The following has been submitted with a request to post it anonymously. The union picketers are notorious for retaliatory action against anyone who dares stand up to them or call them on their behaviour.
Normally, I would remove names from within the piece, but I am not doing that for 2 reasons. One: both individuals named are already public, with one of them speaking out in the article itself. Two: it is a direct message to them as much as to the writer of this piece.
The article referenced is also the worst piece of journalism I have seen in a long time. In fact, it will be the subject of it's own post!
Until then, I leave you with this.
One residents response to the Edmonton Suns article "Edmonton Housing Co-op Scene of Bitter Labour Battle" by Kevin Maimann (July 13, 2014)
I am a proud member of Artspace Housing Co-op and want to be clear that I have absolutely no anti-union sentiments. I have been witness to much of the behaviour on both sides of the strike and think AUPE is putting a spin on things with many of its allegations in this article in an attempt to deflect attention from the video footage that was shared with the media earlier this week which showed just some of the incidents that have taken place since this strike began. No one has been rammed by a car, nor chased with a 2x4 on either side or charges would have been laid. I have witnessed people driving fast and/or around the picketers as they were holding people up in the parking lot and engaging in the strangest forms of "education" I've ever seen. (I've got some of that behaviour on video if anyone's interested.). There were concerns that one of the AUPE members would get hit initially because we are a private residence not an institution, where people come and go freely and frequently, and in an attempt to "educate" and inconvenience our members the AUPE picketers were literally putting themselves in harms way by stepping in front of already moving vehicles that they were in very close proximity to. Also, if one of my neighbours had chased someone with a 2x4 I'm sure I know who they would have been chasing, and he would have been the first to make it known that he was going to sue! Please show is your proof AUPE. We do not make any allegations that we cannot back up with witnesses and video or physical evidence. You should have to do the same.
As for Deborah Stewart, you make your bed and you have to lie in it. We respect your right to support union activities just like we support the right of the SAIL employees to strike, but when you publicly support bullies like AUPE MSO David M Malka and "like" his posts on Facebook where he is clearly tormenting people that were your friends and still are your neighbours, then it should not be surprising if people don't trust you and choose not to be around you anymore. Also, You alienated a whole chunk of Artspace residents when you made that AUPE video, not as an AUPE supporter but as our president and VP membership and proceeded to say that we were anti-union from the start. Not the case, nor did you you have my permission to speak on my behalf. I know the majority feel the same way. You also watched some, not all, of the picketers target and bully, threaten, and demean your neighbours and their children and not once did I see you do anything other than sit there. Also, where would AUPE get half the insider information that they got if not for you and your son? If you are in any way feeling alienated or feel as though your friends and neighbours don't welcome your company anymore you might be right, but it's not without cause. As your friend Dave would say, "shame on you"! You have n o one to blame but yourself.
As for AUPE, I wish them luck in trying to get a collective agreement here. You abused us for nearly two months, day in and day out, including throwing a party on Canada Day at our home without permission from us nor the City. As long as the picket line continues to contain our abusers you will have no allies here.
Thank you.
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