About that convention coming up... (updated)

We've mentioned earlier that SAIL is going to be somehow part of AUPE's upcoming annual convention.  Of all the labour disputes AUPE is dealing with, somehow it is our little subsidiary, SAIL, that is a threat to this multi-million dollar organization.

How do we know this?

Because it's in their convention documentation.

The first place we see AIL mentioned is right in the Officer's Report, from AUPE President, Guy Smith.  It doesn't come up until page 13, which opens with:

Building AUPE From the Inside
Obviously, AUPE has been engaged in high profile and well-publicized struggles over the past year.

We have taken our issues, mostly created by the Government itself, to the streets, to the public, to the media, to the labour board and to the courts. Our public profile, awareness and credibility are at an all-time high.

All of that is great news for AUPE and our members, who rely upon us to be a recognized and respected organization in the public domain.

Their public profile and credibility are at an all time high?  A recognized and respected organization? Ahahahahahaha!!!  Thanks to what AUPE has chosen to do to our home, we've come to learn that AUPE is held in the worst regard of all the unions in Alberta - including by other unions!  Seeing what they are like outside our home, we can see why.  If this is their "all time high," I hate to think how bad it was before.

But then, I somehow don't think all 83,000 AUPE members have any clue what's been happening here, and what AUPE picketers have been doing in their name.

Including Guy Smith, himself.  Many times.  Such as on Sept. 10, when this photo was taken.

You know what else was going on at the back of the Artspace parking lot?

When we got to see Deb Arcand verbally abusing a SAIL user members.  This member had talked to a few people back there, but only Deb Arcand got visibly aggressive with her.

Oh, look... Who's that, right behind her?  Why, that looks like VP, Mike Dempsey.

Yeah, he's been here many times.  You can watch how they were while posing for a photo opp in front of our home on this video, here.  Or read about it here.

The part about SAIL is towards the end of page 13, and it was clearly written some time ago.  Let's take a closer look at it...

Bargaining continues to be a huge challenge. The logjam of negotiations resulting from the standoff with the Government started to break with some post-secondary, municipal, and boards and agencies contracts being successfully resolved. However, many tables remain unresolved and will require increased vigilance and member engagement and involvement.

Increased vigilance?  Member engagement and involvement?

Why, Guy?  Why does SAIL threaten AUPE so much?  What is it about this tiny, non-profit, volunteer run company that is so important that AUPE will go to such great lengths to either conquer it or destroy it?

One bargaining table in particular deserves comment. One of our smallest, 27 members

... you mean 29, right?  There were 29 SAIL employees when the strike started.  Only 11 of which, at most, have been even seen picketing Artspace.

(mostly nursing attendants),

Whoa, whoa, whoa.  Hold it, right there.

Nursing attendants?  When did this happen?

Their official job titles are Health Care Workers.  They do home care.  They do the same job that other home care workers that travel from house to house do, except they don't have to travel.  They are not nursing attendants.  They assist with personal care, meal preparation and do housekeeping.  That's their job description.  SAIL has an LPN to do the stuff they're not qualified for.

They are not nursing attendants.

at Supports for Artspace Independent Living (SAIL) in Edmonton have been locked out since May.

Funny.  Hey, Guy; did you forget that they walked off the job, first?  They went on strike on May 7.  There was no lockout until May 19.

These predominantly immigrant women

Oh, gotta play the immigrant and gender cards!  Because, remember folks, where you come from and your reproductive organs are the most important things about you.  At least according to AUPE, it seems.  I mean, it's not like Artspace doesn't have people from all sorts of ethnic backgrounds, while the AUPE executive has been described as almost completely male, stale and pale.

Having gone through AUPE's Youtube videos, these are cards they've been playing for years, too.  I mean, hasn't anyone else noticed by now that the only POCs on the picket lines are people on the bottom of the AUPE totem pole?

have shown exceptional strength

Striking SAIL employee, verbally abusing a replacement worker.

and determination 

Striking SAIL employees and AUPE staff verbally abusing a self-managed-care worker.

through a very difficult struggle

Striking SAIL employee and others, harassing people inside the security vehicle.

in which they not only had to endure the employer’s negative attitude (somewhat expected in a labour dispute);

Striking SAIL employee verbally abusing a SAIL user member inside the DATS bus.

but also the disrespect shown by clients and residents.

Striking SAIL employee threatening a self-managed care worker, and former co-worker.

This has been countered by staying strong

AUPE organizer, David Malka, with air raid siren, verbally abusing the father of a sick child who asked him to stop the noise.

and focused on the picket line

Striking SAIL employees and AUPE staff trespassing on Artspace property for a photo opp.

and breaking down the barriers

Striking SAIL employee and AUPE staffers, while blocking a self-managed care worker on 94th St. for almost 1 1/2 hours.

that the Employer, through rhetoric and misinformation,

is trying to use to discredit our members.

AUPE organizer harassing a SAIL user member trying to come home.

I don't know, Guy.  I think you and your picketers here at Artspace have been doing a pretty good job of discrediting AUPE yourselves.  We've just had to put up with this for the past 5 months.

This could end any number of ways, and I hope to be able to provide an update at Convention.

You know what would be a great way for this to end?

By AUPE acknowledging that they've screwed up, withdraw all the frivolous litigation they are engaged in, and walk away.

I'm sure the SAIL board would be willing to look at some sort of severance arrangement or something for the SAIL staff or something.  I don't know.  That's up to them.  What I do know is that AUPE has messed this up badly, has given themselves a black eye, and are just digging themselves in farther.  They need to get over their over-inflated egos, kiss some SAIL board butt, and end this peacefully.

Leave.

Just.  Leave.

But one thing we need to remember is that an injury to one is an injury to all

Well, this I could agree with - except that it is the picketers here at Artspace, and the AUPE management that has condoned, encouraged and taken part in actions against our community, that is injuring all the other AUPE members who have nothing to do with what's going on here.

and these few, brave members need to be supported in their ongoing struggle.

Striking SAIL staff blocking Artspace members who are not SAIL users, nor Board members.

Yeah, Guy.

Real brave.

They sure do need to be supported in their ongoing actions at our home, against people who have nothing to do with the labour dispute, but just happen to live here, or harassing SAIL user members, people with PTSD and other non-SAIL user members who have their own health struggles made worse because of you all.

Right.

Meanwhile, on pages 18 and 19 of the convention document, Mike Dempsey dedicated a portion of his report directly to SAIL.

SAIL Inc. Lockout
As I write this, 22 health care aides at Supports for Arts Independent Living Inc. have been on strike/locked out for three full months.

Well, at least he got the title right, but Mike; it was 29 SAIL staff, not 22.

We also now know how long ago this was written; it's now past 5 months since the staff walked away from their jobs.

Unfortunately it all looks too familiar. Health care.

Y'know, since this has started, we've noticed that AUPE has been targeting the health care industry.  Which is why we've all become convinced that AUPE has its own agenda to gain control of it.

Lowest paid.

Nope.  Not at SAIL, that's for sure.

Women (mostly).

There it is!  The gender card.  You knew it was coming, right?

Visible minorities (mostly).

Oh, and there's the race card!

Just a thought.  If SAIL Inc and SAIL user members were really racist and sexist, do you think they would have hired all these female, immigrant people of colour in the first place?

Why is it that we continue to see the most labour unrest in the richest province in Canada among our poorest paid members?

I don't know, Mike.  Maybe it's because no other province has the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees instigating all these labour disputes?

Just a hunch.

And the highest executive salaries in the same department?

Good question, Mike.

What's your executive salary?

Something’s desperately rotten in Denmark, folks. Human rights violations,

You mean like picketing people's private homes, making them feel like hostages, causing physical and psychological trauma through the use of intimidation, noise, aggressive behaviour, holding illegal block parties, etc.?

pay equity issues. Take your pick.

Uh huh.

I visit the line to encourage the members whenever I am in Edmonton,

Yes.  We've noticed.

and I am proud of our sisters holding strong in the face of continued physical and verbal abuse.

The only physical and verbal abuse we've seen, Mike, is from AUPE picketers.  You should know.  You've been there while it's been happening.

Still not enough for you?

Then check out the videos.  Don't forget to come back later, because more are still slowly being added.

But enough is enough.

Yes, it is.

Yet AUPE is still picketing our home.

Why is that, Mike?  It's not like they're accomplishing anything, other than making AUPE look worse and worse.

These strikes occur mostly at assisted living facilities of one type or another

Artspace is not a facility.

Artspace Housing Co-op is made up of our private homes.  It also happens to have strong percentage of adapted units and an in-house care company to provide for their needs, thereby allowing them to live independently, rather than in an assisted living facility.  It is these people with disabilities who fought, more than 20 years ago, to create Artspace in the first place, so that they would NOT have to live in a facility.

That's the whole purpose of SAIL.  So that people with disabilities can live independently in their own homes, and have the autonomy that allows them to decide who provides them with the care they need, rather than someone else.

It is thanks to them that the rest of us non-SAIL user members can also have affordable housing and be part of a dynamic community.

AUPE seems to be doing everything it can to destroy what they fought to hard for.

and under this current PC administration, I don’t see the situation improving overall and it won’t as long as this realm of health care is still allowed to be privatized.

Privatized health care.

This is something I've heard elsewhere.

AUPE has not only redefined Artspace as a facility to justify picketing our homes, but they have apparently also redefined SAIL as privatized health care.

SAIL, which uses a care model developed in co-operation with AHS, which is funded entirely by AHS, requires AHS oversight, and is accountable to AHS, is somehow "privatized" health care.

Source

I hope by the time you read this, that we have been successful at the Labour Relations Board, and have forced SAIL Inc.

Forced SAIL?

FORCED!

We knew that AUPE had no intention of accepting any of SAIL's offers that they could afford; anyone with half a brain could see that, but Mike just made it plain as day that they have no intention of acting reasonably.

They intend to continue the bullying tactics.

Their goal is to force SAIL to comply with their demands.

Once again, it's plain as day, that AUPE has it's own agenda going on here that has nothing to do with helping the striking staff, since their demands would force SAIL into bankruptcy, which would lose the SAIL staff their jobs.

But, hey - thanks for being publicly open about that, Mike.

Now, who is it that's supposed to be bargaining in bad faith, here?  Because it sure as heck isn't SAIL.

to negotiate seriously with its employees,

SAIL tried that.

SAIL is now locked into a 2 yr contract with AHS.  Their last offer still stands.

AUPE rejected all their offers.

I guess it's only "serious" negotiation if SAIL is "forced" to accept demands they can't afford.

and that they finally have a decent contract.

They could already have one.

Or they can get jobs somewhere else.

We're all free to do that.  In fact, most of the SAIL staff has already done that.

The only ones dragging this out is AUPE.

FYI, they currently get about $4 an hour less than the industry standard,

Here we go again...

No.  They don't.

When compared to equivalent jobs, such as other home care workers or places like Abby Road, which has a contract with CUPE, they are the HIGHEST paid.

and no benefits at all!

You know why they don't have benefits?

Because the staff chose not to have benefits.  They preferred the high wages.

It turns out that the staff didn't just turn down benefits when they negotiated their contracts a couple of years ago (before they unionized).  They HAD benefits.  Some of the staff used them.

A lot, apparently.  So much so, that the premiums went up.

From what we've learned, the staff asked to have the benefits removed because they were taking too much off their take-home pay.

They CHOSE to have that $19.50 and hour, without benefits, because with benefits, they'd be paid less - and $19.50 an hour was the most SAIL could pay them based on the funding they received, which is why wages were capped there.

What AUPE is now demanding is that they not only get paid more hourly than SAIL can afford - more than Abby Road is paying their LPNs, in fact - but to have benefits on to of that.

From contract between CUPE and Abby Road.

Benefits packages don't come cheap.

SAIL's funding has to cover a lot of things besides wages. There's no way they can give that and still remain solvent.  Anyone with even a modest understanding of how to budget responsibly can see that.

Mike and Guy aren't the only ones to talk about SAIL in preparation for the upcoming AUPE convention. VP Glen Scott has this to say:

Strike - The SAIL strike (Supports for Artspace Independent Living), if still on by Convention, will be in its 160+ day.

Hey... at least he's honest in saying the strike is still on, even with the lockout.

This has been a picket line that’s similar to many as far as the issue of an employer taking government funding and using it for the employer’s needs versus the clients’ needs,

Whoa, hold on there.

Glen, you do know what defamation is, right?  Slander?  I mean, AUPE has filed a SLAPP suit against our online supporters, so you should know better.

But then, false accusations against SAIL and Artspace members are hardly new.

and not providing the remuneration these 29 women deserve.

Well, at least he got the right number of staff.

But then there's that loaded term, "deserve."

Who decides what anyone deserves, Glen?  AUPE?

SAIL has offered what it can afford.  No company is under any obligation to pay anyone what they think they "deserve."  Certainly not if it means they'll go out of business.  That sort of intangible, amorphous concept cannot be applied to hard, financial decisions.

It does, however, make for good emotional manipulation.

It’s been challenging as we have been attempting to negotiate with a mostly volunteer board

First, it's an ALL volunteer board, and why does this make in more challenging?  Especially when there are professional negotiators involved?

Well... SAIL has a professional negotiator.  I don't know if I'd use term that to describe AUPE's negotiator, considering he's been our here, doing things like this.





You know what I'm sure has been really challenging?

For an all-volunteer board of a tiny, non-profit company trying to negotiate with a union that obviously has no intention of accepting anything they can actually afford, and intends to, as Mike Dempsey put it, FORCE them into accepting AUPE's demands.

who has been misled by their leadership

Hold on again.

Mislead by their leadership?

Who are they talking about?

SAIL is run by a volunteer board.

Some of the board are also SAIL user members.

The board answers to the user members, but also has to answer to AHS.

So who is this "leadership" that is supposedly misleading... whom?  The SAIL board has a president; is he saying the president is misleading the board... which would include herself?  Or are they saying AHS, who has oversight over SAIL, is misleading them?  Or...

No clue.

Got no clue who he's talking about here.

who have refused to bargain with AUPE

Let's see if I get this right.

SAIL made several offers until the beginning of August, which is when their contract with AHS was finalized (that's right; AUPE took the staff on strike and demanded a contract before SAIL even had their new funding contract solidified), and now there's an offer on the table based on the current funding contract.

AUPE refuses the offer that SAIL can afford, then claims that it is SAIL that is refusing to bargain.

How does that work?

after many many attempts were made to find a way to come to terms.

Right... Let's see...

SAIL makes offer it can afford.

AUPE demands more than SAIL can afford.

Repeatedly.

That's what they call "many, many attempts" to "come to terms"?

Love the double use of "many."  Like that makes a difference.

The employer has locked out these workers,

Well... yeah.  After the workers tried to force their way back into SAIL on short notice, just before a long weekend, in an obvious attempt to disrupt user member care, and after user members already said they did not feel safe having the picketing staff in their homes, after seeing and hearing them on the picket line.

SAIL's priority is the care of user members.  Not to get railroaded but the striking staff or AUPE and act against the best interests of the user members.

insulted, disrespected, 

and misrepresented them, and the entire time these workers have remained patient, respectful and firm in their belief.

I am hopeful that the truth will come out about how this organization has misused public funding;

You know, it's a good thing SAIL is not the sort to sue people for defamation, because those are some very serious accusations.

the real truth is the leaders of the SAIL board have not been up front in bargaining.

Once again, who are these "leaders of the SAIL board" that Glen is talking about?

It seems obvious that Glen has no understanding of SAIL and how it's run.  That doesn't seem to stop him from making slanderous accusations, though.

Like many other Artspace members, we've talk to the SAIL board - they are our friends and neighbours, and we have known them for years.  They have always been honest, transparent people of integrity.

They have not been transparent in their spending practices

Actually, yes, they have been transparent - including about past problems, some of which they have corrected and some of which are still being worked on.

What no one expected was for AUPE to deliberately twist things around to accuse our friends of fraud - and even extend those accusations to all Artspace members, and even people who don't live here at all.

and the ones that stand to lose the most in this are the residents of SAIL.

Uh, Glen?

There are no residents of SAIL.

SAIL is not a facility.

SAIL is a company with an office in the Artspace co-op.

I want to thank all the members of AUPE and the public who have come out to support these 29 AUPE members.

Who have obviously not been properly informed about what's going on here, and how they are picketing our private homes, and contributing to the abuse of Artspace members.

 As far as we can tell, AUPE has no real interest in the actual SAIL staff - they are obviously okay with forcing SAIL into bankruptcy - through frivolous litigation, if necessary - even if it means the SAIL staff lose their jobs.

It's not the replacement workers that are "stealing" their jobs.  It's AUPE.

Oh, but it doesn't end there!

Karen Weiers as a report, too, and she mentions SAIL, too.

No surprise.  She's been here more than anyone else among the AUPE executives.

Bargaining – There seemed to be a backlog of tables in negotiations when Government Services members stood strong against this Employer. Once an agreement was settled there, then interestingly enough many other negotiations in Education, Healthcare and Boards and Agencies were settled as well. In AUPE, we are constantly going into negotiations, so again if it takes all of us to stand together to ensure all front line workers receive a fair contract that is what we must do. Currently at the time of this writing we are seeing a labour dispute at SAIL (Supports for Artspace Independent Living). They are a small group of 22 members (currently locked out) that have been out for 108 days and still standing strong. Everyone’s agreement is important! I continue to stand proud on this line beside these workers in their effort to obtain a fair contract where wages are standardized and benefits (they currently have none!) become part of an agreement.

Oh, for crying out loud, Karen!  For someone who's been here as often as you have, couldn't you at least gotten the number of striking staff right?

And considering you've been there for stuff like this...





... I really don't see that you've got anything to be proud of.

I won't bother going over the whole lack of benefits thing again.

Where else is SAIL mentioned?

Oh, here we go.  Page 33, in the Anti-Privatization Committee report.

Because, like their inability to understand that Artspace is not a facility, that no one "resides" in the SAIL office, and that this is our private home, they also can't seem to figure out that a company that runs under the auspices of AHS, is funded entirely by AHS and is financially accountable to AHS, is part of the public health care system.

There are a few other passing references to SAIL, but these alone are enough to tell use that during AUPE's 38th Annual Convention, a great deal of time and energy is going to be dedicated to the destruction of a tiny, in-house, non-profit, volunteer run, publicly funded, care company.

Addressing issues; time frames, reactions and potential solutions

It's been quite a ride in the last few days.  Thank you to everyone who has shown support for us and for Kathleen.  Including those who shared some of the tweets that AUPE claims were defamatory to them, through United with Kikki.

There have been a few things brought up from various directions that should probably be addressed.

The first is to point out again that, thanks largely to this blog, the videos and social media attention, the actions of AUPE picketers against our community have toned down.

They are no longer stopping vehicles.

With no security guards driving replacement workers in and out, they have taken to coming in at about 5am, waiting to hassle the replacement workers as they walk in.  The police and others are watching closely.

For Artspace members startled by the sight of a man hanging out by the garden bed in the morning, be assured that it's only this guy.

And if you're wondering who he is;

It seems he's the one that's here to do those interviews AUPE has been posting online, including that totally random, just-happened-to-have-someone-there-to-record-it, interview with saysandra, who also posted this.

I don't think she quite caught on to the contradiction between claiming this was a "polite" talk, while using a derogatory term to describe the replacement workers.

Obviously, she wasn't there to see all the other "polite" talks they had with the replacement workers previously.

So this guy seems to be AUPE's new Large Intimidating White Guy for the picket line.  Maybe because their Little Token POC wasn't quite cutting it.  Who knows.

Anyhow; for the folks leaving to catch a bus or walk their dogs in the early hours, now you know who he is and why he's there.

This is important, considering we do live in an area with high rates of vandalism and transient populations.  We get a lot of people cutting through our area to and from the valley, and it's not unusual for many to be under the influence.  We've also had break ins, and drug deals in the parking lot.

As you can imagine, seeing a big guy hanging around in front at odd hours, in the dark, can be pretty concerning.

Don't know if he's still coming out or how often.

They are usually gone by about 7:30am, then return in the afternoon for anywhere from 2 to 4 hours.

They are still picketing our private homes, rather than SAIL, spending most of their time hanging out at the West raised bed garden.

With AUPE's SLAPP suit against people who dared to support us, many have come to this blog and to the youtube channel for the first time.

Some have suggested that, because the videos are old, and the picketers aren't behaving this way anymore (sort of), we shouldn't be complaining.  Even spokespeople from AUPE have tried to dismiss them due to the age.

The age of the incidents, of course, is irrelevant.  When something happened doesn't change whether or not it was wrong.  When something happened doesn't lessen the damage done.

It's also rather curious for AUPE to pick and choose whether or not something is relevant due to dates.  After all, they kept bringing up their original "bad faith" complaint against SAIL back in May, even after withdrawing their complaint (without, of course, mentioning it was withdrawn).  Then, after they didn't get their way with the mediator's recommendation, they went and filed it again.  Apparently, they're still trying to dig out the illegal lock out complaint, too, and that also happened in May.  Of course, they neglect to mention that they agreed the staff would get paid not to come to work that weekend, too.

We have also learned that the SLAPP suit against Kathleen was actually filed back in August.

For some reason, they waited something like a month to actually serve her with it, only about a week ago.

And it's based on tweets she made in August.

Obviously, they have their own idea as to when something is or isn't relevant, due to time.

The other issue, of course, is that this all didn't magically stop.  Things are still going on.

This, for example, was taken on Sept. 10.  That was the day this happened.



And lets not forget their disruptive photo opportunities with federal NDPers, Brian Masse and Dan Harris (btw, Dan; Artspace isn't a long term care facility, either).

Plus, of course, there's just the general disruption their presence causes.  Even getting our mail is still touch and go.

We had also heard through the grapevine that they intended to lay on the pressure if a resolution wasn't reached before the end of the month.  The last time they did that, we had to endure the events at the end of July and the beginning of August, when the mediator's recommendation was turned down because it would lead to SAIL's bankruptcy.  How a resolution could be found, we have no idea, since there was nothing happening until October, which is when they apparently plan to "turn up the heat" on our community.

The SAIL president has been free to tell us only some things, but one of them is that there is something called a "resolution conference" happening on the first.  This isn't even about the labour dispute.  There's nothing to negotiate, there.  AUPE wants the mediator's recommendation to be accepted.  SAIL can't afford it.  Meanwhile, SAIL's within-budget offers were already rejected by AUPE.  The two sides are so far apart, the binding arbitration they keep calling for is impossible.  From what we've learned, that sort of action is brought about when the two sides are actually very close, but can't get past certain points.

What this thing tomorrow is about is their "bad faith" complaint filed by AUPE.  Which is really just a labour relations version of a SLAPP suit.  If that doesn't work out, then it goes to hearing, which would happen Oct. 15.

That is an interesting date because of this.

AUPE Annual Convention: Preparing for ChangeOctober 16, 2014 to October 18, 2014

This is being held at the Shaw Conference Centre.

From AUPE's website;

Thursday October 16, 2014 thru Saturday October 18, 2014 → 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Shaw Conference Centre → 9797 Jasper Avenue NW, Edmonton

The 38th Annual Convention will be held on 16-18 October 2014 at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton. Registration will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2014.
The Shaw Conference Centre is located downtown at 9797 Jasper Avenue NW.

The Shaw Conference Centre is just a few blocks away from our home.

In numerous videos (not all of which are online), David Malka was heard to say that all 83,000 members of AUPE support the actions against our community, and were willing to picket our home.

Obviously, that's not true.  I doubt all the members even know about what's going on here, and we have heard from plenty of members who have stated they don't support what's happening here, in their names.  Unfortunately, most of them are too afraid to say so publicly.

I don't know how many union members come to these conventions, but the idea that they might be encouraged to walk a few blocks and picket Artspace is rather concerning.

Which brings me to another issue that some have brought up.

There are a few people who have suggested that AUPE's actions have been in retaliation for our doing things like posting the videos (which they can't complain about, what with all the signs warning them that this might happen), or putting up the signs.  Oddly, there was even a suggestion that the Canada Day invasion was in retaliation for the signs we put up.  Which is completely backwards.  We put those signs up when we found out about their plans to hold a party on our street, because it was the only way we could get our message out to all the people coming out for free hot dogs and drinks.

Then there was our 100 Day Vigil.  They retaliated with another illegal block party at our home the next day.

While it certainly seems like a retaliation for our own 100 Day Vigil (partly because they were a day late, their own website's counter said 98 days, and they were wearing new signs with "100 days" written on them), the fact that they had Fat Franks out again, as well as hiring drummers, meant that this was actually planned for some time, even if they didn't post about it on their website, like they did for the Canada Day invasion.

This wasn't a retaliation against our own vigil.  It was retaliation for standing up to them for 100 days.



Another interesting issue that's been brought up.

Apparently, we're just a bunch of whiners and complainers.  We, by drawing attention to what AUPE picketers have been doing at our home and to our community, are supposedly the ones who are antagonizing them and making things worse.

A curious thing.

Are those who say this suggesting that we should have just let AUPE engage in misconduct while picketing our homes, without complaining?  And that, by objecting, we are just whining?

Tell that to the people having anxiety attacks because of the noise and intimidation levels.

Tell that to the people who have had to increase their pain medications because of what's going on outside our home.

Tell that to the people who've been reduced tears and throwing up, because of the stress caused by these invasions outside our home.

Tell that to the people who have had to clean up after their dogs, who have had accidents because of the disturbances outside.

Tell that to the people who still cannot even go out the front door when the picketers are there, due to the long term effects of their previous damage.

Tell that to the person who was hospitalized because of their actions.

Twice.

Tell that to the people struggling with their PTSD because of what's going on outside.

Not only are we somehow expected to remain docile and passive in the face of abuse, but even people who don't live here are not supposed to speak out in support of us.

Because if they do, they'll get sued for defamation.

AUPE, if there is anyone you need to blame for defamation, it's the people in the videos.  It is their actions, not the fact that people brought attention to them, that is the problem.

People have also wondered, what solution is there?

That's a good question.

When it comes to things like the labour dispute itself, or AHS funding, that is outside of the scope of this blog.

The majority of the Artspace community has nothing to do with either, and AUPE's mistake was to target all of us over something we have no control over.

AHS funding is a political issue that has nothing to do the labour dispute, because neither SAIL nor AUPE has any control over that funding.  Yeah, it would be nice if AHS provided more funding, but that's not the reality they have to deal with right now, and political action could take years.

From the beginning, we have wanted only two things.

First, for the picketers to adhere to the labour regulations, which I will quote here again;

III. PICKETINGOnce a lawful strike or lockout is in progress, the Code allows persons to engage in picketing and to try to persuade others not to enter the employer's place of business or do business with the employer. See: Section 84(1).The right to picket in connection with a labour dispute is subject to the following conditions:
· it must be peaceful;· it must take place only at the striking or locked-out employees' place of employment;· it must not involve acts that are otherwise unlawful.The Board has the power under section 84 of the Code to regulate lawful picketing. It will do so where necessary to maintain the lawful character of the picketing and preserve the peace. The parties may themselves reach agreement on picketing protocols. See: Section 84(2)(b), (3), (4); Cargill Foods v. UFCW Local 1118 [1997] Alta.L.R.B. LR-025.

With an end to misconduct, which is defined as:

... a course of conduct of incitement, intimidation, coercion, undue influence, provocation, infiltration or any similar course of conduct intended to prevent, interfere with or break up lawful activities likely to induce a breach of the peace in respect of a strike or lockout.

Second, we want accountability.  Every individual that took part in misconduct on the picket line, regardless of what position they may have within AUPE, needs to be held accountable for their actions against our community.  That would have to include ensuring that the picketing SAIL staff (remember; most of the striking staff have never been seen on the picket line) are never allowed to work at Artspace again.

Because, whatever happens with the labour dispute, Artspace members - SAIL users or not - must be able to feel safe in their homes.  Right now, with those picketing SAIL staff, that is no longer possible.

Continued disruption

For the past few days, the creepers have been here and gone, here and gone.

They generally show up early in the morning - around 5 or so - to harass the  replacement workers as they come in.  So far, we've got another incident for assault and one of self-defense that the police will be notified of.

Monday had them showing up and yelling, as usual, then it went strangely quiet.  In the afternoon, one lone creeper showed up.  She wandered around a bit, looked into the windows of their rental van, wandered around some more, looking lost without the hive cluster.  Then she left.

I guess AUPE forgot to tell her that they shipped people from here to hassle Shepherd's Care.

Shepherd's Care has been in the news because they laid off all their support staff and went with a contracting company.

Oh, look who's involved, too...

Hi, David.  Supporting AUPE invading senior's centres, too, are we?

Alberta NDP leadership candidate David Eggens says the people who work caring for seniors deserve better. He says that there have been seven labour disputes with private care companies since 2008, when Alberta Health Services was formed, and that it is a sign of a broken system.

Seven labour disputes in 6 years?  You know what, David?  Maybe in the past, I would have accepted that statement at face value, but with what we've been seeing from AUPE, I can't anymore.  I think  you're wrong.  It's not a sign that AHS is broken.  I think it's a sign that AUPE is targeting the health care market.

And if SAIL's "care" workers are anything to go by for quality of care and work ethic, never mind the abusive behaviour we've witnessed, I'd say Shepherd's Care did the right thing for their seniors.  

Since many of the AUPE imported picketers are also apparently "care" workers, and a lot of them claim to work at seniors centres, I think that maybe Shepherd's Care is also doing the right thing to protect seniors from abusive "care" workers, too.

Let's take a closer look.

Check those signs out.

Oh, look.  Invoking religion.  "Pray for our jobs."  Funny, when they invoked religion here, it was by doing things like yelling through the bull horn that, if people wanted to get to heaven, they had to join the picket line, and read out Jack London's Ode to a Scab.

"We love our seniors."  Vaguely similar to a sign worn by SAIL staff on the picket line, "Our residents love us."

Excuse me, but they are not "your" seniors.  Artspace user members are not "your" residents.  You can't buy them by the dozen over at Walmart, so stop pretending you own them.

They are people, not possessions.

"Contracting out hurts staff and residents."  Well, staff, sure, but residents?  I doubt it.  Believe it or not, there are lots of other people that can do your jobs.  If the replacement workers helping Artspace user members are any example, they can do the job better, too.

"Shepherd's Care residents need us." No, they don't.  They need people who will do the job and do it well.  That doesn't necessarily mean you.

"Save our jobs."  Well, at least there's one honest sign.

"No contracting out".  Why not?  If Shepherd's Care can get better staff more efficiently by contracting out, then they are obligated to do so.  They own you nothing, and you sure as hell don't have any right to tell them what they can or can't do.

So what are the creepers doing when they're not shipped out to hassle people in other areas?

This was taken this morning.

Seems rather quiet, doesn't it?

Let's take another look.

This is what's going on.  (Right click and select view to get a bigger image)

It was garbage day today.  The garbage truck won't cross the picket line.  So someone (the City?) sends somebody out in a truck.  Because there are very few parking spots available, one of which is taken up by AUPE's rental van that they never move, the truck has to pull over into where some of the picketers regularly park illegally, partially blocking access to the townhouse parking.

The driver then goes and brings the two bins to the street, one of which is already out in this image.  Note that they must be beyond the sidewalk and on the street for the garbage truck to be able to access them.

These are not SAIL's garbage bins, though SAIL is allowed to use them because the company rents a unit for their office.  These are Artspace's bins.

So the bins sit there on the street until the garbage truck arrives, then the guy wheels the bins back to the garbage room, in back of the high rise, then drives away.

I really hope that the City or whomever it is that's arranging this is billing AUPE for the extra man-hours all this involves.

Meanwhile, the drones have parked their butts in front of the garden bed, partially blocking the sidewalk.  Except...

Turns out that one of them didn't warrant her own camp chair.  She was using the garden wall, despite that fact that there are now SIX signs saying not to sit or lean on the garden walls.

Oh, wait.  Take a closer look.  One of the signs on that section of the bed is visible.  It's white, not half yellow.

There she is, leaning on the wall, and there's another white something behind her butt.  So what's going on?

This.

Yup.  The two signs in that section had been flipped around.

Again.

Plus, because she had her hind end on the wall, the sign was bent backwards, getting damaged by her parka covered buttocks.

For the picketers that are reading this - and we know you all visit this page regularly - I'll spell it out for you.  I recommend reading slowly, so that the words sink in.

Turning the sign around doesn't change anything.  You're still not allowed to sit or lean on the garden walls.

Aside from being incredibly petty and juvenile, it makes you look like you're idiots.

Well, a lot of things you all do make you look like idiots.  This is just another example.

Oh, and here's the other sign from this section of the bed, also flipped around.

Here are some of the others...

There are two more in the next section over.

They are facing the right way now, but the first day after they went up, they were later found all turned backwards, then they were all taken out and found in the access path, where the little picket fences are currently stored.

So it's not like they don't know.

They're just being dicks about the whole thing.

And AUPE is paying them to do it.

Or should I say, AUPE member's union dues are paying for it.

The NDP Connection: Dan Harris

As posted previously, AUPE has been hosting some photo opps, featuring federal NDPers, at our home.

Then a couple of days after Brian Masse came out to show his support for AUPE's abuse of the disabled and the disadvantaged, along with the entire Artspace community, they brought out Dan Harris of Scarborough Southwest.

Yup, another one from Ontario.

Hey, Dan!  Did AUPE tell you that the reason there's a lock out was because the SAIL staff walked off the job, behaved so abhorrently on the picket line that the people they used to help care for no longer felt they would be safe having these "care" workers in their private homes anymore, then the staff suddenly decided they would "suspend" their strike on short notice, were told unequivocally by the user members that they did not want them in their homes while SAIL asked for more time to adjust schedules to accommodate their return, which AUPE refused, forcing SAIL to apply for a lock out to protect user members?

How's that for an atrocious run-on sentence.

We kind of wish the lock out never had to happen.  We also kind of wish SAIL staff never went on strike and instead finished the contract negotiations that were in progress until AUPE got involved.  Then maybe our entire community would not be held hostage right now, while AUPE continues to demand we force the SAIL board to sacrifice itself, and our user members to give up their autonomy, as ransom.

Oh, and Dan?

Did AUPE bother to tell you that you were doing a photo opp in front of our private homes?  Not the employer's place of business?

Probably not.

I'm *really* sure Dan and Brian never got to see this side of the picketers.




Unlike Brian Masse, however, an Artspace member did manage to get to Dan and give him the SAIL time line and his own business card.  Dan promised to take a look at it.

I doubt he intends to keep that promise, but you never know.

If anyone feels like enlightening Dan as to what's really happening here at Artspace, they can email him at dan.harris@parl.gc.ca

The NDP Connection: Brian Masse

So things have been weird here at Artspace, going from little or no activity, to sudden crowds, and back to next to nothing.

Turns out that, on the days when things crowds start showing up, it's for photo opps.  A big, noisy show for AUPE executives, or...

NDP politicians.

Our local politicians have refused to get involved.  Our MLA, Brian Mason, sure as heck won't do anything for his constituents if it means crossing AUPE.  Our MP told us that he can't get involved because this is a provincial matter and he's federal.

Well, someone ought to tell the federal NDP this, because guess who's been showing up here?

The first to show up was Brian Masse of Windsor West.

Yeah, from Ontario.

Really, Brian?  Their cause is just?

And just what cause is that?  To lay siege to an entire community in an attempt to harass, intimidate and extort them into forcing the in-house care company to capitulate the AUPE's demands that are so unreasonable, they would result in bankruptcy and the loss of everything the model of care for the disabled and disadvantaged it was designed to provide?

Money vs independent living?

Entitlements vs autonomy?

Union privileges vs human rights?

Yeah, that's real just, isn't it.

Oh, and Brian... just so you know.

Artspace Housing Co-operative is people's private homes.

You were never at SAIL, the place of business.

I suspect AUPE neglected to tell you that - and a whole lot of other things.

Mind you, I've noticed that, on the twitter page that's supposedly by the SAIL staff, they don't even pretend otherwise.  The hashtags they use are AUPE and Artspace, making it clear that they are targeting our homes, not SAIL, the employer.

Funny to see them dig out the 100 days signs.  They're off by 25 days when this photo was taken.

The "equal pay for equal work" signs are pretty dishonest, too.  As saysandra so conveniently and inadvertently pointed out, SAIL staff were getting a better deal than the collective agreement Abby Road has with CUPE.

The picketing SAIL staff are the equivalent of the "support service worker" position at Abby Road.  SAIL staff maxed out at $19.50, based on seniority (you know, that thing saysandra claimed they didn't have, just like gloves).

The "impartial" mediator's recommendation was for SAIL to pay the care workers more than Abby Road's LPNs are getting.

So what they're actually demanding is for the care staff to have the same pay as a position they do not qualify for, and that does completely different work than they do.

Far from "equal work."

Something else I'm sure Brian Masse was never told.

He certainly never talked to any of the Artspace members affected by what AUPE is doing to our community.

But hey, if you feel like telling him, you can just send him an email.  Here's his address.

brian.masse@parl.gc.ca

Maybe we can also ask him why a federal politician is meddling in provincial matters, too.

Just to make it clear

I wanted to take a moment to address this flier thingy AUPE picketers had a few days back.

The last time this was posted, we addressed the fact that two of the people they've targeted here weren't replacement workers.

This time, let's address what AUPE is saying.

Crossing the SAIL picket line ...

First problem: they have never picketed SAIL.  They are picketing our private homes in Artspace.  So, as they admit on the supposedly-SAIL staff's twitter, it's Artspace they are targeting, not the employer.  There has never been a "SAIL" picket line, because AUPE chose to picket the community of Artspace, instead.

...doesn't just take away from someone else's job, 

Second problem; misleading statement.  As long as they are on strike or lockout, they are still employed.  As AUPE made clear to the SAIL staff before the strike started, an prolonged strike could result result in job loss.  This is a page from the package the staff were given on Jan. 22, 2014, in preparation to vote on whether or not to go on strike.

So... yeah. They still have jobs until either SAIL goes under or SAIL loses the contract to AHS.

Tell me again, who is it that's been bargaining in bad faith?  AUPE accuses SAIL, but it looks to me like it's the other way around.

... it delays resolution of the employer's lockout.

... please ask them to take work with another employer.

Third problem.  As has been pointed out previously, these are not factory workers making widgets and thingamajigs.

The replacement workers go from the SAIL office to provide care for people in their private homes.

Without replacement workers, depending on the type of care user members need, it means:

• not being able to transfer between bed and wheelchair
• not being able to shower 
• not being able to use the toilet
• not being able to get dressed
• not getting medications on schedule
• not being able to eat
• not getting meal preparation
• not getting help with housekeeping or laundry
• not getting to medical appointments
• not getting to DATS pick-ups on time

It means denying all the things that allow user members to live independent lives, rather than being forced to live in institutions.

The SAIL staff may have been willing to turn their backs on user members in their demand for more money and benefits SAIL can't afford - with a mediator's recommendation of more than even LPNs are getting in comparative jobs; thankfully, the replacement workers are not.

AUPE would have user members denied the basic necessities of life, in order to force SAIL to accept a recommendation that would result in ending everything they fought to have; a model of care that gives them autonomy and independence.  A model of care that has resulted in user members needing less medication, fewer hospitalisations, plus all the psychological benefits having control over their own lives gives.

AUPE has no problem holding Artspace members hostage, and their ransom is not only SAIL itself, but the independent care model user members fought so hard for; a model that gives them control over their very lives.

Thankfully, the replacement workers are willing to provide what the striking SAIL staff walked away from; care.

It could be your job next."

Unlike the placid tones of this pamphlet, where picketers are supposed to "ask" the replacement workers not to come in, they have threatened and harassed.  The picketers have hurled verbal abuse at the replacement workers and told them that they will never work in health care again; a punishment for crossing what should really be an illegal picket line.

If anyone should be worried about their jobs, it should be the "care" workers on the picket line, who have shown themselves to be anything but caring.

Because this sort of abusive behaviour does not happen in a vacuum.  People who behave this way rarely isolate their behaviour into compartments of their lives.

As anyone familiar with psychology - or anyone who is a survivor of abuse - recognises, if someone is abusive in one area of their lives, chances are they are also abusive in other areas of their lives.

That is incredibly concerning.

To them, it's about money, which they seem to believe will purchase them "dignity" and "respect."

To Artspace user members, it's about their lives.

Familiar Faces; who's Debbie Arcand, and why is she here?

It started with a facebook comment.

After Artspace members held a silent vigil to commemorate 100 days under siege, AUPE retaliated against us for holding out for so long by invading our community, then bragged about it on their Facebook page.

Which is where this comment was left.

Which in turn left us wondering, who is this Deb Arcand, for whom being here has been her "life for the past 100 days", with intentions to remain here longer?

There have been a few paid picketers who've been here from the start, and for whom being here was clearly a full time job.

Which one of them was she?

Her Facebook page didn't tell us much more, though we see that she's friends with AUPE's fake lawyer, William Rigutto, and the current picket captain, Desiree Schell.

Wait a minute.

Works at Revera?

Revera was just in the news recently; news that led to some dueling letters to the editor that got posted about here.

So how can someone who has made it her life to be here, yet have a job somewhere else?

That got us curious enough to do some searches.

Which led to this article.

The article was written shortly before SAIL's staff walked off the job on May. 7.

This is Deb at St. Thomas.

They are on Edmonton's list of Community Homes for Seniors.

And there's Deb, at the senior's community, on a bull horn.

Well, we sure recognized her!  She's been one of the most abusive of the picketers, right up there with David Malka.












Here's an example of the side of her we got to see.




Here, you can hear her verbally abusing some Artspace members outside the main doors, including a SAIL user member.

Around the :45 mark, you can hear her saying, "you think you're above them? blah blah blah blah (she's mocking a woman with aphasia, there) You think you're above them? You're not above them! You don't deserve to have these good workers.  I'll be here 'till [unintelligible]... " and on she rants.

Her verbal attack on our members is very personal in nature, and she eventually drives people away from their own front patio.

This is someone who would regularly harass one of our user members whenever she used DATS, and would taunt a non-SAIL user member on her balcony; someone with self-managed care and who is non-verbal.

Interesting that she deliberately taunts and targets women in wheelchairs who have speech difficulties.

Going through the slideshow of photos, we found a whole bunch of familiar faces.

Including the Heather Gillard on her friends list.

Oh, looky.  Here she is, just last month.

She spent many a day in a folding chair, knitting.

Which made her the only productive person on the picket line.







Still trying to figure out how this Deb Arcand could be here, day after day, on weekends, and still be a Revera employee.  She even stayed here when everyone else left for their 4 hour lunch breaks.

Like on the day this photo was taken.

Another day, she was seen eating her lunch in the union's rental van, watching as an ambulance came to help an injured Artspace member.

We have an incident report of a Sunday morning, where she and others deliberately blocked a couple of Artspace members for what turned out to be pure spite, because one of them never said "good morning" to them
.
Still other days, she would just be there, alone or with 1 other person, just watching the high rise.

It wasn't hyperbole for Deb to say her picketing of our home has been her life.

The search to figure out who she is, however, lead to some interesting finds.

Here she is in an AUPE propaganda video, at an Edmonton Extendicare rally.

This screen cap of another AUPE propaganda video goes back a few years, at Revera.

While here, she talked about how long they spent picketing Waterford; they were there for well over 200 days, and clearly, she's prepared to do the same here.


Which still doesn't answer the question:

How on earth can this person be here so constantly, and still have a job at Revera?

The other questions is, why is she here?

I suppose it's because she's the chair.

Which means her job with the union is a higher priority over her job as a health care aid at Revera.

That's right.  Deb Arcand, seen in the video above, verbally abusing our members, including SAIL user members, is a health care aid.

I shudder to think of the poor people who have to have her "caring" for them.

So, Artspace, Waterford, St. Thomas, Revera, Extendicare - was she at Hardisty, too?

She hasn't actually been around, lately.  Perhaps she's been drawn off to Shepherd's Care.

These are all places that provide care for the vulnerable, with the exception of Extendicare, which is a company that provides care services for seniors centres.  Their focus is on seniors.

With one significant difference; Artspace.

Artspace is the only one on the list that is a co-op.

Artspace is the first time they've deliberately targeted a community where the majority of the people who live here have NOTHING to do with the labour dispute, nor do they receive assistance from SAIL.  Even Extendicare, the company, is quite different from the SAIL model of care.

Thanks to Deb's Facebook comment, not only do we now know who she is, that has been harassing us for so long, a few other fascinating things were found - and more familiar faces.

More on those, later.