The government has made a proposal to CUPE to pay damages to ALL members of CUPE who were employed by School Boards between September 1, 2012 and August 31, 2014.

These damages are a result of the government being found guilty of violating our rights by imposing the “Putting Student First Act 2012 on CUPE freeze and cancelling our sick leave gratuities.

The proposal needs to be ratified by June 30th, 2017, so an EMERGENCY MEETING will be held on SUNDAY, JUNE 25th, 1 PM, in the cafeteria, Owen Sound District Secondary School (OSDSS) formerly West Hill Secondary School (WHSS), followed by a vote to accept or decline the offer. National Rep Mike Walters will be in attendance to explain the details of the Remedy Proposal.

Parking is only available at the front of the school due to Georgian College Motorcycle Course using the back parking lot.

Read more CUPE Remedy News Release

Preparing for a resumption of REMEDY discussions

Since our last update in March, we have been approached by the government to restart remedy discussions.

Enhancement Funds

It is great to see locals initiating discussions related to how the enhancement funds will be spent. Many questions have been raised through that process and we want to take some time to ensure everyone is clear on how we move forward.

Enhancement money can be used for the following reasons (suggestions, not the only ideas):

• To increase the protected complement of the classification where the funding is being applied;

• To protect against redundancies that would take place if the funding had not been negotiated;

• To increase hours of bargaining unit members;

• To create full-time permanent replacement pools.

Enhancement money should NOT be used to create two-year term positions, as one board recently suggested.

Read more on May Newsletter

 Change is a fact of life. Change is uncomfortable for most of us but there are ways to make it easier. Resilience and adaptability have become survival skills in today’s world.

Given that change is happening, whether we like it or not, this seminar will address three questions:

•  What would increase your comfort with change?
•  What would make it easier for you?
•  What tools would you need to handle it?

Event Information

This special evening is available to ALL Bluewater staff and is free of charge!

Thursday, May 18, 2017 @ Chesley Administration Centre

Light Dinner:  4:30 p.m.

Presentation:  5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Please RSVP to Josie Gunson by Friday, May 5, 2017.

Limited seats available – please respond quickly!

Mead more about this special event.

At our last OSBCC Conference in February we had a presentation from Sheila Kalenge regarding a survey the Occupational Cancer Research Centre and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health are conducting related to custodians, maintenance workers and IT workers as it relates to asbestos in schools.

Participation in this Asbestos Survey is voluntary.

Thanks

Asbestos Survey click here

• Bill 92, School Boards Collective Bargaining Amendment Act: We must show immediate and overwhelming opposition to specific changes to this bill
• Counting on members to take action now to amend Bill 92
• Ratification of Central Agreement
• CUPE Benefits Trust

Read more on the February Newsletter

One plan for all

After extensive discussions, CUPE is pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with the Ontario government and trustee associations to adopt a province-wide benefits plan for our members in the education sector.

As part of that agreement, we are now working toward a transition date of February 1, 2018, instead of the original target date in 2017. This extended timeline will give us more time to finalize the plan administrator and insurer arrangements, confirm the plan design and ensure a smooth transition.

Read more about the Benefit Update

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

 CUPE education workers ratify contract extension in province-wide votes 

TORONTO – In votes held province-wide, education workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have ratified a contract extension that settles central and local agreements until August 31, 2019. The deal was reached with the province of Ontario and the Council of Trustee Associations (CTA) in late December. The agreement was ratified by a majority of members and a majority of CUPE’s 110 participating bargaining units in the sector.

“Our members have been very frustrated for some time that their wages have fallen behind in successive rounds of negotiations,” said Terri Preston, chair of CUPE’s central bargaining committee. “This extension agreement goes some way toward reinvesting back into the system and into the wages of the lowest paid workers in Ontario’s education sector.”

The deal includes 4 per cent in wage increases spread over the life of the agreement, and an inflationary increase to the benefits trust that was bargained in the previous round of talks. Crucially, it also includes a significant investment in the areas of special education, early childhood education, clerical and custodial work. This will help to maintain positions in some areas where boards have made harmful cuts. The deal also includes some funding for apprenticeships and professional development.

Some of the funding allocated will be used to add 3 per cent to existing “community use of schools” funds. “CUPE members want to help turn schools into community hubs,” added Preston. “When schools are well used by community groups and our members are keeping them clean and safe, it’s huge benefit to everyone.”

“Our members have been objecting for years to cuts to staff positions necessary to adequately support students,” said Jim Morrison, staff coordinator for the education sector in Ontario. “CUPE members are the backbone of every school – keeping schools clean and safe, and supporting the most vulnerable kids in the system. This deal starts to re-invest in some of those positions.”

CUPE represents 55,000 workers in the education sector, across all four school board systems (English and French, Catholic and public), including educational assistants, early childhood educators, custodians, tradespeople, school administrators, payroll and IT clerks, library technicians and more.

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Attached you will find OMERS Modified Inflation Indexing Proposal Presentation given to Education Workers at the OSBCC Conference February 11, 2017 by Wynne Hartviksen.

Read more on the OMERS Presentation

Effective January 1, 2017, the waiting period to collect Employment Insurance (EI) was reduced from two to one weeks. The reduced waiting period will apply to all forms of EI benefits including regular, special (maternity, parental and sickness), and fishing.

This change may affect CUPE members whose collective agreements provide supplemental unemployment benefit (SUB) plans and top-ups to maternity, parental, sick leave and short-term disability. Employer payments (i.e. vacation pay) are normally clawed back from EI payments, however SUB and top-up plans are treated differently. Members covered by SUB plans may earn a maximum of 95% of normal weekly earnings. In the case of maternity and other top-up plans, the amount is 100%. Read more click on Revised Reduced EI Waiting Period

Present at the OSBCC Conference February 2017 by Dan Crow OSBCC Research Specialist

Revised Reduced EI Waiting Period