When Rogers and Hammerstein wrote the beloved stage musical, the Sound of Music which debuted in 1959, they never imagined the song “My Favorite Things” would someday become closely associated with the winter holidays as a popular secular carol. It was Julie Andrews, performing “My Favorite Things” in 1961 on the Gary Moore TV Holiday Special that launched this song into the holiday canon. The images of sleighbells and brown-paper packages tied up with string undeniably evoke images of holiday cheer and are certainly among my personal favorite things!
Each year as your president I reflect back on what we’ve accomplished as a Union and for members. Bargaining was a long and difficult road for us, and it took the Union agressively grieving the College’s Retro Payment Plan in order to ensure our members were able to put their 2022 Cost of Living Increase to work this year. It took nearly heroic efforts to implement our new Benefit plan and we are still working out the details to bring you our Lifestyle & Wellness Spending Account in the new year. We continue to file record numbers of grievances on denials for ROFR, Regularization, & Failure to Replace Retirees while sending all of our grievances to Expidited Arbitration. Though our labour relations stratgies have been resulting in a greater number of settlments that actually benefit the grievors, we’re still seeing an increase of issues like overloads, inadequate parking, and weaponized appraisals.
This has been a difficult year for so many of us and I wanted to leave you with a promise and a commitment that when we stand together as one, we all win. And, while winning grievances & arbitrations may be one of my favorite things, I’m far more fond of the idea that we can work together to forge working conditions that make us all whole. As we stand poised to celebrate 50 years of working together as one, I hope you enjoy this Union take on the song and find these images equally compelling.
“Our Favorite Union Things”
Fair rulings when grieving and ROFR approvals
Term regularizations and new contract perusals
A long awaited arbitration, good settlement brings
These are a few of my favorite things
New collective agreement clauses and timely back pay
Two weeks of prep time for new employees in play
Benefit improvements to make members sing
These are a few of my favorite things
Safe, happy workers with good living wages
Departments and divisions, on the same pages
Nine extra PD days without any strings
These are a few of my favorite things
When discord bites
When dissent stings
When we’re feeling had
Simply remember our favorite things
And then we won’t feel so bad
Shared values that unite, diverse yet the same
Facing new challenges, we’ll never lose aim
Real equity and inclusion freeing our hearts to sing
These are a few of my favorite things
Side by side, hand in hand, our hearts entwined
Fifty years! Strength, unity together we find
Unionist dreams from which solidarity springs
These are a few of my favorite things
Improving our contract, our bargaining goal
Fair working conditions where all are made whole
Through thick and thin, our unity clings
These are a few of my favorite things
When discord bites
When dissent stings
When we’re feeling had
Simply remember our favorite things
And then we won’t feel so bad
If you know the tune and you’d like to sing along, post your story online and tag us on Instagram @camosunfaculty or post it to our private Discord server for wild digital applause from your CCFA siblings!
– On behalf of the CCFA Executive and your appointed committee representatives, We wish you all joy and happiness for the holiday season!
Lynelle Yutani (she/they)
ac.ytlucafnusomac@tnediserp
President, Camosun College Faculty Association
Lynelle is a queer, leftist rabble-rouser galvanized to guard the rights of union members and is on a crusade to convince you that you get out of your Union what you put into it. Lynelle serves on Presidents Council of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE) and was elected to FPSE Executive as a Member-at-Large. She is on a number of FPSE affiliate committees, including the 2SLGBTQIA+ and Racialized Workers Caucuses for the BC Fed, and is active in the Victoria Labour Congress. Lynelle volunteers for a rooftop community garden, which partners with Harvest & Share Food Aid Society to grow fresh produce for local food banks and community food security programs.
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