Locals 1778 & 1923
North Vancouver to Ft. Nelson, BC, Canada
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We have a deal! The Council of Trade Unions and BC Rail have reached a tentative settlement 15 days before the expiry of the current collective agreement. Even though the news of a deal will help ease the some of the worry associated with the possibility of a labour dispute this season, stress is still very much a part of our lives. Our feature article will help you to understand stress and how to deal with it. Also in this issue, news from Alaska, Adrian feels like a trainman, a story about the influence of a good union leader, the scoop from Bob, and Junk Yard Dog. Listen! Can you hear that? A faint chorus off in the distance. Is that the sound of munchkins singing? Stressed Out? Although we all talk about stress, it often isn't clear what stress is really about. Many people consider stress to be something that happens to them, an event such as an injury or promotion. Others think that stress is what happens to our bodies, minds and behaviours in response to an event (e.g. heart pounding, anxiety or nail biting). While stress does involve events and our response to them, these are not the most important factors. Our thoughts about the situations in which we find ourselves are the critical factor. When something happens to us, we automatically evaluate the situation mentally. We decide if it is threatening to us, how we need to deal with the situation, and what skills we can use. If we decide that the demands of the situation outweigh the skills we have, then we label the situation as "stressful" and react with the classic "stress response". If we decide that our coping skills outweigh the demands of the situation, then we don't see it as "stressful". Everyone sees situations differently and each person has different coping skills. For this reason, no two people will respond exactly the same way to a given situation. Additionally, not all situations that are labeled "stressful" are negative. The birth of a child, being promoted or moving to a new home may not be perceived as threatening. However, we may feel that situations are "stressful" because we don't feel fully prepared to deal with them. Some situations in life are stress-provoking, but it is our thoughts about situations that determine whether they are a problem to us. How we perceive a stress-provoking event and how we react to it determines its impact on our health. We may be motivated and invigorated by the events in our lives, or we may see some of them as "stressful" and respond in a manner that may have a negative effect on our physical, mental and social well-being. If we always respond in a negative way our health and happiness may suffer. By understanding ourselves and our reactions to stress-provoking situations, we can learn to handle stress more effectively. A Checklist For Stress Here is a checklist of negative reactions to stress and tension:
If you answered "yes" to most of these questions, consider active intervention for reducing or controlling stress.
When you are stressed or depressed, it is not good to run away from the situation. Rest and relaxation are sedentary, avoidant activities that enable physiologically, cognitively and emotionality distressed systems to become less adaptable to their triggers. The body can adapt to unresolved stress with a condition called "learned helplessness", a sub-conscious perception when you feel you can’t do anything about a situation, then you simply stop trying to resolve it. Left to continue, thoughts of hopelessness, low self-esteem, and a pessimistic explanatory style can develop, which can possibly lead to more serious stress-related disorders—like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Active and conscious intervention compels adaptive change, response building and system conditioning. Active stress management involves any or all of the following strategies:
Change the situation Managing your stress by changing situations really means focusing your efforts on doing whatever it is to change the situation or event that you are facing that is bothering you. Change how you react to the situation Sometimes we cannot influence the situations (i.e. people or events) that distress us. For example, we hear people say "change is coming and the pace of that change isn't going to slow down" or "nobody has job security these days." So what can you do when you cannot change situations? You need to focus your effort on changing how you react to those situations. Changing your reaction is what most people think of when they talk about managing stress. This means things like relaxing, proper breathing, meditation, aromatherapy, massage, exercise, and proper nutrition. In other words, anything that serves to relax your body or take care of your physical well-being in the face of stressful situations. Change how you look at the situation "Attitude is everything. Pick a good one." Sally Huss, Artist Some of the biggest contributors to stress are our beliefs or perceptions. Psychologists have long known that how we perceive stressful events is more predictive of our response to stress than the actual stressful events themselves. Thus, if we think about the world in unreasonable or irrational ways we become stressed. So one of the best ways of managing stress is to challenge these unreasonable beliefs. Your thoughts influence your actions and your reactions. By changing these thoughts, you can better manage your stress. Try looking at people or events that stress you from a different point of view or "reframing". When you look at a situation from a different point of view you will react differently to it. So changing how you look at situations, in other words "reframing" the situation, is a great technique for managing stress. And when you have done all you can to manage your reaction (you are exercising, eating properly, taking rest breaks), and you have done all you can to try to change the situation (assert yourself, express your needs, say "no" to commitments you don't want), your only choice left is to change how you look at the situation. And this can be the most effective strategy of all. Getting Help A professional therapist will actively question and support, help develop a clear and sensible rationale, emphasize things taking place between sessions, encourage you to test ideas and question beliefs, help develop achievable goals and encourage you to attribute treatment to your own efforts. In most cases, therapy should have a finite time limit. Your extended health plan will cover 80% of fees for the services of a registered clinical counselor or registered psychologist, up to $500 per year per family member. Typically, this amounts to about six visits. Your family doctor or EFAP contact can refer you, or check the yellow pages under psychologists or counselors. Sources: Mental Health Infosource: American Psychologist’s Assn. VirtualPsych Intellihealth Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation UTU 1997 Regional Meeting Notebook -- www.utu.org
ORANGEVILLE, ON, Sept. 29 /CNW/ - Mayor Rob Adams and President Jacques Coté of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) Eastern Network have announced Orangeville's purchase of the 55.5-kilometre (34.5-mile) line connecting the Town with the main CPR route in Mississauga for $3.5 million. The line will be operated by Cando Contracting Ltd. on behalf of its users - local companies working with the town to ensure the continuation of railway freight service. Hailing the agreement as historic, Mayor Adams said, "By partnering with industry, the Town has been able to secure rail service, save jobs, retain tax income and induce new capital investment in the community. "The Town of Orangeville developed solutions to address what for us was a critical situation," said Mayor Adams. "Several large Orangeville companies relied on rail service for supplies and for shipping their products. "This partnership developed a business plan to purchase the rail line and secured funds from the Province of Ontario and the County of Dufferin," he said. "This led to the formation of OBRAG - the Orangeville Brampton Rail Access Group - which will undertake the costs of maintenance and administration." Speaking for the railway, Mr. Coté said, "We are delighted to have reached this negotiated deal which we feel is a victory for all stakeholders. The shippers will benefit from a low cost shortline operator and the CPR will continue to benefit from the traffic on its mainline operation. "There was an enormous amount of hard work by all of the stakeholders including the town, shippers, Cando, and CPR," said Mr. Coté. The Town of Orangeville's contribution toward acquisition of the line was $750,000, an investment which will secure the retention of four industries that directly employ 500 and pay taxes of $533,000 per year. "Just as important, the Town is able to offer freight rail service to attract new industry and use the rail corridor for other public purposes," said the Mayor. A further $750,000 in funding came from the County of Dufferin, and $2 million from the Province of Ontario. OBRAG's members include Geon Canada Inc., The Clorox Co. of Canada Ltd., Symplastics Ltd., Performance Packaging Inc., Vulsay Industries Ltd. and Holmes Agro Ltd. Cando Contracting Ltd. is a Manitoba-based rail services company with Ontario operations in Kingston, Hamilton, St. Thomas and the Barrie- Collingwood corridor. Meeting Point is published four times yearly for the information and entertainment of the members of United Transportation Union Locals 1778 and 1923 (BC Rail). The Editors of Meeting Point support the concept of free speech and welcome any submissions that may be of interest to our members. Submissions may be made to any Union Officer, E-mail editor@utubc.com or our Web page at www.utubc.com Submissions become the property of Meeting Point. We reserve the right to edit for brevity and clarity. The opinions contained herein are not necessarily those of the Editors or the United Transportation Union. Deadline for submissions: 15 th of Mar, June, Sept., Dec
(and other news from the Canadian Legislative Board) During the Second World War, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers surveyed a route to link the existing rail lines in Canada with Alaska. It is this survey that will form part of a new feasibility study that will take place if the Canadian government agrees to an Act just passed by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The Act (S.2943 Title III), if adopted by Canada as well, will look at existing corridors, potential freight markets, environmental matters, geology and other issues that will arise as expected by such a comprehensive process. In a meeting with former Alaska Governor Bill Sheffield, National Legislative Director James Brunkenhoefer and the Canadian Legislative Director in Washington, DC Governor Sheffield offered more insight into the process that was anticipated to be developed. Interestingly enough, Governor Sheffield is also the President & CEO of the Alaska Railroad! This idea is in the infancy stage of development and will take a lot of discussions with the Canadian government to help nurture the growth of it, something we intend to do to help solidify UTU's presence in the future. Winds Of Change - Canadian Legislative Department After many meetings, endless discussions and sometimes heated debates, the Legislative Department in Canada will take on a new face in Canada be- ginning on January I, 2001. Currently, members pay an assessment of $8.50 per month to the Canadian Legislative Board Fund. It is that fund and its' assessment that will be divided amongst the Provincial Legislative Boards starting in the new year. Each provincial board will receive approximately 74% of the current assessment to be used by and administered by each of the respective provincial boards. The Canadian Legislative Board Fund will retain roughly 26% of that assessment to be used for legislative issues on a national scale, including the continued administration of the Canadian Legislative Board. There will be no increase in the dues assessment for the Canadian Legislative Board Fund a result of this change! Each provincial board will have a "provincial" assessment which must be administered by that board. All costs associated with the provincial board must be paid by that board. Seventy-five per- cent of the Canadian Legislative Board Fund balance at year end will be redistributed to each of the provincial boards based on a pro-rata basis and each provincial board will have a fund balance beginning on January 1st. This provides for immediate operating capital for each of the boards.
Man! I Feel Like a Trainman! ~ Adrian Telizyn ~ (Apologies to Shania Twain) I’ve been called out tonight- I’m feeling all right Gonna bang the yard all out Wanna build some trains - really long trains And block all the crossings in town No lifts and setouts - no time to pout Gotta get outta town I ain’t gonna marshal it correctly I don’t wanna go on the ground BRIDGE: The best thing about being a trainman Is the prerogative to switch things around CHORUS: Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy, forget I’m on pay Book rest - tie up Oh, oh, oh, drive the crew office wild - yeah doin’ it in style Oh, oh, oh, get some slack action - hear the reaction Book fourteen and two, who cares what I do Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free - yeah, to feel the way I feel.... Man! I feel like a trainman! The boys need a break - tonight we’re gonna take The chance to tie up one mile from town We don’t need the carrots - the call boy can bear it We’re not gonna answer our phones... BRIDGE CHORUS BRIDGE CHORUS I get totally tired Can’t you understand Come, come, come on Cabbie I feel like a trainman!!
The mailing address for all MLAs is: (The Minister responsible for BC Rail is Paul Ramsey) Honourable Ujjal Dosanjh Honourable Joy MacPhail Honourable David Zirnhelt Honourable Cathy McGregor Honourable Ed Conroy Honourable Graeme Bowbrick Honourable Ed\vard John Honourable Jenny Kwan Honourable Tim Stevenson Honourable Glenn Robertson Honourable Ian Waddell Honourable Paul Ramsey Honourable Gordon Wilson Honourable Corky Evans Honourable Joan Smallwood Honourable Sue Hammell Honourable Jim Doyle Honourable Gerard Janssen Honourable Mike Farnworth Honourable Harry Lali Honourable Evelyn Gillespie
By Gavin Anderson -- OPSEU 469 / Shining Path / CALM I don't remember his name, but the few minutes he spent helping me had a profound influence. It was July 1971, and I was in fourth summer working a seasonal job on the dining cars for the Canadian National Railway. I had spent the first two summers as a pantryman on the Super Continental. It was a great summer job, especially for a student. In my third summer, I rose to third cook, a real step up in the dining car hierarchy. That fourth summer, I asked for a third cook position on the Super again but was "force assigned" to a pantryman's job. There was no explanation and there didn't seem to be anything I could do about it. After a couple of runs I heard that the third cook on my crew was working his first summer. I didn't know anything about seniority. I didn't even realize I was in a union, but it didn't seem fair that a guy in his first summer got a job over me, a guy in his fourth summer. A few days later I was in the pay line deep in the bowels of Central Station in Montreal when I complained to one of my buddies about my situation. That's when I met my first steward. He introduced himself and told me the company was wrong. He explained that I was a member of the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway and Transport Workers and that I had seniority rights. Much to my horror, he immediately led me up to one of the highest floors in the CN National Headquarters and marched us right into a senior manager's office without an appointment or anything. My steward laid out the facts, the boss did some checking, and on the spot I was re-assigned as a third cook on another crew. I was told back wages would be paid at the higher rate. From that day, I have been hooked on the importance of a union, and especially appreciate the crucial role of stewards. The qualities that made my steward successful are still the ingredients of effective stewardship today. First, he had big ears. He listened to the lunchroom chatter and pay line griping that reveals the hidden truths of workplace life. Second, he made it his business to get involved and get involved quickly. As soon as he realized I had a complaint he identified himself as my steward and offered to help. Third, he knew the contract and he knew where to turn. He was confident and assertive with management and made what began as a scary trek to the boss's office into a rewarding and empowering right of passage. Twenty years and many jobs after my informal grievance at was remedied, I was hired by an employer organized by OPSEU and I became a steward. Soon, I overheard one of my colleagues lament that her U.I. payments weren't going to go far on maternity leave. Just like my defender at the railway, I entered the conversation and explained that the employer would be providing her with top-up. She told me that her supervisor said part-time employees didn't get top-up. I told her the supervisor was wrong and we set out to correct the problem. Just as I was turned on to union activism by the actions of a committed steward, the sister I helped emerged as a strong union supporter. Stewards are more than the frontline advocates who defend collective agreements. Good stewards secure the future of the union movement by recruiting the next generation of union activists. Nothing sparks the interest of a new union member like the feeling that follows that first trip to the boss's office with your steward and coming away with the powerful new idea that bosses can't do whatever they want just because they're the boss. Little Bones By Junk Yard Dog Lat 49 - 18’- 72" N Lon.123 -05’-14" W "STOP THE PRESSES!" EL PRESIDENTE WALKS THE PLANK ! "Ding-Dong the witch is dead." Says Davey, and morale has improved faster than a Wabash cannonball. Don’t believe the bilge water that other rags are pumpin’ out, this is the best move that he has made since he signed on. With any luck, we will soon ‘ave a new corporate captain. What’s next, a collective agreement fer Christmas? Don ‘t ferget te eat yer vegtables.
-- JYD
Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch! Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead. Wake up - sleepy head, Rub your eyes, get out of bed. Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead. She's gone where the goblins go, Below - below - below. Yo-ho, Let's open up and sing and ring the bells out. Ding Dong' the merry-oh, Sing it high, sing it low. Let them know The Wicked Witch is dead! CPR and Two Unions Reach Tentative 3-year Labour Agreement CALGARY, Dec. 7 /CNW/ - Canadian Pacific Railway and two unions representing track maintainers and clerical employees in Canada have reached tentative settlements for three-year contracts through to the end of 2003. The agreements, which are subject to ratification, were reached in separate negotiating sessions with the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE), representing about 2,900 track maintainers, and the United Steel Workers of America/Transportation Communications Union (USWA-TCU), representing about 1,500 clerical employees. Details of the agreements will not be released until they have been ratified by members of the unions. Source—Canada NewsWire
The highlights of this tentative collective agreement are:
I would also like to touch on another issue in this column - an issue that should concern all of us greatly - Safety. Brothers and Sisters, I have recently reviewed our accident and rules violation records with the Railway and they are not good. We have to find a way to improve our safety record out there. Every one of us should have the expectation of going home from work in as good a condition as when we reported for duty. Also the Railway expects its equipment and property to be in relatively the same condition at the end of the shift as it was at the start of the shift. As you all know, these are not separate issues. SAFETY Is Our Number One Priority, and compliance with the rules is imperative to safety. It becomes even more important in our current weather conditions. When it comes to safety there are no short cuts. If it means slowing down and taking a little longer to do our jobs safely, then that is exactly what we have to do. I encourage you to bring any safety concerns to the attention of the legislative representatives or the local chairpersons so they can take appropriate action. Make proper use of the hazard memos and copy these to the Union so we can ensure they are handled correctly. This is not a management verses union issue - this is an issue for each and every union member as well as every management employee. If any of you have suggestions on how to improve our safety record I would be very interested in hearing from you. The UTU Locals 1778 & 1923 have seven members registered for courses at the Canadian Labour Congress Winter School this year. Good luck to all of them. I am sure we will see this new knowledge put to good use in your locals when they return. I would like to end by wishing you and your families all the Best for the Holiday Season and a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.
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January 10, 2002 |
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