IMPORTANT NOTICE

Re: Youth Involvement

As you may recall, at our Convention in July 2002 and at the last President’s Conference, we talked about ways and means of involving “youth” members in our Union. To that end, the Executive Committee submitted the following resolution, which was adopted at the December 2002, Executive Council meeting unanimously:

Be it resolved that the UTE fund one youth member, as and individual, from each local to attend the February President’s Conference as an observer and;

Be it further resolved that a caucus of the youth be held during the Conference.

I ask that you advertise for a “youth” member in your local who would like to attend the President’s Conference and find out what is going on in the UTE. We would like you to give preference to individuals who are not local activists or who are new activists. For clarity, a “youth” is any individual who is 30 years of age or younger. 

The UTE will be covering the expenses of the “youth” observers. We will include an advance of single times the airfare to most locals, as well as, five days per diem. If a local does not send a youth member then they will be required to return the funds that were advanced. 

The Youth member should be made aware of the following before they arrive in Ottawa:

• The local will book the travel arrangements.
• The National Office will book the hotel arrangements.
• The local will advise of the Regional Caucus.
• The local will outline the purpose and format of the President’s Conference (hours of session, seating, who speaks, role of the chair, the use of microphones, topics vs resolutions etc).
• The local will advise of the requirement to file an expense claim.
• That all UTE events are scent free.

We hope that in supporting this initiative that we will be able to encourage some youth members to become actively involved in the Union. As in the input call for topics for the President’s Conference, the deadline for submitting the name AND T-SHIRT SIZE of your “youth” member is January 31, 2003. This is to provide the National Office enough time to give the rooming list to the hotel. Please advise the National Office if any special needs will be required for the individual coming from your local.

In Solidarity,

Betty Bannon
National President, UTE