February 6, 2008 minutes

FEBRUARY 6, 2008 minutes MINUTES - REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING, NORTH OKANAGAN LABOUR COUNCIL AT KELOWNA AFFILIATES PRESENT Ron Bobowski, CUPW 760 Pat Bulmer, CEP 2000 Glenn Nowag, UFCW 120 Kris Bothe, UBCJA 1370 Jeff Carsience, UBCJA 1370 Ronn Dunn, CUPE 3523 Shane Curveon, ATU 1722 Brad Dunlop, IBEW 213 Maria Tokarchuk, HSA - Kelowna Pat Munro, HSA - Kelowna Shirley Kavaloff, HSA - Kelowna Linda Thiel, HEU - Kelowna Teri MacGillivray, HEU - Kelowna Carol Kenzie, HEU - Kelowna David Porteous, UFCW 120 Gilly Alook, BCGEU Cheryl Stone, UFCW Liz Woods, BC Forum Karen Abramsen, BC Forum Carole Gordon, COTA GUESTS Susan Steen, United Way REGRETS Orion Irvine, CLC rep CALL TO ORDER President Brad Dunlop called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA M/S/C to adopt agenda of February 6, 2008 GUEST SPEAKERS Susan Steen, United Way - Susan is moving to Squamish after this United Way campaign and thanked the NOLC for making her feel welcome. Campaign totals will be announced Feb. 21. President Brad Dunlop thanked Susan for bringing the House of Labour back into the United Way fold. ADOPTION OF PREVIOUS MINUTES M/S/C to adopt minutes of January 9, 2008 with amendment to those copies of the minutes that gave an incorrect meeting location for the February meeting. CREDENTIALS REPORT 20 present with 19 delegates and 1 guest OBLIGATION OF NEW DELEGATES None FINANCIAL REPORT M/S/C to adopt financial report as circulated EXECUTIVE BOARD REPORT/ACTION CORRESPONDENCE a) Kelowna Women's Resources Centre seeks sponsorships for 2nd annual Gert Beadle Event on March 8 - M/S/C to purchase a bronze sponsorship package ($250, which gets our name listed in the program and 2 complimentary tickets.) b) South Okanagan-Boundary Labour Council requests donations of cash or in kind to furnish new office. All its contents were destroyed in a fire last June 27. M/S/C to table to March meeting for more information. REPORTS OF LOCAL UNIONS, COMMITTEE REPORTS, CLC REPORT Orion Irvine, CLC -- The CLC has undertaken a Women's Economic Equality Campaign. The slogan of the campaign will be: "Equality! Once and for all!" The campaign will launch on March 7th, with a major research paper being released at Press Conferences across Canada. On March 8th there will be teach-ins in 30 locations across Canada. More information about the events will be available soon. There are two workshop modules ready to go for the teach-ins. One is an hour-long workshop and the other is 4 hours lons. They will be available soon if you wish to organize teach-ins for your members over the next several months. More information on the campaign will be forthcoming. Labour Councils are starting to plan spring educationals using the "Get Educated" model. If your labour council wishes to have a spring educational, please contact Orion. The CLC Convention Call package has been set out and affiliates and labour councils should be received it shortly. Karen Abramsen - Board of Referees - The NOLC sent a letter to Ron Cannan, MP, expressing concern that there is only one chair in Kelowna -- serving Armstrong to the U.S. border. The appointment of the current chair ends in early March. A new appointment would require training and even a re-appointment of the current chair means there is still only one chair. Telephone hearings in Kamloops do not provide appellants with "natural justice," a cornerstone in the Board of Referees process. Carol Kenzie gave a verbal report on the Bill 29 settlement, which will go to the HEU members for a vote. Brad Dunlop reported IBEW 213 dispute with Sears in the Lower Mainland continues. Shane Curveon reported the ATU will have an arbitration in July over a dismissal case, among other items. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a) Executive nominations/elections Elected were: President - Glenn Nowag Vice Presidents - Kris Bothe, Cheryl Stone, Brad Dunlop Secretary-treasurer - Ron Bobowski Recording secretary - Jeff Carsience Sergeant at Arms - Ronn Dunn Northern delegate - Vacant Southern delegate - Karen Abramsen Trustee - Pat Munro (three-year term. Other trustees are Dave Porteous, whose term expires in 2009 and Andrew Pritchard, whose term expires in 2010.) b) CLC Winter School - Ron Bobowski and Glenn Nowag (if he can make it) will attend the Week 4 Labour Council Officers course. c) MPs lobby - We haven't had the chance to set up meetings with MPs Cannan and Mayes yet. d) Municipal election strategy committee recommendations were discussed and will be brought to the Labour Council officers course. Campaign slated to begin April 9. We hope for more participation in the committee from Vernon delegates. NEW BUSINESS a) NOLC pins - M/S/C to get an estimate from Flagg and Company (a union pin maker in Vancouver, we've used them before) on the cost of ordering NOLC pins. FINAL CREDENTIALS REPORT 21 total with 20 delegates and 1 guest GOOD AND WELFARE Karen Abramsen - It is with great sadness that I am reporting that longtime union brother Bill Stewart passed away on January 30. Bill served in various elected positions in the trade union movement, including the IAM and IBEW. Bill will be greatly missed by his life partner, Dora, as well as his friends in the Kelowna Peace Group and Council of Canadians, Kelowna chapter, to name a few. Bill's strength of his beliefs made a lasting impression on family, friends and colleagues, truly transcending generations throughout his life. His memorial was held in Peachland on Feb. 3 and was a moving tribute to his life. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Pat Bulmer, recording secretary. The next meeting will be Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 7 p.m., at the NOLC office, 201A 1358 St. Paul St., Kelowna. (Next Vernon meeting April 9)

FEBRUARY 6, 2008 minutes

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