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

Here are a couple of bulletins that may be of interest to members:

• K-12 Bulletin – June 17, 2021
• K-12 Bulletin – June 18, 2021
• K-12 Bulletin – June 28, 2021

We also received information from CUPE National and BCPSEA pertaining to the Health & Safety survey that all K-12 CUPE members in BC and their Employers were asked to complete in February of this year.  Please see the letter surmising this initiative as well as the extensive details of the survey results….

• CUPE National and BCPSEA – Letter dated June 18, 2021
• All SD H&S Committee Survey Data – February 2021

Wishing all our members a safe and enjoyable summer….

CUPE Quarterly – June 2021

Please take a few minutes to review some of the latest correspondence from the CUPE BC K-12 Committee:

• K-12 Bulletin – June 9, 2021
• K-12 Bulletin – June 3, 2021
• K-12 Bulletin – May 21, 2021
• K-12 Bulletin – May 20, 2021
• K-12 Bulletin – May 14, 2021
• K-12 Bulletin – May 6, 2021

As a result of the Elections on Saturday, May 15th, we had a few Elected Officials that shifted positions and as such we will need to hold a “Special Meeting Notice” on Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 9:30am.  The Union will be seeking nominations for the following positions:

• Assistants Shop Steward (1 year)
• Custodial Shop Steward (1 year)
• Trustee (3 year)
• Trustee (1 year)

The meeting will be held via Zoom and details will be emailed out a week prior as well as posted on the website.

We would like to congratulate those members that secured positions on the Executive Board at the AGM and look forward to completing our team on the 12th.

We also want to extend a HUGE “Thank you” to our outgoing Executive members that chose not to seek re-election but have spent many years representing members and advocating on behalf of the membership.  Their presence will surely be missed but we wish them all the best in their future endeavours….

• Carla Tizzard
• Eileen DeCoste
• Glenda Johnson
• Roman Vlaanderan

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