CUPE 411 – Expression of Interest – Budget Committee

Dear members,

If you are interested in joining an info session on the Municipal Pension Plan, please use the links below to register for a session. Upon registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

DATES:

Once again, we look forward to receiving your questions/feedback through our survey, and hope you will also join one of our info sessions.

In Solidarity,

CUPE 411 Executive

Good Evening Members,

It has come to the Union’s attention that many sites are not having their E.A.’s replaced when the permanent members are absent.  The Employer has advised the Union that all available casual E.A.’s are being assigned to replace our permanent members on a daily basis, therefore if casual members are not receiving callouts from the replacement desk you are asked to contact the District office to confirm your contact information is correct.  For our permanent members, if you are absent from work and are not being replaced the Union would like to hear from you.  Please feel free to call 604-392-1411 or email, unionoffice@cupe411.ca, and provide us with your name, position, site, hours of work, and date.  Other members have expressed that the lack of casual replacements is posing a threat to members safety, as such this needs to be brought to the attention of the CUPE Health & Safety Rep at your site so that it can be discussed at the monthly Joint Occupational Health & Safety (JOHS) committee meetings where a resolve to those safety concerns can be addressed and the details of which are captured in the meeting minutes.

Members are also expressing concerns over other staff and students showing flu like symptoms while in the workplace.  Our Employer has made it clear that each and every staff member is responsible for doing the “Daily Self-Assessment” prior to entering the workplace, and if you are experiencing symptoms that you would not normally have on either a day to day or annual basis, then you are required to follow the protocols as laid out by the government.  When it comes to students being symptomatic the District’s Safe Work Procedures (see pgs. 3, 8, 22 & 23) are very clear and if these protocols are not being followed then these instances need to be documented and reported on at the JOHS committee meeting, and to the Union.

It is to be expected that as we progress through the school year we are going to see cases of COVID-19 appear in our workplaces; when we hear instances of this it does not mean that members are not expected to report to work.  Unless otherwise directed to do so by Fraser Health, or unless you yourself are experiencing COVID like symptoms, members are expected to report to work.  Your Union is actively advocating on your behalf that should you be required to self-isolate due to an exposure that you are not required to use your “Sick” days unless you are in fact symptomatic.  It is imperative that all members continue to practice physical distancing, good hand hygiene, and wear a face covering whenever the situation dictates.  The protocols that have been put in place are design to protect all staff and students in the workplace; if at anytime members are confused about the expectations or if their personal boundaries are being violated you need to speak up and ask for clarity and insist that your health and well being is protected.

Members are always encouraged to access external supports if they are experiencing emotional stressors in either the workplace or their personal lives.  The FSEAP offers a wide variety of confidential supports and access to this benefit provider is free for all permanent members.  Members who have pre-existing conditions that could be negatively impacted by an exposure to COVID-19 are encouraged to stay connected with their physicians and share any concerns about workplace practices to ensure these do not pose a further threat to their health.

Lastly, the Union just wanted to express a huge “Thank you” to all of our casual members who are currently being called in to various work sites on a daily basis throughout our District.  The challenge of not knowing where you are going and what you are going to be expected to do on a daily basis is not easy on a good day, and now with COVID this has undoubtedly added another layer of stress onto what is already daunting task.  Please know that we appreciate your efforts and wish there was more protections we could offer you as casual and that we continue to advocate on your behalf wherever and whenever we can.

Take care and stay safe everyone…..

In Solidarity,

CUPE 411 Executive

Good Evening Members,

A “Thank you” to all the members that were able to join us yesterday for our General Membership meeting via Zoom, we are definitely getting better at these on-line meetings and we hope that more of you are able to join in at the November meeting.  We are currently working on having on-line access to the meeting minutes for those members that are unable to attend, more information to follow once we have this all set up.

We also want to remind members to please check your personal emails for detailed updates from the Union Executive.  We promise not to inundate you with email correspondence but you can expect to see one or two emails monthly as this is the best way to get lots of information out to the membership all at one time.  In the meantime please take some time to review the latest K-12 Bulletins:

• K-12 Bulletin – FAQ’s No.6
• K-12 Bulletin – No.23 – September 3, 2020
• K-12 Bulletin – No. 24 – September 4, 2020
• K-12 Bulletin – FAQ’s No.7

Two years ago the Union Executive really started to focus on member engagement, part of that included site visits, however, often times our Custodial members were not able to join us, so this year we may look at popping by in the evenings during dinner break for a quick visit just to see how things are going and address any questions or concerns that our custodial members might have.  If this is something we are able to do, we will be sure to share out a schedule once we have the details worked out.

Earlier this year the Executive also decided that promoting CUPE 411 and acknowledging members for the work that they do should also be a priority.  As such the local purchased lanyards for each and every member and we will continue to deliver these out to sites for our members as well as include them in our CUPE 411 Welcome Packages for our Casual members.  The Local has also purchased golf umbrella’s, 3 for each site, for members to use that find themselves outside supervising students in the wet weather.  We will start getting these out to sites in the next week or two and have no doubt they will be put to good use soon enough.

Your Union also feels it important to acknowledge members who have suffered the loss of a loved one, or who are off due to a serious illness/injury.  We are asking for your help in sharing the name(s) of a member that has had a spouse, parent, or child pass away, or is recovering from a surgery or significant illness as we would love to be able to send them a plant along with a note on behalf of the Local.  Please feel free to send us an email at unionoffice@cupe411.ca or call the office at 604-392-1411 with any details you might have.

In Solidarity,

CUPE 411 Executive

CUPE Quarterly – September 2020

In an attempt to keep members informed and engaged with our Local we have created a monthly “CONNECT” newsletter that will be posted on both the Union’s website as well as on our FaceBook page.

This will not be replacing the CUPE “Quarterly” or our CUPE “Quick Facts” but just another communication medium for our members to enjoy.

CUPE Connect Sep 2020

Did you know the Chilliwack School District has their 2020/2021 re-start plan, to include their health & safety protocols, posted on the home page of their website?

Did you know that SD#33 is offering a hybrid learning program to all Elementary and Middle school students?

Did you know that every School District in B.C. has been provided additional funding (August 27th segement) to support remote learning opportunities for students?

The Union encourages members to review all the relevant plans and protocols in order to have a clear understanding of the expectations in the workplace effective immediately.  The K-12 landscape is ever changing at present however if you have questions or concerns about what is currently being proposed we would encourage you to reach out to an elected Union Representative for guidance and support.

The Union will continue to provide regular updates whether they be from local, provincial (K-12 Bulletin – FAQ’s No.5), or national sources.  With so much credible information being shared by various industry professionals we feel members have a right to make their decisions based on ALL the information being presented and not just what one or two special interest groups may be serving up.

FYI:  Members are reminded to check their personal email’s for important updates from the Union.

With an ever changing landscape in the K-12 sector the Union has been waiting to see how things are going to unfold for the 2020-2021 school year.  In the meantime we will continue to publish the updates from CUPE BC’s K-12 President’s Council as the information is coming directly from our Union Reps that are engaged in discussions at the government level and we would hope that its accuracy may be of both interest and benefit to our members….

K-12 Bulletin FAQ’s No.2

K-12 Bulletin – FAQ’s No.3

K-12 Bulletin – FAQ’s No.4

K-12 Bulletin – FAQ’s No.1