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GNWT Bargaining Underway!

January 20, 2012 - Bargaining Communique available now!

"Six cents an hour. That’s the increase the lowest-paid GNWT employees would receive in the first year of a new contract, under the Government’s opening wage offer."

Click HERE to read the rest of the communique.

For continued & archived updates, proposal documents and demands packages, check back to our website under "Bargaining Updates - GNWT".  

Send us a message!  Drop your bargaining team a line in the message box above, and let us know what you think.

RVP and Alternate RVP Elections Underway

The UNW has recently mailed out nomination forms for the following elections:

1. Equity Vice President

2. Regional Vice President - Kimberlite

3. Alternate RVP - Somba K'e

4. Alternate RVP - North Great Slave

5. Alternate RVP - Fort Smith

6. Alternate RVP - Hay River

7. Alternate RVP - Inuvik

8. Alternate RVP - Deh Cho

Please click the appropriate link to see the pdf of the nomination call and form.

UNW Table Officers Elected

The Fifteenth Triennial Convention delegates have elected the table officers for the next three years.  Todd Parsons was acclaimed as President for his fourth term.  Gayla Thunstrom was re-elected as 1st Vice President, and Frank Walsh was elected as 2nd Vice President.

From left to right:

Frank Walsh 2nd VP; Gayla Thunstrom 1st VP; Todd Parsons President; Roy Courtoreille RVP Hay River; Val Robertson RVP Inuvik; Sheila Laity RVP North Great Slave; Ken Stewart RVP Deh Cho; Lauraine Armstrong RVP Fort Smith; Brad Brake Equity VP; Marie Buchanan RVP Somba K'e

First Day of Convention Update

The first day of the UNW Convention has been completed.  In the morning, Convention delegates were energized by the address of Todd Parsons, UNW President, and keynote speaker Jim Sinclair, the President of the BC Federation of Labour. 

The budget for the UNW for the next three years was passed. The highlights of the 2012 – 2014 Budget include:

• An increase of 13% to the Dues Rebate to Locals from $1.99 to $2.25 per signed member 
• An increase of 25% to the Political Action monies to Locals from $10 to $12.50 per signed member
• An increase of 14% to the Special Project fund from $1750 to $2000 per Local 
• New funding of a Local Mentorship Program which would make each Local eligible for up to 3 months of paid mentorship at one of the UNW offices 
• Allocation of monies to support UNW campaigns (ie. Anti-Cutbacks, Supplementary Health Benefits, Elections etc.) 
• An increase in the combined PSAC/UNW dues rate from 1.7439% (current) to 1.7568% (January 2012 proposed)

 The work of the Convention committees is well under way.   The changes made to the UNW Regulations since the last Convention were ratified and unanimously passed by Convention delegates.  A resolution that proposed changes to the way the UNW elects delegates to the PSAC National Convention was passionately debated, and ultimately did not receive the two thirds majority needed to amend a UNW By-Law.

 The elections for table officers will commence on Sunday morning, and the results will be posted on the website as soon as they are available.

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UNW Convention Underway!

Check back later today for a full update of what went on on day 1 of the Fifteenth Triennial UNW Convention.

The RVP Results were as follows:

RVP Somba K'e - Sister Marie Buchanan

RVP North Great Slave - Sister Sheila Laity

RVP Fort Smith - Sister Lauraine Armstrong

RVP Hay River - Brother Roy Courtoreille

RVP Deh Cho - Brother Ken Stewart

RVP Inuvik - Sister Valerie Robertson

RVP Kimberlite - vacant

Equity VP - Brother Brad Brake

BHP Contract Ratified!

On Friday, October 7, 2011, the new contract with BHP was ratified. 

Click here for the news release.

Yellowknife candidates meeting

Todd Parsons attended the all candidate meeting to ask how candidates would protect the Public Service

Scholarship winners announced

The winners of the Josie Gould Memorial Scholarship for 2011 are:

David Buchanan, Alexandra Budgell, Leanna Cazon, Sarah Deitch, Margaret Lovely, Elizabeth Purchase, Veronica Speers, Justine Volk Megan Welsh and Colton Yee.  The Union wishes them all every success in their studies. 

24 UNW Locals have completed planning sessions.

The initial Action Planning Sessions for all 24 UNW locals were completed at the end of August 2011.  This is part of the PSAC mandated building at the base initiative. Member feedback indicates the process is successful in creating greater activism and focus for local executives. 

UNW 1^st Vice President Gayla Thunstrom is currently booking the next sessions.  8 Locals have already made reservations. Contact Gayla at 1stvp@unw.ca to book your local's next Action Planning Session.

Tentative Settlement Reached at BHP!

Details of the tentative agreement and the schedule for voting on the agreement can be found  here.

August 18, 2011. 

UNW Bargaining team prepares for negotiations with GNWT

Click here for the August 4, 2011 press release.

Josie Gould Scholarship Application Deadline nears July 29th

The UNWâ��s Annual Josie Gould Memorial Scholarship deadline was extended to July 29, 2011. 

Applications for the 10â��$3,000 scholarships must be received at the Unionâ��s Yellowknife office by close of business on July 29th. 

The scholarships are to be awarded to spouses and children of UNW members. 

Scholarship applications are available from the UNW web at www.unw.ca or by contacting the Yellowknife office at 873-5668.  

Back to work Legislation has been tabled.

Lisa Raitt, the Labour Minister has tabled legislation sending postal workers back to work without a collective agreement.  We want to tell her that  we believe in Negotiations nor Legislation. 

Send a message to Raitt by following this link

http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=1022

UNW members attended the PSAC North Convention in Iqaluit June 18th and 19th

Many members also attended the Northern Federation of Labour's annual meeting as well.  While at the Convention members took the opportunity to rally in support of striking members of CAW and CUPW.

Delegates joined in a heartfelt rendition of Solidarity Forever.

Outgoing PSAC Regional Vice President Jean Francois DesLaurier spoke to the convention delegates,  Follow the link here.

CUPW is locked out and will likely be legislated back to work.

Visit the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) website for the latest news and photos

http://www.cupw.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/1165/la_id/1.htm

Here in Yellowknife a tiny CUPW Local is picketing at the post office.  You can help them by spending part of your lunch hour or coffee breaks with them.  It gives them a chance to sit down for a few minutes.  Alternately, your union brothers and sisters might appreciate the delivery of a free cold drink.

Local Presidents gather in Yellowknife June 12th weekend

UNW Local Presidents belong to the Presidents Advisory Committee.  They provide information to the UNW Executive and in turn receive valuable training.

President of the Northern Federation of Labour, UNW President and 1st Vice President attend rally for postal workers

Thursday June 9th while postal service was halted in Yellowknife, Mary-Lou Cherwaty of NFL. Todd Parsons of UNW and Gayla Thunstrom of UNW lent their support to striking Postal Workers in Yellowknife.

UNW members receive Premier's Awards for exceptional work.

Members from Heath & Social Services (Fort Smith), PWS,Yellowknife, ENR, Mackenzie Gas Intervention project Team. Tundra Ecosystem Research Station, Water Stewardship Team receive Premier's Awards for exceptional work.  UNW congratulates all recipients. 

First annual Dave Ramsden Career Excellence Award

A former long time UNW member (now part of management) received the first Dave Ramsden Award.  Mr. Sukhdev Cheema, of Public Works and Services, Asset Management Division was selected for the award.

Over 200 Aboriginal students from across Canada gather in Moncton to present their projects at BDC's E-Spirit Business Plan Competition

MONCTON, NB, May 12 /CNW Telbec/ - Over 200 Aboriginal high school students across Canada will attend the annual E-Spirit national Aboriginal Youth Business Plan Competition in Moncton from May 17 to 19.  Organized by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), E-Spirit increases Aboriginal students' awareness of entrepreneurial and business opportunities.

For 16 weeks leading up to this Internet-based competition, students concentrated on developing viable business plans and perfected their presentation skills.  Following the award ceremony on May 19, three teams will take home the Gold, Silver and Bronze prizes, while another twelve teams will receive Special Achievement awards. Over the past ten years, E-Spirit has exposed close to 5,000 Aboriginal youth to the potential of entrepreneurship.

Yellowknife Trade Show 2011

UNW members/volunteers met the public at the Trade Show. From left to right they are Jacquelyn Fraser, Sheila Laity, Sue Harrison and Candy Brown.