PSAC Prairie Region Leaders Strategy Session

December 3, 2007 - Winnipeg MB

Defending Quality Public Services Action Plans:

The goal of the Defending Quality Public Services (DQPS) Action Plan is;

• To educate the public by bringing public awareness to the importance and need for Public Services.

What specific action will support this goal and who should undertake them?

• Create an awareness campaign through television, newspapers, magazines and internet that will target populations that need public services.
• Media and advertising play a key role in getting community engaged in campaigns
• “Did You Know” Postcard Campaign; bring business case to Prairie Region, do a cost analysis/budget of a campaign; personalize the post cards for various public services and how a loss of public services affect the public and their families

In order to get the participation of others on these actions:

• Need to lobby and educate in order to engage the membership
• Provide funding for those that participate

Our immediate attention regarding this issue should be focused on:

• Need of local and national support and funding for these campaigns
• Need of the research to back up campaigns
• Discussions about this campaign at AGM’s, Federation of Labour Meetings and events, Lunch and Learns, in order to educate members and create a united force

Summary of Ideas Generated for Defending Quality Public Services:

• EOC and equity groups can initiate letter writing campaign that can create awareness of the issues affecting DQPS for Persons with Disabilities
• Personalize issues for members in order to mobilize within the community
• Area Councils should have specific goals or issues that they are focusing on
• Lobbying; lobby Members of Parliament in your area (we have PM Steven Harper, and TB Minister Vic Toews in our Region) by arranging standing appointments; Clearly provide information to MPs on the issues affecting our membership and DQPS; Show  PWD, Aging population, poverty
• Locals; keep Union boards updated, educate members about the various issues related to the DQPS Campaign, ask Members what issues are important for them
• Develop effective alliances i.e. RWC and HRC, to collectively take action
• Use your initiative – Do not wait for someone to take the lead
• Contribute to the development of a public media campaign aimed at educating members and the public; show support for PSAC to develop Media Campaigns
• Survey membership and ask them about how they feel about the Public Services they provide.  Survey ‘clients’ and assess the response and provide responses to Media and MPs
• Ally with other unions – Joint Media Blitz
• Talk to family, friends, neighbors, coworkers about the services that are public and the importance of supporting those services
• RVP and NVP go out into the Region and “rally the troops”, provide the support that members need and give direction on how they could be involved
• Mentor/Femtor other structures (committees, locals) on how to action DQPS
• Focus DQPS from a Component Perspective, do your research and provide information about the Services that are provided within your own Component

Membership Renewal Action Plans:

The goal of the membership renewal plan is to:

• Attract and develop members, leaders and activists at all levels of the Union,
• Involve one member per month per component and to encourage members to be active by our example
• Re/engage the membership which can be measured through participation

What specific action will support this goal and who should undertake them?

• The PSAC should undertake the following specific actions to support this goal; redeveloping the Membership Information Kit and creating a Mentorship Tool Kit. 

As well, the PRC should provide ongoing leadership training in order to support this goal.

• Face to face meetings and informal discussions at the Local Level
• RWC, HRC, AC chairs and committee members could make presentations at Union and education courses.  Union leaders and activists can be more visible day to day.

In order to get the participation of others on these actions:

• National office should develop current and effective Information / Tool Kits,
• Challenging existing activists to have informal discussion and face to face meetings,
• Participation is largely dependent on what interests the member; we should look at innovative ideas and restructuring how we deliver information.  We have to ask what interests them and what they would like to do.  We also need to make participation accessible (child care, transportation). 

Our immediate attention regarding this issue should be focused on:

• Financial approval, resolutions to Convention, and input from different bargaining agents for the creation of individual information kit,
• Apathy and lack of interest across the membership need to be replaced with the energy that supports our actions to be treated as a priority,
• Increase youth involvement by asking them what they want from their union.  We need to remember that we serve the needs of the members.

If our success was completely guaranteed we would choose or propose that the following steps be taken:

• Organize, Expand and increase Social Justice Fund to $30 million dollars,
• Motivate and encourage two members per month per Component,
• Workplace action

We support each other in taking the next step by:

Developing networks, lobbying and by being a mentor,

• Word of mouth, talking about the Union and our goals with our co-workers, family, friends and communities.  Establishing email trees as a way to increase communication throughout the region,

Some of the challenges that may come our way include:

• Apathy, new employees, management intimidations, geographic barriers (distance), Union bashers, the Union “glass” ceiling, funding

We will resolve these challenges by:

• Supporting each other, giving our time, and standing by our Union principles

Summary of Ideas Generated for Membership Renewal:

• Speak to individual about areas of the Union that interest them, challenge or encourage new activists to take on and question the more experienced Union Leadership
• Never give up, make it fun by educating, communicating and engaging and provide a variety of opportunities for members to meet
• New Members - Meet with new members on an individual basis and be well prepared to answer questions, create informal conversations with members and commit to passing that information along to Leaders; talk with new members not to them – effective communication; Explain the “benefits” of this participation, i.e. Leadership skills, facilitation skills, etc.
• Encourage participation in the Local Executive; Hold a short training session with all local executives on local development ie. what is an effective local and things to look for
• Utilize the current networks and resources to implement and encourage renewal
• Address youth to take up a union activity in a different unique approach; get the youth involved with the Local by listening to them
• Explore with member how they would like to be involved, provide continuous engagement and create a common goal
• Work with different internal groups
• Educate the membership about the alternative with out union support life would be different i.e. management driven
• Organize member interests (info section survey), collect all of the ideas generated today and act on these most appropriate for your situation
• Provide orientation and transformational opportunities for involvement, educated new members in regard to their rights as union members and make sure orientation committee are active
• Take an active leadership role – words translated into action
• Promote activities that allow members to participate at their own comfort level ie. non political. Make it easy for members to participate – determine their interests. Know who they are representing in youth/equity and what their issues are
• Host a world café bringing together the youth, equity, visible minorities, etc to discuss our issues and broaden our knowledge to share with our members
• Find new creative ways to involve our members in the Union
• Mentor/Femtor and empower, stay in touch – stay grounded
• seek resources – share resources- use resources
• Show enthusiasm in the union, share and promote positive accomplishments
• Make 500 years of oppression speech
• Consult, listen and collectively create a Local plan of action to involve new members, develop goals specific to interests of the local membership – goals now become achievable
• Social event; host an annual event i.e. BBQ and invite new members and new activists and serve
• Gala event with live music, comedy, participant interactive role playing, fine food and drink.  The idea would be to intersperse the entertainment and pleasure with knowledge and information

Collective Bargaining Mobilization Action Plan

The goal of the collective bargaining mobilization plan is to:

• involve and inform members
• develop strong communication between all levels within the Union
• effectively use Area Coordinators

 What specific action will support this goal and who should undertake them?

• Use Alliance Facilitators to develop Lunch & Learn ½ hour modules
• Have a way of showing our Unity (black ribbon, T-shirts, buttons, stickers)
• Leaders in our region take an active role (RVP, NVP, Branch Presidents, PRC, Committees, Area Coordinators)

In order to get the participation of others on these actions:

• Use the networks already established and develop new networks

Our immediate attention regarding this issue should be focused on:

• Who is undergoing Collective Bargaining
• Know where your Area Coordinators are

If our success was completely guaranteed we would choose or propose that the following steps be taken:

• Coordinate and draw on the commitment of members
• Encourage new ways to mobilize members
• Use the Regional Rep, Alliance Facilitators, Prairie Region Council Members and Equal Opportunity Committees

We support each other in taking the next step:

• Through effective communication
• By working in solidarity with each other

Some of the challenges that may come our way include:

• Resources and funding
• Negative feedback

We will resolve these challenges:

• Through participation of Area Councils

Summary of Ideas Generated for

Collective Bargaining Mobilization Action Plan:

• Utilize networks that are already established, inform allies and incorporate them
• Encourage membership to support picket lines and create allies
• Focus on the gains during bargaining
• Initiate and promote discussions about the issues with everyone
• Communication; Direct member mail-outs to home and work, i.e. desk drops. Consistently provide members updates on negotiations and what challenges are being faced at the bargaining Table (use all forms of media, i.e. Website)
• Hold a meeting with Local Presidents and inform them of what is happening with PSAC and the Employer.  Encourage Presidents to take the Leadership role on strike committees
• Encourage face to face meetings with members to make sure they understand the issues relating to negotiations
• Inspire up/down communication from the Table to the Members and back
• Ensure members know the steps of the Collective Bargaining process i.e. CB surveys
• Prepare members for all possible outcomes
• Educate members on what role they play in the collective bargaining process
• Connect with Labour Councils, Federations of Labour and the public to whom we provide services and garner support
• Mobilize members to seek the best outcomes, show support for one another
• Generate new ways to mobilize members that are reflective our diversity
• Survey outstanding demands that were not ratified
• Be positive
• Be visible – Support and show up and lead the example
• Gather allies
• Select an issue that members would support and focus initially on that issue