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Hello again!
Today, I want to talk to you about responsibility. We all have responsibilities, whether we are talking about the responsibility we have to raise our children in safe, loving environments, the responsibility we have to provide for our loved ones in whatever way we can or the responsibility to stay safe on the job and to help our Brothers and Sisters do the same. No matter what, people count on you, even if the only person counting on you is yourself.
The responsibility I’m talking about today is the responsibility we have to EVERYONE. We know, as Union members, the value and importance of being involved, of knowing that what we say and do makes a difference and accepting that part of what we do is to create a better world. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has given us a gift by calling the longest federal election campaign since 1872 – he has given us the opportunity to be heard nation-wide for two-and-a-half months, and we have the responsibility to do that.
People speculate that the reason he opted for a nearly 80-day campaign period is that the Progressive Conservative party has so much more money than any of the other federal parties and a longer campaign would give them the advantage in terms of spending. That means we need to ensure that whatever candidates, running for election with whatever party each of us decides to promote gets the support that they need to run in this election.
One way to do this is to take up the challenge issued by Brother Mike Rezansoff, the Southern Alberta Manager for the Building Trades of Alberta. In a nutshell, he is challenging everyone to connect with the candidate(s) of their choice, and, if the candidate is willing to publicly state that they will repeal Bill C377, donate to that candidate’s election fund and amount matching the Bill’s number, such as $377. Have a look here to see the challenge.
Another way to get involved is to check out Let’s Build Canada and start spreading the word about how you, along with the Building Trade Construction Unions, believe we should be advocating for public investment in infrastructure, expanded apprenticeships and fair policies to reduce income inequality.
If those two approaches aren’t your bag, then just make sure you stay informed and keep talking with your buddies, your family and your coworkers – help them get informed and engaged. We know that recent legislation was designed to have a detrimental effect on Trade Unions – by getting involved and being heard and by VOTING, we can work together to help ensure that our way of life and the benefits that Unions provide to ALL Canadians can continue long into the future.
Comments? Thoughts? Please share. Let’s get talking.
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