Healthy Debate

Monday is election day.  Candidates throughout the province have been knocking on doors, knocking each other, and knocking themselves out to convince us that they deserve our votes for various municipal and school board seats. 

The issues are as varied as the communities – school closures, safety, libraries, transportation, the environment, property taxes, homelessness, recreational facilities, and the list goes on.  In several communities some of the hottest issues are within the purview of the provincial or federal governments – the not yet hospital in Sherwood Park, negotiations  for Calgary’s ring road in Calgary, access to health care in any number of rural communities. 

The people we elect should work in the interests of the entire community, not just a single pet issue.  They will affect our quality of life and our communities for at least the next three years, and many decisions will have long term impacts. 

On our web site we have listed candidates who have satisfied their district labour councils that they share the interests and values of trade unions.  HSAA has chosen to provide that list to assist members in their decision making.  At HSAA we do not have the resources or contacts to presume to assess the qualities of every candidate in every city, town village, hamlet, county or municapal district, let alone school board. We know that there are many candidates who have not been vetted – they may not know the Labour Councils exist, or didn’t seek their endorsements, or the Labour Council itself may not have had the resources to do the work.  So at best it is an incomplete list, but may be of some assistance to you as you make your final decision.

Running for public office is not for the faint of heart, and any candidate who is serious about their campaign deserves to be congratulated, regardless of whether we agree with any aspect of their platforms.  Whether they deserve our votes – that is a decision we must each make, based on the best information that we have. 

So as always, I ask that you exercise the franchise that your citizenship gives you.  And when you have made your decision, pay attention to what the successful candidates do with the trust we have collectively given them.

The declaration of “Burn a Koran” day by a cult-like religious leader in the United States is an ugly act of intolerance that must be condemned in the strongest possible way.  Unfortunately the ability to spread such hatred using today’s technology do not allow us to simply ignore it as the opinion of one person sitting on the fringe of society.  How disheartening that someone purporting to be a religious leader would urge such a provocative act of intolerance, an act that would legitimize persecution of our Muslim neighbours and friends.

On behalf of the members of HSAA, I join the myriad of voices that have condemned this act.  The fact that some terrorists have perverted its teachings to justify their murderous acts does not make the Koran the problem, any more than the criminal act of any Christian who may cite the Bible would make it acceptable to stage a Bible burning. 

Let’s all raise our voices to drown out this ugly splinter group, and to condemn this act of terror against all Muslims.

Well, it’s been quite the summer.  I hope that all of you had an opportunity to take some well earned vacation, and perhaps to find some summer weather, given how little of it we saw here.

I had the incredible opportunity to join the ‘Ride for Africa’ on its climb of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and at the same time raise some funds for two grassroots projects in Africa.  The ‘Ride’ connected with ‘Hands Across Africa’, a charitable group that has its genesis with HSAA members. 

Money is still coming in, so the final total is, as yet, unknown.  My profound thanks to all contributors, individual and organizational, identified and anonymous, who helped me and the other climbers to reach their fundraising goals of $2000 each. 

The climb was tough, but I think acting as Director of the annual Alberta Federation of Labour’s ‘Kids’ Camp’ may have been tougher.  However, the amazing volunteers, including five connected to HSAA, made that five day adventure a lot of fun, and quite gratifying.  Kudos also to the AFL staff who did the yeoman’s work of organizing the myriad of details prior to the camp; Kevin Flaherty of the Alberta Workers’ Health Centre who created fun and interactive curriculum to introduce the youngsters to occupational health and safety, the staff at Goldeye Centre and the Centre for Outdoor Education in Nordegg, and the Greyhound bus drivers who got the 105 kids there and home safely. 

Meanwhile, back at the office, staff have been busy effecting the integration of the EMS and former AADAC workers who have been taken over by Alberta Health Services.  Transition negotiations are under way, and new HSAA members have opportunities to learn about their new union through a number of workshops. 

Other efforts include work with pharmacy technician members who will become regulated professionals in the near future.  While technicians support regulation, the process that has been developed to qualify them for licensure is demanding and quite costly.  HSAA has been advocating on a number of fronts to advocate on behalf of the members, and these efforts continue.

Preparations for our Labour Relations Confernence in October are well under way, and I encourage as many of our members as possible, and particularly local unit representatives, to attend, as the conference will be part of the preparations to lead into the upcoming round of provincial bargaining (and therefore has implications for all agreements).

And finally, for this post, we have once again seen the wrath of nature.  Pakistan is still reeling from historic flooding.  Millions are homeless, and the need for the most basic human necessities is dire.  I’ve heard friends and family express their concerns about foreign aid being misdirected, and the reality that there will be some corruption.  That is a reality, but surely we cannot accept that as a reason not to make an effort.  The HSAA board will have Pakistan on its agenda next week, to determine our organization’s response. Clearly the need will be ongoing for a long time, so we can wait until our regular meeting.  For individuals, however, there is an urgency.  The federal government will match your individual donations until September 12, so I encourage all of us to dig as deep as we can to help ease the misery.