the
City of Vancouver voted unanimously on July 8th in
support of working towards becoming a Living Wage
Employer. This is a welcome response to the growing
income inequality we see in our communities.
The fight for fair wages is a fight that labour has
been involved in for over a century. The collaboration
between labour and community organizations on the
issue of working poverty strengthens and enriches our
organization. It recognizes that each of us has deep
roots in the communities where we live and the ability
to earn enough to care for our families is a goal that we
are all working towards.
My mother still works as a support worker at the
hospital that initially paid her a living wage. She is proud
of her work and the ability that her work has given her
to raise her family. She is also proud of her union and
the work of collective organizing for fair wages. After all,
work should lift you out of poverty, not keep you there.
The Living Wage for Families Campaign continues to work with local communities to support local
governments in becoming Living Wage Employers.
If you are interested in discussing the living wage
in your community we would love to hear from you
(info@livingwageforfamilies.ca).
livingwageforfamilies.ca
22
MOVEUP Local Voice
MoveUP members work at the following properties

Accenture Business Services
Union Rep: Cheryl Popeniuk
CMAW Bargaining Council

Union Rep: Noel Gulbransen
LuMa Native Housing Society

Union Rep: Barry Hodson
Alma Mater Society

Union Rep: Trevor Hansen
CMAW Local 1995

MacLures Cabs Ltd.

Union Rep: Kevin Payne
Alma Mater Society Security

Coral Cabs (Richmond Taxi)

Marine Workers & Boilermakers

Union Rep: Ryan Stewart
Aviscar
Union Rep: Cathy Hirani
CUPE 454
Master Trade Office

BCAA SC & ERS

CUPE 2011
BC Computerized Dispatch (Yellow Cab)

CUPE 3338
Musicians Association of Victoria and the Islands,

CFM Local 247
BC Federation of Labour
CUPE BC & Locals

BC Ferry & Marine Workers Union

DA Townley & Associates

BCGEU
Dollar Thrifty
BC Hydro (including Powertech

Construction Services)
Union Reps: Tony Geluch, Barbara Junker, Mike Novak
Ecojustice
BC Nurses Union
BC Transit
Union Rep: Stephen Von Sychowski
Beach Place Ventures
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
First Canada ULC
FortisBC Customer Service Centres
Union Rep: Cindy A. Lee
FortisBC Energy Inc.
Berlitz Canada
Boilermakers 191
Bonnys Taxi
Burnaby English Language Centre
Canadian Freightways Ltd.
Union Rep: Cheryl Popeniuk
Canadian Northern Shield/RSA
Capilano University
Union Rep: Tony Geluch
Carpentry Workers Benefit and Pension Plans of BC
Catalyst Paper
CIATU
FortisBC Inc.
Gulf & Fraser Fishermens Credit Union
Union Rep: Sarah Melsness
Handy Pack
Hastings Entertainment Inc.
Hertz
IAMAW Transportation District Lodge 140
IAMAW District Lodge 250
IAMAW Local Lodge 764
IBEW Local 230
New Democratic Party

Plumbers Local 324
Schneider
Seaspan International Ltd.
SEIU 2
Southern Railway
Teamsters Local 31
Teamsters Local 155
Teamsters Local 213 & 213 Member Benefit Plan
Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU)
Telecommunication Workers Pension Plan
Teletheatre BC
Thunderbird Winter Sports
Union Rep: Barbara Junker
TransLink
Tree Island
Unifor Local 1928
United Fishermen & Allied Worker Union
Vancouver Musicians Association
Coast Mountain Bus

ICBC
Union Reps: Kevin Payne, Kelly Quinn, Kevin Smyth
VP Credit Union
Coastal Community Credit Union

Island Savings Credit Union and Insurance

Vancouver Shipyards Ltd.

Coastal Community Financial Management

IWA Forest Industry PP

Vancouver Taxi Ltd. (Central Taxi Dispatch)

Coastal Community Insurance

Kekinow Native Housing Society

VantageOne Credit Union

College of Pharmacists of BC
Kelowna Cabs Ltd.

Victoria Shipyards Ltd.

College of Registered Nurses

Konica Minolta
Westminster Savings Credit Union

Columbia Hydro
Kruger Products (Scott Paper)

Working Ventures Insurance Solutions

Columbia Valley Credit Union

Ladysmith & District CU

Xylem Water Solutions

Community Savings Credit Union

Lake City Casino

Yellow Pages
is published by
MoveUP
Suite 301-4501 Kingsway, Burnaby, B.C. V5H 0E5
POSTAL AGREEMENT #41267023
MOVEUP Local Voice
Phone: 604-299-0378
Fax: 604-299-8211
E-mail: editor@moveuptogether.ca
ISSN 1918-9753 COPE Local 378 Voice
MoveUP: President David Black

Secretary-Treasurer Lori Mayhew
23
LOCAL VOICE Editor: Sage Aaron USW 2009

DESIGNED BY: Dansk Design Group
danskdesigngroup.com
PRINTED AT: Mitchell Press, Burnaby, B.C.
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE
CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:
Suite 301-4501 Kingsway,
BURNABY, B.C. V5H 0E5
PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 41267023

Local Voice 2015 Vol 10 Issue 4

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Local Voice 2015 Vol 10 Issue 4

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Volume 10 | Issue #4

Quarterly publication for members of MoveUP, The Movement of United Professionals

MoveUP: What's in a Name?

Presidents OPENING Message

METRO VANCOUVER ALLIANCE

15 Governor General Canadian

17 Making Choices: Do I Pay My

Political Action Report:

21 Golden Tree to Honour Lost

Campaign for a Living Wage

Presidents Opening Message

MoveUP Senior Union Representatives:

President, COPE 378

MoveUP Union Representatives:

MoveUP Administrative & Office Staff:

The Local Voice is the official quarterly magazine published

MOVEUP Local Voice

Volume 10 Issue #4 Winter 2015

Volume 10 Issue #4 Winter 2015

MOVEUP Local Voice

MOVEUP Local Voice

Volume 10 Issue #4 Winter 2015

Stewards: Our Foundations and Our Future

"Job stewards have, without

since 2012. And we know from our member polling

Im excited by what weve done and

Volume 10 Issue #4 Winter 2015

MOVEUP Local Voice

A Name That Suits Our Members and Our Mission

By David Black, President

n the Friday of convention we unveiled the culmination of a year-long project to delegates: a

MOVEUP Local Voice

Volume 10 Issue #4 Winter 2015

Lets MoveUP together

climate policy: renewable energy, public transportation,

limate change is one of the defining issues of this

voLuMe 10 Issue #4 winter 2015

MOVEUP Local Voice

Real Leaders Dont Lock Employees Out

who get in trouble on the road. Now its easy to find

CAA works hard to portray a certain image. Their

MOVEUP Local Voice

Volume 10 Issue #4 Winter 2015

our evolution: Member-driven change

MoveuPs 2015 convention brought together members from

elegates took the opportunity to speak on a

voLuMe 10 Issue #4 winter 2015

MOVEUP Local Voice

MOVEUP Local Voice

voLuMe 10 Issue #4 winter 2015

Our power comes neither from the money we

we elect a government that will reflect our values. She

Three worrisome Facts about

For more articles

3. household debt is on the rise as disposable income declines

While a quarterly drop in economic

voLuMe 10 Issue #4 winter 2015

MOVEUP Local Voice

heartfelt Thanks to outgoing board Members

Top photos (left to right):

etween August 7 and October 2, 2015

SaFar alIKHanI became a MoveUP

MOVEUP Local Voice

Committee. She is also an avid volunteer who