Karen Jackson, the President of the PEI Union of Public Sector Employees welcomed delegates to UPSE’s 62nd Annual Convention and delivered her report to the membership.
She thanked delegates and all UPSE members for electing her to serve as the president of the best union in PEI. She acknowledged the other presidential candidates as well and commended them on their campaigns. She said “the election is a reflection of the democratic process which is essential to unions and an area UPSE has fought for over the years … a bedrock and foundation to ensure the voices of all members are heard.”
In a review of the past year, she said UPSE has worked hard on the concerns and issues presented by the members and have had some successes and some areas we need to continue to work on. She highlighted some of the Union’s achievements over the past year.
Strategic Plan
UPSE’s first formal strategic plan has been launched. She thanked the Board of Directors, staff, and the membership for the feedback and input received in formulating UPSE’s first formalized strategic plan.
The plan lays out the strategic direction for UPSE over the next four years and presents the vision, mission, core values and priorities/goals for the Union. The plan will also guide the development of operational plans for the organization and provide measurement indicators and accountability regarding the Union’s performance and results. See Strat Plan here:
Collective Bargaining
UPSE continues to advocate for the rights of the membership by strengthening collective agreement language. The Union negotiated new contracts for Whisperwood Villa, Morell and Area Early Learning Centre, Tremploy, Garden Home, Community Connections, and Community Inclusions, and currently is in the process of bargaining new contracts for Holland College Faculty, the Atlantic Tourism and Hospitality Institute, and Holland College Administrative and Support. Health PEI negotiations are moving to conciliation on Nov 21 and 22. The parties were unable to come to an agreement in negotiations. UPSE was clear with Health PEI that a fair and reasonable offer was necessary, and UPSE would not settle for less than other health bargaining units received.
Environmental Footprint
UPSE has reduced its carbon footprint by installing solar panels at the UPSE office. This project is good for the environment and is also a cost-effective move for the Union. The solar panels have decreased the Union’s utilities bill which helps UPSE’s operating budget.
Foundational Documents
Many of the resolutions presented at this year’s convention will be proposed amendments to the Constitution. The Constitution and By-laws and UPSE policies are the foundation and bedrock of the Union. They provide the rules by which the Union operates and support accountability, integrity, and transparency. Jackson thanked UPSE’s Constitution Committee members for their work in formulating the proposed amendments to the Constitution (Tim Yorke, Rick Brazel, Arlene Bowness, and Mark Arsenault). She also thanked Jill MacMicken-Wilson, UPSE’s Research and Policy Analyst for all the work she has done in updating and revamping UPSE policies.
Occupational Health and Safety
Jackson reported that she had seen the results of the Union’s workplace harassment and violence survey and that the results are concerning. She thanked the members for their courage in telling their stories, which is very difficult when you are working in a toxic environment. She said UPSE will focus on creating safe and healthy work environments for all UPSE members, and workers in Prince Edward Island.
She also commented on improvements made within Group Homes because of work by the violence in the workplace committee, as well in Health PEI with the Provincial Violence Steering Committee. Further, she announced that UPSE’s Board of Directors approved an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Standing Committee.
The committee was created for the Union to address the needs and concerns related to the workplace psychological and physical safety of the membership, and to address any resolutions from our convention, such as Resolution 18 from last year’s convention on making improvements to WCB and OHS legislation. UPSE recently surveyed the members on their WCB experiences to identify what areas of the WCB legislation, policies and procedures might require change.
Anti-Racism
Jackson was pleased to announce that Lonnie States is UPSE’s representative on the national anti-racism committee with the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE). This committee has been doing some good work and over the past year, and contributions from NUPGE have resulted in changes to federal legislation that now recognizes Black people as an employment equity group in the Employment Equity Act.
UPSE has also made great progress working with the Department of Social Development regarding anti-racism as they are now providing education to both staff and clientele. Jackson said that it’s important that we as a union foster greater awareness of diversity and equality in our union and worksites. All members must feel welcomed and included and feel safe to come forward with their issues. She looks forward to working with Lonnie on initiatives that will promote greater diversity equity and inclusion.
Committees
Jackson extended thanks to UPSE’s dedicated committee members for all their hard work and efforts in raising the profile of our Union and getting members more engaged.
PR Committee
The PR Committee held BBQs in Bloomfield, Shining Waters (2x), Charlottetown (Labour Day), and at King’s Castle. They did a great job hosting the UPSE golf tournament, Family Fun Time at Shining Waters, and participated in numerous parades (Pride, Gold Cup and Saucer, and the Prince County Exhibition). They also have helped prepare the Union for Convention and are giving away a new BBQ and Cooler at the Convention dance on Saturday night (Nov 16) sometime between 9:00 pm and 12:30 pm. All UPSE members are invited and encouraged to attend the dance to have a great time and a chance to win the prizes!
Young Workers Committee
The Young-Workers Committee have been working hard to engage the younger generation in union work and advocacy. They conducted a Young Workers Survey, and the feedback was encouraging. The Young Workers Committee planned and held a union social function – a trivia night. The event was held in Summerside, and the turnout and feedback exceeded expectations. The committee drafts resolutions for convention and is planning a young worker’s forum for 2025.
Another important accomplishment for the committee was establishing the Steve Mollins, Young Worker Bursaries, in memory of Steve Mollins who was a long-time member of UPSE’s Board of Directors, and a mentor to many young workers. The youth are the future leaders of our union, and the committee has been doing great work to engage our future leaders.
Constitution and Structure Committee
This committee, as noted earlier, have worked diligently in reviewing the UPSE constitution & by-laws and recommending amendments through a series of resolutions at Convention. Strong governance, supplemented with foundational documents such as your constitution and by-laws, and policies are key in providing sound and strategic direction for the union. The constitutional resolutions put forward by the committee includes input and consultation from key stakeholders, including our retained legal service provider Pink Larkin represented by Kim Turner.
Women’s Committee
The Women’s Committee has done great work over the years and continues to organize important functions across the Island to support and advocate for women.
Education Committee
The Education Committee has scheduled a full slate of courses for the membership with new offerings in the mix. There are more members taking UPSE’s courses and reviews from participants have been positive. UPSE’s “Train the Trainer” course is a new offering, and Jackson gave a shout-out to Bryan Burt, UPSE’s Education and Organizing Officer, for all his great work in the development and implementation of this new training.
Membership Services and Communication Committee
This committee has worked diligently and professionally in conducting the Presidential and Director elections this year and incorporated the new electronic voting process. This provides greater flexibility for the membership. They also reviewed and updated the discount list for members. Jackson thanked Mike Butler for his continued guidance and support to UPSE, especially with the Presidential Election.
Finance Committee
UPSE is in a good financial position with a small deficit. Jackson thanked the Finance committee members for their diligent work with the budget. She also mentioned the new procurement policy in place which aligns with our strategic plan values of accountability and transparency.
Along with the accomplishments and successes of your Union, Jackson also mentioned the challenges.
Privatization
She is concerned about the privatization of public services in the province and has met with the Minister responsible for Labour and followed up with related correspondence and letters to express concerns regarding privatization. Privatization is creeping into the healthcare system and the civil service through home care (Self-guided care), private agency liquor stores, travel LPNs, virtual health care, and the contracting out of TIE services. Privatizing public services runs contrary to the language in UPSE’s collective agreements, removes public oversight, and changes the channel from service to profiteering.
Jackson said she will continue the fight to ensure public services remain public and that the monies go back into funding public services, and not filling the pockets of private entities.
Staffing
UPSE continues to experience significant shortages of skilled professionals across our membership and indeed, right across the country, in the areas of correctional officers, mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, HVAC, administration, group home workers, social workers, LPNs, RCWs, PCWs and SLPs, just to name a few. The shortage of staff is a complex problem in today’s environment, and many factors are contributing to the labour shortage. Jackson said UPSE will continue to advocate for appropriate and safe staffing levels, and programs that are fair to all our members.
Consultation
This has been an ongoing issue, specifically with Health PEI and the Department of Health and Wellness. UPSE is optimistic that the changes in senior leadership with Health PEI will assist in increasing consultation and collaboration.
In March of this past year, UPSE worked with our other PEI unions and sent out a joint public message regarding Health PEI’s and the department’s lack of consultation, and lack of respect for our collective agreements and our members. This messaging, and day-to-day work holding the Employer to account as it relates to consultation resulted in significant changes to Health PEI, specifically in the HR and Corporate areas.
Engagement
UPSE still has work to do regarding creating engagement with our members. There are vacancies in numerous elected roles within UPSE, and the Union needs to foster greater communication to inform and educate members about what is happening at UPSE, and how the union can play a part in bettering everyone’s working lives. Membership engagement is key to the growth of UPSE.
Jackson thanked UPSE’s Stewards, who are the face of the union in workplace across the province, and the first line of defense for our members. She thanked Local 19 … UPSE’s retirees, for the reason we can enjoy safer workplaces and improved benefits in our collective agreements. She said UPSE must never forget those who fought the fight before us.
Jackson thanked UPSE’s partner unions in the Atlantic provinces and for sharing Union resources and information on key labour issues. She personally thanked Susie, Sandra and Jerry for their support of UPSE. She said NUPGE, UPSE’s national union, continues to be a valuable support for UPSE and all the affiliates. The ability to bring unions together from across the country to discuss current labour/social issues is invaluable. She thanked Carl Pursey, President of the PEI federation of Labour. Carl works tirelessly on behalf of all Islanders to ensure better workplaces for everyone. He is an unsung hero of Labour…Thank you Carl.
Jackson also thanked the many members who reached out to her with their kind words of support and caring during the past few weeks. She said she will be forever grateful…and gave a special thank you to her staff.
Jackson concluded by saying that “as unionists, our goals and objectives are focused on improving the working lives of our members and indeed, all workers in Prince Edward Island. We do this by strengthening our collective agreement language through negotiations, lobbying the government for important legislative change, conducting campaigns on key labour issues, and representing our members when they face challenges in the workplace. We also set the course for the Union each year at our Annual Convention, and I encourage you to get the most out of your time here this weekend, working and connecting as members of this great Union. I look forward to the conversations and debate this weekend. Let’s ensure we have healthy and respectful debate on all the issues. Lastly, I hope everyone enjoys our special guest tomorrow, and I believe,… his timely message.”
In closing, Jackson thanked the members for their continued work serving Islanders daily. She thanked the board of directors, the executive, staff, stewards, and all UPSE activists, for working together in a common cause to strengthen the Union and improve workplaces. UPSE is a great and diverse Union in Prince Edward Island with members in both the private and public sectors. UPSE Proud!