With the 2022/2023 school year right around the corner we just wanted to take a moment and share out the September 2022 Quarterly Newsletter:

CUPE Quarterly – September 2022

We also wanted to remind members to book mark their calendar for the upcoming general membership meeting on Saturday, September 17th at 9:30am.  This meeting will be in person at 8472 Harvard Place (2nd floor Seminar Room).  If you are planning on attending and require childcare can you please send an email on or before Monday, September 12th to unionoffice@cupe411.ca, indicating the number of children as well as their ages so that we can book a childcare provider.

(IMPORTANT:  If we have not received confirmation then we will not have coverage in place that day)

Have a safe and enjoyable Labour Day long weekend everyone and we look forward to supporting you wherever we can in the school year ahead.

In Solidarity,

CUPE 411 Executive

As other public sector Unions start engaging in job action it is important we show our solidarity in their commitment to the negotiation process, more so when the fight is to secure a reasonable wage increase as well as language that addresses inflation and the negative impact it is having on all public sector workers.

• CUPE K-12 Bulletin – August 16, 2022

For more information on job action both in BC and across the country please visit the following affiliates websites:

• CUPE National
• CUPE BC

The CUPE K-12 Provincial Bargaining committee is scheduled to get back to the table with BCPSEA in mid-September and while our Local table has yet to meet with our Employer we do have dates set for October and November.

Please feel free to direct any questions or concerns that you might have via email at unionoffice@cupe411.ca or directly to one of our Local’s Committee members:

• Assistants Division: Wendi Omeasoo, treasurer@cupe411.ca
• Clerical Division: Jenn Wellwood, clericalshopsteward1@cupe411.ca
• Custodial Division: Jeff Kasper, custodialshopsteward1@cupe411.ca
• Maintenance Division: Dale Obirek, vicepresident@cupe411.ca
• Transportation Division: Tracey O’Hara, president@cupe411.ca

In Solidarity…..

CUPE 411 is asking our members to help spread the word in keeping Chilliwack’s Swimming Pools/Facilities in the hands of Public Service workers.

We know all too well what “For Profit” ownership of these types of operations can transgress into and we want to make sure that our pools and the facilities that house them are maintained by highly qualified staff that ensure safety processes and protocols are adhered to, thereby ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all Chilliwack families and guests who visit our community.

Please take a few moments and “Add Your Voice” in keeping the operation of our pools in the hands of the citizens of Chilliwack.

We would like to “Thank you” in advance for your support and please feel free to pass this messaging along to friends and family within our community.

In Solidarity

With the long slow steady grind of June please accept our apologizes on the delay in getting some relevant information posted.

• Meeting Dates 2022 – 2023 (Regular & Executive)
• CUPE Quarterly – June 2022
• K-12 Bulletin -June 24, 2022
• CUPE BC Opportunity – Member Mobilizer – June 2022

Hope all our members are able to enjoy some much deserved R&R this summer….

CUPE Local 411 would like to CONGRATULATE the following members in securing positions on the Executive Board during the 2022 AGM on Saturday, May 28:

• President (2-year term) – Tracey O’Hara
• 2^nd Vice President (1-year term) – Matt Kohanik
• Treasurer (1-year term) – Wendi Omeasoo
• Secretary (1-year term) – April Mancinelli
• Chief Shop Steward (1-year term) – Jodie Adam
• Assistants (et.al.) Shop Steward (2-year term) – Kari Miller
• Clerical Shop Steward (2-year term) – Jenn Wellwood
• Clerical Shop Steward (1-year term) – Tammy Lambert
• Custodial Shop Steward (2-year term) – Krista Evans
• Maintenance Shop Steward (1-year term) – Cody Beyer
• Transportation Shop Steward (1-year term) – VACANT (member who accepted the nomination has had to step down)
• Trustee (3-year term) – Kristen Wilton
• Sergeant-at-Arms – Teresa Roddick

The Union will be hosting a “Special Election Meeting” via Zoom on Thursday, June 2, 2022, at 6:00pm in order to elect a 1^st Vice President for the remainder of that term (1-year) and to elect a new Transportation Shop Steward for a 1-year term.  An email will be sent tomorrow morning to members personal emails with the appropriate link to register for the meeting.

An updated Executive Contact List will be shared out with the members as well as posted on the CUPE 411 website following Thursday’s Special Meeting.

Members in need of immediate assistance that do not have access to the necessary contact information for an Elected Representative are asked to contact the Union Office directly at 604-392-1411.

AGM Meeting Notice

Your Union Executive just wanted to remind members to check their emails for updates to outstanding concerns; the most recent being the Districts “Temporary Working Remotely Protocol” and the PHO orders on Vaccination Disclosure.

We also wanted to remind members of the Bargaining Survey that went out via email last weekend and while we have received an excellent response thus far, we would love to receive feedback from the majority of members to ensure the direction we take during negotiations is an accurate reflection of our overall membership.  The survey will close at midnight on January 29, 2022 and for members that did not receive this survey via email you can contact the Union office at 604-392-1411 or unionoffice@cupe411.ca and provide the Local with your up-to-date contact information.  Please be reminded that the Union will only correspond with members via their personal e-mail as all our correspondence is intended for active members only.

In Solidarity,

CUPE 411 Executive

An URGENT email was sent to all members this evening we would ask that you please take a moment to read it and if you have any questions or concerns please contact an elected Union Representative to discuss.

In Solidarity

The CUPE 411 Bargaining Team met again virtually on Friday, January 14, 2022, to attend the monthly Fraser Valley Coordinated Bargaining Committee meeting in the morning and spent the afternoon working on preparing for Local Bargaining.

To ensure the committee is focusing on the most important areas of concerns for the membership we created a local bargaining survey that was emailed out to all active members (permanent and casual) today, and we would ask that you take some time to complete the survey.  It is always the Union’s goal to negotiate language that is the best interest of the members by way of new language, or enhancing existing language, and your feedback is a vital part of this process.

You may have heard talk of “Concession” or “Two-Tiered” bargaining, these are two areas of discussion that the Union does not engage in when it comes to contract negotiations. It is also worth stating that general wage increases are no longer negotiated at the Local table, this right has been taken away from us and is now decided on at the Provincial table.  Unfortunately, instead of actually negotiating wages we often find ourselves forced to settle for mandates that do not even reflect annual consumer price indexing and as a result has members going backwards, instead of forwards when it comes to keeping up with the cost of living.  We can only hope this round of Provincial Bargaining will see an appropriate wage increase for CUPE members!

The Union will continue to provide regular updates as we navigate the Bargaining process, but if you have any questions or concerns, we would ask that you reach out to the Elected Representative on the Bargaining Committee for your respective Division:

• Assistants (et.al.): Wendi Omeasoo (604-701-1446 / treasurer@cupe411.ca)
• Clerical: Jenn Wellwood (604-992-4429 / jennwell31@gmail.com)
• Custodial:  Jeff Kasper (604-799-0848 / custodialshopsteward1@cupe411.ca)
• Maintenance: Josh Bouthot (604-649-9385 / maintenanceshopsteward@cupe411.ca)
• Transportation:  Tracey O’Hara (604-819-2881 / vicepresident@cupe411.ca)

In Solidarity

We just wanted to take a moment and remind members that the direction the Union has received from the Employer is that all CUPE 411 Support Staff will be expected to report to work tomorrow; Tuesday, January 4, 2022, unless you have been directed otherwise by your immediate supervisor.  Of course there will be some exceptions to that expectation (i.e. sick, pre-approved leave, etc.) and of course there is always the threat of inclement weather, in which case we would advise members to check the SD33 website if you suspect a closure may be in effect.

We are a bit delayed in publishing the CUPE Quarterly – December 2021 so please accept our apologizes but do take the time to have a read.

We hope all of our members were able to enjoy some well deserved quality time with family and/or friends this holiday season and we wish nothing but the best for each and every one of you on the year ahead!

In Solidarity…..