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preventing a promotion or reclassification of another employee
and thirdly, whether it was in violation of any other Article
in the Collective Agreement between Local 62 and the College
Council.

On the matter of Union dues the Local receives a per capita share
of the dues in order to carry out strictly Local business. The
remainder of the dues is used by the Union Headquarters to
maintain services to the Local such as a Staff Representative to
aid in establishing the local and preparing collective agreements,
research and education departments to do back-up work on contracts
and to carry out schools and educational programmes for Local
Union officers, stewards, and interested members. The Union also
maintains a public relations department for the benefit of members
in the event that their case must be carried to the public. There
is a defence fund to support employees in the event of arbitration
costs or a lock-out by the employer or a strike by the Local. The
Union also provides meeting facilities, duplicating, mailing and
other clerical and support functions. It is the policy of the
Union to not collect dues from a local until the first Collective
Agreement has been negotiated.

The certification granted Local 62 by the B.C, Labour Relations
Board states that the Local is the Bargaining Agent for all employees
included in the bargaining unit. This means that the collective
agreement negotiated by the Local covers all employees in the unit
whether or not they are members. It also means that under the
Labour Code of B.C. only Local 62 is entitled to speak on behalf

of the employees included in the bargaining unit. It is a violation
of the Unfair Labour Practises section of the Labour Code for the
Employer to engage in discussions with anyone except the legally
certified Bargaining Agent with respect to the wages and working
conditions of employees in the unit.

We feel that we must $trongly disagree with your contention that
employees of Douglas College were not properly informed of the
introduction of the Union into the College.There have been a number

of meetings over the last year to discuss the matter of certification,
then to discuss the matter of which union to certify with. Once

that decision was made by the membership, representatives of the
B.C.G.E.U. attended a well publicized meeting to discuss the role

of the Local Union in the college. There were also widely advertised
membership meetings to discuss the proposed collective agreement

and there have been numerous articles in the Mad Hatter.

If people do not avail themselves of opportunities to attend meetings
to discuss in concert with fellow employees the whole concept of
unity and collective action in order to be able to better represent
fellow employees, then those people do not have the right to claim

at a later date that they have not been properly informed,

We hope this answers your questions and we would close by saying
that a decision as to whether or not a current employee may become
a member of Local 62 rests with the membership of the Local who
must approve all applications for membership.

THE EXECUTIVE, LOCAL 62