I’ve decided to use words from Tommy Douglas to both open and close this blog entry…
I’ve spent most of this rainy Sunday thinking about all of you and tomorrow’s return to work.
I know that for a lot of us, tomorrow will be a difficult day. If you’ve received a call and are planning to go to work tomorrow – wear you CUPE buttons and pins and tshirts and hold your heads high. We did a fabulous job of fighting for what we believe in and our job action made a significant statement to our management team and the public about our workplace and the conditions we work under. Remember that struggles like ours are seldom won in a day (or 12 weeks for that matter!).
Most of the executive and bargaining committee members will be at work tomorrow. If we can do anything to ease the transition, get out those cell numbers and give us a call. Your Union contacts and picket captains know our cell numbers.
This morning, my eighty-four year old father tried to offer me some consolation in words from Tommy Douglas, one of Canada’s favourite fathers:
“I am hurt, but I am not slain. I shall lay me down and bleed a while, then rise and fight again.” (quoted by Tommy Douglas but originally said by Sir Andrew Barton).
In solidarity,