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Each year the AGM does the required business as our union to maintain its legal status.  These activites while very important, often are not the most important dialogues at the AGM.

I will not be able to have a meaningful personal conversation with each of you during the AGM; however, I am seeking your vote as Member at Large on your BCTF Executive Committee.  Knowing that some of these topics may be of great importance to you, I want you to know my thoughts even if we don't get a chance to connect personally.

Click the links below to see my thinking

Aboriginal

LGBTQ2S+

Racism

Governance  - Locals/SubLocals / Autonomous Locals

Strikes

Equity Seeking Groups - Making Space

Climate Action

Sexism

Professional Development

As time permits I will return to the sections and add more details

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Aboriginal

I support working towards Truth and Reconciliation.  (Calls to Action)

As residential schools were a tool of colonization, I believe our schools need to be a tool in reconciliation

Recommendation 62 - 65 relate to education

62.  We can be active supporters developing and implementing age-appropriate curriculum,

63.  Ensuring that "Aboriginal peoples in Canadian history, and the history and legacy of residential schools" is implemented in BC

Where to I fit?

I am a white person with English, Welsh, and Norweigan descent.  My family has been in Canada for 125 years.  I grew up in Port Moody and lived in the same house until I graduated highschool

I make a point to have meetings / gatherings do meaningful territorial acknowledgments.

I have a strong connection to both the ocean and forest.  I grew up spending much time playing in a ravine, boating throughout the summer, and teaching forestry at summer camps.

My struggles

I do not identify as a 'settler.'  This term brings to mind leaving other parts of the world, and settling.  My life was already settled.  I do accept that I benefit from the 'settling' of this land.  I struggle placing a term or identity on any group of people.  

I do not identify as a .colonist.  I struggle with anyone telling me who I am and how I identify.  Instead I am comfortable stating that I have benefited and still benefit from colonization.  I also highlight when I do acknowledgements the impacts of colonization.

Canada is a nation.  Horrible historical actions of colonization have resulted in Canada.  

What I have done?

I have developed an extended territorial acknowledgment for when I am leading local meetings.  When I present in other locals, I ask for either another leader to do the acknowledgement, or for help with a correct acknowledgement.

I have

- chosen not to run in competition to Aboriginal candidates for Member at Large prior to having a designated position

- served as a handler for 2 Aboriginal Member at Large Candidates

- advocate to not include Aboriginal personal introductions as part of speaking times

- supported development of Aboriginal Connections to digital resources

- championed starting of the Aboriginal Strand at Surrey's Annual Convention

- bring forward motions to our local executive including a committee to examine Indigenization of our local, and executive sharing relevant books at our executive meetings

- advocate to include one of the First Nations that Surrey is a traditional territory in our local acknowledgments when the district and other nations don't acknowledge them.

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Aboriginal
LGBTQ2S+
LGBTQ2S+

Where do I fit?

I am a cis-gender white male.  I use he/him/his as pronouns.

My struggles

I grew up with largely heterosexual friendships.  I am still learning.  

What have I done?

I have

- argued for a member being mistreated by their admin for specific family photos being up in the classroom

- attended several local LGBTQ 'Night Out's sponsored by our local

- advocated for increased budgets to allow for more nights out sponsored by the committee

- engaged in dialogue listening to the committee for recommendations to modify bathrooms in our local office

- been an open ally for colleagues 

- encourage LGBTQ members to be active in our union

- personed table at Surrey Pride Festival

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Racism

Where do I fit?

I am a white male.  All of my family history is from northern Europe.

I benefit from policies, processes, and procedures that set up privilege.

I strive to be very careful with my words and actions

My struggles

That all whites are the same. 

Separating out personal racist actions and societal influences that reinforce racism.  I do not see myself superior to anyone because I have white skin.  I may not be typical but I look to all people I am in relationship with as person first.  I endeavour to treat everyone as equally valued to me and society.  I am well aware that treating people equal is not the same; however, when I see everyone with the same value, then I can treat them differently to be appropriate.

I struggle when wealthy privilege gets confused as white privilege.

As teachers we have all overcome many challenges and barriers and are now in a position of privilege as an educated member with high earning potential. 

What have I done?

- agreed to add a person of colour member at large to our executive prior to doing a full review.  This is important because I believe we do need to fully examine the issues and make a plan.  This plan needs to consider LGBTQ, Accessibility, Elementary, Secondary, or other designated representatives.  While I believe there may be more positions to add, delaying adding a person of colour position was not the right solution.

- encourage members of colour to run for positions

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Racism
Governance

Where do I fit?

I am privileged to be on the executive of the largest local in the BCTF and living in the lower mainland.  

In 19 years active with the AGM, setting fees, 10 years of bargaining, I have had many discussions about locals, sub locals, amalgamated locals, autonomous locals, large locals, medium and small locals.  

My struggles

I try to understand struggles / concerns / issues from locals outside the lower mainland.  When we brought forward to bargaining to consider bargaining a Metro Living Allowance, it was met with strong opposition.  I found that dialogue very disheartening.  Every location in BC has advantages and disadvantages.  We have negotiated allowances for places with increased costs and isolation.  The bottom salary grids include all of the lower mainland.  This means that a 2% increase to a higher salary is a higher raise for some members.  I don't begrudge northern, remote, isolation concepts for allowances.  

What have I done?

I have looked at all the salary grids and Surrey is at the bottom in our province (along with 19 other locals)

I have supported motions that minimally impact large locals because I knew the difference it would make in their local.  Understanding that driving home from Prince George after a Zone Meeting in the freezing dark is a good reason to end early to keep our members safer.

I have supported presidential release grants even though Surrey is too big to get one - which means we are paying for other locals to have their president released.

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Governance
Strikes

First - Nobody ever wants a strike.  

Where do I fit?

I see that the benefits of strikes outweigh the consequences.  

I believe in setting plans in motion early.  Meeting with schools and at information meetings, teachers willingly listen to good solid information about the challenges we face and want better.  There isn't agreement on how or when, but that is also my responsibility to support members in understanding the options.

My struggles

With broad statements that none of my members will.....  When I talk with teachers, when I talk at school visits, there may be some support and some opposition.  Knowing that I represent 1000 members at the Rep Assembly, I do not respond with none or all of my members will or won't.  

I struggle that we are being intentionally delayed with mediation.  We are now in mediation longer than we were bargaining.  I understand that the last round created issues with striking over the summer; HOWEVER, the vote was delayed numerous times.

What have I done?

I have done the math.  I have looked back over my teaching career and calculated the increases we have won as a result of strikes.  I make more than $7000 per year more than if we didn't strike and accept the last offer prior to strikes.

I have been an early advocate for taking a strike vote several times.  

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Strikes
Equity Seeking Groups

- Making Space

Where do I fit?

I don't belong to any equity seeking group as defined by Procedure 41.F.02.3

The marginalization of certain groups must be specifically recognized. These groups include, but are not necessarily limited to women; racialized workers; Indigenous people; people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, questioning, or two-spirit; people with disabilities; and those whose participation is impeded because of economic circumstances or family status.

 

I am an ally that will support any member

My struggles

When bylaw amendments are brought forward with glaring flaws.  One can't say that 

"For the Federation to be at its best, all members must see themselves reflected in its goals, structures, and practices." when the change to bylaws would specifically say at most 29%, or 14% of 0% could be men from 7 Member at Large positions.  

I totally agree and support making space, adapting procedures, adding committees, adding programs to "to identify and eliminate barriers to participation through programs, procedures, by-laws, and policies supported by specified resources and education." to support and recognize that "recognizing that some members have historically been marginalized."

I think we are making progress.  If we look over the last 20 years of executive 18 years had a majority of women.  Most years had 3 men as Members at Large.  This last year only one man of 7 members at large.  I don't believe we need to put a rule in about men and women on the executive.  

What have I done?

I have articulated what is wrong with bylaws that create barriers as intended or unintended consequences.

I have spoken out when it is not a popular view to point out flaws of equity motions or executive committee recommendations.

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Equity
Climate Action

Where do I fit

- I am an avid recycler and composter. I am conscious about my purchases.  I use reuseable shopping bags.  I included teaching forest ecology and stewardship 30 years ago.

Struggles

- How involved our executive should be in protests and events

- How much member money is spent on climate actions from the union and how much should be funded individually to personal passions.

What have I done

- Attended march in Surrey

- Worked with our convention that serves lunch for over 3500 members to elminate plastic cutlery, increase compostable resources and decrease food waste

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Climate
Sexism

Where do I fit?

I am a man in an elementary school setting.  There are many challenges faced by men in teaching.

Struggles

I struggle to making rules to give women more opportunities WHEN it is at the expense of men.  I fully support Women in Negotiations as a program to build up skills and opportunities for women.  I don't agree with creating barriers preventing men from even being considered in an election.  

I struggle with men's issues being belittled.  40% of teachers were men when I started teaching.  We are now down to 21%.  That is a massive indicator that there are issues that need resolution.  One would hope for close to half of teachers being men to be representative of society.   

I struggle with being a man in an elementary school that deals with many assumptions.

- I have a bad back and find it challenging to be asked to help lift equipment or tables in a room filled with women

- Listening to inappropriate conversations that if a man said them, there would be consequences.

What I have done?

- I sat on our local Status of Men in the Teaching Profession Committee.  That was not allowed to be called the Status of Men committee.  The ostracizing from that experience has prevented many of those original members from rejoining the committee years later.

- I endeavour to politely point out inappropriate conversations that men can't say.  They are inappropriate regardless, but men are treated differently with bad jokes, or language.

Professional Development

I am huge proponent of Professional Development.  We are teachers and while we have a responsibility to make improvements through Social Justice, we are also a union of professionals.  Our daily work is our profession.  We must also ensure that all members are supported in continuing to develop professionally.

I have presented at workshops and conferences extensively with BC and 10+ times at International Conferences hosted in the USA.  A large part of my union involvement has been supporting members through Professional Development.  Coordinating an annual convention for 5000+ teachers in Surrey is a massive undertaking and I have supported this event for more than 10 years.

 

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Sexism
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