In This Issue:

1. Message From Chief Steward - Unit 1

2. CUPE 3903 Press Statement

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1. Message >From Chief Steward - Unit 1

With the strike entering week 4, negotiations were re-started with the Employer, only to have the Employer put out nasty press releases mischaracterizing our position and, by most accounts, outright lying about what was happening at the table.  As such, things are likely to get even busier and more intense in the coming weeks.  With that in mind, it is more crucial than ever that members get involved in making the decisions that guide this strike, ranging from technical matters of how to streamline coffee-delivery to the lines to broader questions of strategy, and I'd like to remind folks that all meetings in the Union are open to all members.
 
The Executive meets everyday.  We are the elected body that bottomline all major decisions in between GMMs.  We welcome input at any time, emails are welcome, but most effective is having people actually attend and participate in meetings - our last few meetings have had participation from many non-exec members and they have been very effective.  Only exec members can vote, but input from all members is taken seriously.  All meetings are at Strike HQ.  Currently our schedule looks like this:
 
Mon - 5-7pm
Tues - 12-2pm.
Wed - 12-2pm
Thurs - 12-2pm
Fri - 5-7pm.
 
The Strike Committee meets everyday, except when there are GMMs.  This committee is an extension of the Stewards Council and is open to all members - anyone present may discuss and vote in any matter.  This committee makes minor decisions regarding picket and strike activity and makes recommendations on larger issues to the Executive or to the GMM for official decision-making.  We strive to achieve representation from all picket lines and sub-committees and the more people involved the more effective our action will be.  This is the best and most important way to plug into the decision-making and operationalization of strike activities!  We are developing and building upon a broad strategy for winning/ending the strike, and we hope to carry that discussion on into next week and the weeks following.  Our schedule looks like this:
 
Mon - 12-3pm, HQ.
Tues - 7-10pm, Concord Cafe (Bloor/Ossington).
Wed - 6-9pm, HQ.
Thurs - 6-9pm, HQ.
Fri - 3:30-6pm, HQ.
 
The Bargaining Team meets often, sometimes on their own and sometimes with the Employer.  All members are encouraged to attend these meetings - it is CUPE 3903 policy that all members can participate in bargaining committee meetings, and a special provision was added to our bargaining protocol for this round, back in July, that stated that CUPE 3903 would exercise our right to have observers in all meetings with the Employer.  It is important that we take full advantage of this right - more people in the room helps to show the Employer that we are strong and united behind our demands.  Only bargaining team members can vote, but all members have the right to speak during bargaining team meetings.  Only BT members can speak when bargaining with the Employer.  Those meetings do not take place at regularly scheduled times, but the Bargaining Team will publicize all meetings with as much advance notice as possible on the strike website, www.3903strike.ca and over the SC list.
 
There are plenty of other subcommittees, ranging from the media committee to the food committee, that meet on a regular basis.  Again, all of these meetings are open to your participation, please refer to the calander on the 3903strike website for regular updates of all meeting times/locations.  Every effort is being made to see that meetings are planned and publicized with as much advance notice as possible, in order to accomodate folks who would like to attend.
 
Thanks as always to the hundreds of incredible people who have been making this strike a success.  We are engaged in one of the most difficult processes some of us will ever face, and we are responding with courage and resolve.  The challenges will continue, and we need to work together to overcome our differences, build on our shared goals and create a strike - and a Union - that we can be proud of.  You can always write to me, or any member of the Exec, with any concerns you may have and we will do our best to address them.
 
From now until the moment the strike is over, I am yours in the struggle,
 
Tyler Shipley
Chief Steward, Unit 1

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