The long dark winter months are upon us and most of us are preparing for the festive season of Christmas and New Year with its abundance of food, cheers, families and friends.

This year has been a year which has seen its share of assorted issues that has put everyone on edge at one time or another. This year has been a year of changes and adjustments. This year has been a year where the world suffered losses and where some employers have been trying to take advantage of the situation to force employees to make certain concessions.

Food banks and other socially responsible community groups are seeing a steady increase of families trying to make ends meet. Several groups have stepped up to the plate to shore up the misgivings of our country's failed government responsibilities towards child hunger and social well-being.

Unions were formed and accepted into our workplaces to improve the work conditions, monetary compensation for our labour and to help build a better community for the workers families to grow up in to raise their families.

Our city has been in the spotlight because of the massive layoffs and current labour disputes but this year as a Union, we have also seen some good news with collective agreements being successfully negotiated and others in the process, and with some new members joining our ranks, we are confident that we will survive this blimp on the radar and be successful at growing and helping more people.

Of course all these growths and disturbances offers opportunities where things could go wrong and our mind may not be in the right state therefore we all have to ensure that we continue to be safe and unhurt at work, home or play especially in this festive season.

I would also like to thank the membership for taking the initiative and courage to agree to build our new administration complex at our campground at Richard Lake. If everything proceeds as planned we should have a shovel in the ground in January 2010 and be occupying our new home by this summer. This is a great gift for us all.

From myself personally and this office I would like to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

With respect always

Yours in Solidarity,

Richard Paquin,
President, Mine Mill Local 598/CAW