2008 USGE Convention Updates

The USGE Triennial National Convention is being held this week, from June 24-27, in Edmonton, Alberta.  We are posting periodic updates to permit all our members to follow our Convention as it unfolds.

Click on the headline of your choice to see the particular Convention Update:

Thursday, June 26 - Update #2

Thursday, June 26 - Update #1

Wednesday, June 25 - Update #2

Wednesday, June 25 - Update #1

Tuesday, June 24 - Update #2

Tuesday, June 24 - Update #1

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Our new National Executive

          Delegates completed their Convention work Thursday afternoon with the election of a new USGE National Executive to serve the membership for the next three years.

          (The photo at the end of this article shows delegate voting underway.)

          Here is our new National Executive:

JOHN EDMUNDS
National President

JACKIE OSWALD
National Vice-President

KEN HAZARD
Regional Vice-President
NPB / NPS – East

DAVID NEUFELD
Regional Vice-President
NPB / NPS – West

HELEN FRIEL
Regional Vice-President
Ottawa

MIKE ARSENAULT
Regional Vice-President
Atlantic – CSC

DEBBIE KELLY
Regional Vice-President
Atlantic – RCMP / Justice / CAFC

JEAN-YVES LEBEL
Regional Vice-President
Quebec – CSC

CAROLE PETIT
Regional Vice-President
Quebec – RCMP / Justice

GARRY SHAVER
Regional Vice-President
Ontario – CSC

JANET HAUCK
Regional Vice-President
Ontario – RCMP / Justice / CSIS

KEN FRIESEN
Regional Vice-President
Manitoba – CSC

BARRY STOLAR
Regional Vice-President
Saskatchewan – CSC

JACKIE OSWALD
Regional Vice-President
Manitoba / Saskatchewan – RCMP / Justice / CAFC

STAN STAPLETON
Regional Vice-President
Alberta – CSC

KAREN DION
Regional Vice-President
Alberta / NWT – RCMP / Justice / CAFC

MELVIN DUREEN
Regional Vice-President
British Columbia – CSC

PHIL CARRIÈRE
Regional Vice-President
BC / Yukon – RCMP / Justice / CAFC

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Edmunds acclaimed for second term as National President

          Acclamation of John Edmunds as National President highlighted a Thursday morning given over to electing a new National Executive to govern our union for the next three years.
           It was Edmunds’ second term, and a far cry from 2005, when he fought off two other challengers to replace retiring National President Lynn Ray.
          

          The photo above shows an emotional Edmunds accepting a standing ovation from the roughly 200 delegates, observers and guests in attendance.  He promised to repay their confidence with a continuation of the hard work and dogged determination that marked his first term.

          The final day of the USGE’s 14th Triennial National Convention also saw Jackie Oswald re-elected as National Vice-President in a spirited three-way contest. The following photo shows Oswald being offered congratulations.

          Delegates also broke into separate geographic caucuses to elect the Regional Vice-Presidents who represent CSC, RCMP-Justice and other employer groups across the country. The caucuses also elected USGE delegates to the convention of our bargaining unit, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, which will be held in 2009.

          A complete list of the new USGE National Executive for 2008-2011 will be published in today’s second Convention Update.

           Once again, the photos above show some of the delegates discussing and debating issues during Convention.

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Financial prudence comes to the fore

          Convention delegates showed a high level of financial prudence Wednesday afternoon, voting down a number of resolutions submitted by USGE Locals to the Bylaws Committee that would have seen increased levels of expenditure.
           Similarly, caution was the watchword as a resolution to redistribute one half of each annual surplus to Locals was also turned aside. The uncertainty surrounding the future of our 4,000 RCMP members under both current reform initiatives and the controversial Category of Employees was very much on the minds of delegates as they voted on this issue.
           At the same time, the Convention adopted a resolution amending a current bylaw that limits Regional Vice-Presidents to only one annual visit to Locals in their geographic region. The change would see a second annual visit permitted “if required”. The additional cost would be absorbed within the budgetary surplus, again avoiding a dues increase.

           Additional photos of delegates discussing and debating issues dealt with during Wednesday's Convention sessions are shown above.

          The Bylaws Committee having completed its work by mid-afternoon, it was the turn of the General Resolutions Committee to take centre-stage.  The photo below shows the Committee at work.

              In a highly-significant move, delegates voted to maintain the USGE’s in-house training program on a permanent basis.  Since its launch in 2004, the USGE’s own highly-praised membership education effort had been funded on a year-to-year basis from general revenues.

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Delegates begin work of considering Convention resolutions

          There are three Convention Committees that present recommendations on submitted resolutions to Convention delegates: Bylaws, Finance and General. The Committees rotate throughout the Convention, providing time for Committee members to deal with direction provided by delegates.
          

          The USGE relies entirely on our members’ dues for its operation, and we manage those funds as if they came from our own pockets. So, it comes as no surprise that the first Convention Committee Report to be considered was that of the Finance Committee (seen in the above photo).
           The Finance Committee ‘stood down’ mid morning, to be replaced by the Bylaws Committee, shown below. A proposal to change our union’s name to better reflect current departments and agencies was rejected on the basis that the USGE is a well-known entity, that a change would be costly to implement and that governments frequently reorganize and rename the departmental structure of the federal public service.

           Among other decisions, delegates voted to move the line geographically dividing the east and west NPB/NPS districts from the Quebec/Ontario border to just east of Thunder Bay. This will see three Locals move from the west to east district, resulting in a more logical distribution and balance between USGE Regional Vice-Presidents responsible for our NPB/NPS Locals.
           Delegates also voted to pay the difference to those Regional Vice-Presidents performing pre-authorized USGE business whose daily rate of pay is less than $250. The measure will take effect next January 1, will be funded from the budgeted surplus and will not result in a dues increase.

           Photos of some of the delegates discussing and debating issues dealt with Wednesday morning are shown above.

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Convention Opening

          Ceremonies representing both the aboriginal and European heritage of Alberta opened the USGE’s 14th Triennial National Convention in Edmonton. The USGE National Executive was piped in to the front of the convention hall. The Executive is shown in the photo below receiving the applause of Convention delegates.

          This was followed shortly by a stirring performance by Rainbow Aboriginal Dancers. Several of the intricate dances performed by this group of first nations youth are shown in the photos below.

         John Edmunds delivered his first Convention-opening speech as USGE National President. Edmunds, seen in the photo below, welcomed the 202 convention attendees present. This group – comprised of 169 delegates, 17 observers, five guests and 11 honourary members – was a healthy increase over our last Convention in Halifax in 2005.

          A copy of Edmunds’ speech can be downloaded your choice of RTF or PDF formats by clicking on one of the following icons:

          The balance of the afternoon was spent on adopting the reports of each members of the National Executive and on a number of administrative matters.

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Pre-Convention Activities

          Delegates from coast to coast descended on Edmonton Monday in preparation for the Tuesday afternoon official opening of the USGE's 14th Triennial National Convention.

          Registration was the first task at hand, a process that began in the afternoon and stretched into the evening.  The photo above shows a typical scene as a steady stream of delegates and observers line up to receive their accreditation and Convention documents.

          Then, it was off to the Host Committee table to receive information and gifts welcoming delegates to Edmonton.  The photo above, on the left, shows the members of the USGE Host Committee.  And, as can be see on the right, each delegate also received that most typical of Albertan gifts: a cowboy hat!

          Tuesday morning was given over to a mandatory training session for delegates on the procedures and rules of order that ensure a smoothly-running Convention.  The photo below shows USGE staff presenting this information to delegates.

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