By - Jack Profijt Many people have come to me lately and say "you need to get this or you need to get that at the bargaining table" or " you need to fight for this or that". I am beginning to think that our local is a little misguided on how the bargaining process works. So I will make an effort to enlighten you and clarify something. The negotiating team is just the voice of the bargaining unit. We are not the ones that do the fighting.
The people that do the fighting are the bargaining unit members. By electing me, and the five others on the negotiating team, you have chosen to use our voices, and our faces, to be used on your behalf in YOUR fight. The thing that we need to remember here is, we will get the collective agreement that we deserve based on the effort that is put in by you, the bargaining unit members. All of you want different things. If we are divided, things will stay the same, or get worse. If we are united, we can force change for the better to occur.
As I said earlier, the contract we get will be in direct relation to the amount of support from the members, it’s that simple. I realize with showing, or giving support there is a certain amount of risk involved. There is the risk of reprisals, in the form of lost shifts for part time or contract officers. There is risk for full time officers in the form of repeated posts. But there is a greater risk. If you do nothing, the risk is that things will remain the same or get worse. All of us have mortgages, all of us have homes and families and bills to pay. Nothing worth having is ever gained without risk or sacrifice.
The negotiating team is but a piece of much larger unit. We will do our part to get what we deserve, but it is also your time, to help yourselves, and your families.
No comments:
Post a Comment