Changes to the Government's plans for NB Power

I want to follow up with you on the latest developments with the Government’s plans concerning NB Power. I also want to be very clear that our position is unchanged and that my preference, and the preference of Local 37, is to have NB Power remain as it has always been - a single New Brunswick Crown Corporation, operated for the benefit of the people of this province.

I also want you to know that we have done many things to fight the sale and we’re continuing to work hard on that front.

Saying that, it is my responsibility and my job to make sure that no matter what happens, Local 37 members are protected. It would be irresponsible of me if I ignored the possibility that some portion of NB Power may be sold.

That means that if there is even a slim possibility that any form of a sale may occur, I need to make sure I am dealing with NB Power, the Government, and with Hydro Quebec to make certain our issues and concerns are properly looked after. It’s essential that I remain at the table, fighting for all of you. If I’m not, decisions will get made without us and it will be too late.

This approach has already ensured that if a deal does go through, Local 37 member’s jobs, bargaining rights, collective agreements, retirement allowances and pensions are protected.

Yet, I know it’s not over. In fact, the details of the latest proposal mean that there are even more things that need to be dealt with and I remain committed to fighting for our members. This means covering all of the bases, seizing the right opportunities to both listen and be heard and most importantly keeping all of you engaged and informed.

I truly appreciate the feedback that we've been receiving from members and I hope that it continues. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please know that you can call, email, or drop by the Union office anytime.

Getting back on track

As all of you will recognize, the proposed sale of NB Power has meant that Local 37 has had to mobilize a tremendous level of effort and resources in order to ensure our member's interests are protected, no matter what happens. I'd particularly like to recognize the special effort put forth by many of our members and also by my staff at the union office -in difficult times there are always those who rise to the occasion, and I am humbled by the work we are doing together, as a union.

There are a number of things about the proposed sale that I find upsetting, but one thing that may not be apparent, but which is really bothering me, is that it has forced me to slow down on some of the progressive things that I have planned for Local 37, things that will help us continue to progress and move our union forward.

It's time to get moving again.

A Local 37 newsletter was one of things our members told us they wanted, and I'm really proud to let you know it's now at the printers. That means that within the next few weeks, all of our members will receive the very first edition of our new Local 37 newsletter, mailed directly to their homes.

This first quarterly edition has a lot of content focused on the current happenings, but I want you to know that we already have improvements in store for the second edition, including french language content and also some stories about our non-NB Power members and their workplaces. We also want your feedback and I'm looking forward to your suggestions and ideas.

Another item that was delayed, but which I'm now going to get back on track is the Senior Steward's program. I announced the program back in the fall, and we have received a number of applications from some very deserving Stewards.

It is important to me to launch this new program properly, and with the extreme level of extra work that came about because of the proposed sale, I put it on hold so I could make sure it would be done right. Although things remain very hectic, we've got things in hand and it's time to get this going again.

I've got a number of other exciting things planned, but I'll save them for a future blog entry.