Please see details below pertaining to the above noted meeting:

• May 15, 2021 – AGM Notice
• CUPE 411 – AGM Zoom Meeting Information – May 15, 2021
• Zoom Instructions – How to Register for a Meeting
• CUPE 411 – 2021 AGM Zoom Meeting Etiquette
• AGM – Agenda, 05-15-21

We look forward to seeing you all there!

In Solidarity,

CUPE 411 Executive

The Elections for the CUPE 411 Bargaining team are now complete and your Union is proud to announce the following representatives for the respective divisions:

• Assistants (et.al.) – Wendi Omeasoo, Aboriginal Education Assistant
• Clerical – Jenn Wellwood, Child & Youth Care Worker
• Custodial – Jeff Kasper, Custodian 3
• Maintenance – Josh Bouthot, Information Technology Support
• Transportation – Tracey O’Hara, Transportation Clerk/Bus Driver

The Union President, currently Dale Obirek, will also be a representative on the team, and our CUPE National Servicing Representative, currently David Scott will be the Union’s spokesperson at the table during the negotiations.

More information regarding meeting dates/times as well as contact information for each of the representatives will be emailed out to the members in due time and we will dedicate a page on the website for Bargaining Updates/Information.

We also would like to extend a “Thank you” to those members that allowed their names to stand for a seat on this committee but were not successful in securing one.  We want to encourage those members to continue advocating for your division and to consider running for an Executive position at our upcoming AGM on May 15, 2021.

In Solidarity

To all those who have lost their lives as a result of a workplace incident we humbly pay our respects to you and your loved ones.  In the wake of your sacrifice we will continue to advocate for stronger worker protections and  hold Employers accountable for their responsibility in providing a safe and healthy workplace for all their workers.

In Solidarity

CUPE 411 Executive

https://cupe.ca/message-national-officers-day-mourning

Good Evening Members,

On the evening of Tuesday, April 13, 2021 our Employer, School District No.33 (Chilliwack) presented their 2021-2022 Budget at the “Public” Board of Trustees meeting. For those of you that were not able to attend this on-line presentation the details can be found on the District’s website.  CUPE Local 411 is facing $384,070 in cuts to support staff jobs at the Secondary level, and it is worth noting that our Employer has now put the staffing decisions on the shoulders of the various School Principal’s.

It is important to know that there has only been a 12% increase in permanent CUPE members since 2015, while in some of the departments at the District office there been an 80% increase in excluded staffing positions. The Union finds it quite shameful that this Employer is cutting services at the direct point of contact to students, while refusing to trim the fat in their own departments; all while shifting the blame to staffing cuts to the administrative team at the sites.  It was also noted that absenteeism is costing the District upwards of six million dollars annually, but instead of addressing what the Union believes to be one of the contributing factors to this (i.e., Violence in the Workplace), we see very little effort being made to deal with this systemic issue.

As a result of this latest announcement your Union is advising members right now to stop performing work outside the scope of your job descriptions and to stop performing any unpaid work unless you are being directed by your immediate supervisor to do either.  If you are being directed to perform work outside your job description or without pay you need to contact a Shop Steward immediately so that the Union can file a grievance against this Employer.

Please keep in mind that the Employer or their representatives are not permitted to threaten, coerce, or intimidate members into doing work for free, hazardous work, or work that is not within the scope of their job description.  Nor are they permitted to continue to increase workloads, decrease staffing, and then bring in volunteers.  This type of practice is considered to be contracting out which is not permitted under our collective agreement.  If you feel you are being singled out because you are standing up for your rights, please keep track of specific details such as who said what, where and when, or if you feel you are being targeted (i.e., arbitrary changes to your work assignment, being directed to work without a Staff Safety Plan in place, etc.) then we want to hear about it.  The Union will not tolerate our members being bullied into submission or deliberately put in harms way; we are quite prepared to start filing grievances where appropriate.

For the last two years your Union has attempted to build and grow respectful working relationships with our Employer and their representatives, and while there are some members of the Employers team that see the value in this, it has become evident that others do not, and they would prefer to take an adversarial approach in working with the Union.  While the Union finds this most unfortunate, we have no choice but to proceed in a manner that supports our members rights and entitlements as we are not prepared to give up or ignore what those before us fought so hard to achieve.

You Union has created a “Feedback” section on the home page of our website, and we would encourage members to access this and assists us in identifying where these problem areas are so that we can formally address them.  Members are also reminded to check their personal emails on a weekly basis as we have been sending out sensitive correspondence using this medium.

Members with immediate concerns or pressing questions can contact the Union Office via phone at 604-392-1411 or email unionoffice@cupe411.ca.

In Solidarity,

CUPE 411 Executive

There was new language added and existing language changed in Article 14 – Leave of Absence.

For members that are attending an out-of-town memorial service Article 14.4 Mourners Leave now allows you to take an additional 1/2 day (unpaid) for travel.

For members looking to take a General Leave, we encourage you to review all the changes/additions in item 14.10 (a), (b), and (c) as there was some significant amendments to this language.  One of the additions provides members with the option to apply for up to two (2) unpaid Discretionary Days per calendar year without having to disclose details of why they are making the request; unless it is due to an emergency.

All of the above leaves still require approval, come at a cost to the member and there may be criteria that must be met in order to be eligible so please review the details of the language to be clear on the expectations.

Lastly, Article 14.11 Domestic or Sexual Violence is brand new language that is reflective of the BC Employment Standards Act, and any other applicable legislation.  We would encourage members to reach out to an Elected Union Representative first for advice on how to go about making application for this type of leave to ensure that your right to privacy is being respected.

In Solidarity

Good Evening Members,

The CUPE K-12 Committee is looking for feedback from members across the province with regards to the work they do in their specific School District.

These on-line meetings are starting tomorrow night and are open for any CUPE member to attend, but you must register.

Please use the link below to view the meeting dates/times as well as the group composition (i.e. Bussing, Trades, EA;s, etc..).

Join the conversation and share your priorities about your work and public education

This is your opportunity share your priorities about your work and public education.  Decisions that affect our workplaces should always take into consideration the workers perspective as we are the ones on the front-line and experience first hand the good, the bad and the ugly of public education.  As Union advocates we believe that your voice matters, and we encourage members to take the time to be heard so that any changes that might be coming will be advantageous to everyone in K-12 and not just a select few.

NOTE:  As a result of these on-line meetings, we will be delaying our Bargaining Committee Elections by at least a week so we can reschedule any conflicts with the above meetings.  Another email will go out to the members as soon as we have confirmed the dates for each division meeting.

In Solidarity,

CUPE 411 Executive

There were a couple of pieces of language that directly affected members working in both the Facilities (Custodial and Maintenance) and Transportation Departments (Bus Drivers).

Your Union is very pleased to now have Apprenticeship language as outlined in Article 1.8 with a clear definition, and then Appendix A.3 under item number 6 which references Apprenticeship Rates and timelines.  We hope to see our Employer put to use this new language by way of taking on some of this Districts very own students who are looking at pursuing a career in the trades.

Also in Appendix A.3 Differentials and Supervision Pay, we were able to move away from set dollar amounts to percentages that are calculated from set rates of pay, thereby ensuring all those members performing such duties will continue to receive increases as wages increase.  There was also changes made to 1.(c) pertaining to the operation of equipment.

Lastly, a small change was made to Article 9.5 Bus Drivers under item (f)(i) that took effect July 1, 2020 for drivers that are transporting passengers on Saturdays and Sundays for extra curricular trips. This now means members will receive consistent compensation for the entire shift.

In an attempt to keep members informed on Provincial discussions that may affect your current position here is an update on the Standardization of Credentials for Education Assistants:

• CUPE National – EA Credentials Position Paper – Revised March 24, 2021
• K-12 Bulletin No.60 – March 30, 2021

As well for those members who may not have read, or were unaware of the work being done of the Funding Model for Inclusive Education this might be of interest:

Funding Model Implementation – Inclusive Education

What all of the above means in terms of Job Descriptions is still yet to be determined but there are currently ongoing discussion pertaining to the JE/JD process at both the government and local levels to standardize positions throughout K-12 in the province.  We will be sure to update members as information regarding this process is made available to us.