Regional Executive Vice President in Northwest Territories

  By Jack Bourassa   Red roses, thoughtful presents and beautiful words— that’s Valentine’s Day. It’s a day to celebrate love. On this Valentine’s Day, let’s be grateful and celebrate the women in our lives and beyond. Let’s raise awareness and take action to stop gender inequality that affects women nationally and around the world.

By Jack Bourassa    The secret to enjoying happy holidays this season is to live in the moment. It’s a simple concept: don’t get caught up thinking about the past or worrying about the future. Let’s get ready for the holidays with this mindset. I also want to suggest some actions that will consciously contribute to making our holidays happier.  

By Jack Bourassa  A homeless person asking for change. An unemployed hopeless youth. A single parent working two jobs. A worker earning a minimum wage that’s way below a Living Wage. A child deprived of nutritious food. A family striving to find an affordable place to call home. Poverty is real and we witness it every day.

By Jack Bourassa   Buying groceries, going to the drugstore or running errands around town sounds like everyday activities that many of us do without thinking twice. Whatever we do, there is at least one activity that we all share: shopping. We all have "purchase power" and we use it every day. I wrote in the past about buying local, buying Canadian products and supporting our economy. I want to add to the list: buy from a store where employees are treated fairly.

(From the July 19/17 issue of Yellowknifer)

A new year begins and with it a new hope that the working lives of Northerners continue to improve. As I have mentioned in a previous column, PSAC North is today announcing that we are starting a new campaign to increase the legal minimum wage. In partnership with other labour organizations across the North, we are calling on all three governments to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2019.

  By Jack Bourassa (As appeared in the Nov. 29, 2017 issue of 'Yellowknifer')  We were slightly amused in recent weeks to see Premier Bob McLeod issue a 'red alert' to our federal government. I certainly do feel there is a lot to be 'alerted' about as it comes to the lack of commitment by the feds to Northern living and how services are delivered to our citizens.

Across the country there is an increasingly accepted view that raising the minimum wage is both socially responsible and of net benefit to the economy. Within the last year, the public discourse around this subject has shifted dramatically after progressive leadership in several provinces have either announced a $15/hr wage floor before 2020; or put plans in place to work toward that figure before 2020.

PSAC North asks citizens to wear an orange shirt on Saturday, September 30 to commemorate the Every Child Matters campaign. The day recognizes all of those who experienced the trauma of residential schools and recommits our support for national reconciliation with indigenous peoples. Please see the Orange Shirt Day Shirt website for more information.

The Native Women’s Association NWT, Yellowknife Victim Services Program and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) project will be holding its annual Sisters in Spirit Vigil and March.  The event will take place at Yellowknife City Hall on Oct 4th, 2017 from 11:30am-1:30 pm. Participants will be walking to Northern United Place. Please see the attached poster for more details.