No Forward Look for this Month

Due to recent developments, we will be busy with other work and will not be putting out a Forward Look for December. The purpose of the Forward Look is to keep our members up-to-date with what has happened over the course of the month. As things happen over the next couple of weeks we will keep you informed with this blog, posters in the mill and Jim's e-mail list. If you would like to be added to Jim's list e-mail him at jvandusen592@gmail.com.

And a reminder, the special meetings will be at 2pm and 7pm on Thursday, December 8th.

Adam Currey
Recording Secretary

Special Meetings

There will two special meetings on Thursday, December 8th, at 2:00pm and 7:00pm at Hansen Hall to discuss some very important issues. All members are strongly urged to attend.

In Solidarity

Adam Currey
Recording Secretary.

Local 592 Elections

Local 592 will be holding elections for two positions this month. Elections will be held at the gate November 23rd and November 26th from 4:00am - 8:00am and 4:00pm to 6:00pm. The union hall will be open for voting on November 23rd from 9:00am - Noon and from 1:00pm - 4:30pm.

The nominees are:

Vice President (2 positions, 2 year term)

Doug Chisholm
Ian Nicholson
Owen Paxton


Safety Officer/Trustee (1 position, 1 year term)

Simon Fox
Joan Race
Dan Rogers

At the voting booth we will be handing out Contract Negotiation questionnaires. The Wage Delegates would like your input on which Main Wage issues are important to you so that we can prioritize them to bring to Pre-Wage in February. There will be a ballot box at the guard house or you can drop them off at the hall, if no one is there just drop them off in the mail slot. All questionnaires should be dropped off by December 5th.

In Solidarity

Adam Currey
Recording Secretary
Wage Delegate

The November Forward Look

The November Forward Look is now online. View it by clicking here.

Just a reminder that the next general meeting is on Monday the 21st. We will be nominating for executive positions.

In Solidarity

Adam Currey
Recording Secretary

The October Forward Look

The October Forward Look is now online. View it by clicking here.

Also, a reminder that the meeting is on Monday, the 17th.

Statement from the B.C. Federation of Labour on Occupy Wall Street

Global economic uncertainty is shining a bright light on the rapidly growing gap between rich and poor in North America and around the world. In the United States, the consequences have been widespread and severe. Real unemployment is approaching 20 per cent. People are losing their homes to foreclosures. And, for the first time in generations, few young Americans believe their lives will be as prosperous and secure as their parents.

Here, well paying jobs, fair taxation and strong public services built the Canada we know and love. For 20 years across Canada, however, real wages have stagnated, the richest Canadians and corporations have avoided billions in taxes, and successive governments have weakened public services. This has created a gap between rich and poor not seen in generations, and the gap is widening.

The Conference Board of Canada has identified that Canada had the second largest rate of income inequality growth among peer nations from the mid-1990’s to the mid-2000’s. Clearly, the same conditions that have lead to Wall Street exist in Canada as well.

In British Columbia, a decade of tax cuts for the richest British Columbians and corporations combined with stagnant wages for average income earners have left British Columbia families struggling to make ends meet and nervous about their futures. As the cost of living has increased, household debt has piled up and savings eroded. This has got to stop.

The Occupy Wall Street movement expresses an underlying desire for fairness and equality in the economy and our society. The B.C. Federation of Labour stands in solidarity with that desire, as part of the 99 percent, and calls on the governments of British Columbia and Canada to act swiftly and decisively to narrow the gap. The BC Fed will support an ongoing peaceful occupation in Vancouver on these important issues.

Members of the B.C. Federation of Labour will gather Saturday October 15th at the Vancouver Art Gallery at 12:00 p.m. in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement's call for good jobs, fair taxes and strong public services.

For more information visit http://act.bcfed.ca/solidaritywithoccupywallstreet/

No Forward Look for September

I did not receive any Forward Look articles, so I will not be putting out an issue this month. If anything happens Jim will contact those on his email list. With summer ending we should have a lot more to report in the coming months. Jim, Doug and I will be going to the Western Region conference and there is an upcoming Wage Caucus meeting in Vancouver on the 1st of October.

I would like to remind everyone that the general meeting will be on Monday, September the 19th at 7pm. On the agenda will be the notice of motion about the strike dues from the last round of negotiations. Jim and Doug will report on the President's council meeting. We will also have updates on what has been going on with Standing Committee, financial reports, etc. throughout the summer.

In solidarity,

Adam Currey
Recording Secretary