Hamlet of Arctic Bay Members (pictured above).

Dear NEU Members,

As we enter fall it’s a time for us to come together and look at the events of this summer and the work still to come. Recently we marked the fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Our members honoured the children who never returned home and the survivors of residential schools, but we also remembered that there is a long path ahead. We have long argued as a union that the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation should be a national holiday.

We continue to call on employers to work with the Nunavut Employees Union to decolonize collective agreements. We will keep fighting against systemic racism and injustice, for food security, and for respect for Indigenous Rights. 

PSAC National is now offering a new online course to support Truth and Reconciliation, Walking In Our Truth Together. A reminder too that for those in need there is a resource page with helplines and other mental health resources on the PSAC North website.

There’s a lot happening for our members right now. 

Qulliq Energy Corporation Local 7 members make sure to check out our delegate call. Members from the regions who are interested in being a delegate should send a message to Daniel Kinsella at daniel@neu.ca. Local 7 members should also stay tuned for a virtual town hall. Likewise, we encourage Local 6 City of Iqaluit members to get bargaining demands in by the deadline of October 17th and to be on the lookout for an upcoming town hall. Members of Local 6 can send in demands using the NEU Proposal Forms For Collective Bargaining available on our website.

Recently Hamlet of Arctic Bay members, members at the Municipality of Qikitarjuaq, the Kugaaruk Housing Authority, and the Pond Inlet Housing Association all ratified new collective agreements. We congratulate the members and express our deepest gratitude for the work done to achieve these new agreements. You can find all the collective agreements on our website.

Thank you so much to all the people who came out to our recent Labour Day BBQ in Iqaluit in partnership with the Northern Territories Federation of Labour and PSAC North. At the event the community received over 3,000 roasted hotdogs and buns, freezies, drinks, treats, back to school supplies, and oral hygiene products. We are also happy to have been able to provide some assistance to the residents of Whale Cove following the tragic fire there and happy to see communities rallying together in support.

Our congratulations go out to NEU Local 5, 6, and 16 Members from across Nunavut on completing the Talking Union Basics (TUB) training in Iqaluit on the history of the labour movement, labour rights, and ways to get involved. Please stay tuned on our Facebook page for announcements about future courses, we will have tons of learning opportunities and events in Fall 2024-2025.

If you have a NEU/PSAC membership card then you're in good standing and your card grants access to union education, discounts and benefits, and local and national events. If you don’t have a card you can sign up using a PSAC form.

Finally, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) season is fast approaching. If Local executives need any help getting ready please reach out to the main NEU office and we will be happy to assist.

Thank you all so much for the continued support! We are truly achieving great things for workers and for our communities.

In solidarity,

Jason Rochon

Nunavut Employees Union President