Month: June 2016

CUPE Alberta 40th Annual Weeklong School

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RED DEER – The 2016 CUPE Alberta Weeklong school took place at Red Deer College in late May early June.

Five workshops were offered, including two Steward Learning Series classes with sixteen different modules for members to choose from. In addition, members were offered workshops in Bargaining Solidarity, and new courses in Health & Safety and Human Rights.

The opening plenary included training from Tim Kessler on Postural Development and Sedentary Awareness.

Facilitators included National Representatives Aneen Albus, Rodger Oakley, Lisa McPherson, Jennifer Barnett, Stacy Durning, Jennifer Chretien, Gary Day (from Saskatchewan), Troy Winters (from National), and Stephanie Lustig (Temporary Representative) as well as member facilitators Rosanne Paziuk and Jay Millante.

Learning was at the top of the list, but as always at Weeklong School, fun happened.  Members set up a poker table in the dorms which brought in a generous donation of $320.00 for the Red Deer College Student Food Bank. Also, nine people went golfing after class on Wednesday.

 All week the class reps sold 50/50 tickets.  The total raised from this was $1417.00 of which half was presented to the CUPE Alberta Fire Relief Fund.

At our Annual BBQ we were joined by the Alberta Regional Director Yvonne Fast and National Representative Graham Mahy.  Prizes were provided by CUPE Locals 8, 41, 941, 3550 and CUPE Alberta Division.

 See photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cupealberta/albums/72157667208945213

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National Aboriginal Day – June 21st

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June 21st is National Aboriginal Day, a day to recognize the contribution, culture and struggles of our Aboriginal peoples. It was first enacted in 1996.

Just last year, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada reported details of the disturbing history of residential schools. For decades, up until the 1980s, Aboriginal children were forcibly removed from their homes and sent away to boarding schools where physical and sexual abuse were common. Children were denied their language, culture and family.

The death rate of residential school students was often double, triple, or even quadruple the death rate among children in the population at large. Parents were often not told details of their child’s death, or even where their children were buried.

It is, without question, one of the most shameful government policies in Canadian history, and one with repercussions on the lives of our Aboriginal peoples for generations to come.  Unemployment, alcoholism, substance abuse, depression and suicide rates among Aboriginal communities are far higher than the Canadian population at large. The roots of many of these tragedies can be traced to residential schools and the impact of our treatment of Aboriginal people.

It will take far more than one day a year to reverse three centuries of damaging mistreatment.

The challenges our Aboriginal brothers and sisters face are complex, deep seated, and difficult to solve.

CUPE Alberta is committed to playing the long game. We will continue to stand in solidarity, to listen and act, and to work in partnership with First Nations to address these issues in a meaningful way.

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