During the month of November, Regional Vice President, Jeff Sandelli headed west for a series of site visits and meetings.
Site visits in British Columbia (BC) took place during the week November 6th and included stops at New Westminster Parole Office, Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) Pacific Regional Headquarters, Parole Boad of Canada (PBC) Pacific Regional Office, Maple Ridge Parole Office, Belkin Community Residential Facility (CRF), Vancouver Parole Office and the Victoria Parole Office.
The week of November 20th focused on the province of Alberta, where RVP Sandelli attended an Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the PBC Prairie Regional Office in Edmonton, which included members who joined via Zoom from the Prairie Regional Office in Saskatoon. A Special meeting also took place at the Edmonton Area Parole Office where both RVP Sandelli and USJE National President, David Neufeld were able to provide updates and gather site specific information. The final stop on the tour included a Special Meeting at the Calgary Area Parole Office, where long time member/advocate, Alan Beasley, was honoured for his years of Union service.
The engagements offered the opportunity to provide perspective on how our members are serviced through a structure that includes both PSAC and USJE and then further through the RVP program and the local executive to the front-line members. Opportunities for participation at the various levels was encouraged and fostered dialogue around the USJE Triennial convention that took place in July of this year. Topics of focus included items such as the passing of resolutions that formalized the USJE Equity Conference and the implementation of USJE Strike Fund. The members were encouragement to learn more about their USJE dues by visiting the associated USJE web article.
The meetings and interactions were also an opportunity to provide information on USJE’s newly minted Strategic Plan which includes the following 6 priorities;
- Grievances; addressing both historical and current issues for better service delivery.
- Mental Health; Presumptive Injury campaign
- Saving Jobs; National Campaign to highlight important public safety contributions by USJE members in the RCMP in the face of ongoing examination of current National model of contract policing.
- Equity; Ex: advocate for better compensation for members of the CR group
- Bargaining/Strike; Build plans/strategies to prepare for future rounds of collective bargaining and Strikes.
- Engagement/Mobilisation; Implement dynamic strategies to connect with membership.
The groups were also advised of the National call for application for membership on the National Equity Committee (Now closed) in addition to the open call for nominations for the Public Safety Awards (Due by December 22rd). RVP Sandelli and National President David Neufeld impressed once more upon the participants that the work that they undertake daily as public safety personnel, is incredibly important to our country and that USJE would continue advocating and sharing their stories as a means of working towards helping them garner the support they deserve.
Special thanks go out to those that assisted in setting up the meetings and site visits, in particular Morgan Haupt, Heather Todd, Mike Reeves, Cari Rose, Sylvia McDonnell, Stephen Armstrong, Nicole Akhenak, Tanya Katerenchuk and Alex Creamer.