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…..

While there is still a heavy rainfall warning in effect for the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley areas we want to encourage members to stay on top of the latest alerts by way of the various websites for our region:

• Government of Canada – Weather, Climate, and Hazards
• BC’s Public Safety & Emergency Services
• City of Chilliwack – Emergency Services
• Fraser Valley Regional District – Emergency Services

Some of these governing agencies offer downloadable apps for emergency notifications, while other provide up to date alerts and contact information for area residents; to use and access at your discretion.

Members can continue to monitor the Union website and private FaceBook group as we will do our best to provide updates that are time sensitive and should the need arise we may also send out notifications via your personal email.

Members that have questions or concerns about road closures and evacuation notices that may impact their ability to report to work are encouraged to reach out to an Elected Union Representative for advice and it is important the members stay connected with their Manager or Principal/Vice Principal if they cannot report to work.

Your safety and well being is our primary concern and we are committed to providing guidance and support through yet another crisis….

In Solidarity

In the wake of this week’s extreme weather event that saw power outages, roads closed, homes evacuated, and grocery stores/gas stations depleted of their resources; your Union wants the membership to know that we hope everyone has landed in a safe place.  Should members have any questions about how the school closures may be impacting them then your Elected Union Reps are here to answer any questions or address concerns that you may have.

While we do not have any specific Collective Agreement language surrounding inclement weather the Chilliwack School District does have both Policy, 708 Emergency Closure, as well as Administrative Regulations, 708.3 Emergency Closure, and we would ask that you please read through each of these documents and if you still would like to discuss further kindly contact an Elected Union Representative.

We would also encourage members to visit the B.C. Government website that speaks to Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, to see if any of their programs may be of assistance.

The Canadian Government also has a website devoted to Emergency Preparedness that may have some useful information as well.

While the Local does not have the ability to provide individual support to members in the event of an emergency there may be other agencies that we are affiliated with that could be of assistance.  Therefore, if members have been evacuated from their homes, or have suffered significant losses as a result of the flooding and/or landslides then we ask you to please contact the Union office directly (604-392-1411) so that we can collect your information and investigate what options might be available to you.

Your Union’s main message to all of its members is to please keep safe and allow those emergency services to do the work that they need to do in order to restore some semblance of order to our community.

In Solidarity,

CUPE 411 Executive

As Union Leaders we strive to act in the best interest of all of our members and given the current climate surrounding vaccine mandates it is important that we be clear that we are neither for nor against vaccines; our position has been and will remain that it is an individual’s choice.

Members should never feel embarrassed, ashamed, or intimidated to ask a wide variety of questions, we encourage members to consult with educated professionals and critically assess the information provided to them.

• • What are the benefits/risks of being vaccinated, or not, both short and long-term, to me based on my own health history?
  • Who is responsible if any adverse reaction or negative long-term effects of a mandated vaccine?
  • What are you giving away by supporting any type of vaccine mandate?
  • How do my religious, moral, or ethical beliefs factor into my health care decisions?
  • Is getting vaccinated in order to keep my job really a choice?
  • If we allow government/employers to impose directives on our personal healthcare will this embolden them in the future when the next crisis arises?

As science would suggest there are pro’s and con’s to all vaccines and it is not for the Union to debate the merits of them nor is it for us to dictate what members should do.  However, the Union is firm in our position that a member’s choice on vaccination should not impact their ability to maintain employment and earn a living.

We believe in freedom of speech and thought, and that integrity of person is something we should value.  Perhaps we need to give pause and remember that treating each other with respect rather than vilifying those who make different health care decisions is not only misguided but is setting a dangerously divisive position and precedent.

In Solidarity,

CUPE 411 Executive

CUPE Local 411 does not believe that an Employer, Political Body (Government), or agents thereof should have the authority to mandate any person to be vaccinated, full stop!  We see any such mandate to be a grotesque misuse of power and will continue to oppose any and all directives of this nature.

We firmly believe that it is an individual’s choice on whether or not they want to be vaccinated and such decisions should never come at the expense of having to sacrifice one’s ability to maintain employment.

Mandate’s such a this are setting a very dangerous precedent and we need to think outside of this current pandemic to what the deeper implications could mean, not just for us as workers in the K-12 sector, but every member of society as a whole.

While your Union firmly believes in mitigating risk while in the workplace taking away one’s rights and freedoms when it comes to their bodies is not something we would ever condone or endorse.

The Union suggests that members continue to educate themselves on ALL the options available to them on how to mitigate exposures in the workplace when it comes to communicable diseases and to adhere to these preventative measures wherever and whenever possible.

We also want to remind members that any details pertaining to your vaccination history is considered private medical information and your co-workers and immediate supervisors should not be asking you what your current vaccine status is.  Please know that you have the right to refuse to answer any such intrusive inquiries.

CUPE 411 wants you to be aware that if an employer institutes a vaccine mandate, the expectation from the Employer, will be that employees are to comply with it. A failure to comply with their employer’s mandate, could place an employee at risk to their employment with that employer.

Members that would like to share their concerns regarding the vaccine mandate or any workplace issues related to COVID-19 are encouraged to contact an Elected Union Official to further discuss.

In Solidarity,

CUPE 411 Executive

Good Afternoon Members,

The 2021-2022 is now underway and we just wanted to remind members of the upcoming General Membership Meeting Notice – September 18, 2021 at 9:30am via Zoom.  All members who have registered their personal email with the Union should have received the meeting notice via email that also include the link to register for the meeting.

The CUPE Quarterly – September 2021 was also emailed out to all the members this afternoon and we encourage everyone to have a quick read as the information contained within may be of interest to you?

As always your Union is looking from feedback both good and bad as we are heading into another bargaining year and in order to prepare for this we need to know what is working and what isn’t.  The Union website has a “Send Us Feedback” section, which was created in hopes of gathering specifics on some of the more contentious issues in our District. Please feel free to always contact a Shop Steward to further discuss any questions or concerns that you may have.

We wish each and everyone of you much success in the year ahead!

In Solidarity,

CUPE 411 Executive