DEAR CUPE 5050 MEMBERS,
Hi everyone, 5050 President Nelson, here. I want to talk to you about the strike votes we have been doing this week and are continuing. This is a really important part of bargaining. I want to make sure we all know what that means, and what our role is as members.
Our bargaining committee does the negotiating, right, but our strength as union members does not live in the bargaining committee. Our strength, our power, is with us. It’s us, the members, all of us, being united and committed to what we know we deserve.
It’s us using that strength to back our negotiators and our demands at bargaining table. That means coming out and voting to support a strong strike mandate. Our vote, our strike mandate, is a show of our power. Why? Because the threat of a work stoppage is our leverage. This is how workers have pushed back against employers since day one of the union movement.
They say there’s strength in numbers, right? If our employer knows that every single one of us is ready to do what it takes to get a fair deal, they will play ball. A strong strike mandate is our bargaining chip.
Now, I know a lot of us just got a raise. But you didn’t just get that raise. They didn’t just give it to us. We fought for it. We demanded it. And because we all worked together to get a strike mandate to help our negotiating team, we got our much deserved raise.
Our demands need to be heard by a strong strike vote. WITHOUT IT WE WILL NOT GET THE EQUITABLE RAISE WE DESERVE. WE WILL NOT GET A BETTER DEFINED BENEFITS PENSION PLAN. WE WILL NOT GET THE SAFETY IN OUR WORKPLACE. WE WILL NOT GET A DECREASE IN OUR WORKLOAD. AND, WE ARE ASKING FOR YEAR ONE $3, YEAR TWO $1, AND YEAR THREE $1 FOR ALL CLASSIFICATIONS! ISN’T THIS WORTH THE FIGHT?
Their offer is year one 3%, year two 2%, and year three 2%. THIS IS NOT A FAIR DEAL WITH THE RISING RATE OF INFLATION!
This is how we protect ourselves. This is how we protect our families. This is how we protect each other. If you have questions, please contact us.
Nelson Scott 902-574-1380
Glenn MacPhee 902-574-1381
Ray Graham 902-574-1382
JUST REMEMBER, IF YOU DO NOT VOTE, IT’S COUNTED AS A “NO” VOTE.
WHEN WE STAND TOGETHER, WE ARE STRONGER!
See you at the vote!
In solidarity,
Nelson Scott, President