Strike - Day 74

[Library Of Congress American Memory Collection]

Just posting these articles today, I'm sure I'll have waaaayyyyy more tomorrow after the vote.

Vancouver Sun - Two CUPE locals urge members to reject deal

Vancouver Sun - A tale of two worlds for striking workers

News1130 - City waits for voting results, as two union locals recommend rejection of mediator proposal

CBC - Vancouver unions split on mediator's deal as members vote

I must admit I'm feeling a bit ambivalent

Strike - Day 71 (Updated again)

Almost entirely re-written to stay all current like!

Mediation update:

The settlement recommendations from mediator Brian Foley were released today and have now been posted on the CUPE 391 site:

~ Recommendations For Settlement Proposed By Mediator Brian Foley - (Full Document - pdf)

~ Recommendations For Settlement Proposed By Mediator Brian Foley - Part 3: VPL & CUPE 391 - (VPL & CUPE 391 Portion of Document - pdf)

~ Items Previously Agreed Between The Vancouver Public Library And CUPE 391 - (pdf)

~ Meeting and Ratification Vote: Schedule and Map - (pdf)

Entire CUPE 391 blog post: Mediatior’s Recommedation Documents Available Online

Media coverage:

~ Global BC


~ CTV - Mediator tables report to end Vancouver strike

~ CKNW - Reaction is subdued on the picket line at city hall

~ CBC - Striking city workers offered 17.5% and $1,000 signing bonus

~ CBC - VIDEO: CBC civic reporter Stephen Quinn reveals details of mediator's recommendations (Runs 1:53)

~ Vancouver Sun - City strikers to vote on proposed deal this weekend

Note that as usual the library workers are mostly ignored and the facts are rather skewed. If nothing else this strike has given me some real insight into the media.

Whatever...

Skittles

Mamapop had a link to a rather freakish Skittles commercial.

It made me think of their old ads, so innocent, so boppy, so sickenly sweet.

Here is the evolution of the skittles ad:

Then (1986)



Now (2007)



Bonus ad! (also 2007)



Don't you miss the old days when everyone understood virtue and innocence!

Strike - Day 70

Brian Foley's recommendations to end the strike and finally get back to work will be passed on to CUPE 15, 1004 and 391 tomorrow. It looks like we (391) will vote this Sunday.

As I write this there isn't any official notice on the CUPE 391 Bargaining Blog, but keep an eye on it as it should be updated soonish. We will also be getting updates tomorrow during the daily crew talks.

For now here is the pdf bulletin from 15.

Also some press from:

CBC
Global BC
CKNW

Please keep in mind that you shouldn't necessarily believe the press coverage (duh!), but these stories seem to pretty well match what I heard today. Of course they all look like they cribbed their info from the CUPE 15 bulletin.

Strike - Day 69

I haven't been writing about the strike lately because there really isn't much to say.

The mediation goes on and we hope to hear something early next week. Hopefully something good enough to vote on.

The tone of the picketing has changed quite a bit in the last few weeks, especially the last week. It is now officially fall and the. weather. sucks!. Rain, cold, cold, rain, etc. etc.

Ok the weather almost always sucks this time of year, but I'm usually inside where I don't care.

When I got home today I pulled out my Rolser shopping cart to take with me tomorrow. I usually leave a load of picket stuff in a friends trunk, but she wont be picketing tomorrow. Between my backpack (usual purse stuff, knitting, palm, iPod, book, magazines, handywipes, spare tp), blanket (did I mention it's cold on the line), and chair; my back is taking a beating during the commute. So out comes the old-lady shopping buggy :-)

What I did want to mention today is a reminder of the all the cool strike videos being produced by union members. To see them all in one place go to the CUPE 391 bargaining blog and scroll down to the videos on the right hand side.

Here's a selection:

From D'Arcy:
(part of the bbob team)



See all of D'Arcy's videos here

From David:



See all David's videos here

James has a series of (non-embeddable) videos that are worth a look. They are very well done. Have a look at all seven videos in the Scenes... From a Picket Line series. The link goes to the first video and the other six are accessible from there.

Enjoy. And please keep rooting for us. (Thanks!)