Mobbed

It look a long time to get the following videos.  The phone the original file was on disappeared, as did the clips that were shared on Facebook.

The original long file was split into 5 shorter clips for upload to Facebook.  These shorter clips were finally found, just a few days ago.  There is a bit of time overlap in some of them.

First, some context.

This took place on August 6, 2014.

The person in the vehicle used to be a SAIL employee.  After the strike started, she quit working for SAIL and left the union.

She still comes to provide Self Managed Care for non-SAIL users in Artspace.  This is a program where individuals can independently hire caregivers to provide the care they need.  Typically, it's because they need more care than SAIL is able to support, or simply by personal choice.  This is all part of AHS's different home care services that help people maintain independence and not be forced to live in institutions.

Which means that she is not a replacement worker, nor is she a union member.  There is no valid reason for her to be targeted by her former co-workers.

That hasn't stopped them from targeting her repeatedly.





Not only is there no valid reason for them to be blocking her, this is happening completely off site.

Here's an image from Google maps to show where things are.

Artspace Co-op consists of the high rise, where the SAIL office is, and the townhouses across the street.

The cluster of arrows shows where AUPE usually "pickets".  Not a very accurate word for what they are doing.  It's more like "hang out," or "sit around", "wander", "loiter" or "trespass" - again and again and again.

Those aren't the only areas they hang out.  Sometimes, they'll sit on the guardrail on the outer edge of the curve to the side lane.  Other times, they'll wander farther down the street on the townhouse side.  Especially when they want to scope out some of the units and watch people's windows. Or, when it suites their fancy, they target people.  Other times, they'll wander around to the end of 94th St.  





Along with her former co-workers, we have the picket captain, Jaime Urbina, and the familiar face of Deb Arcand.





After months of harassment, when the picketers were finally approached to lay off of her, they apparently offered a "compromise."  They'd leave her alone, so long as she stayed inside and didn't go out on her employer's balcony.

And then they question why people in Artspace say they feel like hostages?

To this day, if she is seen on her employers balcony, they target her, either by calling out or whipping out the recording devices.



Part 4 is notable, because this is when AUPE VP, Karen Weier is first seen.

Yes, an AUPE VP took part in the mobbing of a person no longer connect to the labour dispute, on an off-site location.




An amazing amount of abusive behaviour has been allowed at Artspace, all because it was somehow justified and excused as being part of a "labour dispute."

This event, however, blows all those excuses away.

The person being targeted is no longer involved in the labour dispute, and hadn't been for some months.

The person targeted is not a union member, and again, had not been for some months.

The person is not a replacement worker with SAIL, but someone who is working for an independent employer who is an Artspace member, therefore her job has no connection to the labour dispute.

All of this takes place well off-site, on a public street.

Oh, and if you've watched all the videos, you'll have caught the part where she mentions how long she's been mobbed.

They did this for almost 1 1/2 hours.

Video of targeted abuse, with transcript

In the past while, the picketers seem to have become increasingly frustrated by their inability to engage in the behaviours they had been given free reign to do, early in the strike.  In seeing security footage, they appear to have increasingly focused their anger and abuse at one of our members in particular; the person they believe owns this blog.

It seems that, no matter how many different people post, or how many disclaimers are made, they refuse to accept that this blog has no owner.  This blog is not any one person.

But then, they still refuse to accept that Artspace and SAIL are two different entities.

There was one incident of note on October 16; the first day of AUPE's conference, a few blocks away.  The member has submitted an incident report, and the video was sent to the police.  The member describes coming home early in the morning to find access to her parking spot blocked by Deb Arcand, with a frequent picketer, Rachel Shepherd, standing nearby. Now we have a transcript as well.

It didn't end there, however, as there was another incident on the 22nd.  The police were again contacted, and another incident report submitted.

Here are both videos, with transcripts.




DA = Deb Arcand
RS = Rachel Shepherd

DA: Yeah, you having a good morning? Are you having a good morning? Do you have your video camera on? I hope so.

Driver: Its 6:50 by my console

DA: [unintelligible] Remember me? I'm the one you called a bigot. Because I asked you what kind of a Christian you are that you think it’s nice that a hundred and fifty nine people got laid off of work.

I can't believe that somebody would say something like that.

Y’want to talk about Christians. Do you want me to cite some Matthews for you?

I can't believe that somebody who lives in a country like this gets joy out of other peoples hardship. That you think that these women aren't worth a decent wage. That you’re better than them.

And you make sure you put it on your blog.

Have your cameras ready because you know, yes, convention is on.

Be prepared. You don't know when, but be prepared. So don't go too far away from home today, Anna.

Its people like you that have made this strike go on and on and on.

Instead of looking at the facts and saying, yes these girls are worth some benefits. And that these girls are worth some sick time and these girls do deserve the contract. Because I bet you and your husband had good jobs. And I bet your husband is entitled to a pension. But you don't think these girls are entitled to anything.

[A picketer across the street whoops]

You think we live in a third world country? This is Canada.

And they deserve what everybody else gets.

Bye have a good day you make me ill. You know that, you make me ill. Disgusts me that there’s people like you that live in this province.

RS: Put it on your blog.

DA: Disgusts me

[Car noise]

RS: … park in your stall.

[engine shut off; key noises]

DA: You’re crooked.

[car noises]

RS: [unintelligible] …people that don't know the facts seem to have a voice on so much.

DA: You think you're better than these people, hey Anna. You think you're better than them.

[sounds of driver exiting vehicle and walking]

Driver: I have nothing to say to you

DA: [unintelligible] …you think you can intimidate people, yet you have nothing to say.

RS: No… this… hide behind the blog.

[picketers across the street begin to shout and call “shame” and “shame on you.”]

DA: Because you can’t speak to somebody to their face. Instead you go on a blog and you…

[shouted from across the street: “chicken”]

DA: …spiel out garbage.

[From across the street: “shame”]

DA: And you run down people. And you dissociate yourself from people who stand up for other people’s rights …

RS: It’s nice to be anonymous, isn’t it?

DA: …and you think you’re better than others? You're not. You're worse. You don't deserve what you have.

RS: Loser

[unintelligible]

DA: Ah… that’s not a confession.

In this next video, Deb Arcand is waiting alone for the Artscape member.  In the incident report, the driver describes seeing 4 picketers, three on the sidewalk in front of the high rise parking driveways, and Judy, the current acting strike captain, standing in the street in front of them.  Deb Arcand was blocked from view by parked vehicles until after the driver had passed the picketers.  Details from the incident report are included in the transcript.

Driver, to recording: Oh, look at that.  Deb Arcand is waiting for me again.  

DA: Good morning, Anna!  How you doing? 

Good?

[Driver begins backing up and re-positioning the vehicle.]

Don't want to talk to me today, Anna.

Huh?

Don't want to talk... Oh you figured it out, did you? [Deb moves out of the way, allowing the driver through.] Telling everybody I was blocking you. Shining a flashlight in your eyes. No, I’m videoing you, like you video us. Remember? 

Huh? 

Remember, Anna.

[driver parks and exits vehicle]

You having a good day, Anna? 

I hope so. I’m having a really wonderful day. 

[Deb Arcand moves behind the vehicle, on the sidewalk.  Driver briefly holds phone up towards Deb while walking to her unit.]

That’s nice. Good for you, Anna. You should turn it on, though and take your GPS off. I at least am recording. 

I have to record my good Christian lady who thinks that it’s good that a hundred and fifty nine [unintelligible] lose their jobs. 

 ‘cause I certainly don’t think that’s a good [fades out]. 

 Have a good day, Anna. 

 See you the next time I come out. 

 You’re the reason I get up at five o’clock in the morning. 

 So I can see you.

In talking to the police, the driver has learned that, when the police spoke to Arcand after the first incident, she claimed that she did not block the vehicle, and that she had video to prove it. 

She claimed the driver came to her.

This has flabbergasted all who have heard it.

Just to make it clear.

Driver is on the street and needs to turn into their parking spot.

One the sidewalk, in front of the parking spot, is a person.  The driver begins turning into their parking spot.

The person does not move out of the way, preventing the driver from entering the parking spot.

According to Arcand's logic, because the driver turned towards her own parking spot, then waited for Arcand to move, she was not blocking that person.

Of course, the video shows she is quite clearly blocking the way, and the police agree with that.

For some reason, that resulted in only a warning.

In the second incident, because Arcand moved after the driver re-positioned her vehicle,  she was not considered to be blocking the way.

The harassment, of course, is obvious, as was the threat to continue to target this person.

There are also several other points that stand out.

This person used to have a parking spot next to the entry of the above ground high rise parking.  This put the family's vehicle in the middle of a lot of picketer activity, and the driver was targeted for harassment early on, as can be seen by other dashboard videos the driver submitted for this blog.

It was because of this harassment that they were assigned a new parking spot on the townhouse side, where they live.  

The townhouse parking is almost half way up the block from the high rise, and across the street from Inner City Housing townhouses.

AUPE has designated the address of the high rise (the main building, not the unit the place of employment is) as the picket site, however, they have also picketed around the back, and have camped out on the townhouse side, across from the high rise, or would camp out in the shade under a tree near the townhouse parking, something they haven't done since the weather cooled down.

In order to block this person's parking spot, they have to go out of their way, and away from the address AUPE has stated is the picket address.

Under normal circumstances, this would be criminal harassment.

Video of the day: racism and more

More videos have been uploaded.  There are getting to be so many of them, we have started to organise them by dates and creating dedicated posts back dated to when the events recorded actually happened.  In the process, some date errors were caught (two posts with incidents reported in June were accidentally posted in May), so please to go into the archives listed on the right and revisit the early days of the strike.  These back dated posts are being put up in chronological order.

Here is another one going back to the morning of May 11 and includes both video taken by security and video submitted by a member that has been posted previously, on its own.




Once again, the security guards are targeted, this time with racist comments from one of the picketers.  The same picketer also basically spanked two of her fellow picketers.

If someone had done that on the job, they would have been disciplined for sexual assault or harassment.  People have lost their jobs for less.

Video of the Day: The view from inside

Here is another video of what it was like for the replacement workers, inside the security vehicle, taken on May 9, the third day of the strike.



We have all been really impressed with the replacement workers.  They put up with this abuse, day after day, with grace and aplomb.  While on the job, they maintained an excellent attitude, and our user members got to know what good care was really like.

One thing the picketers have managed to do is demonstrate that they, themselves, are contemptuous bullies.  Learning that many of them are care workers at places like seniors' residences and care facilities is rather horrifying.  I can't imagine having someone like this being my own care giver, or providing care for a family member.

Video of the Day: such caring people...

Still slowly catching up on videos.

It's a curious thing, looking at them.  Many times - especially when there was media attention due to their illegal Canada Day block party at our home - AUPE would be asked about the verbal harassment and abuse Artspace members said they were suffering.  The typical response would be something along the lines of, "no, we're peaceful, it's Artspace members who have been abusive," and "prove it."

Meanwhile, for months, there were video cameras everywhere, and signs all around the high rise stating that their activities were being recorded and that said recordings could end up on Youtube.

Which means that they behaved the way they did, knowing their actions were being recorded (and often doing their own recording), knowing these would eventually go public, and then did stuff like this, anyway...




This video, taken on July 8, shows how even when the picketers were being relatively "peaceful," they still engaged in verbal harassment.  In this case, we have one of SAIL's striking "care" givers (later joined by another) verbally attacking a SAIL user-member.

What is bizarre is hearing such anger and hatred aimed at someone she would have provided SAIL services to.

Publicly, the picketing SAIL staff mouth platitudes about how much the care for "our residents" and how they just want things to be back the way there were.

Really?

How?

How can these "care" givers act like this towards someone they used to provide services to, then think that they'd be able to come back to work at some point and everything would be hunky dory, as if none of this ever happened?

This particular user member endured such verbal harassment, sometimes much worse than this, for months.  More so than others.  Why they targeted her for extra abuse, I have no idea.

Of course, there is also the fact that user members wouldn't want things to be back the way there were.  Quality of care had been deteriorating for some time, and once the replacement workers came in, our user members started seeing what good quality care was actually like.

"The way it was," would be a significant step downwards for our user members.

Can you imagine having these "care" givers taking care of you?

After seeing such visceral hatred from a "care" giver outside your home for months, would you be willing to allow that person into your home?  Imagine they were the person who had to help you take a shower?  Or even just put on a pair of pressure socks?  Would you trust someone like that to give you your medications?

I know I sure wouldn't!

The key thing about the SAIL model of care is that it is consumer driven and self-directed.  SAIL user members are living independently in their own homes.  They have control over who can come into those homes.  While SAIL hires the staff that provides the care, the user member tells those providers how their care needs are to be met.

That's all part of independent living.

With institutionalised care, people who need care are not living in their own homes, but are in assigned units, sometimes shared with others.  They have no control over who comes and goes out of their units or when.  They have no say in who provides their care, or how that care is given.

AUPE still refuses to acknowledge that SAIL Inc and Artspace Inc are separate entities - otherwise, they can't justify their picketing of private homes.  Even the striking SAIL staff, judging by the Newspeak interviews they've done for AUPE, seem to have no clue.  How can someone say they've worked for SAIL for years, and still not understand what a co-op is, or the difference between the co-op and their employer, SAIL?

AUPE would have Artspace user members lose their autonomy; lose their ability to determine who enters their private home, who provides their care and how.

Strangest of all, somehow the striking SAIL staff can verbally abuse a user member, and still think that they are somehow the victims of injustice; still think that they can just come back to work some day, and everyone will forget that not too long ago, they stood on the street outside our homes, swearing and verbally abusing the very people they claim to care so much about.

A true example of Doublethink, if ever there was one.

A message to Deb Arcand; Matthew 7:1

Imagine my horror and disbelief as I witnessed the harassment of an ARTSPACE Member (Not a SAIL User, nor Board Member).  I heard AUPE Picketer, Deb Arcand (as many have come to know her name) shouting out at one of my neighbor's/friends/fellow members "You are not a good Christian!"

How dare AUPE let religion be involved in this dispute and question someone's faith! It made me question, what was the reasoning for this?  I can only conclude Ms. Arcand is a hateful, bigoted, close- minded, damaged individual.

As a young man, I attended church regularly and even studied religions in University (not my major, mind you) and throughout my travels, having lived in several countries and seen my neighbor's of many different faiths, live side by side in peace, this comment made me so shocked I am still confused.

I ask you, Ms. Arcand; how did religion become involved in a labor dispute, and if you are calling someone, in your words "not a good Christian", are you assuming that you are?

My Lord, I believe, helped - not hurt - people. I have witnessed you torment vulnerable individuals verbally, seen you taunt others, while racist comments from your fellow picketers are being spewed. By saying to an individual "You are not a good Christian" are you validating that you are?

I cannot believe, in 2014, that an individual would use hate speech such as this, and am appalled!

I am uncertain of the faith of the member she was verbally abusing, as I do not judge, but know this member to be a very kind, intelligent, helpful human being.  The only behavior I've witnessed from Ms. Arcand is torment and verbal abuse on those she feels power over.  Over what?  Money?

Everyday the hypocrisy of AUPE gets more defined.  As a past union member I am thoroughly disgusted by this, as should the AUPE organization.

As other members have told me, many of the picketers and AUPE members are reading this blog and many Artspace members are contributing, so let me leave you with another quote from the Bible.
Matthew 7:1-5  

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. " 

And in the words Ms. Arcand so often uses; SHAME ON YOU!

Video of the Day: an inside view

We've had people ask about what it's like for the replacement workers, inside the security vehicle while being yelled at and taunted by the picketers outside.

Turns out we have some footage.

Here's one of them.

This is another video from May 9, the third day of the strike.  It was actually a bit calmer on this day than on the first day of the strike, and they had not yet taken to holding up the replacement vehicle for ridiculous lengths of time (we've got at least one example of the security vehicle being blocked for about an hour and twenty minutes).

Video of the Day: Going back in time

Here's some video going to the third day of the strike.

There's a tremendous amount of trespassing in this video, as well as aggressive and threatening behaviour.

The trespassing was justified because a new Artspace member invited them onto Artspace property; AUPE had taken advantage of this member, since doing what he did was an infraction of membership.  He ended up leaving Artspace soon after, but not before things went pretty sour between him and AUPE.

AUPE seems to be very good at taking advantage of people - including their own supporters - then throwing them under the bus.



One of the remarkable things to watch is David Malka, Jaime Urbina (aka Urbina-Maclean, who was identified in security video as the picket captain) and some other guy engage in behaviour they then accuse security of engaging in.  Just as remarkable is seeing Desiree Schell accuse the security guy of taunting the man who is behaving in a threatening and intimidating manner.

This is the sort of behaviour that has had many of us seriously question the psychological state of some AUPE picketers.  I've said it before, and I suspect, I'll be saying it many times more;

Normal people don't behave this way.

An Aggressive Photo Opp

Since we no longer have security guards, the AUPE picketers have stepped up their aggressive actions, as well as using our home for convenient photo opps.

They have been showing up at earlier hours, coming and going, to the point that we have no idea when or where to expect them.  At times, they appeared to be gone, only to show up to disrupt mail delivery or garbage pick up.

Today (Sept. 10), Artspace members were awakened by their noise as early as 6:30am, they were seen trespassing both at the front lobby entrance of the high rise, and at the rear, where they followed a care worker (not a replacement workers) through the rear parking lot to the back door of the high rise, harassing her, then grabbed the door as she went in, and they have been stalking replacement workers off site.

A large and loud crowed showed up and they set up at both sides of the high rise, with groups of people continually moving from front to back.  There were perhaps 30 people in total, though only 3 could be identified as striking SAIL staff.

As many as 16 people at once, possibly more, were seen staking out the back area, at the end of 94th St.

And oh, look...

There's Deb Arcand, going at it with an Artspace member.

This woman needs help with anger management.

Meanwhile, more were at the parking lot entrance, and still others were in front of the high rise, including Guy Smith, who would sometimes join this group here.




They did their photo opp before they left.

Check out the comment from a picketer at about the 2 minute mark.

The picketers had these pamphlets, one of which was found on a person's car - again, on private property, so someone had to trespass to put it there.

So they are putting out photos of the replacement workers as targets.

There's only one problem.

They have photos of people on here that are NOT replacement workers.

It should be noted, however, that the replacement workers aren't taking away anyone's job.  The striking staff are the only ones responsible for any consequences to their jobs, no one else.

The replacement workers are being targeted with increasing levels of aggression and intimidation, now that security isn't around to hold the picketers back.

And AUPE doesn't seem to mind that laws are being broken to do it.

As for the replacement workers, they are absolutely awesome.  They are fantastic people, with great attitudes, and they are doing a great job, even after putting up with months of abuse.

These people truly are the "care" workers, not the ones outside.

Familiar Faces: David Malka

Of all the people that have been the most abusive towards Artspace members, one has caused the most damage of all.  Not just damage to our members.  It was his behaviour, more than anyone else, that destroyed almost all support that the striking SAIL staff would have gotten from Artspace members.

The Artspace community is filled with people who fought hard for their rights.  Many members of the community are union members, staunch union supporters, or at least generally supportive of unions.

All that potential support was destroyed very quickly, and much of it can be laid at the feet of one man; the picket captain for the first month and a half, David Malka.

Right from day one, he established himself as being particularly in-your-face aggressive.  In the above photo, he's the one pushing the 4 ft easement rule already, as picketers disrupt DATS.

At first, he was known as the Red Hat Guy, due to his ever present red toque on cooler days, like in this screen cap, from video three days into the strike, where he is moving to block a security guard's ability to record activities.

It wasn't long before people came up with other names for him, like Creeper and Captain McCreepypants, due to his stalker-ish behaviour.

He spent many days sitting in a chair facing the main doors of the high rise, watching people in the lobby, with his ever-present camera, taking photos or video, while at the same time complaining if people, including security, took photos or video of him.  

 He frequently trespassed, as in this photo.

[Update with video: Oct. 25]



 He constantly had either his phone or a camera out, recording into private spaces, such as in the above photo, where he staked out the back of the high rise, watching, waiting and recording.

No one seemed to be exempt from his harassment.

He also became known as the Bullhorn guy, as day after day, he took positions around the high rise, babbling and ranting, calling people by name and verbally harassing them.




Sometimes he would threaten them.





The noise and harassment went on and on.

When he was seen urinating on the sidewalk, he gained the moniker, The Urinator.





He became most well known for his use of the air raid siren.





The sheer volume of footage we have of this guy is rather staggering.

In time, we learned his name was David Malka, but he was still more often known as the Creeper or The Urinator.

Just a few things he's known for;

• Creeping around Artspace, taking photos and video of people's private spaces.
• Getting right into people's faces and being loud and aggressive.
• Seemingly endless hours of babbling and rambling on the bull horn.
• Calling people out by name and revealing that he knew details about their personal lives.
• Targeting individuals for abuse and harassment.
• Watching people, sometimes taking notes, as they tried to go about their lives, like clean out their vehicle, crossing the street, going onto their balcony, or moving in.
• Following a man with a brain injury and PTSD as he was walking his dog, well away from Artspace, making false accusations and threatening him - that particular incident resulted in a medical event.  He then accused this man of following him.
• Following a woman as she wheeled to her job, all the way to her place of work, a couple of times.  A third time, he rigged his phone onto his backpack to record, then walked ahead of her to her place of work, then turned around and accused her of following him.
• Went after a woman with her two young girls and tried to record them, even after she repeatedly told him he did not have permission to record her children.
• When people stepped in to try and protect her and her children, he physically assaulted two of them.
• Using his personal Facebook page to continue harassing Artspace members.

Even after he was finally removed from the picket line and the police assured us he would not be back, he continued targeting the Artspace community.  He's been back here several times; he was even seen here just yesterday, taking part in a photo op.

He went after a family at a movie theatre and, while volunteering at the Folk Festival, he targeted Artspace members and made no bones about the fact that he was watching them; he also revealed his bigotry towards people with disabilities.

It's difficult to express just how much damage he has done to so many Artspace members.  There was the physical harm caused by his excessive noise, but also the psychological damage caused by his abusive behaviour.

It wasn't unusual for him to be doing these things in the presence of AUPE executives as they visited the picket line.  They clearly had no problems with what he was doing.

Because, as AUPE openly admitted, this was normal.

It's quite disturbing to think that this sort of abusive behaviour, targeting vulnerable people, is standard operating procedure for AUPE, not only here at Artspace, but at the homes of seniors and care centres.

In one of the videos above, David Malka talks about being at Waterford.

It's not the only place he's been.

Here he can be seen behind Guy Smith at Hardisty.

(Screen capture from one of AUPE's videos.)

Here he is again, this time behind Karen Weiers at the Edmonton Extendicare demonstration.

(Screen capture from one of AUPE's videos.)

We have no idea how many other communities and facilities AUPE has targeted that he's been at, nor what role he's played.  We can only know for sure that, as an AUPE organiser, he was the picket captain here at Artspace for about 1 1/2 months, and continues to be involved as he comes here to join in the siege against Artspace, and continues to post comments targeting SAIL and Artspace, and Artspace members on his Facebook page.

I think one of the most disturbing things about David Malka is the sheer pleasure he obviously took in causing hurt to people.

Having David Malka in charge here in Artspace was one of AUPE's biggest mistakes.  His actions have caused incredible levels of harm, not only to the health and well being of Artspace members, but to the people's views of AUPE.

Video of the Day: extended views

AUPE had long denied there was ever anything untoward going on here at Artspace and demanded proof to the contrary.

When a montage of security footage was shown to them by a City TV reporter, they said nothing.  Officially, they later took the attitude of some moral high ground, refusing to stoop to the level of responding.  In other areas, however, they dismissed the footage because it was "old."  As if that changed anything?

Part of that footage involved a striking SAIL employee yelling up at one of her former co-workers, blaming her for identifying her by name, then threatening her over it.

That was only a small amount of footage of this event.

The originally released footage was from a camera on a tripod inside the high rise, so things were not heard very clearly.

It turns out there was another camera, outside, and while it faced in another direction, everything is heard clearly.

Both views are included in this extended footage, with details added.

Video of the Day: the level of harassment

This video was particularly difficult to process.

Taken in the morning of June 13, it starts with AUPE organiser, David Malka, talking to an as-yet unidentified man about their plans for Artspace on Father's Day, including bringing out bagpipes, setting up a stage, and plans to vandalise our garden bed and turn it into a sort of fishing pond for kids.

Because that's the sort of thing they think is okay to teach kids, I guess.

It's later on, however, that things start getting stomach churning.



One of our members, who is both on the SAIL board and a SAIL user member, is spotted on her balcony.  David Malka, the man beside him, then later joined by Deb Arcand, verbally harass her.  They call her heartless, insult her looks, and even accuse her of physically abusing care workers.

These are the people who are saying all they want for the SAIL staff that walked off the job is "dignity" and "respect" (which, apparently, can only be shown through money).

They're so casual about it, too.

For them to be able to do this, they are the ones who have to be both heartless and soulless.

Normal, sane people don't do crap like this.

Video of the Day: the screaming banshees.

Today's video of the day took place almost immediately after the video featured yesterday.

This one involved SAIL staffers, Wiltah and Marga, yelling and shrieking as they verbally harass one of their former co-workers, who is coming to work to provide Self Managed Care for a non-SAIL using member.



The creepy part starts at around 2:30, when AUPE negotiator, Kevin Davediuk, starts yelling out to her, "thanks for giving us your address."

So he's basically saying, "we know where you live" in an obvious attempt at intimidation.

From AUPE's negotiator.

Aimed at someone whom he should have nothing to do with at all.

She's not a union member.

It turns out it's actually quite easy to leave a union.  All you have to do is fill out some paperwork and send it in.

So what he's also doing is confirming that not only did AUPE receive the form, but that he knows about it,

...and her private information that was on it.

...and is using that information to try and intimidate her.

Remember; this is the guy SAIL is supposed to negotiate a collective agreement with.

A collective agreement for the women that are screaming like banshees as they harass a former co-worker, and the other former co-workers looking on.

This?

This is an example of why SAIL users didn't want the staff back, and why a lock-out was filed for.

Imagine, for a moment, that you need home care.  Imagine being a wheelchair user who needs help transferring between bed and chair.  Or needing help taking a shower.  Or eat a meal.  Or even just needing a few minutes help putting on pressure socks, or rubbing lotion on your feet as part of diabetic care.

Now imagine that these women are the ones who might be providing that care.

That's the stuff of nightmares.

Video of the Day: dangerous actions

One of the things AUPE and their picketers do a lot is accuse Artspace members of abusing the picketers and trying to harm them.  Typically, someone in Artspace would describe how the picketers have been harassing, intimidating, threatening, etc. our members, and some spokesperson from AUPE would go, "oh, no, no, no!  We're just the most peaceful people ever!  It's the people in Artspace that have been [fill in the blank] our poor, hapless picketers!  We're not bullies, Artspace members are!"

And the drones would diligently nod their heads, repeat the lies, but make no effort to verify the truth.

Yeah.

Here we have more proof to the contrary.



This video was taken early on June 12, 2014.  The location is at the Northeast side of the high rise.  As described in this post, this is on Artspace private property.  The property line extends into the paved lane.

The video is just over 14 minutes long, but I do not know when they actually started to block the car, so we don't currently know just how much longer the person had been blocked.

The man in the car is an Artspace board member.  He's also the Artspace board representative to the SAIL board, so while he's not on the SAIL board, he's had the misfortune of having to attend the farcical negotiation process with AUPE.

The three women in front are among the few SAIL staff that bother to show up on the picket line, and one of them - the one on the far left - is not one of the regulars. She has another job elsewhere.

The man at the driver's side window is someone we've seen pretty consistently out here, and he is pretty much universally held in disgust for his actions on the picket line, but we had no idea who he was or what connection he had to anything.

Thanks to David Eggen, now we know his name is Jaime Urbina, and what he is.

Young Activist Committee?

So, this guy is some sort of mentor for youth?

Wow.

[Update: Oct. 25 - according to AUPE's documents for their annual convention, this committee is aimed at members aged 30 and under.]

Watch the video right to the end, where you can see him deliberately running in front of a moving vehicle, going out of his way to try and get himself hit.  The picketers, of course, blame the driver, not the idiot jumping in front of a moving vehicle.

He's also with David Eggen and Deb Arcand, posing for a photo on David Malka's Facebook page.

After the fiasco last month, David Eggen apparently went into damage control and tried to claim various things to excuse what he did, but the reality is (as can be seen on his endorsement page), he's quite thoroughly in bed with several people who have been key players in the siege against Artspace members.

Which brings me to the other guy at the car, David Malka.  He was the picket line captain for almost 2 months, and one of the most aggressive and abusive people there.  This is the guy who earned the nicknames Captain McCreepypants, Creeper and The Urinator.  Though no longer on the picket line, he continues to harass Artspace members and creep on them, including while volunteering at the Folk Festival, movie theatres and his personal Facebook page, along with AUPE's fake lawyer, William Rigutto, aka Avocatzo.

What's particularly of note is the guy in the blue shirt who wanders in and out of the video and takes part in the verbal abuse of our board member, which explains why I used the term "farcical" to describe the negotiation process.

That's Kevin Davediuk, the AUPE negotiator, oft quoted by the media.

Let that sink in for a moment.

The AUPE negotiator - the guy SAIL is supposed to be able to work out a collective agreement with - is here at Artspace, taking part in trespassing, excessive blocking and verbal harassment of an Artspace board member and board representative to SAIL.

Let's try and put this into a  first person perspective.

Imagine you have to privately talk to some people to work out a deal of some kind.

The other side is demanding things you can't give them, refuses to compromise, and no deal is reached.

So one of the people you've been talking to shows up at your home, in your driveway, along with a bunch of other aggressive people, traps you in your vehicle, watches while you are verbally harassed and abused for more than 15 minutes, and even takes part in the abuse.

Question:

Do you think this is someone you can go back to the table with and have a civil discussion?

Do you think you'd be able to work out any kind of deal with this person?

Do you think this is a person who could ever negotiate in good faith?

Yet this is the person that SAIL is supposed to negotiate a collective agreement with.




Updated with more video, Oct. 25.

Video of the Day: the Air Raid Siren

Clips of the air raid siren being used were seen in the security video montage, previously.

Here is the extended version.





This took place in the morning of June 11, after the strike/lockout had been going on for more than a month, with the full approval of AUPE.

Aside from the use of the siren, the secondary argument involving the woman with the long red hair is quite the thing.  Towards the end, she even suggests that, to get rid of AUPE picketing our home and doing stuff like this, we should evict the SAIL board.

Wow.

There has been confusion about just how often the air raid siren had been used.  Still working on that.  Part of the problem is that people seem to have mistaken one of the sound effects on the bull horn for the air raid siren.

Which goes to show how disruptive the use of the bull horn was, too.

Video of the Day: picketer harassment

Even when there was a strike protocol in place, the picketers harassment of the replacement workers was just as vile.



Note that AUPE VP, Mike Dempsey is not only on the picket line, but takes part in some verbal abuse himself.  (He's the tall guy with the hat.)

This took place the same morning the air raid siren was used by David Malka.

Video of the Day: AUPE picketers harassing Artspace members

Another one from May, this time the 14th.

This video was started just before 7:30am, while people were trying to get to work.

Imagine having this going on first thing in the morning?  Or happening to you, as you try and get to work.



One of the members they are verbally abusing is an Artspace board member, and someone I, personally, am honoured to consider a friend.  He's a man of integrity and kindness, who has dedicated incredible amounts of talent, time and energy to Artspace.

In AUPE's convoluted world, where they apparently get to define reality however they wish, this somehow makes him "management" of SAIL.  Of course, Artspace is a completely separate entity from SAIL and the Artspace board does not - cannot - have anything to do directly with SAIL's operations, and they certainly have nothing to do with funding or contract negotiations.

The other person they are abusing is an Artspace member who is not on any boards and nothing to do with SAIL.  She just lives here.

Somehow, because she is a member of another union through her job (how they know this would be an interesting thing to know, since "infiltration" is one of the things considered misconduct in labour regulations), they somehow think... what?  That she can't cross the picket line (which would mean not going to and from her own home)?  That she should put up with their abuse?  It's not like she can do anything about the labour dispute.

So why target her so aggressively? Or so often? (This happened to her a lot.)

What could they possibly have hoped to accomplish by doing this?

Video of the Day: some "peaceful" picketing

Going back to May 10 with this one.

When public attention finally started to shine on picketer behaviour, AUPE tried to claim that things have always been peaceful and quiet here.

Hhmmm...


Remember also that this was not happening at a place of business, but in front of our homes.  In this video, they are blocking the security vehicle on the street, right in front of the driveways into the underground parking, so those are being blocked, too.

Video of the Day: picketer verbal abuse and racism

Some older security footage, showing just how "peaceful" the picket line was, early in the strike.  This one goes back to the morning of May 11.

Note a "care" worker's racist comments beginning 4:18.

Fallout

After yesterday's invasion, today was the complete opposite.

Not a single picketer showed up.

We don't know why.

Unfortunately, this is part of what has made the situation so difficult for so many members.  On the one hand, we are enjoying our ability to go out and about unimpeded, without anyone taunting us, harassing us, etc.

On the other, there is this constant state of wondering, when is the shoe going to drop?  What will they do next?  Will they show up later, anyhow?

It's like a storm cloud, hovering over us, and we're all wondering if the rain will hold off? Will there be a downpour? Will the lightning strike?  Will the thunder roar?  Or will it just blow away and come back later?

Meanwhile, we have been observing the fallout of yesterday's invasion of our homes.

Source: http://healthybodynow.net/an-attitude-of-gratitude/

So many have stepped forward to support us! Your support has uplifted us and we are grateful.   We appreciate it all so much.  Through all this, we have felt abandoned by those who should have been there to protect us or stand up for us.  The police.  The politicians.  The Labour Board.  The media.  

To our supporters, Thank you.  A thousand times, thank you.

We have been in frequent contact with Ian, who has been driven from his home here in Artspace due to the effect AUPE actions have had on his health. 

Today, he informed me that David Eggen has been trying to contact him all day, adding, "on professionals advice I must remove myself from the situation for now."  

Support for Ian has been wonderful, and he has even had someone contact him to offer to escort him daily, if need be!  He has been overwhelmed by support, and extends his gratitude and thanks.  

One thing is for sure.  While what AUPE has been doing to our community has shown us some truly disturbing views of humanity, it has also brought out some of the best.  It has been an amazing, if exhausting, ride!

Here are just a few of the comments we've been seeing just on Facebook.

The true measure of a society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.
The true measure of a man can be found in how he treats those who can do him no good.
When both of these philosophies are held up against the current siege atArtspace, the AUPE fails, we fail, and David Eggen fails.
Let's stop failing. Let's stand with those who are vulnerable. Because this is about our character, our measure.

And from another post;

David Eggan betrayed the people at Artspace. Yesterday he used a megaphone to incite chanting...contributing to the noise and stress experienced by Artspace members, and the other neighbors. A friend of mine who lives at Artspace said 'I didn't sleep well because of the knife in my back,'

That friend is Ian.  Our neighbour, our friend, our inspiration.  It hurts all of us to see someone we care about so much go through such pain and trauma.

Kathleen, of Kikki Planet, has really had people coming out of the woodwork for daring to call attention to what AUPE is doing to us.  It's got to the point the accusations against her have become comical.

From others; 

Normally, I support the workers in labour disputes. But this time, I just can't.
The whole purpose of unions is to protect people from injustice. But here, there are people more vulnerable than the workers.
I do support their rights as employees. But the way they are expessing them is inappropriate.

And...

I'm so sad it's come to this. I've been a strong union supporter for many years, and I believe the hoops unions have to go through to get a first agreement in this province are punishing. That said, I can't support AUPE's actions in this - they could have done all this differently.

Variations of these comments are seen often; what AUPE has been doing to us is driving away those who would normally support them.  They express sadness, anger, shock and disgust.  

This is not about the labour dispute.  It's about AUPE using that dispute to terrorise a community. 

Others have issues calls to action.

I hope everyone who reads this will email or call David Eggen - here is his contact info: Legislature Offices Phone: (780) 415-1800 and his Constituency Offices Phone: (780) 451-2345 or email him at edmonton.calder@assembly.ab.ca - tell him he is losing support from a lot of people because of his attacks against people with disabilities.

From what I hear, many people are doing exactly that.

Eggen is not alone in this, however.  Our MLA is Brian Mason.  He has been aware of what's going on from the start; we know this through the people who have said they contacted him, and because he had been trading twitter barbs with one of our members - someone who was a SAIL user member until the strike began.  He stopped SAIL service to protect the replacement workers, who would have had to cross the street to his townhouse unit.  

Here are some of Brian Mason's responses about what's been going on here at Artspace.

Nice job of Brian Mason attacking the volunteer board that runs SAIL, many of whom have spent much of their lives fighting for their own dignity and rights.  Does Mason truly believe that this labour dispute was about the employee's "dignity" and "rights"?  No.  It was about demanding an excessive pay increase and a benefits package that a non-profit funded by AHS could not possibly provide.

Then Mason posted one of AUPE's slick, professionally produced propaganda videos. 

Because a massive, multi-million dollar organisation would be so much more trustful a source of information than the tiny non-profit company they are trying to crush into submission by picketing people's private homes and terrorising our entire street.

And just what was so "unbelievable" that Wayde posted?

So Brian Mason resorts to both an ad hominem attack and a strawman. 

Argumentation Fail.

Honestly, I can't figure out what is so "unbelievable" about this sign that was the idea of one of our members, that another printed out copies of and posted around the high rise.  It was in support of the amazing care SAIL user members had been getting from the replacement workers, who have put up with incredible abuse and stalking from the picketers - even when they were not here to work.  

AUPE picketers objected to this sign when they saw it.  They deemed it offensive.  To themselves. The same people who read out Ode to a Scab, telling those same replacement workers that they deserved to die.

Apparently, Brian Mason agreed with AUPE.  In fact, he agreed so much that he tweeted about it again.

Seriously.  What's wrong with this sign?  What is so horrible about showing support for the people who were giving SAIL user members superior care?

Even AUPE got in on the conversation.

The tactic?  Attack the person/people, rather than the issues.   

And Wayde, what are you apologising for?  What's wrong with that sign?  What's wrong with a sign of support for those who are helping user members, and doing an excellent job of it?  

As you can see by the dates on these, Brian Mason was clearly aware of the situation here at Artspace for some time, but chose to attack one of our members and play politics, rather than support his constituents. 

Oh, and this Artspace member Brian Mason was attacking?  During Saturday's invasion, his wife posted this.

So much for me getting out of my house anytime soon. AUPE is having a block party in front of Artspace today. I can't even get past front door through the people. They are playing drums and screaming.

That's right.  AUPE's illegal block party largely took place directly in front of their unit, trapping them inside.  She was unable to leave until some others came to escort her through the hostile crowd.

By the way, in order to have a legal street party, a permit is required.  To get a permit, one has to have agreement of every single person on the block.  If even a single person says no, no permit.

Of course, no one in Artspace, nor any of hour neighbours, were asked permission for the party AUPE held on our street.  

It also became a political rally.  I don't know what the rules are about that, but I'm pretty sure that it can't be a "picket line" and a political rally at the same time.

If anyone is interested in talking to Brian Mason about this, here is his contact information.

Edmonton Highlands-Norwood Constituency Office
6519 112 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB T5W 0P1
Phone: (780) 414-0682
Fax: (780) 414-0684
Email: Edmonton.HighlandsNorwood@assembly.ab.ca

Alberta's NDP Opposition Caucus Office
501 Legislature Annex
9718 107 Street NW
Edmonton, AB T5K 1E4
Phone: (780) 415-1800
Fax: (780) 415-0701
Email: nd@assembly.ab.ca

Alberta's NDP Provincial Party Office
Suite 201, 10544 114 Street NW
Edmonton, AB T5H 3J7
Phone: (780) 474-2415
Fax: (780) 669-9617
Toll free: 1 800 465-6587
Email: info@albertandp.ca

AUPE, meanwhile, continues to pretend there is nothing wrong.  This was posted on their facebook page, just a short while ago.

AUPE - Alberta Union of Provincial Employees Hi Ken appreciate the comment, but you seem to be basing your judgement on a few people that seem more intent on slandering the union than achieving a deal. There have been heated moments as in any picket line, but people are not being terrorized, they are not being held hostage, they are not being threatened with violence. Anyone who would care to know the truth could go to the picket line and see for themselves. Most don't.

AUPE, if people here in Artspace are saying they feel terrorized, that they feel like they are hostages in their homes, that they are having anxiety attacks and are even being forced from their homes to seek medical treatment, your denial if their claims simply adds to the abuse.

At some point, AUPE is going to have to acknowledge the truth, rather than try to hide it.

Oh, and people have been out, such as during their "peaceful" invasion of our home on Saturday.

I just drove by the area (out of curiosity) and had to lay on the horn to get three guys wearing union shit to get the fuck out of the way so I could drive by.
They did move, and fairly quickly, but the fact of the matter is, there were dozens of people standing on the street impeding traffic.

And on it goes.

So what comes of all this?

Today, the picketers stayed away.

What will happen tomorrow?

The day after?

What game with they play against us next?

We have no idea.