Canada Employment and Immigration Union

CEIU Local 00647 Donates to Local Food Bank

http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/ur/story/115007

Greetings from The First Nation and Metis Commttee

Download First Nations Metis Inuit Committee Introduction Letter

G8 and G20 Summit June 26 Toronto

Good Afternoon,

The PSAC along with other major unions are organizing a rally at Queens Park in Toronto on June 26 to welcome the world's leaders and to remind them that people come first!

We will have 15 buses leaving Chatham; Guelph-Kitchener-Waterloo; London; Sarnia; Waterloo and Windsor. They will be travelling to Toronto, with an ETA of approx 10am. The PSAC will be rallying our members from all of Ontario, National Capital Region and Quebec, at the University of Toronto campus and providing a bag lunch. All the unions will end up at Queens Park for 1pm and then marching downtown. I would expect the buses will be leaving Toronto at approx 5pm.

Seats will be on a first come first serve basis. The PSAC will be providing only the transport and the bag lunch.

At this time please contact myself to RSVP, until such time as area phone contacts can be setup. Also the location and time of bus departure will be passed along as soon as there are known.

Print off the enclosed poster and put it up on your union bulletin board and ask people to sign up to go.

The G8 & G20 Summits taking place in Ontario from June 25-27 offer Canadians a rare opportunity to speak out on priorities that the world’s most wealthy and powerful nations should adopt on economic recovery, environment, human rights, decent jobs, and social justice.

Decisions taken by the G8 & G20 governments impact on millions of lives in Canada and around the world.

Any question contact myself at 800-366-0539 ex 224 or woytiut@psac.com

Todd

Todd Woytiuk

Regional Representative

London Regional Office

Public Service Alliance Of Canada

1-800-366-0539 ex 224

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

Arch-Bishop Camara

Download G8 BUSES

Download June26 Rally Poster-EN

Message from Gerry Halabecki - PSAC REVP Ontario - FederalBudget Analysis & Letters to Editor

Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

As part of our fightback and pensions campaign, we are attaching a document that we hope will assist you in getting our message out to the media. In addition to the guidelines for writing letters to the editor, we have also included a number of sample letters.

We have also attached a link to the federal budget analysis that is currently posted on the PSAC National website.

http://www.psac-afpc.org/news/2010/issues/20100322-e.shtml

In solidarity,

Gerry Halabecki,

Regional Executive Vice President, Ontario Public Service Alliance of Canada

Download Letters to the Editor 2010 04

News Release-Harper government, Cultural Enemy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 26, 2010

Harper government, Cultural Enemy

Ottawa* Stephen Harper's ongoing cuts to Canada's cultural institutions make him cultural enemy number one, John Gordon says.

The PSAC National President * whose members work at the National Gallery of Canada and other cultural institutions across Canada* denounced the federal government's recent budget cuts.

*These budgets cuts are not sound financial decisions,* Gordon said. *By reducing the budget of the NGC, this government is destroying a long cultural tradition and depriving Canadians of services they are entitled to receive*.

Gordon pointed out that the NGC has seen its budget reduced almost every year Harper has been in power.

Worse still, the union expects the gallery will be part of the strategic review announced in the February federal budget. This means another five per cent cut.

This week the gallery announced it would eliminate 27 positions and abandon several services to the public.

Programming casualties of the cuts include:

* Education programs such as teacher workshops and the

hands-on art studio programs;

* Adult programs such as Sunday Painters, Art Odyssey,

Enquiring Eye;

* Accessibility programs (Stimulating the Senses, Master

Workshops, White Cane Week).

Fewer programs mean fewer visitors and less revenue, Gordon added.

In September, the gallery eliminated guided tours * one of its most popular programs * in a move that cost 11 people their jobs.

PSAC National Component President Daniel Kinsella said Canadians will pay a high price for the government*s decision to starve its cultural institutions.

*It takes decades for such an institution to reach its full cultural and social potential,* Kinsella said. *With the financial decisions imposed by the Harper government, the NGC may never get there.*

-30-

For information: Alain Cossette 613-293-9210

14-260310

- - -

POUR DIFFUSION IMMÉDIATE

Le 26 mars 2010

Le gouvernement Harper : ennemi de la culture

Ottawa * En imposant des compressions continuelles aux institutions culturelles, Stephen Harper est devenu le principal ennemi du milieu culturel, déclare John Gordon.

Le président national de l*AFPC * qui compte des membres au Musée des beaux-arts et dans d*autres établissements culturels au Canada * dénonce les récentes compressions du gouvernement fédéral.

* Ces réductions budgétaires ne sont pas de bonnes décisions financières, affirme Gordon. En réduisant le budget du Musée, ce gouvernement vient anéantir une tradition culturelle de longue date et prive les citoyens de services auxquels ils ont droit *.

Gordon signale que le budget du Musée des beaux-arts a été réduit presque tous les ans depuis que Stephen Harper est au pouvoir.

Pire encore, le syndicat s*attend à ce que le Musée se voie imposer une autre réduction de 5 p. 100 dans le cadre de l*examen stratégique annoncé dans le budget fédéral de février.

Cette semaine, le Musée a annoncé la suppression de 27 postes et de plusieurs services destinés au public.

Au nombre des programmes touchés, mentionnons :

* Programmes d*éducation (p. ex. les ateliers pour

enseignants et les travaux pratiques en studio)

* Programmes aux adultes (Les peintres du dimanche, Odyssée

artistique, Plaisir des yeux, etc.)

* Services adaptés (Stimuler les sens, Ateliers de maître,

Semaine de la Canne blanche).

En diminuant les programmes, on diminue

aussi le nombre de visiteurs et

les revenus, ajoute Gordon.

Au mois de septembre, le Musée a éliminé les visites guidées * un programme très populaire * et licencié 11 personnes.

Le président de l*Élément national-AFPC, Daniel Kinsella, affirme que la population canadienne paiera longtemps le prix de cette décision du gouvernement de sous-financer les institutions culturelles.

* Une institution comme celle-là met des décennies avant d*atteindre son plein potentiel sur le plan culturel et social, a dit Kinsella. À la lumière des décisions du gouvernement Harper, le Musée n*y arrivera peut-être jamais *.

Rights and Democracy

Download XO 6 Rights and Democracy Petition March

You may be aware of the crisis currently affecting Rights and Democracy, Canada*s public agency for human rights and democratic development. You can find out a lot more if you go to www.rightsanddemocracymovement.org ( http://www.rightsanddemocracymovement.org/ ).

The Public Service Alliance of Canada represents the unionized employees at Rights & Democracy * it*s a Directly Chartered Local based in Montréal. Despite our grave concerns with the internal situation and its impacts, we strongly believe that the crisis at Rights & Democracy is not simply an internal matter, but one of political interference in this institution of Parliament. What is happening amounts to the silencing of human rights* defenders, much like the silencing of women*s advocacy work, the closure of the Court Challenges Program, and other actions to silence diversity and debate.

Canadians and international allies are mobilizing around Rights & Democracy, and a movement has been created to channel this support.

I am writing to invite you to sign on to the petition in favour of Rights and Democracy, which can be found on the www.rightsanddemocracymovement.org web site, and to distribute this invitation throughout your networks as appropriate.

The list of supporting organizations and individuals is growing, and includes the PSAC, Stephen Lewis, Alex Neve, the Fédération des femmes du Québec, and many more.

In Solidarity,

John Gordon

National President

******************************************************************

Vous êtes sans aucun doute au courant de la crise qui secoue actuellement Droits et Démocratie, l*organisme public du Canada en matière de droits humains et de démocratie. Vous pouvez en savoir plus long en consultant le site web www.mouvementdroitsetdemocratie.org ( http://www.mouvementdroitsetdemocratie.org/ ).

L*Alliance de la Fonction publique du Canada, représente les employées et employés syndiqués à Droits et Démocratie. Au-delà de la situation et ses impacts dans le milieu de travail, nous sommes convaincus que la crise est bien plus qu*un conflit interne.

L*ingérence du gouvernement fédéral auprès de Droits et Démocratie équivaut à tenter de faire taire les institutions qui défendent les droits humains tout comme les coupures aux groupes de femmes, à la fermeture du Programme de contestation judiciaire, et d*autres mesures visant à réduire l*espace public et la participation politique.

Les canadiennes et canadiens ainsi que des alliés internationaux se mobilisent et un mouvement citoyen a été mis sur pied pour défendre Droits et Démocratie.

Je vous invite à donner votre appui individuel et organisationnel si possible en signant la pétition qui se trouve sur le site web www.mouvementdroitsetdemocratie.org ( http://www.mouvementdroitsetdemocratie.org/ ) et, si vous le jugez approprié, en distribuant cette invitation à travers vos réseaux.

La liste d*appuis s*accroît de jour en jour, et compte actuellement la Fédération des femmes du Québec, Stephen Lewis, Alex Neve, Ellen Gabriel et plusieurs autres individus.

En toute solidarité,

Le président national,

John Gordon

Pensions

Dear Sister/Brother:

The Federal Budget released by the Harper Government has set a clear direction for balancing the budget within the next five years by targeting the federal public service through austerity measures and optimistic predictions of economic growth. PSAC (Ontario) members are mobilizing through a series of town hall meetings and plant-gating actions to counter any efforts to balance the budget on the backs of public sector workers! Join along with other PSAC members at a town hall meeting in your area. The list of town hall meetings, lunch rallies and plant gating actions is now posted on the Ontario Regional website at www.psac.com/ontario. This list will be updated on an ongoing basis throughout the campaign.

Thanks to all for signing and/or circulating the petition on pensions. PSAC (Ontario) Region has already collected 3,000 on-line signatures and 1,400 signatures through hardcopy petitions. Our campaign around the pension issue is not over because there is no absolute assurance that they are safe; however, the federal budget that was delivered yesterday certainly demonstrated that our collective efforts around the pension campaign made it possible for us to push back. Our first victory in our pension fight back campaign!  – “Our members have been mobilizing for the past month to fight off any attacks against our pensions and to call for retirement security for all,” says PSAC National President John Gordon.  “We’re now going to extend the fight and expand it to include rejecting this budget and the direction this government is taking.” Let’s continue to sign-up our members and engage our communities to send a strong message to the Harper government: Hands Off Our Pensions!

We know that the Conservatives are targeting the public service. The Throne Speech and Budget were clear that the government plans to balance the budget by restraining federal program spending overall. It will do this by freezing the total amount that government departments spend on salaries, administration and overhead, and by aggressively undergoing a review of all departmental spending.

PSAC members are on the watch and are using various means (petitions, lobbying, activities between and during elections, etc.) to continue our organizing and mobilizing efforts in the face of the on-going attack against quality public services. Visit the PSAC national website at www.psac-afpc.com  to find out more about reactions and comments to the Federal Budget. Visit the PSAC (Ontario) website at www.psac.com/ontario to get involved in the ongoing campaign to defend quality public services.

Get involved to support our campaign and make our voices heard!

Click here for scheduled meetings and plant gates:

 

http://ontario.psac.com/TownHallMeetings.shtml

 

(if you are unable to click, please copy the link above and paste in the browser)

 

In Solidarity,

  

Gerry Halabecki,

Regional Executive Vice President

Ontario Region 

News Release - Federal Budget - PSAC to fight cuts in government

PSAC to fight cuts in government operation spending and programs
announced in federal budget

OTTAWA* The largest union of federal public-sector workers is poised
to mobilize against cuts in public sector programs and operations and to
apply pressure on Parliament to reject the federal budget.

*This budget is a clear attack against quality public services,*
says John Gordon, the national president of the Public Service Alliance
of Canada.  *The freeze on public-sector operation budgets, combined
with an increase in deregulation and free trade, will further weaken the
economy and hurt Canadians.*

Gordon argues that freezing the operation spending of government
departments will mean significant reductions to the quality of public
services that Canadians need in an economy that*s, at best, still
undergoing a fragile recovery.  Spending freezes, more expenditure
review and deregulation will also mean job losses in the federal public
sector.

*This runs counter to the government*s stated goal of job creation
and economic growth,* Gordon says.  *With this budget, the
government is compromising the food we eat, the health of our
environment, transportation safety and the public services that the
people in Canadarely on everyday.*

In a pre-budget news conference with other labour leaders two days ago,
Gordon called for continued stimulus spending refocused on social
infrastructure such as poverty reduction and expanding child and elder
care.  He also called for improving retirement security for all
Canadians.

*What do we get instead?  Seniors* Day,* says Gordon.  *This
budget does nothing for workers in Canada. Investing in social
infrastructures and in quality public services would have ensured job
creation and economic growth.  But this government failed in that
direction.*

Gordon has already asked for a meeting with the leaders of the
opposition parties calling on them to support his union*s position.

*Our members have been mobilizing for the past month to fight off any
attacks against our pensions and to call for retirement security for
all,* says Gordon.  *We*re now going to extend the fight and
expand it to include rejecting this budget and the direction this
government is taking.*

Message from the REVP, Ontario re: Hands Off ourPensions!

HANDS OFF our pensions!

PSAC Pensions Campaign has Begun

Join the Fight-back!

 

Right-wing think tanks and business lobbyists have been spreading misinformation about our pensions in an attempt to exploit the economic crisis to their advantage. The Harper government has sent enough signals to indicate that they are prepared to attack public sector workers and go after our hard-won benefits.

 

In the face of these threats, the PSAC is fighting back to protect members’ pensions and the retirement security of all Canadians.

 

There is no time to lose. We need to send PM Harper & Finance Minister Flaherty a clear message: HANDS OFF our pensions!

 

We must take action to defend public pensions before it is too late!

 

A few things you can do today:

·        Check out our pensions campaign YouTube video and circulate it broadly

·        Sign the online petition

·        Circulate the petition among your co-workers as well as at town-hall meetings and other forums and help collect 100,000 signatures by March 1^st

·        Wear the HANDS OFF our pensions! stickers in your workplace

·        Fight the myths about pensions and circulate campaign materials to everyone you know

·        Participate in CLC pension forums and visit canadianlabour.ca for more information

 

Visit the Ontario PSAC website regularly for updates

Download REVPs Pension Campaign message final

Pension Summit

The OFL and the CLC are co-sponsoring an exciting one-day Pension Summit in Toronto on Saturday, March 27, 2010. There will be really interesting panels and guest speakers.

For more detailed information, go to:

http://ofl.ca/uploads/misc/OFL-CLC_pension_summit_March_27.pdf

Please send this notice and the attached flyer on to your retirees and any other contacts you feel may find this interesting. Don*t miss this one! Space is limited, so please register early.

Download Pension-Summit 2010 03 27