Since the election of a majority Harper government, the summer of 2011 has been marked with a series of attacks on the job security of CEIU members and the quality of the services we proudly provide the Canadian public.
These cuts are just the tip of the iceberg. They do not include the major slashing of services and jobs expected in the next federal budget in February or March 2012. The current Strategic and Operating Review, forced on all Departments and Agencies by the Conservatives, calls for a five per cent cut in program spending by the 2013-14 fiscal year. This is on top of $11-billion in reductions over the past seven years.
Cuts to date have largely been centred on Service Canada and our term employees. From the above, it is clear that no job or service is safe, regardless of your employer!
The next election is four years away. Collective bargaining will not begin in earnest for several years. The CEIU and its members must focus on an ongoing locally-based fightback campaign involving political action and community/media outreach.
In response, the CEIU is launching ‘Better Service: Time’s Running Out’ – a community-centred national fightback campaign for quality services and jobs. If we are to receive political and public support in our fightback against these cuts, we will have to forcefully demonstrate the negative impacts on individual communities across the country.
Our campaign must be focused on the local level, with support from regional and national levels of the union. Local officers and activists can count on the National Office to provide guidance and ongoing campaign materials. All of us must pull together as never before!
Finally, please make sure that no local activity is taken without informing the CEIU National Office, your appropriate National Vice-President and your Regional Union Office in advance.
The CEIU National Office has prepared a campaign kit to aid our Locals in carrying out our ‘Better Service’ campaign over the next four years. The kit will be updated and added to going forward.
Currently available materials in the campaign kit are listed numerically below. Some of the documents require Locals to replace existing sample text with relevant information about actual/potential service cuts and their impact on your local community/region.
The Campaign Kit
1. An outline of federal workers’ rights to campaign publically and lobby
Many members, including Local officers, are hesitant to become involved ‘politically’ for fear of employer retribution. The document, while somewhat technical in nature, is the most up-to-date of its kind and was prepared by the National Office in the run-up to the May 2011 federal election. As you will see, there is considerable latitude for our campaign activities when applied with common sense.
2. ‘Better Service’ campaign logos and graphics
Roundel
Right click on image to save to your computer.
Campaign masthead
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Standard CEIU masthead
Right click on image to save to your computer.
3. ‘Better Service’ Campaign banners
Each CEIU Regional Union Office has one or more banners identical to the above campaign masthead design in the appropriate official language. These banners can be used for news conferences, information pickets, community events, etc.
Contact your CEIU Regional Union Office to arrange to borrow a banner.
4. ‘Better Service’ Campaign stickers
The CEIU National Office has printed the following sticker in both official languages.
Stickers will be supplied to Locals at or before our mid-September Triennial National Convention in Halifax.
5. A Step-by-step guide to local lobbying of members of parliament
This concise document offers easy-to-follow instruction for lobbying your local Member(s) of parliament to seek support for quality public services and the jobs of CEIU members who provide them.
6. MP Lobby report form
It is essential that the National Office and your Regional Vice-President are aware of the results of your meeting with local Members of Parliament. The National Office has prepared this easy-to-follow report form for Locals to complete after each lobby session.
Download pdf version Download Word version
7. Sample letter to a Member of Parliament
The letter was prepared by the National Office for use by our Kingston, Ontario Local. It is a useful template inasmuch as it contains many of the ‘community impact’ arguments that apply across the country. Of course, you will have to insert facts around your own particular circumstances in your community.
8. Sample issue flyer for public/media distribution at the community level
The following downloadable document was prepared by the National Office for use by our Kingston, Ontario Local. It is a useful template inasmuch as it contains many of the ‘community impact’ arguments that apply across the country. Of course, you will have to insert facts around your own particular circumstances in your community.
9. Sample event news advisory to be sent to local media in advance of campaign activities
The following downloadable document was prepared by the National Office for use by our Windsor, Ontario Local. It is provided only as a template to help you prepare your own advisory to media. And, again,, you will have obviously have to insert local information.
To download the complete set of graphic materials, click here.
Note on file formats
For the sake of simplicity and convenience, downloadable files have been limited to just two formats:
- DOC – This is the old reliable Word file, widely accessible and readable. The latest versions of Microsoft Office offer a DOCX file format with additional bells and whistles. Don’t use this DOCX format; it has tiresome compatibility issues with the DOC format used in Microsoft Office from 2003 to 2007. If you do normally work with DOCX, save your files down to DOC.
- PNG – This is a graphics format file that is easily imported (and then manipulated) into Word documents. All Word files on this page already have graphics included. However, Locals can use these stand-alone PNG graphics files to design and illustrate their own localized custom materials.
Most print shops will prefer that you provide Local materials in a PDF file format. The latest version of Microsoft Word have this built-in as a printer option. If you don’t have access to software to convert your DOC files to PDF, download this free, safe and effective software called ‘Cute PDF’ from:
http://www.cutepdf.com/products/cutepdf/writer.asp
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