Report to Convention - Pay and Social Equity Committee

Posted October 22, 2009 in Pay and Social Equity Committee and tagged with convention

Pay and Social Equity Committee Report to AUPE Convention 2009

To the Officers and Delegates of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees Convention, assembled together in Edmonton, Alberta, October 22-24, 2009.

Greetings!

The members of the Committee are as follows:

Erez Raz – Chair – Vice President Susan Slade – Vice Chair – Local 045 – (Claresholm) Ann Green – Secretary – Local 001 – (Edmonton) Rhonda Chatman – Local 071 – (Whitecourt) Garry Ritchie – Local 003 – (Calgary) Valerie Whelen – Local 043 – (St. Lina) Peggy Martin – Local 046 – (Morinville) Carmen MacRae – Local 001 – (Fort McMurray) Peggy Stewart – Life Member – (Rocky Mountain House) Debbie Kay – Staff Advisor

Meeting Dates:

Pay and Social Equity Committee meetings were held on the following dates: January 8th, February 24th and 25th, March 24th, April 14th, May 25th, July 16th and August 20th and 21st, 2009. We will be meeting again in September to deal with the Seminar and prior to Convention to deal with the presentation of this report as well as the prioritization and recommendations regarding resolutions that will be presented to delegates through this committee.

Disposition of Resolutions from 2008 Convention

There was a resolution passed at the 2008 Convention changing the name of the Committee and expanding the mandate to include social reform, equity and justice issues. Our expanded mandate is reflected in our activities contained in this report.

Our Goals

The Committee has made significant progress toward the goals that we set at the beginning of our term.

• We continue to promote the understanding and raise the awareness of pay and social equity issues among AUPE membership and the general public.
• We expanded our mandate and changed our name with the passing of a Constitutional resolution at the 2008 Convention.
• The leaflet should be revamped and finalized in time for distribution at Convention.
• The DVD on pay and social equity issues will be viewed at Convention.
• We continue to be a catalyst for implementation of pay equity legislation by taking the initial steps toward forming a coalition with other groups and organizations to move these issues forward. Contacts have been made with political, labour and community groups.

Leaflet

The draft leaflet on Pay Equity issues had to be redone after the Constitutional resolution that was passed at the 2008 Convention. It should be ready for distribution at this Convention.

Pay and Social Equity Seminar

At the writing of this report, we are in the final stages of preparation for the Pay and Social Equity Seminar in Red Deer September 17-18, 2009. It will be held in conjunction with the Anti-Privatization Seminar. We are looking forward to great speakers on pay equity legislation and implementation as well as an excellent motivational speaker on current social issues. There will also be a joint speaker addressing these issues as well as privatization from a political point of view. The seminar will provide the foundation for the development of an action plan for the future.

Mustard Seed

As part of our expanded mandate to address social issues, the committee has sponsored meals and volunteered at the Mustard Seed shelters in Edmonton and Calgary. These were rewarding experiences that were greatly appreciated by the staff and clients alike. We prepared the food, served the meals and did some clean up. We also paid the cost of the meal. It was amazing to see hundreds of people lining up for a free meal…many are “the working poor”. It was through these experiences that we got a lot of the footage used in the production of our DVD. Thanks to Viacom for doing an excellent job! Also, many thanks go to all the Locals and individuals who donated funds that were used to purchase blankets and towels, which were given to the clients on your behalf. Your generosity truly made a big difference in the lives of those who needed it most.

Resolution to 2009 Convention

There will be a resolution coming forward from the committee asking for expanded educational opportunities regarding pay and social equity issues. We will be asking delegated to support this resolution.

Other Committee Activities

The committee has participated in various other activities over the course of the past year, they include:

• The development of a Position Statement on Pay and Social Equity
• Contacting various labour and community groups as an initial step in establishing a Pay Equity Coalition
• Attending the Public Interest Alberta (PIA) Conference
• Participating in the Greater Edmonton Alliance (GEA)
• Attending the Social Justice Encounter in Calgary

General

This Committee continues to raise the awareness of pay equity and social reform issues. It will maintain and strengthen its’ efforts to educate AUPE members and the public on pay equity and social justice reform issues. All Albertans need to understand these issues and what they can do to address them. If you know of any of these types of issues happening, please contact the Committee as soon as possible. We are here to help the members of AUPE.

Conclusion

The members of this Committee have worked very hard on behalf of the members of AUPE and should be recognized for their efforts. To our staff advisor, Debbie Kay – Thank you for continuing to support everything we do. Your knowledge and hard work is appreciated more than you know. We must give a special thank you to the excellent support staff we have worked with over the past year – Susan Wastle, Ashley Brandt, Megan Johnston and Christina Misquitta. You’re awesome!

Respectfully submitted,

On behalf of the Pay and Social Equity Committee,

In solidarity,

Erez Raz, Chair.