August 2024 General Meeting Minutes

VTU members and guests attended our August general meeting hosted by the West End Chapter, which convened on August 18th at 4:30PM. Here is a summarized version of the minutes.

Item 1 - Land Acknowledgement and Community Agreements (15 mins)

Item 2 - Chapter Updates

  • East Side
    • Continuing on with Cascadia campaign, narrowing organizing focus. Next meeting will be on Sunday. 
  • Mount Pleasant
    • Several organized buildings had wins against landlords over the summer, including against parking fee increases. The chapter is supporting a couple of buildings planning block parties, barbecues, and other events this fall. Stay tuned!
    • Meetings are Tuesdays at 7pm. 
  • Marpole
    • Marpole has started a new chapter! They are holding mask-mandatory meetings as of this month. 
  • Jorce-Collingwood
    • Will be holding a chapter re-launch BBQ coming soon, date and location TBC - stay tuned!
  • Kitsilano
    • Chapter is also planning a re-launch!
  • West End
    • Park Beach Tenants Collective continuing to fight issues with their landlord. 
    • Meetings for the West End Chapter are every other Monday at 6pm. 

 

Item 3 - Eviction Defense activity & discussion

  • Members and attendees participated in group discussions dealing with issues around landlord surveillance, harassment, and eviction threats. Learned from other tenants who have successfully organized against their landlords. 

Item 4 - Steering Updates 

  • Steering is mostly focused on supporting new/relaunching chapters, administrative tasks, and reflection on structure. Also looking for a new co-treasurer to join the Steering Committee! If you are interested please speak to someone on Steering.

Item 5 - Working Group Updates

  • Working group updates given by the following working groups
    • Data tools
    • Education & outreach
    • Comms
    • SDAWG 

Item 6 - Follow-up on Engagement Strategy (Presentation by Mariah)

  • Background: At the July GM, we had a discussion about the need to clarify a lot of our organizing principles. Part of this also entailed engaging the membership so we can all be on the same page about what our organizing principles are. 
  • Lots of different levels of engagement (regular members, chapter participants, people on the email list, etc.), and methods of engagement (meetings, visioning retreats, surveys). 
  • Members are currently developing a survey to engage members to ask about what tactics we should use, what political action can and should look like. These can both be ways of educating and activating members. Also planning some other engagements like a union-wide and chapter visioning retreats, discussing the Basis of Unity, and asking questions about broadening political action beyond electoralism. We basically want to discuss with members - what do we want to do, and how do we want to do it?

Item 7 - General Discussion and Special Resolution

    • Members grouped together to discuss the special resolution and ask questions and seek amendments.
    • Some questions/concerns: how info would be disseminated to members; involvement of political parties (currently, COPE, BC Greens, and OneCity are members); terms of engagement/opportunity to opt-out; the pitfalls of coalition work that the VTU has previously been part of, including the possible/likely absence of a common enemy and actions to what ends.

Amendment 1, 2nd WHEREAS clause: motion carries with opposition. 

Amendment 2, conditional term of engagement re kicking out political parties and housing providers: motion carries with some abstentions. 

Amendment 3, trial period of engagement: motion carries.

Amendment 4, pushing coalition away from lobbying and electoralism: motion carries.

Amendment 5, delegates and chapter involvement: motion carries with opposition. 

  • Kate’s summary here:
    • *VTU will only join if registered political parties and housing providers cannot be members of the HC 
    • *Delegates are bound to report back at every GM, with a vote at the upcoming GM as to whether the union will continue its involvement.
    • [For further discussion at future GM: VTU joins with a trial period (12 mo?), with clause about the type of engagement and an opt-out process if it doesn’t meet our expectations]
    • *VTU will join with the intention of pushing the coalition away lobbying work and electoral work and policy advocacy, and pushing towards direct action
    • *VTU sends 2 delegates and the VTU votes at the next GM as to chapter involvement (re concerns about capacity)  
    • [For further discussion at future GM:*VTU forms a working group to join the coalition, with 1 or 2 seats for the HC? (in response to concerns about chapter capacity)]
  • Full motion, moved by Seamus, seconded by Paul: 22 in favour; 0 opposed; 1 abstention. Motion carries.

 

Adjournment


Live minutes are recorded at each GM and condensed for the website. For more detailed minutes any member may contact us: [email protected]