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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