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Topic: CUPE has lost more than 6,000 health care workers in Alberta
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bear604/778
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7204
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posted 09 December 2004 03:15 PM
Part of the blame goes to AUPE, part goes to Alberta's provinicial government, who ordered run-off votes between CUPE and AUPE as the result of AUPE's blatant raiding of CUPE locals between 1999 and 2001. Self-proclaimed AUPE "President for Life" Dan McLennan enjoys a tight relationship with Premier Ralph Klein and several cabinet ministers. McLennan is a frequent guest at Conservative social gatherings, including their annual Legislature Xmas party. This is probably why AUPE has never lobbied for changes to the Public Service Employee Relations Act of 1977. Because AUPE engages in "mutual gains" or "concession" bargaining with their employer, the Tories were more than happy to force the run-off votes. As a result of the raids, AUPE was expelled from the National Union of Public and General Employees, the Canadian Labour Congress, and the Alberta Labour Federation of Labour. In the case of the latter, McLennan did plan to pull 'his' union out of the AFL because as the largest union in Alberta, AUPE members paid the plurality of AFL dues. AUPE invokes the worst of 'business unionism' to prevent is members from achieving social and economic justice. Grievances are frequently unheard, and any grievance procedure can be shut down by a handful of AUPE Executives meeting behind closed doors at their Edmonton headquarters. AUPE's particular brand of stewardship has resulted in everything from members' forced resignation from their employment to suicides. McLennan's thrives on the anti-union culture in Alberta to foster a "my way or the highway" approach within AUPE. Dissenting opinions at Provincial Executive meetings are met with expletive-driven tirades, intimidation, or the withdrawl of services to members. In one case, a Member of McLennan's own executive, who opposed AUPE's raiding of CUPE Locals and the hostile stance with the AFL was denied representation during a conflict with his employer, forced to sign a severance agreement, and subsequently move to Vancouver. Two months later the Union gave their blessing to his former employer while he was served with a $200,000 lawsuit. If AUPE's methods catch on, they pose a larger threat to the labour movement than CLAC and the IWA combined.
From: East Vancouver | Registered: Oct 2004
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BLAKE 3:16
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2978
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posted 09 December 2004 08:03 PM
quote: AUPE invokes the worst of 'business unionism' to prevent is members from achieving social and economic justice. Grievances are frequently unheard, and any grievance procedure can be shut down by a handful of AUPE Executives meeting behind closed doors at their Edmonton headquarters. AUPE's particular brand of stewardship has resulted in everything from members' forced resignation from their employment to suicides.
Is this true? If so, how did CUPE lose a representation vote? What is the impact on healthcare workers and the users of public healthcare? Was it raiding? Or were the former CUPE members antagonized or poorly represented by CUPE? I'd really be interested in seeing more detailed.
From: Babylon, Ontario | Registered: Aug 2002
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Lou Arab
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1114
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posted 10 December 2004 12:41 PM
quote: Originally posted by BLAKE 3:16:
Is this true? If so, how did CUPE lose a representation vote? What is the impact on healthcare workers and the users of public healthcare? Was it raiding? Or were the former CUPE members antagonized or poorly represented by CUPE? I'd really be interested in seeing more detailed.
The government, through Bill 27, created healath regions with four bargaining units per region. One for RNs, one for LPNs, one for paramedical staff, and one for general support staff. Prior to this the bargaining units were hospital by hospital. The rule was that in any new unit, where a union held 80% or more of the members, no vote was necessary. Otherwise, a run off would occour among the unions. UNA and HSAA had the numbers in the RN and paramedical sections. AUPE, having recently merged with the Health Guild, had the LPNs. The main run offs occoured in the general support staff. The new units favoured AUPE in terms of the numbers. Just to make it better for AUPE, the government threw community mental health into the unit, employees who had always belonged to AUPE. CUPE lost all the votes. It's worth noting however, that in some of them, CUPE got a higher percentage of the vote than they had in members before the vote. For example, CUPE had 40% of the members in the new Calgary unit, but got 45% of the vote (not exact numbers - I'm going from memory.) [ 07 January 2005: Message edited by: Lou Arab ]
From: Edmonton | Registered: Jul 2001
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CUPE_Reformer
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7457
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posted 10 December 2004 03:52 PM
Originally posted by pink: quote:
So why are you bringing this up? This is over a year old. What reforms are you proposing?
CUPE needs to be reformed.Whatever can be borrowed from the Constitution of the Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada. PPWC Introduction [ 01 May 2006: Message edited by: CUPE_Reformer ]
From: Real Solidarity | Registered: Nov 2004
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David Climenhaga
recent-rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7728
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posted 14 December 2004 04:48 PM
While I have enormous regard for my colleague Lou Arab of CUPE, he faces an uphill struggle in his attempt to spin the Bill 27 hospital support service runoff votes between CUPE and AUPE as even a partial victory for CUPE. The blunt reality is that everywhere there was a vote between AUPE and CUPE, six of nine Alberta health regions, AUPE won. (In the one region where there was a runoff vote between CEP and CUPE, CEP won.)While Lou’s memory of the Calgary vote numbers is roughly accurate, it is not true, as he asserts, that in most of the six votes between the two unions CUPE got a higher percentage of the vote than it had members before the vote. In two regions, AUPE had far lower membership than CUPE, in two it was roughly a wash, and in two AUPE had more members. In the David Thompson Health Region, CUPE had 1,384 members before the vote and AUPE had 554. AUPE won. In all six regions combined, AUPE had just over 6,800 members eligible to vote. CUPE, HSAA and the Operating Engineers had more than 7,000. In the final analysis, while many voters supported their old unions out of loyalty or habit, I believe the deciding issues in these votes came down to practical factors for the members whose votes made the difference. I don’t believe that whether one union was in or out of the House of Labour made much difference to most voters. Practical matters that swayed voters included the facts that AUPE really has built a reputation among members for accessibility and superior service, including seven fully staffed regional offices throughout Alberta, that AUPE’s financial structure guarantees no local is ever left holding the financial bag for an expensive grievance arbitration, and that AUPE delivers its superior service on union dues of only 1.25 per cent on base salary. (AUPE charges no dues on overtime or differential pay.) It also didn’t hurt that AUPE is an Alberta union in which members do not have to compete with a national structure for attention, expertise or funds. David Climenhaga Communications Director, AUPE
From: Edmonton, AB | Registered: Dec 2004
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