One of the side effects of what AUPE is doing to Artspace members, is that it has drawn us together as a community. Like all communities, Artspace members don't always get along. Like any multi-dwelling complex, it's not unusual for people to not really cross paths with their next door neighbours. Those in townhouses don't really have much reason to go into the high rise, and when they do, it usually a quick in and out. People in the high rise have even less reason to go to the townhouses.
Yet, when AUPE picketers showed up and began acting so aggressively, and especially when they targeted individuals, that seemed to bring out the protective natures of many members. The vast majority of our community stood up and drew together, looking out for each other and protecting each other. It has been an amazing thing to see, and many have expressed their intense gratitude towards their fellow co-op members, and their pride in being part of this community. We pretty much always knew we were strong - after all, Artspace wouldn't exist if it weren't for some amazingly strong people - but this is a time when we've discovered we are all far stronger than we really thought about.
It's also a time when we truly learn who are friends are.
Which makes it that much more painful when some very few people, knowing the sort of abuse our members have been living through, not only turned their backs on us, but contributed to it.
This has extended online. Many of us discovered that we had "friends" on our personal Facebook pages that were passing personal information to AUPE. We've had to unfriend and block people we thought would have been there for us. It was most disappointing.
One of the things our community did was start up a Facebook page. This was a page for members, friends, family and supporters, to share comments, photos, etc., and keep informed.
Almost immediately, AUPE members and their supporters began "liking" the page and leaving comments that made Artspace members incredibly uncomfortable and unsafe. The page has had to have its security and privacy settings locked down, yet it's still a "page", not a group (there was a reason it was done that way), and there is only so far these things can be taken. We just have to be vigilant and keep blocking people who are clearly only there for their own agenda that had nothing to do with supporting Artspace members.
Every now and then, someone would say something and we'd realise this person was no "friend" of Artspace or SAIL. Yet, no one was quite sure who they were, or why they were on the page. A few clicks later, we'd discover their AUPE connections.
Which is how we discovered that the most obnoxiously abusive of the picketers, commonly known by such nicknames as Creeper, The Bullhorn Guy, and The Urinator, was extending his stalking and intimidation habits online, on his personal Facebook page, which is open for public viewing.
Here are some examples (there are many more; he started visiting Artspace and taking photos of our private grounds before the strike even started). At the time of this writing, these are all still viewable to the public. Names and faces have been removed to protect privacy. They are also posted in chronological order, from oldest to newest. These screen captures were taken on Thursday, June 19, 2014. There had been word several days before that he would be removed from the picket line by that Thursday, and the Edmonton Police gave assurances he would not return.
He did return for the Canada Day "party", causing at least one person with PTSD to have to leave to prevent an episode.
Taken 4 days into the strike.
Artspace is a regular stop for DATS - Disabled Adult Transit Service. There is a special loading area in front of the high rise main doors for them to stop. Because DATS is union, AUPE picketers forced this DATS bus to park well away from the high rise, where there is no loading area and no curb cut. This would force our wheelchair-user members to have to go through the picket line (and past the chair blocking part of the sidewalk; still a significant barrier to someone in a power chair) to the area in front of our neighbouring townhouses (not part of Artspace) for pick up.
DATS, however, is City, not Provincial, and AUPE has no power to tell them what they can or can't do. Despite this, DATS officials told their drivers that, when picking up one of our members, they should go to a picketer first, say who they were there to pick up, and shake the picketer's hand.
The drivers were appalled by this, and since then, DATS services have been able to continue unimpeded - and no one has to ask AUPE picketer's permission to pick up one of our members! Their refusal to degrade our members has resulted in AUPE picketer verbal abuse and harassment.
As you can see, however, this member is quite proud of the fact that their actions are forcing disabled individuals to travel some distance away for pick up, to an area that is not designed for pick up, rending it unsafe as well as inconvenient.
The guy sitting at the edge of the pee patch (built for Artspace members to take their dogs) is not an AUPE picketer, but a supporter.
Here is classic example of psychological abuse; power and control. The event described was for Artspace members only - he makes it sound like he was deliberately prevented from going and portrays himself as a victim for that, and for being blocked form the page. He then mentions his intent to apply for membership (insinuating comments, projecting blame, turning the tables, etc.) and begins asking questions about Artspace business, as if he had any right to know this information (note: co-ops have many by-laws to live by; among them is privacy; co-op business is not to be discussed with non-co-op members. Anyone who does so can potentially have their membership revoked.)
Now, imagine if you will, having a bullying co-worker, for example, suddenly announce that they plan to move into your condo community, then begin demanding to know details about how your community is run. And they're doing it specifically to continue to bully you.
Would you feel safe, even if you were sure it would never happen?
This one is bothersome when you realise that is is a screen capture of someone's Facebook timeline.
It's even more bothersome when you know that they had already blocked each other, and he should not have been able to see it.
Not also the psychological abuse tactics; shifting blame, turn the tables, projecting blame, diminishing... all in one sentence!
This is another image taken off someone's timeline. Here we have empty words, projecting blame, refusing to take responsibility, minimising, diversion, etc.
Then you see the comments. Individuals are also engaging in psychological abuse; particularly the person suggesting that the individual should be investigated, suggesting she is doing something illegal by documenting AUPE behaviour. There's a whole new list of abuser tactics that can be added just for that paragraph.
Here is another example of an individual targeted by name (as is another person in the comments). There's an accusation of breaking by-laws that don't exist, more blaming the victim, projecting blame, turning the tables, etc. Note also that, because she is the member of another union, she is expected to support AUPE's actions without question. No dissent allowed, or else.
What isn't mentioned is that this person was mobbed by picketers in the street in retaliation for another incident. More on that another time.
By the way, there is no positions as "vice president of security." That's right up there with accusing people of breaking by-laws that don't exist.
There is also the fact that he is taking a photo directly into, and of, private property and the personal space of whomever was using that room at the time. This is the sort of stalking behaviour that earned him the nickname Captain McCreepypants.
He had already been blocked from this page, yet he was still able to share a status from it. Someone had posted something to encourage her fellow Artspace members and supporters. The Bullhorn Guy saw this as an opportunity to project blame, divert, turn the tables, minimise, use insinuating comments, blame the victim, engage in indirect aggression, etc.
I'm starting to feel we should start playing Abuser Tactics Bingo.
We have a double header in this one; the post (once again, able to share the post after being blocked from the group) itself, then the photo in the comments.
Even more, when you know what is happening in that photo. More on that another time.
You're turn: how many abuser tactics can you identify in this one? Go ahead and leave something in the comments.
Another double header; the comment shows intimidation through the illusion of control; because the garbage and recycling pick up is done by union members, who are not allowed to cross the picket line and go into the parking lot to get to the back of the high rise, Artspace has to have someone roll the bins out to the side of the building and wait. When the garbage truck arrives, the bins have to be taken to the street, past the picket line, so that the employees can empty the bins. Then the person from Artspace has to return the bins.
The Creeper is once again claiming ownership, credit and control over something he has nothing to do with.
He is, however, quite proud that Artspace has been so inconvenienced by their picketing.
In the comments, he insults one of our members - once again using a photo from an incident that was one of his more egregious actions. More on that later.
June 18, he claims to have closed the picket line early to go for a NACHA information session, which all who apply for membership in a co-op must go to, and show a receipt for, when interviewed for membership.
Let's think about this for a moment. He actually took time out of his life and paid money to go to an information session in an attempt to get into our co-op, to live.
This goes well beyond harassing people on the picket line, or even online. He is actually taking the steps one has to take to become a co-op member. Our co-op, not any other one.
He obviously didn't learn much during the session. A co-op is not a business, in any normal sense of the word. It is a community. All members are co-owners. Co-ops are homes. They do not provide products or services to sell, as a business would. They aren't a charity or an institution.
They are private homes, owned co-operatively.
Here, he's just rambling in his own comments section, yet still playing Abuser Tactics Bingo.
Anyone want to give this one a go?
Also, taking a photo in private property again. Bingo, anyone?
These two photos take the stalker behaviour to a whole new level. Not only is he taking photos into private spaces, but he is targeting replacement workers for their identities.
Continuing on to act as if he will soon be moving into Artspace, and asking questions about co-op business he has no right to know. Also, someone has clearly been telling him Artspace business and feeding him information (which happens to be wrong, but that's neither here nor there) that he is attempting to use against Artspace.
His last post about Artspace.
Note the comments.
For some time, now, he hasn't been posting about SAIL much at all for some time; his target is Artspace and its members.
Someone has even called him on that, yet he justifies it.
And he's completely wrong about it.
Artspace is our home. Not our place of business.
So how 'bout that Abuser Tactics Bingo? Is your card full?
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