 Ladies and gentlemen, MoBros and MoSistas, the time has come for us to start thinking about that most wondrous time of year – MOVEMBER!
No matter what your ’stache growing abilities are, there is a way for you to get involved in Movember! See below for information on CUPE 960's/OPL’s Movember campaign to raise awareness and support for Prostate Cancer Canada. Women – feel free to grow out your leg hair instead! Men – join right in! Even if you decide against hair growth, donations are welcome throughout the month either online or we will be getting donation boxes in staff areas of the library. Encourage your family/friends/partners/kids – whoever – to join our team!! You can join online or just donate in person. We will get donation boxes at all locations ASAP. Join Our Movember team Follow these steps to join the OPL’s Movember team, and you can begin to raise donation funds online
Share your progress Use the hashtag (or should we say ’stachetag) #OPLStache to show off your progress as your go from clean shaven babyface to mountain man or fun fake stash for the ladies. Movember Bake Sale Friday, November 22 at McLaughlin Buy Movember baked goods! This is also jeans day! Yum yum.
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PFLAG Canada Durham Region's Gender Neutral Restroom Challenge Nov
2013 November 1st 2013 – November 30th 2013 Durham Region + Where ever you are The challenge: Don't use any gendered restrooms or change rooms for the month of November. What are "gendered bathrooms"? Gendered bathrooms are designated for "men" or "women" by a sign. This challenge includes ALL gendered multi-stall and single-stall washrooms, and the bathrooms at work, schools, libraries, bars/restaurants, and everywhere, really. There are multiple purposes for this challenge: 1) To give people who don't find going to gendered bathrooms a difficult/unsafe experience a small idea of what it is like for trans and gender variant people to navigate this world. Hopefully, with some real life experience, you will have a broader understanding of how gendered this world really is. But, DOING THIS DOES NOT GIVE YOU AUTHORITY TO SAY WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE TRANS OR GENDER VARIANT. 2) To inspire people to fight for more gender neutral bathrooms. Tips: - Don't drink a lot of liquid if you are leaving the house for long periods of time - Try to figure out where some gender neutral bathrooms are in your town/city, and plan your day around using a gender neutral bathroom. - Remember, you can use gendered bathrooms again in Dec. Some people can't. And, even if you really have to go to the bathroom, try to not see gendered bathrooms as a possible place to go. If you do have to use a Gender specific washroom - Donate $1.00 each time to PFLAG Durham Region (Keep track and donate at the end of the month) http://pflagdurhamregion.com/ We also recommend fighting for gender neutral bathrooms in one (or more) public space(s). Often the fight for this aspect of bathroom accessibility is only fought for by trans and gender variant people; It would be nice if other people fought for it too. Any new bathroom can be listed on http://safe2pee.org/ Inspired by Jake Ely Feldman, Shay Enxuga and PFLAG Durham Region, now it is your turn to also Inspire change!  General Membership Meeting
Tuesday, October 29 Legends Centre Program Room 5:30 pm Agenda
Next meeting: Friday, November 22 at 5:15 at Jess Hann  CUPE 960 has one delegate at this year's convention and she has been very active attending events and convention proceedings day and night. Our delegate, Tiffany Balducci, has also been to the microphone twice so far to speak on library and young worker issues. As a first-time delegate speaking to over 2,000 delegates, this is very exciting! Following a stimulating and lively panel discussion on how to “re-invent” the labour movement in Canada, the draft Strategic Directions plan for 2013-15 was introduced for its first phase of debate at convention. Focusing on the introductory section and the first strategic priority – “Strengthen and Expand our Membership”—delegates responded to the document with passionate and enthusiastic commentary. Debate included suggestions about what some delegates felt was missing from the document, as well as proposals to strengthen and otherwise improve the plan. Several delegates spoke of the importance of not just “talking the talk” but “walking the walk”** of including young workers in the plan. In addition, the importance of engaging new Canadians and translating materials into the languages they speak was suggested. Other delegates said it was important to “rebuild the machine” of organized labour as CUPE embarks on the Fairness project. Several delegates spoke to the importance of providing sufficient resources—both financial and human—to locals to implement Unite for Fairness. The document was referred back to the committee to incorporate comments and suggestions from delegates. A revised document will be presented to Convention for further examination, debate and approval as Convention continues. **this is a direct quote from our delegate, Tiffany Balducci 
Our President and delegate, Tiffany Balducci, at the microphone speaking to over 1,000 CUPE convention delegates.
 This year's convention has been like none other! A young worker was nominated from the floor to run for CUPE National President against Paul Moist. This worker, Lydia Dobson, received approximately 19% of the votes which is a testament to direct action and democracy. Paul Moist won the position of CUPE National President and gave a very moving speech with his family on stage with him. Another very exciting event at the convention has been the online presence! Locals are live tweeting under the hashtag #cupe50 and we are seeing and sharing updates constantly. CUPE 960 has an awesome Twitter presence and you can see these tweets here. Today we rallied for Blue Collar workers in Quebec City to show solidarity and that CUPE Members unite for fairness. It was a great demonstration and a strong message. Don't forget to watch live streaming updates and photos at cupe50.ca  Did you know that CUPE Local 960 often gives back to the community?
Earlier this year, our members voted to donate $1,000 to the PFLAG Durham Region LGBTA Youth Leadership Camp. That's no small amount for a local our size! Also, it was enough to pay for an entire camp experience for one LGBTA youth. We're proud to have the opportunity to give back and appreciate all that PFLAG does for our community. CUPE promotes and defends the rights and freedoms of LGBTTA persons. Our active participation in coalitions, lobbying and campaigns contributes to the education and awareness of the lives and perspectives of LGBTTA people amongst CUPE members, within CUPE structures, in workplaces and communities. CUPE 960 promotes equality in the workplace and everywhere in the world. We work to inspire change in the Community and always work to follow CUPE's Equality Statement: Union solidarity is based on the principle that union members are equal and deserve mutual respect at all levels. Any behaviour that creates conflict prevents us from working together to strengthen our union. As unionists, mutual respect, cooperation and understanding are our goals. We should neither condone nor tolerate behaviour that undermines the dignity or self-esteem of any individual or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment. Discriminatory speech or conduct which is racist, sexist, transphobic or homophobic hurts and thereby divides us. So too, does discrimination on the basis of ability, age, class, religion and ethnic origin. Sometimes discrimination takes the form of harassment. Harassment means using real or perceived power to abuse, devalue or humiliate. Harassment should not be treated as a joke. The uneasiness and resentment that it creates are not feelings that help us grow as a union. Discrimination and harassment focus on characteristics that make us different; and they reduce our capacity to work together on shared concerns such as decent wages, safe working conditions, and justice in the workplace, society and in our union. CUPE’s policies and practices must reflect our commitment to equality. Members, staff and elected officers must be mindful that all sisters and brothers deserve dignity, equality and respect. We have very exciting things happening in the library! Your social committee, which is a committee of CUPE 960, has been hard at work planning fun events for you to attend! Don't forget that the Christmas Party is December 7th at Octaviens. Before that - we have these events to tell you about!
We've started free lunchtime yoga sessions! Our instructor, Brant, is a volunteer from PYC Yoga in Oshawa and is donating his time to help us here at OPL! Yoga meets once a week at 12:10 and 1:10 at the McLaughin Branch on Wednesdays until the end of November. Stay tuned for some updates on location and we also may try out some new dates in case people who can't make Wednesdays would like to come. It's getting a great response! We've also started a lunchtime Book Club for OPL staff! Today we are discussing The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay. National Canadian Bestseller CBA Libris Award “Book of the Year” Nominee O Magazine July 2012 “The Books of Summer” pick Book of the Month Club – “Blue Ribbon Pick” “I am Moth, a girl from the lowest part of Chrystie Street, born to a slum-house mystic and the man who broke her heart.” So begins The Virgin Cure, a novel set in the tenements of lower Manhattan in the year 1871. As a young child, Moth’s father smiled, tipped his hat and walked away from her forever. The summer she turned twelve, her mother sold her as a servant to a wealthy woman, with no intention of ever seeing her again. These betrayals lead Moth to the wild, murky world of the Bowery, filled with house-thieves, pickpockets, beggars, sideshow freaks and prostitutes, where eventually she meets Miss Everett, the owner of a brothel simply known as “The Infant School.” Miss Everett caters to gentlemen who pay dearly for companions who are “willing and clean,” and the most desirable of them all are young virgins like Moth. Through the friendship of Dr. Sadie, a female physician, Moth learns to question and observe the world around her, where her new friends are falling prey to the myth of the “virgin cure”–that deflowering a “fresh maid” can heal the incurable and tainted. She knows the law will not protect her, that polite society ignores her, and still she dreams of answering to no one but herself. There’s a high price for such independence, though, and no one knows that better than a girl from Chrystie Street. – From the publisher “A finely crafted and remarkably researched tale.” --The Walrus (Canada) “Thought provoking and beautifully rendered…” -Booklist “Strongly delineated characters and a vivid historical backdrop … [a] reflective novel, which quietly conveys fierce indignation about the savagery with which the rich prey on the poor in a world ruled by money.” - Kirkus What kind of events would you like to see at the library for staff? Our National Executive Board met on September 25-26, 2013 in Ottawa. These are the highlights of their deliberations and decisions.
In Memory The National Executive Board observed a minute of silence to reflect upon the loss of members of our CUPE family. NEB Resolution - Support for Refugees in Syria and Neighbouring Countries The United Nations estimates that almost 7 million Syrians inside of Syria are in need of assistance. In the two-and-a-half year civil war, more than 100,000 people have been killed. The National Executive Board passed a resolution to donate $10,000 to Oxfam Canada to support their work in aiding refugees impacted by the Syrian conflict. CUPE's 50th Anniversary On September 24, 1963, the Canadian Union of Public Employees was founded, through the merger of two rival unions NUPE and NUPSE. The board, staff, and others gathered in the atrium at national office to celebrate with cake and speeches. The Board received a presentation from an Ottawa area archivist who was hired to pull together the documents, photos, audio and video that record CUPE's rich history. Unite for Fairness The Board received an update on CUPE's Unite for Fairness project; our initiative to reach out to our rank and file through one-on-one conversations. Financial Support The National Executive Board approved 15 cost-share campaign requests, totally $622,014. Five requests for legal and arbitration support were approved, totalling $133,696. National Convention With National Convention only weeks away, preparation is in high gear. The Board discussed and finalized the draft Strategic Directions paper for presentation to the National Convention delegates and reviewed final preparations for Quebec City. The Board expects this convention to be the largest ever. We are on our way to support the 16 workers in Bonfield who have been on strike since August, 5 of which were fired! CUPE Ontario writes: After publicly stating that he’s hopeful a resolution can be worked out to end the six-week Bonfield municipal strike, Mayor Randall McLaren fired five municipal workers today, a provocative tactic designed to intimidate the workers, charges the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing the 16 Bonfield municipal workers. “While he publicly states that he’s looking forward to seeing the union’s proposal to help reach a deal and end this strike, he comes out and fires one-third of the bargaining unit,” said Steve Boyle, CUPE National Representative. “Instead of a proposal, he will be receiving a labour board complaint for his latest stunt.” “This Mayor’s latest volley will not help end the strike, in fact it will have the opposite effect,” continued Boyle. “Unfortunately, it is the Bonfield community that will be most affected by the Mayor’s latest tactic as the strike will drag on and residents will be without important public services.” The workers have been on strike since August 1. The Mayor claims that the five fired workers were preventing two councillors and others (who were trying to participate in a ‘special’ meeting that the Mayor called in very short notice to prevent the public from participating fully) from leaving the Bonfield Parish Hall on August 15. Prior to the attempted August 15 meeting, scheduled to be held at 4:00 p.m. (when most residents were still at work), the Mayor cancelled several meetings and in fact there have been no public meetings since July. “The residents had found out about the meeting and had come to the Parish Hall to let the Mayor know they wanted him to restore public services,” said Boyle. “The residents will be unhappy the Mayor is firing workers without true cause. CUPE will support our members fully and will do what it takes to have the workers reinstated.” “All along, the Mayor has been trying to break the union and intimidate the workers – that is why our members ended up on strike to defend ourselves,” continued Boyle. “The Mayor’s latest stunt will only prolong the strike.” For further information, please contact: Steve Boyle James Chai |
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