Winter is coming — work and union edition
Nov. 15th, 2019 10:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
metawidgetWaiting in line at the workplace flu vaccine clinic with about 200 people wanting to contribute to herd immunity… apparently we're warmer in Ottawa than in Toronto today!
It's been awhile since I've posted here. I'm starting to feel useful in my new position — taught a bunch last week and got certified to access the big repository of business statistical information today (my unit does sufficiently abstract work that six months in isn't bad). It's still only mostly official, but over the winter I get to hand off my duties to my second in command and do a "micro mission" of record linkage work supporting equitable labour practices in the federal public service — I'm looking forward to it, and to being able to walk to work — the office is maybe 20 minutes from home!
I've been in pretty deep in union stuff lately, the PIPSC AGM was Friday and Saturday, and it's always that mix of solidarity and reminders that we're diverse enough that values vary widely, even among the activist core. We made some decisions, some of which were ambitious and others of which prioritized saving money and keeping pressure off our dues which are collected in nominal dollars and so actually squeeze real resources invested per member by the rate of inflation each year — and we probably can't keep increasing membership to compensate. Maybe next year we can deal with this. Our smaller constituent bodies got an increase in their funding formula, though, so rooms can be rented and volunteers can be fed in contemporary dollars.
I'm also taking point on a couple of steward cases. Managing member expectations is tricky, and in our relatively low-conflict workplace, everyone is leaning on all the guidance they can get and being very careful. Things move slowly that way.
It's been awhile since I've posted here. I'm starting to feel useful in my new position — taught a bunch last week and got certified to access the big repository of business statistical information today (my unit does sufficiently abstract work that six months in isn't bad). It's still only mostly official, but over the winter I get to hand off my duties to my second in command and do a "micro mission" of record linkage work supporting equitable labour practices in the federal public service — I'm looking forward to it, and to being able to walk to work — the office is maybe 20 minutes from home!
I've been in pretty deep in union stuff lately, the PIPSC AGM was Friday and Saturday, and it's always that mix of solidarity and reminders that we're diverse enough that values vary widely, even among the activist core. We made some decisions, some of which were ambitious and others of which prioritized saving money and keeping pressure off our dues which are collected in nominal dollars and so actually squeeze real resources invested per member by the rate of inflation each year — and we probably can't keep increasing membership to compensate. Maybe next year we can deal with this. Our smaller constituent bodies got an increase in their funding formula, though, so rooms can be rented and volunteers can be fed in contemporary dollars.
I'm also taking point on a couple of steward cases. Managing member expectations is tricky, and in our relatively low-conflict workplace, everyone is leaning on all the guidance they can get and being very careful. Things move slowly that way.
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Date: 2019-11-16 04:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-11-17 02:11 pm (UTC)