Eighty Memories for Eighty Years: #78 Local 52

Water colour by Wyona Bates

"... get out into the world ..."

For three decades, my siblings have been odds with each other over how to manage property we share.

Sometimes the troubles are small.

Sometimes they are large.

In the 1990’s my brother, Glen, said us, “What all of you need to do is get out into the world and see how other organizations manage the business sides of their work models.”

Taking his invitation to heart, and wanting to be part of the solution to the problem amongst my siblings, I thought I would see if his advice would work.

I decided I would get involved with Alberta Provincial Union of Employees, for by this time I was working at the University of Calgary library as support staff.

There is always work to do in a union.

Regina Shedd, a woman who worked in the geology library knew that I could type. She asked me just to come and take minutes at the AGM, since the union secretary had stepped down and they didn’t have anyone to do the minutes.

Water colour by Wyona Bates

... see how others organize ...

I told her yes, and so my first experience was at the annual general meeting.

I took the minutes,  and I was elected to that position, really before I knew what had happened.

I have to say that I followed Glen’s advice to a tee.

I tried to get out into the world.  I took all of the union courses: basic union history, how to become a union steward, and classes on health and safety in the work place, etc.  If there was a class, I took it.

As a union delegate, I travelled all over Alberta to conferences in glorious spots: twice to Jasper, once to Kananaskis, and once to a national mental health conference at the Banff Springs Hotel.

I don’t know if any of my union work helped to shift or heal the differences between siblings, but it changed me and is a profoundly life-time memory.

P.S Thank goodness for the union. An added benefit.  This is where I learned how to be comfortable hearing profanity. I didn’t become really good at it using it although on occasion some words I learned there may pass through my mind.

Arta