Spring 2024
Hi everyone, It’s us: your fellow unionized workers of YG. It has been some time since our Local has sent a newsletter to members, and those of us who are already involved in the running of our union Local have a lot of information to share and invitations to extend to the rest of you. Solidarity is a word we build by trial and practice, Local Y010
BARGAINING: let’s get ready Anyone who has worked for the Yukon government for longer than a year will know that the last round of collective bargaining between the Government of Yukon and its unionized public service workers almost ended in a vote to strike. And we weren’t alone: around the world, workers have begun taking historic strike action at levels not witnessed since the days of the old-timers and the far, far distant past of the last century. Why all this ruckus?! Do people like standing on picket lines? Or do our communities perhaps face cost of living and housing crises; mental and physical healthcare crises; more precarious jobs with less secure bene ts and worse conditions; chronic understa ng and burnout; rising fears and incidents of discrimination, violence and harassment; the impacts of active wars, res and other climate changes; and a general sense that the struggle is harder these days? All of these things a ect us as workers in various ways: how much peacefulness, energy and stability we feel; how much free time we have, and how we’re inclined to spend it; how we’re doing on a community level; and our basic safety, rights, and ability to do a good job at work. Our current contract with our employer expires in December 2024. That means prep for bargaining is rolling into gear now, and this is an important time to get involved if you want to help shape our biggest issues and priorities for bargaining the next collective agreement. Give bargaining input: share your ideas on the attached bargaining form to make sure what you have to say will be considered in the bargaining process. The best bargaining issues are those that are held in common by a lot of workers and where we have a real solution to put forward that will improve the safety and well-being of our lives as workers, is achievable, and will be good for our communities as a whole. Stay in the loop: If you’re getting this newsletter via e-mail, you’re on the Y010 mailing list for information and updates along the way. If you or your co-workers aren’t getting e-mails, please make sure you are in the member database correctly by contacting the YEU hall. You can also check with the hall and get sorted out if you’re not sure whether you have signed and submitted your union member card, which you’ll need to vote during bargaining. For the rules nerds: Our bargaining process is set out in Section 15(B) of the PSAC Constitution. Local Y010’s bylaws also contain bargaining committee information.
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YEU/PSAC Local Y010 Member Infoletter