Union's progress on human rights,
equity
issues a revelation to newcomer
The "takeaway" for a Canadian
delegate to a conference earlier this summer was an
appreciation of how seriously The Newspaper Guild (TNG)
and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) view
their commitment to addressing human rights and equity
issues.
Xavine Bryan Thompson, a Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation employee and member of the
Canadian Media Guild, says in a report on the June
conference in Las Vegas that, not only did it stretch
her understanding of the issues, but she was "pleasantly
surprised" by the welcome she received from "experienced
members of the union movement."
Thompson, who works as a producer
at CBC Newsworld, says several guest speakers at
the conference "challenged
me to think about what the union means to me and my
peers by raising a variety of issues which forced me
to stretch my concept of diversity and accommodation."
She says that speaker Saron
Ghebressellassie, a student and activist at Ryerson
University in Toronto, "urged
me to consider the disconnect between youth and the
adult union movement and what can be done to bridge
the gap." Thompson, a former full-time elementary
school teacher, says she agrees that reaching out to
young people in schools is a great start.
Thompson adds that a presentation
by Liza Gross, managing editor of The
Miami Herald,
got her thinking about the bigger picture of what
it means to "adapt" within
the communications industry. "Her speech
about the importance of learning new skills has encouraged
me to think about ways to enhance my skill-set so I'm
better able to cope in today's evolving newsroom."
At the CWA convention that
followed the rights conference, Thompson says she
was moved by remarks from Pete Catucci, vice-president
of CWA District 2, who suffers from amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (better known as Lou Gehrig's disease).
He spoke about his battle with ALS and the support
within the union to carry on as vice-president despite
his disabilities.
Thompson says she was particularly
impressed by a videotaped speech by U.S. Democratic
presidential candidate Barack Obama (who was endorsed
by the CWA convention delegates) about the importance
of strong unions. "It
seems," she says "as if all of the issues
we discussed at Sunday's conference unfolded before
my eyes in real time."
She says she came away from
the conference and convention with a "better
sense about the importance of the union's role as
a leader in promoting inclusivity."