Onslaught

What a fascinating day we had here at Artspace.

AUPE picketers were out bright and early.  They also already had professionally printed handouts with their own version of things to give out.

Which is really interesting, when you consider SAIL user members didn't vote on the SAIL board's recommendation until late Thursday evening (July 31), and a media release wasn't finalised until some time during the night and released in the morning (August 1).

It's almost as if they knew full well SAIL couldn't accept the mediator's recommendation, and were already prepared for their own propaganda campaign.

The media responded.  There was a very brief piece on CBC Radia.




Global and CBC had their cameras out, which meant they got a dutifully choreographed performance from the picketers.

Here is the CBC tv piece.




The first error in this one was right with the anchor's introduction.  Of course there's no agreement between the care workers and the co-op.  That's because the co-op is not part of the negotiations.  That would be SAIL.

The other error was the reporter talking about "these workers" on the picket line.  Of the 6 people shown on the picket line, 3 of them were AUPE imports, not the striking care staff.

Then there was the laughable statement from a care worker identified as Angel, talking about how they do "a lot of transferring and heaving lifting aaaalll day long."

Day staff has 4-5 hours of scheduled time.  This includes personal care, meal preparation and assistance and housekeeping/laundry.  The remaining 3-4 hours is down time, and being available for on-call assistance.  Night staff have only 1-2 hours of scheduled time.

Also, SAIL offered better pay and benefits that fit with their budget.  A few times.  These offers were rejected.  The only offer they accepted was one from the mediator that would bankrupt SAIL.

Which makes it look like what they really want isn't a contract or benefits, but to destroy SAIL - which would also eliminate their jobs with SAIL (which, I suppose, they don't miss all that much, since so few of the care staff are on the picket line, have other jobs or, in the case of those who were casual staff who only got a couple of shifts a month, are making more money picketing than they were for the number of shifts they had at SAIL).

Perhaps this line would be funniest of all.

"A lot of us have worked for them for so long ... and ... so it's hurtful that they just don't wanna get this over and done with and get us back in there."

Too bad we have video of her on the picket line.  The main reason it's not funny is because, after seeing the behaviour of care staff on the picket line, together with AUPE paid picketer imports, the idea that user members would have the care staff in their homes is now viewed as a threat to their safety and wellbeing.

One member put it well by describing it as mourning what we thought we had; a caring staff.  After seeing them on the picket line, we have now seen their true colours.

And THAT is hurtful.

We currently have only a partial recording of the Global coverage; that will be corrected if we get a full copy.




The first egregious statement is the AUPE vice-president saying "we want to know what's... what's in those books, and we think the government would want to know that too."

The implication is that SAIL is hiding their financials from both AUPE and the government.  The reality is that SAIL has been very open about their books - and past problems - with both the union and AHS.  AHS would not have given them any contract if they were not satisfied with SAIL's financials.  Making such a statement is doubly problematic, as like most businesses, and because of internal by-laws, financials cannot be discussed publicly, so there is no way for SAIL to defend these oblique insinuations.

What can be said is that SAIL has been open about things with membership, and not only the user members, but non-user members overwhelmingly support the SAIL board, knowing that they are trustworthy, honest and fighting for the SAIL care model on behalf of, and with the support of, user members and non-user members alike.

And no, the union clearly has never been willing to meet SAIL half way.  If they had, there would have been a contract, with benefits, in budget, long ago.

The closing statements from the anchor are interesting.

"A spokesperson said it [the government] will monitor the situation, but it won't intervene unless clients' welfare is affected."

First off, a clarification of clients is in order.  Do they mean AHS and user members? (All user members are assessed for care by AHS, and that assessment is what funding and care aide assistance is provided.)  Or do they mean SAIL and user members?  Or do they mean AHS and SAIL?

If the "clients" are the user members, then they've already missed the boat.  Their welfare was affected on the first day of the strike, when a crowd of picketers showed up, screaming, yelling, harassing, intimidating and engaging in overall misconduct from the get-go.

Then it got worse.

Back to August 1st.

The picketers were on their better behaviour  while the media was there.  Not best behaviour, as they were still playing those kazoos.  Sure, they may have put away the clown horn, but the noise from the kazoos are an example of their auditory abuse of Artspace members who require medically necessary rest and quiet.  For those reading this who do not have compromised health,, imagine hearing those kazoos going on outside your home all day.  It would get pretty painful, pretty fast.

Now imagine hearing that, hour after hour, when you have MS.  Or are living with a brain injury. Or if you have PTSD.  Or if you have anxiety issues, or struggle with depression.  Or if you have a newborn baby to care for.  Or a sick child.

That is what Artspace members, user and non-user members alike, have been tormented with.

After the media left, the picketers reverted to their more regular behaviour, as this video shows.




The person they are hassling is providing self-managed care to a member.  She was also a SAIL employee, and the only one to vote against unionisation.  That lead to immediate ostracising from her co-workers.   When it came time to vote to strike, she felt there was no point in voting against it, since she would again be the only one.  Since then, she has been targeted for harassment, intimidation and threats to her life - and racism, as can be heard in the video.

And oh, look!  Is that a familiar face in the video?  Going right along with this abuse of her former co-worker?

Another of their frequent targets is the member who lives in the unit they are shouting at.

It takes a special kind of sick and twisted coward to bully a disabled, non-verbal woman in her own home.

The union tries to portray themselves and the striking care workers as the victims of Big Bad SAIL.

Rather hard to view them that way when they do things like this.



These are just a bit of the security video collected over the weeks of the strike.  While the bullhorn and air raid siren may be gone (though I wouldn't put it past them to bring them back), the hostile behaviour, targeted harassment, verbal abuse, auditory assault, threatening and intimidating behaviour continue.

All at our private homes.