DERA and APC UNION BUSTING

DERA and APC UNION BUSTING

The Downtown Eastside Residents Association (DERA) and Anti Poverty Committee (APC) have stepped up their anti-democratic ways and on Wednesday, November 29 are holding a meeting at 327 Carrall Street with the intent of threatening DERA workers into decertifying from their CUPE 1004 Union.

It should be noted that 327 Carrall Street is the offices of APC and which DERA pays the rent. It should also be noted that many DERA workers are members of the Anti Poverty Committee Society.

In the DERA workers last paycheque envelopes, a notice of the decertification meeting was inserted. This was done with the approval of DERA managment and the DERA board.

DERA management and APC will have you believe that they want another Union to represent the workers but this is a red herring. Management which is not in the bargaining unit should never interfere with bragaining unit business. Plus, once a vote is taken and passed, no Union can represent workers for 10 months. That will leave law abiding and progressive workers of DERA at the mercy and whim of Kim Kerr and David Cunningham who are both known for their reign of terror at DERA.

Only 45% of DERA workers need to approve a motion to decertify which then goes to the Labour Relations board for a vote. Only 50% plus one at the labour vote
need to vote in favour to decertify.

What this means is that DERA workers will be left without any representation and workers will be targetted by David Cunningfham (Leader of APC) and Kim
Kerr (Executive Director of DERA) for punishment unless they fall in line with the current anarchist regime at DERA and APC.

A reminder folks of the carnage Kim Kerr and David Cunningham allow to occur for those people who step out of line is the following.

A few months back, female survival sex wotkers who live at the Marie Gomez building (operated and run by DERA and APC) were raped, brutalized and had their heads shaven in response to outstanding drug debts. It needs to be stated that the Marie Gomez building is a central drug trafficking hub in the Downtown Eastside.

Sadly, many media outlets have painted DERA and APC in a compassionate light by presenting accounts of their recent actions which purport to be anti-
homeless initiatives but in reality are intimidation tactics. Sad but true. No investigative media piece has been presented for balance, nor has there been a spotlight shone on the bad boys of DERA and APC. Mr. Kerr and Mr. Cunningham have run amok with their escalating terror filled and scare-mongering tactics.

In fact, one American born journalist, Tom Sandborn, writing a piece for the Tyee, in honour of the BC Federation of Labour 50th anniversary, had the gall to cite the President of DERA as being a strong trade union sympathizer. Talk about a sloppy piece of journalisn, especially when the President of DERA is actively involved in the decertification efforts.

The union busting meeting takes place at 10:30 am Wednesday, November 29.

Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com