Category: Publications

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Re: Spring Education Seminars – April 20 – 23, 2023 – Harrison Hot Springs

The Spring education seminars for the Pacific Region will be held at Harrison Hot Springs Resort. The courses will run from Thursday, April 20 – April 23, 2023.  The following courses are being offered:

BASIC SHOP STEWARD

This course aims to provide new Stewards with basic training, knowledge and confidence.   Topics include the different roles of the Steward, how to investigate and file a grievance, communication skills, Shop Steward rights, the Steward as Organizer/Mobilizer, and key provisions of the Urban Operations and RSMC Collective Agreements.

 

Note: This course is for new Stewards.

 

 MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE

This course is about recognizing mental health issues in the workplace, assisting co-workers suffering from mental illness, and strategies for psychological health and safety.  Participants explore the stigma towards people living with mental illness. They review the signs and symptoms of mental health problems, and the indicators of psychological health and safety in the workplace. They look at different support and accommodation measures, and explore strategies to facilitate psychological health and safety at work. Note: This course is particularly suited to members who want to assist, support and advocate for co-workers suffering from mental illness. It may be of interest to Social Stewards.
UPDATING ROUTES AND BASIC LCRMS

This course explains the fundamentals of the Letter Carrier Route Measurement System (LCRMS), with a focus on the factors used to update routes.  Participants examine the different time values that determine a route and review how they are calculated. They look at restructures, volume counts, and the parts of the collective agreement that relate to LCRMS.  Most important, they learn how to verify time values to ensure they reflect the letter carrier’s work, and what to do if there are discrepancies.

Note: This course is for members, stewards and local executive members who want to

learn about letter carrier routes and the basics of the Letter Carrier Route Measurement

System (LCRMS).

 

 SOCIAL STEWARD

This course trains members to be Social Stewards.

Social Stewards are resource people who assist co-workers experiencing personal problems.  They listen to members, help them identify their concerns and find solutions, and refer them to appropriate resources.  As set out in D-32 of the CUPW constitution, Social Stewards are part of a network the union is building across the country.  This course familiarizes participants with a Social Steward’s role and responsibilities.  They explore ways to approach workplace problems, learn how to support members and how to gather and share information on the resources available to members.

Note: Members who have already taken the Solidarity Skills Level 1 and/or 2 are encouraged to apply for this course, which has a special application form (attached).

To be considered all applications must be signed and submitted by the Local President or their designate.

The deadline for registration is 12   p.m. on Thursday, March 7, 2023.  Please ensure your applications are in by that date, any application received after the deadline will not be considered.

In Solidarity,

Anju Parmar, President                   lb/CUPE-3338

 

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2023 Annual Elections

Nominations have now closed for the following positions on the Local                Executive Committee:

President

Robyn Mann

Anju Parmar

 2nd Vice President

Raylene Marshall

Joseph Rahim

Nominated and Acclaimed
Full Time Officer

Grievance Officer

Alan Dobbs

Table officers

Jamie McCurrach         Education Director

Katie Poch                 Organizing Director

Zoe McGowan         Recording Secretary

John Tweed           Health & Safety Director

 

Chief Shop Stewards

Chief Shop Steward Internal PPC/PIFF/Wickets Shift 1

Zenaida Garcia

Chief Shop Steward External MSC

Joseph H McCance

Chief Shop Steward External LC (1 position)

Kayla Ziefflie

Chief Shop Steward GLT

Raj Deo

The schedule for the 2023 annual election will be presented in a future bulletin. Congratulations to those acclaimed to a position and good luck to those nominated.

In Solidarity, 

Anju Parmar, President

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Grievance Update

Over $70,000 win for our PPC Members

In December of 2018 the Vancouver Local filed a grievance against the Corporation for an obvious violation of article 39. Having attempted to advise the Corporation during the consultation process that their plan to bring in Temporary employees immediately following regular shift times for the month of December would be a violation of article:

39.05(f) Notwithstanding paragraph 39.05(c), regular full-time employees in the required classification and who are present at work will be offered overtime hours if temporary employees are at work in the full-time employees’ section in the two (2) hour period that immediately follows the end of their shift.

The Corporation decided to ignore our warnings and so a grievance was filed.

During that month most sections at the PPC were affected by this clear violation, as Temporary employees were assigned positions throughout the plant day in and day out. As a result of this, the Corporation continued to incur liability for bypassing the regular employees for their deserved overtime opportunities. The Corporation denied the grievance at the first level hearing stage and so we had to wait until the grievance was referred to an arbitrator before we could see some justice.

Because of the excellent work done very early on by sisters Anju Parmar and Erin Collins we were able to establish a very good case. This eventually led to Labour Relations agreeing with us that the Corporation did in fact violate the Collective Agreement and was liable for all of the missed opportunities. A lot of forensic work followed, trying to discover who was working where and how many people had been bypassed. This work took months of careful examination and negotiation with the Corporation. Sister Neerjha Bhatara helped us get this across the line by using her extensive knowledge with equal opportunity list management and her deep understanding of the internal workings at the PPC. And as a result, the Corporation has agreed to pay members for the missed overtime opportunities. This is a total amount that will be upwards of $70,000 payable to our members that had their rights abused by the Corporation.  Once a MOA has been signed, members from VEO Inbound and Outbound, Parcels and Packets will be notified by the Union and the employer.

In Solidarity,

Alan Dobbs, Grievance Officer

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FEBRUARY General Membership Meeting

  Thursday February 23rd at 7 pm

 This  will be in person  meeting held at

 Maritimes Labour Centre 1880 Triumph Street 

                           (Old Union Hall)       

                      AGENDA FOR THE February GMM:

  1. Land Acknowledgment
  2. Reading of Truth and Reconciliation: Calls to Action
  3. Reading of new members
  4. Reading of the previous meeting’s minutes
  5. Business arising out of the minutes
  6. Financials (3 months)
  7. New Business
  8. Nominations and elections:

1)National Convention Delegate Alternate (10)

             2) MSC Route Measurement (1)

             3) By Laws (1)

             4)  Conflict Resolution Committee Alternate (1)

             5) VDLC (5) Alternate (3)

 10. Executive Committee Motions

11. Unfinished business

12 .Correspondence

13. Executive and Committee Reports

14. Good and Welfare

15. Adjournment

In Solidarity,

Anju Parmar, President

** Sign Language Interpreters are confirmed**

   

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Vancouver Local Contract Demands Meeting

Saturday February 18th 10am till 12pm

1880 Triumph St. Lower Auditorium

(The old Union Hall)

This is an in-person meeting

 (Auditorium capacity 400 people) 

Sisters/ Brothers/Cousins

Vancouver local is having meeting with its members to put forward contract demands for the upcoming regional conference held in the month of June 2023.

All members are welcome to attend the meeting to get information on how to write good contract demands for the upcoming negotiations. We need to develop demands which provide real answers to issues you face daily and which will improve your work life.

This is a chance for your voice to be heard and I encourage you all to attend the meeting.

More information on how to write the resolutions will be provided at the meeting.

Please bring your copy of the Collective Agreement.

In Solidarity,

Anju Parmar, President

** Sign Language Interpreters are not confirmed**

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January 28th General Membership Meeting Cancelled

We would like to thank all of our members who attended the General Membership Meeting at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown on Saturday, January 28, 2023. Due to unprecedented attendance for an in-person meeting exceeding maximum room capacity, the meeting needed to be adjourned as we were in violation of Fire Code article 2.7.1.3, which is also a health and safety issue.

In the interests of health and safety and in accordance with procedure, a motion was made to adjourn and seconded.

Saturday’s GMM had to be adjourned of necessity because the Fire Code overrules the bylaws.

We apologize for the inconvenience and thank everyone who made the effort to attend. Please come to the meeting on February 18th at 1300hrs to discuss and debate  notices of motion.

In Solidarity,

Vancouver Local Executive Committee.

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SPECIAL GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Saturday February 18th 13:00hrs

1880 Triumph St. Lower Auditorium

(The old Union Hall)

This is an in-person meeting

Registration will start at 12 pm and the meeting will start at 1300 hrs.

(Auditorium capacity 400 people) 

Special General Membership Meeting Agenda

  • Land Acknowledgement
  • Harassment policy
  • Notices of motion

In Solidarity,

Anju Parmar, President

**Sign Language interpreters are not confirmed**

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