This weekend I'm not going to be able to be outside as much as I'd like, because I have a union meeting to go to in a semi-distant city. This irked me at first, because I love my weekends. I love being outside in the yard if I can -- it's a necessary antidote to the regularly stressful, inside job I have all week long.But then I remembered that part of this weekend's meeting is to submit proposed resolutions which will then be put to a vote by our membership at our convention in the Fall. Our union represents all the direct employees of the Alberta government and tons of people in assorted health care and educational jobs. It represents over 64 000 of us, from clerical staff, to jail guards, to nurses, to park wardens, to school custodians, to social workers and psychologists, to extended care workers. We are quite a diverse group. And so I thought, what an opportunity to bring something into the awareness of such a large group of people all at once!
So this is my draft resolution proposal:
Whereas AUPE is an organization dedicated to the fair and just treatment of its workers, and whereas AUPE also has a strong interest in human rights and equity among all workers, regardless of trade union membership, be it resolved that:
AUPE staff and members use organically produced, fair trade coffee, tea and cocoa products at AUPE headquarters and at all AUPE functions, and that AUPE encourages the use of fair trade products at the facilities it patronizes on a regular basis (e.g., hotels, conference centres, restaurants, caterers, etc.).
We'll see how this goes over at the meeting, and if the wording gets stronger or weaker in order to be approved for submission to the convention....
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4 comments:
best wishes, theresa, for progress at your convention.
I'll be attending Federal Liberal MP Pearson's first of several presentations re climate change and government's role (mentioned in my column a few weeks back)
re your comment back at Mugs:
Heat was the first book in which I'd read about the 90 per cent figure. Absolutely blows me away.
His efforts, related to Britain, are outstanding and very illuminating, in my opinion, for any of Earth's citizens.
GH at Four Mugs and It Strikes me Funny
PS re illustration; I picked up Bamboo drawing utensil with iMac and am having a bit of fun (a picture saves me 1000 words on occasion)
Good on you Theresa I hope, hope your proposal is accepted. One step at a time thats the greatest thing we can all do.
Good luck with your proposal, Theresa. Here in the U.S., unions are in sharp decline. The percentage of American workers in unions today is about 12 percent, compared to 35 percent in the 1950s. Maybe we should move to China? ;-)
Good for you! I'm feeling increasingly motivated by your efforts to exercise your democratic rights and get involved in things.
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