March NextGen Newsletter

Posted on March 1, 2018 1:22 pm

Ontario NextGen Conference Announced

On April 20-22, an Ontario-wide NextGen Conference will be held at the Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre and Spa. Taking place ahead of the provincial election in the province, there will be an Ontario-specific focus for the Conference agenda, but other Local Unions are welcome to send NextGeners to participate. NextGeners (members 35-and-under) will be able to participate and learn more about the struggles we face as trade unionists and what you can do to become a more active union member. If you have suggestions on what you would like to see at the Conference, send ideas to kate_walsh@ibew.org.

February was Black History Month, creating an opportunity to reflect on how Black Canadians have been such an integral part of building a more equal society by a strong, diverse, labour movement. Check out the article on the IBEW Construction Council of Ontario's website highlighting some of these stories by clicking here. Last month as well, the Canadian Labour Congress released a new podcast Smoke and Mirrors: Uncovering Truths about Human Rights in Canada. Check it out to learn about concrete ways to address and interrupt anti-Black racism.

Last November, we held the first-ever IBEW Canada Women's Conference, bringing together sisters from coast-to-coast to hear from speakers, share their experiences, participate in workshops and learn about ways to become more involved. Check out a video created from the Conference here. Since then, Local 353 (Toronto, ON) became the first Local Union in all of the IBEW to receive a Charter for their Women's Committee, followed by Local 258 (Vancouver, BC) who became the second in all of the IBEW. A union that is representative of all of our members - through NextGen Committees, Women's Committees, EWMC Committees, Retirees Committees and more - is a strong union!

International Women's Day takes place every year on March 8, and is our opportunity to take a look at the inequalities that still exist, and recommit ourselves to doing better. This year, the IBEW is supporting the Canadian Labour Congress' #DoneWaiting Campaign which is set to launch on March 5th. Friends, 2018 is our opportunity to build on the mounting public pressure for decision makers in Canada and around the world to take action to make feminist rhetoric a feminist reality.
#DoneWaiting demands our federal government take action to end sexual harassment and violence, fix the childcare crisis and end wage discrimination. However, we cannot be successful in our demands without your active support.
On March 5th, the CLC will be circulating exciting social media graphics and launching the #DoneWaiting website with embedded action tools. We will need your help to push the campaign to all of your brothers and sisters once the website goes live. This is our opportunity to highlight that women’s economic justice is a priority in Canada from coast to coast.

Did you know.. The IBEW has over 23,000 members under the age of 35. That's 23,000 members that fall into the NextGen category, talk to your Local Union about starting a NextGen Committee today.