Lisa Dobson
NextGen Newsletter - September 2021
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CLC Carol McGregor award
To: Members of the CLC Canadian Council
Greetings,
The Canadian Labour Congress created the Carol McGregor award to recognize the outstanding contributions of a worker with a disability who has made a significant and lasting impact in their union and/or the community by promoting and defending the rights of persons with disabilities.
I am pleased to announce that nominations are once again open for the Carol McGregor CLC Disability Rights Award. Attached is the nomination form. We encourage you to distribute it widely and consider nominating an activist from your affiliate. You can also submit the form on the CLC website, linked here. Any union member or organization may nominate a candidate.
All nominations must be received by the deadline, November 5, 2021. Complete nominations must be submitted via the form on the CLC website, or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
2021 marks the tenth anniversary of the Carol McGregor CLC Disability Rights Award. As workers around the world continue to experience the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this award is animportant opportunity to recognize the efforts and leadership of those advocating for disability justice within the labour movement and our broader communities. Let us celebrate the role of unions in promoting equity and inclusion for workers with disabilities by recognizing those who have championed this important work.
In solidarity,
Bea Bruske
President
Link to letter
2021 IBEW Local 1928 Scholarship Winners
Thank you to everyone who submitted their names and essays for the 2021 IBEW Local 1928 Scholarship Award.
Congratulations go to the four applicants whose essays were randomly drawn:
Christopher Avery
Tori Carter
Hailie Cormier
Faith Grant
All the best in your future endeavors!
July Unit Meetings
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, monthly unit meetings for the month of July only will be cancelled. Please click HERE for more information.
Thank you!
Support for Indigenous Peoples in Canada
June 2021 Unit Meetings
In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, the June 2021 unit meetings will be cancelled. Please click HERE for more information.
May Unit Metings
In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, the May 2021 unit meetings will be cancelled. Please click HERE for more information.
National Day of Mourning
Greetings:
The National Day of Mourning, held annually on April 28th, was officially recognized by the federal government in 1991, eight years after the day of remembrance was launched by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), and has since spread to at least 80 countries around the world. This day is a tribute to those men and women who have died as a result of a workplace illness or accident.
The IBEW was originally formed by workers who wanted to improve safety in their workplace. Our union was formed on the need for safety at a time when 1 in 2 electrical workers were being killed on the job every day; even our own founding President Henry Miller died from a workplace incident. Today, safety continues to be a main focus of our Local Unions mandate; safety is paramount to the IBEW!
With respect to this year’s National Day of Mourning, the theme on April 28th is “The Human Cost of COVID-19”. Right now, millions of workers who have been deemed essential are risking their wellbeing every day and are working tirelessly to keep our country running during this unprecedented time. Many of our IBEW members fall into this category and continue to provide critical services which include healthcare, utilities, telecommunications, railroads, government and construction, just to name a few. However, this pandemic has shown just how vulnerable all workers are. COVID-19 does not discriminate, and we have seen the devastating effects of this virus across the country.
Despite being a year into this pandemic, workers continue to fight for the protections they need to keep themselves safe. This includes access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and the training needed to use it safely, paid sick leave to ensure those feeling unwell can afford to stay home to limit the spread of the virus and paid time off to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. We also must enforce physical distancing in workplaces and the use of PPE especially when physical distancing measures cannot be put into place. Additionally, we encourage all who are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine to please do so. We also ask that you encourage your friends and family to do the same.
No worker should die from their job; workers deserve to arrive home safely at the end of their workday but too many workers are dying from work. Workplace accidents and illnesses are preventable and should never be seen as “just part of the job”. Workers need to be reminded that they have the right to know about the hazards in their workplace and receive the training they need to be able to do their jobs safely. They have the right to participate in decisions that could affect their health and safety and most importantly they have the right to refuse work that could endanger their health and safety or that of others.
April 28th is the day we remember those whose lives were lost and those whose lives were forever changed because of something that happened in their workplace. It is also the day when we resolve to make every workplace a safe and healthy place to earn a living.
Even though the pandemic has limited our ability to meet in person, vigils and ceremonies are still being held virtually. The CLC has compiled a list of events being held by local District Labour Councils and Federations of Labour. Please consult the list to see what is available in your area. The CLC will also be holding a Facebook event throughout the day in which they will share videos, stories, and images of workers that lost their lives from COVID-19 on the job. They ask that you comment and post the names or stories of additional workers who lost their lives at work throughout the past year.
Additionally, on the evening of April 28th at 7pm EDT, they will be hosting a phone banking session as part of their digital organizing series. They are asking supporters to register to call people across the country, asking them to take action on paid sick leave. (Please note, this session will be in English only).
While we can’t meet in person, we can hold virtual memorials and share a moment of silence over video or teleconference. We must continue to bring visibility to the importance of commemorating the National Day of Mourning. We must insist that all levels of government do more to enforce existing health and safety laws and vigorously prosecute violations when a worker is killed or seriously injured.
We owe it to the families who have lost their loved ones to preventable workplace accidents and illnesses to do better for today’s workers. Everyone deserves to return home to their loved ones at the end of the day.
In solidarity,
Tom Reid
Tom Reid
International Vice President
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Administrative & Technical Support workers at Dalhousie University and the Agricultural campus in Truro
Good morning:
844 Administrative & Technical Support workers at Dalhousie University and the Agricultural campus in Truro have been trying to bargain a fair contract with their employer for the past seven months.
They may be forced to go out on strike because their employer is refusing to remove a proposal that would strip them of the new Federal Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) enhancement, which is a benefit all working Canadians who contribute to the plan receive.
Please see below for a link to the NSGEU campaign to send a letter of support:
https://nsgeu.ca/home_page/protect-dals-pension-send-a-message-of-support/23543/
IBEW LOCAL 1928
Suite 204
14 McQuade Lake Crescent
Bayers Lake Industrial Park
Beechville NS B3S 1B6
P: 1 800 450 5366
F: 902 450 5080