CUPE Disaster Relief

Due to the most recent state of emergency and the flooding and storms in BC, CUPE is organizing a support fund for CUPE members. Our local has donated $250 to the fund.

Any CUPE members in BC experiencing hardship due to recent floods are invited to apply for CUPE BC funding support through their Local.

If you are experiencing any financial hardship due the recent storms, please fill out this form: CUPE BC Hardship Fund Application. Please ensure you fill the form out completely.

Once filled out, please send to CUPE2081@camosun.ca.

In Solidarity.

CUPE BC Seeking Membership Talent

On behalf of CUPE BC

Dear CUPE member,
Are you a hobby photographer? A poet or musician? Perhaps you’re a storyteller who has a way with words, a talented illustrator who does animation, or a gourmet chef with a great recipe to share. If you’re any of these things—and many more—we want to hear from you!

Next spring, CUPE BC will be publishing a special May Day edition of Public Employee magazine as a supplement to the regular issue. Produced in time to celebrate International Workers Day, this issue of our flagship publication will feature content—articles, photos, and graphic images—generated entirely by our members. We want to feature CUPE members from all sectors and all corners of the province by having you share your hidden talents while telling us your own stories of work, life, culture, and community.
Perhaps there’s another member you’d like to tell us about—or even interview: someone with a cool job most people wouldn’t think is CUPE work, a member who’s involved in international solidarity issues like migrant farm worker advocacy, or one who’s well known as an event organizer for concerts, arts festivals or Pride parades. Perhaps it’s an amateur archivist who has great stories or old photos to share about their local’s history. Or a CUPE member who has served in public office—or still does—and wants to reflect on their political action experience.

For submissions, we’re looking for written contributions of up to 250 words in length and high-resolution photographs of two megabytes (MB) or higher. Depending on the volume of contributions, not all submissions may be published. But every participant will receive CUPE swag and be entered into a prize draw.

Please send your contribution by February 1, 2022 and e-mail it to: info@cupe.bc.ca

In solidarity,

Karen Ranalletta (CUPE BC President) & Trevor Davies (CUPE BC Secretary-Treasurer)

Upcoming General Membership Meeting – October 13th

Hello CUPE 2081 Members!

Please note that we will be holding a General Membership Meeting tomorrow, Wednesday October 13th @ 5pm via Zoom. All CUPE 2081 members are invited and encouraged to join us!

Members, please check your emails for Zoom link, agenda, and minutes!

Below I have posted the submitted Executive Reports for your information:

2021.09.22 OHS Report – April Atkins

2021.10.06 – Campus Steward Report – Shirley Wendland

2021.10.13 Communications Officer Report – Jayme Wilkinson

2021.10.01 Education Report – Shelley Butler

Orange Shirt Day | September 29, 2021

What is Orange Shirt Day?

In the spring of 2013, Phyllis Webstad – a residential school survivor – first shared her story at a St. Joseph Mission Residential School Commemoration Project and Reunion event held in Williams Lake, British Columbia. Phyllis recounted her first day of residential schooling at six years old, when her new orange shirt—bought by her grandmother—was taken away from her. Phyllis’s story inspired Orange Shirt Day as an annual event. Between the late 1800s and 1996, more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children were taken to residential schools and Orange Shirt Day commemorates this legacy. In the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, we encourage you to observe September 30th with an open heart. We acknowledge that this year has seen many triggering news stories about former residential school sites, and it is a stark reminder there is still much work to do. Every. Child. Matters.

Please note that Camosun College is observing Orange Shirt Day on Wednesday, September 29th as the college will be closed on September 30th so that our community can reflect, learn, and attend community events in light of the federally announced stat holiday. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation stat is a direct response from the government to one of the TRC calls to action, although we recognize that we all have long to go on the path to both truth and reconciliation.

What Can I Do?

Tomorrow, September 29, please wear an orange shirt to show your commitment to reconciliation and to support the survivors of the residential school system and their kin.
Please remember that it is not Indigenous people’s responsibility to teach anyone about the residential school system. This is potentially a very triggering and traumatizing topic and we kindly remind our members that education is widely available and offered, both within the college and from other sources. Please view this list for a variety of sources:

Community Supports/Outreach

  • Residential Schools Crisis Line. Their mandate is to support residential school survivors and their families but their policy is not to turn anyone away. 1-866-925-4419
  • Kids Help Phone, an anonymous and confidential phone and on-line professional counselling service for youth. 1-800-668-6868
  • Eyēʔ Sqȃ’lewen/IECC – Camosun’s Indigenous Education & Community Connections are dedicated to quality education and serve Indigenous students and communities. 250-370-3299 or 250-370-4870
  • Island Community Mental Health. 250-389-1211
  • Victoria Native Friendship Center. 250-384-3211
  • Songhees Wellness Centre. 250-386-1043 ext. 313

Greater Victoria CUPE Scholarship Fund 2021

Do you have a student in your life enrolled in post-secondary who could benefit from a scholarship? Consider applying for the Greater Victoria Scholarship fund!

Who is eligible to apply?
1. Student is under 25 years of age (as of December 31 on year of application).
2. Student’s parent/guardian is currently an active member of a CUPE Local from Greater Victoria that participates in the scholarship fund. Participating locals are:
CUPE 410
CUPE 788
CUPE 917
CUPE 951
CUPE 2011
CUPE 2081
3. Student is registered for full time studies. You are responsible to verify that information through the office of registration at the institution you will be attending. Each institution has its own guidelines for full time status due to the variety of program options.
4. The deadline for submission is 11:59pm Thursday, October 14th. All applications must be received by email by this date.
5. If you have previously been awarded a scholarship from this committee, you are not eligible to apply again.

Required for this application:
1. Introduction letter (please see linked documents below for full instructions)
2. Copy of latest transcripts from most recent academic studies (can be from university, college, or highschool).
3. Proof of registration and/or proof of payment of fees.
4. Reference letter with contact information from a non-family member. Only one letter will be accepted.

The GV CUPE Scholarships will be awarded based on a combination of GPA; the information in the personal letter; and the letter of reference. The GV CUPE Scholarship Committee reserves the right to verify application information. This includes, but is not limited to, communicating with any person providing a support document to this application. All applications will be dealt with in the strictest confidence and will be securely destroyed after the awards are distributed. By signing the application, the student agrees with the terms of this scholarship.

GV CUPE Scholarship Application 2021 GV CUPE Scholarship Information 2021

GV CUPE Scholarship Application 2021

Completed applications and all required supporting documents to be emailed to:
gvcupescholarship@gmail.com
Completed applications received by email by 11:59pm October 14, 2021

Federal Election Day | September 20, 2021

Monday September 20th is ELECTION DAY! If you did not vote in advance polls, Monday is your opportunity to cast your vote and make your choice! Polls are open from 7am-7pm in BC

CUPE has a long tradition of supporting the New Democratic Party, as the party of labour. However, we recognize your vote is your choice. If you remain undecided, we offer information for your consideration: https://cupe.ca/cupe-votes

*What Institutions Need to Know:

At a minimum, the Canada Election Act, section 132 requires that employees who are Canadian citizens aged 18 years old or more on Election Day have three consecutive hours free from work without loss of pay while polls are open for the purpose of casting their ballot. *** If your schedule does not provide for the necessary time to vote, please connect with your supervisor to ensure you have the time free to exercise your right under the Canada Election Act.

 2021 Federal Election | Text Message Notifications

The Division sent text message reminders to CUPE BC members on Monday for the final day of advance voting in the federal election.  Leading up to September 20, members can expect to receive 1-2 more text messages from the Division containing voting reminders and Election Day information.

 Upcoming CUPE BC Canvasses | 2021 Federal Elections

Below is a list of upcoming canvasses and leaflet drops taking place in the days leading up to Election Day on September 20:

 

Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge Canvass

Phil Klapwyk 

Sept 17 – 5:30-8:30pm **Today**

22386 119th Avenue, Maple Ridge

Sign-up: Click here

 

Vancouver Granville Canvass

Anjali Appadurai 

Sept 18 | 5:30-8:30pm

5590 Victoria Drive, Vancouver

Sign-up: Click here 

 

Nanaimo-Ladysmith Canvass

Lisa Marie Barron 

Sept 18 | 3:00-6:00pm

140 Commercial Street, Nanaimo

Sign-up: Click here

 

Burnaby North-Seymour Leaflet Drop

Jim Hanson 

Sept 19 | 2:00-5:00pm

4340 Hastings Street, Vancouver

Sign-up: Click here

North Island-Powell River Canvass

Rachel Blaney 

Sept 17 | 5:30-8:30pm **Today**

975 Shoppers Row (Tyee Plaza)

Sign-up: Click here

 

Courtenay-Alberni Canvass

Gord Johns 

Sept 18 | 10:00am-12:30pm

111 – 255 6th Street, Courtenay

Sign-up: Click here

 

Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke Leaflet Drop

Randall Garrison 

Sept 19 | 11:00am-4:00pm

Unit 5C, 100 Aldersmith Place, View Royal

Sign-up: Click here 

 

Victoria Leaflet Drop

Laurel Collins 

Sept 19 | 5:30-8:30pm

1262 Quadra Street, Victoria

Sign-up: Click here

Please also check the CUPE BC Facebook page for a full list of other upcoming canvasses and events.

 

BCFED Update | September 2021

On behalf of BCFED

Hello Friends,
And a happy belated Labour Day.

This week, the BCFED released a seminal new report on the case for 10 days of employer-paid sick leave. Titled, An Equitable Recovery – The Case for Paid Sick Leave as a Right of Employment in BC, this is our contribution to the BC government’s consultation that will shape the paid sick leave program coming into effect this January.

The report shows that paid sick leave is a fundamental part of how we build a strong and equitable economy and safeguard public health. And that BC lags badly behind other jurisdictions. It also includes exclusive polling that shows nine-in-ten British Columbians (89%) agree that businesses have a responsibility to provide paid sick leave; and that more than four-in-five British Columbians (86%) support our proposal for 10 employer-paid sick days.

We hope you’ll join our campaign and help share our call to action to legislate 10 employer-paid days for all workers!

Laird Cronk, President
Sussanne Skidmore, Secretary-Treasurer

LABOUR HERITAGE CENTER

BC hospital dietary and cleaning workers with the Hospital Employees Union scored a historic win against privatization, brining their jobs back into the public sector. Read about their decades long fight in this excellent blog post.

STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS

Please respect the unions’ picket lines in the following disputes, and do not patronize these businesses until the dispute is settled.

UNITE HERE Local 40 vs Pacific Gateway Hotel
Major Issues: Recall Rights, Concessions
Commenced: May 3, 2021

UNITE HERE Local 40 vs Hilton Metrotown
Major Issues: Refusal to extend recall rights, Concessions
Commenced: February 12, 2021

IBEW 213 vs Ledcor
Major Issues: First agreement (in bargaining for 2 years), mass terminations, working conditions, pay & benefits, job security & seniority
Commenced: September 30, 2019

BOYCOTTS & HOT EDICTS

Boycott: Pacific Gateway Hotel, Richmond, BC – UNITE HERE Local 40/BCFED
Boycott: Hilton Metrotown, Burnaby, BC – UNITE HERE Local 40/BCFED

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY COURSES

Safe, convenient and effective virtual classrooms
The delivery method has changed, but all BCFED Health & Safety Centre virtual courses offer the comprehensive curriculum and learning outcomes many have come to trust. The Centre’s virtual classroom training still applies adult learning principles to ensure learning is engaging, relevant and effective. Our virtual classrooms offer live, real-time learning, providing the benefits of traditional in-person training. Due to demand, we have added additional courses to our virtual course schedule.

Request a course
Beyond scheduled classes, and where participant numbers warrant, we can also work with you to coordinate almost any of our training courses in a virtual classroom for all workers and workplace representatives. Request a course

CUPE BC UPDATE – SEPTEMBER 2021

On behalf of CUPE BC

Dear members,
Please read on for general CUPE BC announcements and to learn more about upcoming events, learning resources, and community engagement opportunities. If this email was forwarded to you and you wish to be added to our mailing list, please send an email request to info@cupe.bc.ca.

Upcoming CUPE BC Canvasses | 2021 Federal Elections

Below is a list of upcoming canvasses taking place over the coming days in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island:

Port Moody – Coquitlam

Sept 3 | 6:00 pm *Today*

3278 Westwood St, Port Coquitlam

Event Link: Click here

 

Burnaby South

Sept 4 | 1:00 pm

5262 Rumble St, Burnaby

Event Link: Click here

 

Pitt Meadows – Maple Ridge

Sept 5 | 1:00 pm

Corner of 224th St & 119th Ave, Maple Ridge

Event Link: Click here

Nanaimo

Sept 6 | 10:00 am

140 Commercial St, Nanaimo

Event Link: Click here

 

Victoria

Sept 6 | 1:30 pm

1262 Quadra St, Victoria

Event Link: Click here

 

Please also check the CUPE BC Facebook page regularly for a full list of other upcoming canvasses and events.

T-Shirt Fundraiser | Orange Shirt Day | Sept 30

CUPE BC encourages members to visit the Orange Shirt Society website and consider a t-shirt purchase for Orange Shirt Day on September 30, 2021. Partial proceeds from all t-shirt and merchandise sales will go towards the Orange Shirt Society and support the organization’s reconciliation events and activities.  T-shirts may also be purchased directly from various London Drugs locations.

BC Government Consultation | Paid Sick Leave Survey | Sept 14

The Provincial Government is developing paid sick leave for employees in BC to enable them to stay home when sick or injured, without losing wages, for a set number of days each year. The new model will come into effect on January 1, 2022.  At this time, the Government is seeking input from workers and employers about what paid sick leave they currently have in their workplaces and what improvements could be made.   For more information, please see below:

Paid Sick Leave Engagement Project:  Click here

Worker Survey:  Click here

Employer/Business Owner survey:  Click here

Surveys Close: September 14, 2021

CCPA Reports | Election 44: The Care Economy, Women, and COVID-19

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) has remained at the forefront of the COVID pandemic by publishing in-depth analysis of its impacts and policy changes that are needed to protect vulnerable populations.  Please find links below to the CCPA’s reports and policy recommendations as the elections approach:

Platform Crunch: Conservatives release their federal commitments

Which promises have the Conservatives made to support women’s employment and the care economy? Click here to review the CCPA’s recent analysis, along with their assessment of the NDP commitments (click here). Other party platforms will be released as well.

Budget Watch 2021: The rebuild must start with the care economy

Senior CCPA researcher Katherine Scott explains why the “rebuild must start with the care economy” as a means of addressing the social, racialized, gendered, and income inequities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Click here to read more.

Long-term care reform: No time to waste

The CCPA has published a road map (click here) to ensure that every senior is able to live with dignity and respect.

Canada’s immigration system is failing migrant care workers

COVID-19 has worsened the precarious, sometimes abusive working conditions for migrant care workers—most of whom are women and racialized people.  Click here to read CCPA researcher Rishika Waderhra’s analysis.

For more information, please read the CCPA Report “Women, work, and COVID-19: Priorities for supporting women and the economy” by Katherine Scott or listen to the CCPA “The Care Economy and What’s at Stake” podcast episode.

Should you have any questions regarding this update, please email info@cupe.bc.ca for additional information.

In solidarity,
CUPE BC

 

Return to Campus Public Health Guidance

On behalf of the BC Centre for Disease Control/Ministry of Health

Please find the guidelines released Sept 1, 2021 here: Post Secondary Public Health Guidelines Sept 1

Key Messages in this document:

  • This document outlines the prevention measures recommended by public health for post-secondary institutions in B.C. to reduce the risk of communicable diseases, including COVID-19, on campus.
  •  Educational settings are low-risk settings for COVID-19 transmission, particularly in the context of a highly immunized population.
  • Vaccines are the most effective way to reduce the risk of COVID-19 on campus. Everyone eligible is strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated (i.e., receive two doses) against COVID-19.

Get Tested When Recommended: Encourage students faculty and staff to use the BC Self-Assessment Tool app, the BCCDC When to Get Tested Resource, or call 8-1-1 to determine if they should get tested for COVID-19 if they’re sick.

Union Office Summer Closure: August 3-16

On behalf of Erynne Grant, Lead Shop Steward

The Union office will be CLOSED from August 3rd-August 16th, 2021. Please continue to email general queries to cupe2081@camosun.bc.ca and I will reply to you as soon as possible upon my return.

In the event of a workplace emergency, please contact Jesse Scott, Campus Steward in my absence.

I look forward to seeing everyone on campus in the coming weeks!

Kind Regards,

Erynne Grant l Labour Relations Officer