Category: Uncategorized

With the resignation of Brother Chris Zukowsky, Grievance Officer, and Brother Nicholas Aubichon, 2nd Vice President from the Vancouver Local we have two full time officer positions to fill. We will do so in accordance with our Bylaws at our August General Membership Meeting.

On behalf of the Vancouver Local, I would like to sincerely thank both Brother Zukowsky and Brother Aubichon for all of their hard work and efforts over the years. I can personally say I have learned a lot from both Chris and Nick, and they both have mentored numerous members, activists, stewards, and Executive members during their tenure in a wide variety of topics.

Brother Zukowsky has held numerous positions within the local. He started as a Shop Steward at the Richmond Delivery Center in 2007. Not long after that he became a member of the Vancouver local Executive as Recording Secretary (2010). Other positions held include the 1^st Vice President (2014-19), President (2019-21), and Grievance officer (2021-22). His focus was always representing the membership to the best of his ability. He achieved many successful arbitration decisions, grievance wins, and spent numerous hours consulting with the employer to improve working conditions. Also, dedicated his efforts to help Letter Carriers, and MSC’s with his knowledge of the Letter Carrier Route Measurement System (LCRMS) and the Mail Service Courier Workload Structuring System (MSCWSS).  He facilitated many courses on those subjects as well as others as a level 2 trained Facilitator.

Brother Aubichon similarly started as a Shop Steward at LCD1/Depot 74 in 2012. He then became a member of the executive as the Health and Safety director in 2017. Next step? 2^nd Vice President of the Local in 2019.  During his time representing the local he was a worker advocate for Work Safe BC claims and appeals for the members. He has sent countless submissions to the board to recoup wage loses for numerous members. Nick is very passionate about Health and Safety, facilitating many courses on the topic, as well as mentoring many others to become worker advocates themselves. Brother Aubichon also facilitated other courses such as Basic Shop Steward, Welcome to CUPW, and Violence/ Harassment prevention in the workplace.

We wish both Brother Aubichon and Brother Zukowsky all the best in their future endeavors and thank them for all their contributions to Vancouver Local 846, and CUPW in general.

In solidarity,

Blair Bancroft

1^st Vice President

Vancouver Local 846                                                                                 lb/CUPE-3338

In  honour of September 30, 2022

Truth and  Reconciliation Day

Sizes available (unisex): S, M, L, XL, XXL,

Price: $25.00 each

To order contact 604-685-6581 ext 2

Or email [email protected]

Vancouver Local 846 CUPW                           lb/CUPE-3338 

Local Wide 50/50

Our BIGGEST EVER!

With everything that has gone on in recent years, the Organization

Committee wants to bring back solidarity events in a big way!

 Jeyamalini T. Won $1,276!

John L. Won $1,705!

Our next draw starts on Monday, July 4^th, and ends Saturday, August 20^th the winners will be drawn at the Annual BBQ (That’s right! More details to follow!)

Tickets available:

1 Ticket for $2

3 Tickets for $5

8 Tickets for $10

In this round the proceeds will be going towards bringing our work floors back together!

In Solidarity,

Katie Poch, Organizing Director                                    lb/CUPW-3338           

Pride season is once again upon us! It’s a time of celebration and community, but it’s also a reminder of the continued struggle for acceptance and equality and that the work is simply not over.

In April, Canadian Blood Services announced that it would be ending its discriminatory practice that restricts men who have sex with men from donating blood. The new policy, which was approved by Health Canada, is to be implemented no later than the end of September.

This is a historic decision that is long overdue. Men who have sex with men were barred from donating blood for life through a policy enacted by the government in 1992. In 2013, the policy evolved to allow a man who had abstained from sex with another man for at least five years to donate. The waiting period dropped to one year, and finally three months in 2019.

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The prior rationale for the bans was that men who have sex with men had higher prevalence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). But advocates and medical experts have for many years argued that this is an outdated and stigmatizing assumption that does not reflect current risk factors.

Although the end of the blood ban is being celebrated by many, others are less enthusiastic and point out that the new policy will still stigmatize gay and bisexual men and even some transgender people. While the blanket ban for men who have sex with men has been removed, Canadian Blood Services will now screen all donors based on high-risk behaviours, regardless of their gender or sexuality. However, the behaviour that is deemed high risk by the national blood donor organization unfairly targets members of the LGBTQ community. As well, certain restrictions remain for individuals who take PrEP and PEP and Quebec’s regulatory agency, Héma-Quebec, has yet to update its policy.

For years we’ve heard of our country’s critical shortage of donated blood and that our national blood bank is far below optimal levels. We’ve been inundated with communications asking us to roll up our sleeves and give blood. Yet, thousands of willing donors are turned away simply because of their identity.

A policy that is less prejudiced than its previous iteration is still prejudiced. All of us deserve the opportunity to donate blood, to potentially save someone’s life. That decision shouldn’t be taken from us because of prejudice.

CUPW has long participated and supported pride events across the country, and we encourage members to take part in events in their communities and beyond. As you enjoy your Pride celebrations with your co-workers, neighbors, family, and friends, remember that we must continue to fight against prejudice and for equal rights for everyone.

Below is a list of some of the Pride events in communities across the country

Vancouver Pride July 31, 2022  https://vancouverpride.ca/

In solidarity,
Jan Simpson
National President
2019-2023 / Bulletin # 377
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