Spread the Love this Holiday Season

To the Happiest, Healthiest, Brightest and most Prosperous Year Yet...

Cheers to You and Yours this 2013!

Missing The Beaves!

So many things intrigued me on my 24 hour trip to Ottawa last week.

After a chill day moving from office to office.

Meeting different lobbyist and MPs.

Changing from summer socks to winter socks.

From Fall shoes to winter boots.

All I can think about is how delish my BEAVER TAIL was as we rolled out of the old city.

O' Beaver Tail

Standing up for Medicare

(Lobbyist with the Canadian Health Coalition)

 In the past 24 hours I joined forces with  SEIU members, concerned Canadians & Canadian Health Coalition!  Teaming up with health care professionals , recipients of  health care and health care lobbyist we called on the Federal government for more accountability and higher standards when signing a new Health Accord. 

An agreement between the Federal government and the provinces that will effect the way Canadians receive and have access to Health Care for the next 10 years.

JUST THE FACTS

(This link has several fact sheets that clearly outline the benefits of having a strong Health Accord)

(Meeting with Wayne Easter the Liberal MP for PEI )

(Photo with Anne Clarke -Board of Directors ONA)

For my first time visiting the nations capital I'd say it was a productive trip. Thanks to the awesome leadership of SEIU Local 1 Canada  staff for opportunity to be involved in something so much greater then ourselves individually.

A Race within the Red

Watching as Charles Sousa announces his candidacy for the Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party and Premiere of Ontario.

 Looking forward to hear what Kathleen Wynne will do to strengthen Ontario's Rural and Urban health care services.

FLASH BACK<<  SEIU Local 1 Canada Member Political Organizers meet with Charles Sousa Spring 2012 where we discussed the grave effect Privatization and a two tier health care system will have on Ontarians.                  

As MPO's we represent the voices of our coworkers & families and we stand together and Fight4Ontario.

GOTV Cleveland Video

Sooooo long OHIO!!!

We're heading home from our adventure in Cleveland.
   

We knocked, we walked we ROCKED it out!

Take a minute and watch a Fun Video of SEIU Member Political Organizers rock the "Get the Vote Out" campaign in Cleveland Ohio!

Looking forward to having Canadian soil under my feet &

4 MORE YEARS!

September 6 2012 in Ontario was a BIG day for those working towards stopping Right winged tactics against working class people of Ontario.  By-elections were called in Kitchener-Waterloo and Vaughn on the Provincial Level.

 By-elections were called in Kitchener-Waterloo and Vaughn on the Provincial Level.

A goal of our political action committee was to mobilize  SEIU Local 1 Canada  Member Political Organizers in local federal and provincial elections.  With that we sought out the candidates.  We  told them our issues and we asked them where they stood on our concerns.  thought would best champion our issues as health care workers and recipients of health care. We even put them on record.  With all that in mind we were off! Kitchener-Waterloo and Vaughn were about to experience Purple Power and the ability to effect change with solidarity and real grassroots organizing.  

 A pep talk from Political Director at SEIU Local 1 Canada Eoin Callhen  before MPO's and staff alike hit the streets to GOTV

SEIU has an ongoing campaign FIGHT 4 ONTARIO.

Click above to take a look at some of videos and pictures from ground.

After a day of organized chaos we settled in for the results.

"A sign of a good campaign office is an empty one."

with that I was off with my new best friend (google maps) heading to the home turf of a historically Progressive Concsevitive riding.  They had just bid farewell to a long time MPP.  It was time for her to move on.  How could one posssibly turn down a job from Dalton McGuinty.

It was time for some new blood in these areas.

Introducing the results of hard work and coming together:

The newest members of  provincial parlement are:

Catherine Fife and Steven Del Duca 

(Myself, Theresa, Euillie, Jagmeet Singh MPP Bramelee-Gore & Marleen)

Snapshot of Solidarity

Amongst the hustle & bustle of the Provincial By-elections in Vaughn and Kitchener Waterloo on September 6th, we paused our efforts to meet up with some SEIU Millennials, Members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) and CUPE Ontario at Queens Park. 

Snapshot of Solidarity 

On this day health care workers joined with the Teachers of Ontario in solidarity as we all Stood up to protect our democratic rights as the workers of Ontario.  

With the by-election only a few days away 

I'm starting to feel like

 We are

 Stronger Together...

It was so amazing to run into my mom (who is also a nurse) at the rally.

Her union represents mostly RNs brought signs that read

"Nurses & Teachers' work grows the economy"

Coming Home

Heading home from the Niagara region with some of the SEIU youth committee.

What a good time to introduce them to Die-Rek.

Check out some of Die-Rek's music on 

Die-Rek's Sound cloud page

"Get Up!"

Shout outs to my sister @chrisjayonline who is also on this dope track!

Have a lil' Hope

Have you had one of those moments when you know you've

  Convinced yourselves that you

 “Need a bigger bag" or

"Want another Black Jacket, because this one-

Is different."

Myself, falling victim to an old but not dusty vice.

I did it again. 

It was a chilly, slushy November day in Toronto and I knew it was finally time to ditch my fall kicks.

Beat up heels and worn in souls. 

These were the shoes of an activist Practical Nurse.

It was a store I had never shopped in where I spotted 

The Milk Chocolate and plaid boots.

Boots that I would never buy if they weren't the last size ten in the store.

 And naturally boots that I would never buy if not on sale. 

When I saw them I could imagine myself a year from that day.

Pounding the pavement for Obama.

Naturally I call them my "Obama Boots".

I told the salesperson my plans for the boots.

With optimistic confidence I said,

"I hope to be wearing these boots when I'm campaigning for Obama in 2012."

(I'm sure this is one he hadn't heard that day by the look on his face)

The sale was complete and I was off. 

Explaining my purchase to my mom-Who knows I’m a natural big dreamer- knew there was something up with these boots.

They didn’t shout out "Jackie" and she asked if they were for my older sister. 

Noticing the casual coolness of the boot. 

They couldn't possibly be mine.

(Something that comes natural to my eldest sister is cool and sneakers).

I assured my mom that I had great plans for theses boots and she too was convinced that this was a good path to be dreaming down.

Fast forward to last week.

I was so excited to hear last week that some SEIU MPOs and myself would be going down south this fall to work with our union Brothers and Sisters to help re-elect President Barack Obama. This is a chance in a life time.  Maybe it never would have happened if I didn't..

Dream it.

Work it.

Hope it.

(Pick one)

OBAMA 2012