DIRECTOR’S REPORT BC/YUKON REGION September, 2008

Dear Members and Colleagues,

Here is a summary of my activities as your Director for the month of September 2008, along with other worthwhile news.

THE NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Board of Directors

The Board met on September 25th and 26th. Corporately, we spent time getting ready for the upcoming AGM by reviewing some policies and By-Laws that we will introduce. We also looked at the disposition of carried resolutions from last year’s AGM. Of interest to our members who travel on behalf of the Institute, the Finance Committee recommended a new approach, which was approved by the Board, to keep our travel directives relevant in view of ever-increasing gas prices. In a nutshell, the cap at which we reimburse members who wish to drive when otherwise they would have been required to fly will be revisited every time Annex A of the Travel Directive is reviewed.

National Campaigns

The Institute and the Board of Directors periodically launch national campaigns on your behalf. I urge you to visit the main page of our Web site at least weekly and participate in these events. Without you backing our efforts, these campaigns will go unnoticed. Initiatives such as the www.foodsafetyfirst.ca  campaign are important issues where numbers can make a difference. I am certain that if you were to find yourself in such a situation , you would like to feel the support of 50,000 plus members behind you!

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee met on September 20th. The audited financial statements for the fiscal year ending May 31st 2008 were reviewed and a recommendation was made to the Board of Directors for their approval. The Institute recorded a deficit of ($1,129,286) for the fiscal year ending May 31st 2008, compared to a budgeted deficit of ($1,729,270). Note that the budgeted deficit includes the membership dues at their current level. Excluding the investment in the building, the Institute has seen its cash, accounts receivables and investments increased from $7,511,929 at the end of 2006/2007 to $8,120,080 at the end of 2007/2008. The sale of 53 Auriga Drive, which occurred as planned in 2007/2008, injected cash in the order of $507,866 in general revenues.

PIPSC Election

By the time you read this newsletter, the nomination period for the PIPSC election will be closed and the electoral campaign will be in full swing. This year, every member of the BC/Yukon Region will be called upon to cast their vote for the following positions: Vice-President Full-Time (3 year term), Vice-President Part-Time (3 year term) and Regional Director (2 year term). I strongly encourage each and every one of you to take the time to read the materials that you will receive and to seek out supplementary information on an as-needed basis by directly contacting the candidates.

Last year, I challenged you to increase the return rate from the Region by actively participating in this democratic process and you did exactly that! We went from just over a 14% return rate (2006) to a 19% return rate (2007)! We had the second highest return rate in the country, after the Québec Region (at 25%).

Candidates need your vote. Lots of work is being done on your behalf and it is your responsibility to inform yourself of the issues and to cast your vote.

This year, the voting procedure will be conducted electronically for all of you who have signed up for electronic mail. A campaign is actually going on at the Institute to GO GREEN and to register as many members as possible to use the Internet as the principal means of communication between themselves and the Institute. Please sign up to receive your correspondence by e-mail - it's environmentally responsible and takes 30 seconds to make the switch. You'll also have the chance to win some great prizes! The contest closes November 10 so hurry!

ON THE REGIONAL SIDE

The Regional Office

It is with disappointment that I have heard of Carmela Allevato's sudden departure. She was an excellent employee and we were thrilled that she joined the Vancouver team as a future replacement for Nao Fernando, given her experience and expertise as in-house counsel. I wish to extend to her my best wishes in her future endeavours.

Okanagan Branch

I had the pleasure to attend the Okanagan Branch AGM on September 17th. The event was very well attended. Vice-President Gary Corbett was in attendance as he spent a couple of days visiting work sites such as the White Lake Observatory in Penticton and the Pacific Agri-Food Research Center in Summerland.

Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)

I had the pleasure to attend the first AGM of CTC in recent memory. The event took place on September 3rd in Vancouver and many members showed up to listen to their negotiator, Michel Gingras, who updated the membership on the status of their contract negotiations. A brand new Executive was elected. I want to thank the members who came forward to serve their colleagues, namely: Mary Aylesworth (President), Quinn Newcomb (Vice-President), Isabelle Boullet (Secretary), Adam Brownfield (Treasurer) and Michel Dubreuil (Member-at-Large).

Nanaimo Branch

Dee Farough resigned as Branch President effective October 1st. Ed Zdancewicz will assume the role of President.

THE REGIONAL EXECUTIVE

Organization of the Stewards Council and the Open House are progressing. The next meeting of the Regional Executive is scheduled for October 16th. Please contact any members of the Executive or myself if you have any issues that you would like to table for our meeting.

THE STEWARD COUNCIL

The BC/Yukon Stewards Council will be held in Vancouver on October 17th & 18th. Workshops and group-oriented caucuses, along with presentations by Michèle Demers and Walter Belyea are being planned. It will be an exciting day-and-a-half of learning and networking!

Training

The next training session is Steward I Training and is scheduled for November 20th – 22nd. All members that have recently applied for their “stewardship” are required to attend this basic training before being able to carry out work on behalf of the Institute.

ODDS AND ENDS

PIPSC Trivia

Here is your chance to showcase your PIPSC knowledge and/or your research abilities, as all answers can be found on our web page! A winner will be chosen randomly from all correct answers submitted on or prior to Friday, November 7th. A $60 gift certificate is the prize at stake…

Name one of the prizes available in the “Go Green and Win!” contest.

Please reply to schevalier@pipsc.ca and include QUESTION OF THE MONTH (September) in the subject line.

Did you know?

From the book entitled “Research on Unionized Grievance Procedures: Management Issues and Recommendations” (by Richard B. Peterson), I would like to share with you the following key finding. From the industrial relations-based research, Key Finding # 9 states:

“That grievants and their supervisors have poorer performance following grievance settlement than non-grievants and their supervisors.”

Do not hesitate to call me regarding any PIPSC issues that you may have.

Respectfully submitted,

Stéphane Chevalier B.Sc. MBA. P.Eng.
Director, BC/Yukon Region
(250) 363-2321

“The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority.”

-Lord John Emerich Edward Dalberg