Hello, Members of Local 6007!
Those of you that know me well knows that I am a huge movie buff. So naturally I’m going to start off with a movie reference. Let’s talk about a couple of rules.
First Rule of 2022: Never Talk About 2021.
2021 was a tough year for everyone. People are really being impacted by everything from covid to civil unrest. We cannot just go about business as usual. We must show our human side.
I started to write this email at Christmas time, but that time is particularly hard for me since I lost my father (cancer) and my brother (mental health). To some, family is not an important thing, but for me it’s everything. I closed the laptop back then, but today I opened it and continued writing. It is true that time eventually does heal everything.
The last two years were particularly hard for many members. I know this because I have had many conversations with many of you, discussing your trials and tribulations—mostly work-related, but also very personal. The role of our union is not just to unite to make decisions about conditions affecting your work. or bring economic justice to our workplace and social justice to our nation, but also be there to support you as a human being. I think in these times of isolation we sometimes forget that. My phone number is 647-239-6007. I am here for you 24/7.
Second Rule of 2022: Giving Back To Our Members.
There has been always some controversy with regards to the “gift card” topic. Some Locals would give a gift card to their members during Christmas time. We have always opted for Christmas parties and events. Obviously covid has derailed that, so at our last executive meeting we decided to do something special.
Going forward we will be giving out a gift card to each dues-paying member on their birthday starting on January 1st, 2022. We still need to work on the logistics. We don’t know if we will mail out these gift cards or perhaps even send something through an email. You can email me suggestions. In the meantime, please email your birthday (we don’t need to know the year) to Naseem, the secretary of the Local, at naseemsiddiqui@unifor6007.com so he can start preparing the list.
Third Rule of 2022: Please Constantly Check Our Website.
Our Local 6007 website is always being updated from the latest arbitration awards to Bell’s new vaccination policy, to the latest job postings.
We also update the website with the latest election news. To go straight to the page, click here: http://www.unifor6007.com/elections/
Fourth Rule of 2022: Be Mindful. Be Grateful. Be Positive. Be True. Be Kind.
As I write this, I just found out that Ontario hit another record. 18,445 covid cases today. I can easily paint a bleak picture of what the Local has gone through with its members. From record breaking harassment cases to an increase in corporate security interviews. As a Local we are still filing many grievances and going to arbitrations. Instead of face-to-face meetings and handshakes it is Zoom meetings and pyjamas. As Lucille Ball once said, “One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged.” Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.
I do believe there is a light at the end of this tunnel. As your president, and with the rest of my union delegates, we will always be positive and be here for you all. Here is a toast to the year gone by! It taught us lots of lessons—harsh and soft—but most importantly we stuck together through thick and thin. For myself, I decided to write down one thing I’m grateful for every night. Today I am grateful that I have the ability to be more optimistic and realize that optimism relies on gratitude, and gratitude is refreshed by optimism.
I will end it on a writers note: Just remember Today is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.
Yours Truly,
Sonny Malhotra
President Local 6007