Solidarity to our Sisters & Brothers of CUPE Local 227 & 1431

Dear member,

I am sharing below a letter that was sent to me from CUPE President Danny Cavanagh regarding the Halifax Water lockout of CUPE members. We want them to know that their union Brothers and Sisters are there to support them in their fight for fairness and for a decent pension, so if you have time to walk the line, or even send their Local presidents a message of support, I am sure it would be greatly appreciated.

In solidarity,

Joan Jessome

President, NSGEU

Halifax Water Locks out CUPE members

Sisters and Brothers, as you may have read and heard in the media we have two CUPE locals that are currently locked out and have been since May 19th at about 12:30 a.m. Picket lines were set up at 8 a.m. on Tuesday morning this week. Members returning to end their shift on Monday night/Tuesday morning could not access the buildings that night and were locked out.

At 10 a.m. on Tuesday both locals returned to the bargaining table to work to get a settlement while members remained locked out. After 10 grueling hours of talks, they broke off unable to get a settlement. In speaking with the two presidents and in a media release it seems Halifax water has no real interest in actually bargaining and continued to refuse to move one bit on the pension issue, the main sticking issue in this dispute. Halifax water wants to gut member’s pensions with a reduction in member’s pension benefits by about 30%.

Local 227 represents 230 outside workers with Halifax Water, while Local 1431 represents 105 inside workers. I was on the line with them first thing on Tuesday morning at a short rally at 8 a.m. A few hours later our national president Brother Paul Moist who happened to be in the province for an event in Bridgewater joined me when together we visited two sites and 6 picket lines on Tuesday.

I am writing to ask that you please support these 335 CUPE members on lockout by visiting the picket lines at the locations across the city, maybe bring them a gift card for some coffee or food. Gift cards are better and can be used as needed at each of the picket locations.So watch for more updates and we will do our best to bring updates on the situation and letters of support and or gift cards can be sent to the address below:

Canadian Union of Public Employees

c/o Striking Water Locals in Halifax

271 Brownlow Avenue

Dartmouth, NS B3B 1W6

I would encourage you to write the locals, each of them messages and or letters of solidarity and or send emails of support.

CUPE 4131 president is Sister Heather Corkum her email is heather.corkum@hotmail.com

CUPE 227 president is Brother Dave Dort and his email is edavedort@hotmail.com

Sisters and Brothers, as leaders of affiliated unions in our province we all know that we must stand together in any and every battle we encounter. I am asking that your members and locals stand with them shoulder to shoulder as the take on this employer and protect their pensions. This fight is all of our fight and we cannot allow any employer to strip away our pensions, that’s if you’re lucky enough to have a pension, and more than half our members don’t.If we ever want to achieve pensions for all, that makes this battle that much more important.

Picket Lines are up at these locations and we hope to see members come out and support us in what may be a long dispute.

Picket locations are at:

1. Main Offices, 450 and 455 Cowie Hill Road, Halifax
2. Halifax Wastewater Treatment Facility, 2180 Upper water Street, Halifax
3. Park Ave Depot, 2 Park Avenue, Sackville
4. Mann St Depot, 20 Mann St., Bedford.
5. Mill Cove Wastewater Treatment Facility, 166 Waterfront Dr., Bedford
6. Eastern Passage Wastewater Treatment Facility, 1039 Main Road, Eastern Passage
7. Dartmouth Wastewater Treatment Facility, Mawiomi Pl, Dartmouth (Next to NSCC Waterfront campus) Bissett Road Depot, 213 Bissett Road, Cole Harbour
8. Neptune Depot, 36 Neptune Crescent, Dartmouth
9. Aerotech Wastewater Treatment Facility, Aerotech Drive, Goffs (Drive till you see the line)

If you have any questions you may direct them to myself, I am sure you understand that both local presidents are working hard every day with many logistical picket line and other issues.

They would be happy to get your message of solidarity.

Below is the link to their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/yourwaterandwastewaterourwork/

In Solidarity

Danny Cavanagh

President CUPE Nova Scotia