Vice President’s Message
As we approach the end of another remarkable year, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude for the incredible work each of you have contributed to our educational communities. This year has been a testament to our resilience, dedication, and unwavering commitment to the success and well-being of the students and our communities.
I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible work you all have done and express my deepest gratitude for your dedication and hard work. This year has been full of unique challenges and milestones, and each of you have exhibited unwavering commitment and professionalism.
Support workers are indeed the backbone of many essential services, and your hard work often goes unnoticed. Truly each of you are the reasons the schools run the way they do and the students get the supports they need.
Everyone should have received the BILL 124 remedy. There has been some members which had some questions or discrepancies with the calculations. Please reach out to Bill124@ddsb.ca for the public board or Bill124.DurhamCatholic@dcdsb.ca for the Catholic Board.
I would like to say a big Thank you to our CUPE members working in Payroll for both Boards for all their hard work to ensure that the monies were received and questions are being answered.
As we roll into a new year and over the summer our goal is to have updated Bylaws sent to National for review, Strategic planning starting as we get closer to another round of bargaining, the Collective agreements online with changes to our website, as well as working on our membership list to ensure that everyone is updated on information coming out of the CUPE office.
I hope to see each of you at our BBQ on the 22 of June as well as Wonderland in July and our annual Golf tournament in the fall. The social committee has been working hard on planning events. The backbone of a local is member engagement. The stronger we stand the harder it is for our employers to divide us on all the entitlements and wins we so rightfully deserve.
In closing, I want to reiterate my heartfelt thanks for all that you do. Your passion and commitment do not go unnoticed, and it is because of you that our schools can provide the best possible education for our students. I look forward to another year of working together and achieving even greater heights.
Wishing you a restful and enjoyable summer!
A Heartfelt Thank You
Carrie Boisvert
Vice President
Disability Management
We are almost there. Summer is around the corner and hopefully will bring everyone a well deserve time to rejuvenate from a very busy year. To our 12 month members, thank you for putting the work in to get the schools ready for September. As always, I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe in this trying time and continues to focus on their mental health as self-care is extremely important and even more important during this difficult time that we have all been faced with.
As always, please continue to ensure that if you have a workplace injury, you contact the CUPE office so we can answer any questions or concerns you may have. We cannot stress enough the importance of filling out all the paperwork that is required and to also forward everything over to the CUPE office to assist you during this difficult process. When the CUPE office receives a notification of Occurrence regarding an injury in the workplace, you will receive a letter with a summary of the forms and the procedure that occurs. We understand that it may be a difficult time, but in order for us to support and ensure you have a safe return back to work, all documentation you send to the Board offices should be sent to the CUPE office as well. It is all confidential and only members of the Disability Team have access to it. I can’t express enough the importance of reporting incidents that happen in the workplace whether there is an injury or not. If you receive a call after your injury from the Board stating that they can accommodate you after your injury, do not turn down the offer, but instead tell them to reach out to the Union to schedule a meeting. Once you turn down an offer, WSIB is notified and it becomes more challenging to be approved for your claim.
The DCDSB pays for any medical that is out of pocket. All receipts should be emailed to marcelle.spadafora@dcdsb.ca or confidential.medical@dcdsb.ca Please include the CUPE office in all correspondence.
The DDSB medicals should be sent off to shortterm.absence@ddsb.ca as well as the CUPE office.
WSIB
We are receiving many calls around workplace exposures. This pertains to any bodily fluid, chemicals etc. If you believe you may have been exposed while at work, but you are not ill you should complete a Worker’s Exposure Incident Form and fax it to the WSIB at: 1-888-313-7373 AND report this to your Principal. Be sure to document for your records the date of your doctor or hospital visit.. You must also fill out a WSIB form 6, inform your Principal of this and send the completed form to Marcelle Spadafora DCDSB at confidential.medical@dcdsb.ca or shortterm.absence@ddsb.ca at DDSB.
The Exposure form can be accessed through the WSIB website or the CUPE 218 website.
You can also contact the CUPE office if you cannot access online.
Both boards are currently sending out LTD packages by email. If you are from the DDSB, once the CUPE office is notified that you have received the LTD package, I will send you off a LTD letter that has some common information as well as give you a call. If you are from the DCDSB, the information that Rose Pearson sends off has a lot of information so I do not send you a letter, but I will call you to ensure that you have received the package. If you have any questions around the package or need anything printed off or sent off, please do not hesitate to contact the CUPE office for assistance.
If you have any questions or need assistance please feel free to call the CUPE Office, we would be more than happy to assist you. The Committee members can be reached through the CUPE Office: 905-571-7879
Fax 905-571-4102
Please have a safe and restful break
Please keep checking your CUPE email for any updates and for our upcoming social events.
Stay safe!
Carrie Boisvert – carrie.boisvert@cupe218.ca
Disability Management Coordinator
John Allan- John.allan@cupe218.ca
Stephanie Dezsi – Stephanie.dezsi@cupe218.ca
Catholic Board SCT
Greetings Everyone. It’s that time of year again where the sun is out longer, the days are warmer, and the Toronto Maple leafs have been golfing for a couple of months already.
I can only imagine how ready for a break from the normal school craziness everyone is looking forward to. For many of us this leads to the craziness of summer school and all the fun that brings with it. For all who have some time off this summer – I say enjoy it. The beginning of September will be here before we know it.
I hope everyone has received their Bill 124 retro payment already, sadly mine didn’t spend a lot of time in my bank account before it was transferred out to pay for various things.
This is the first time that our Elementary Administrative Assistants will be able to request time off for that last week after the students have left. I know we still do not yet have the collective agreement yet so I will take this opportunity to remind everyone what the new clause says.
“Upon approval from the Principal, Elementary School Administrative Assistants may request up to one (1) week following the last day of the school year. This is contingent upon all work being completed to ensure the efficient closing of the school. Failure to do so may result in the Elementary Administrative Assistant returning to work to complete the required tasks.”
I know many of us are feeling the burn out this close to the end of the school year. This applies to all our co-workers as well as the parents, students and others coming into the schools as well. I hope everyone has received their “No abuse tolerated/welcome to the school” signage and has it put up in the main office. If you do not have this up, please email your school admin to ask about it as it was sent to all the schools. No one should be required to put up with verbal abuse from anyone at the schools, including from upset parents. Everyone deserves to be spoken to and treated respectfully.
If you are involved in an incident with a co-worker, supervisor, or member of the public please ensure you take notes and document the incident to ensure that you can refer to them in the event it escalates.
I will take this opportunity to remind you that supervision is not a core job duty of ours and they we should not be asked to supervise students as a regular part of our job. There should not be kids sent down from classrooms, or serving detention or in school suspensions that are left in our care. There should be a member of administration or a teacher in charge in the office if students are in there. If you are encountering school admins that are not following this practise, make sure you send your principal a polite email including myself, or Sandra, or Jennifer advising them that students were left in the office without any school admin or a teacher in charge and that is not part of your job description and that in future please ensure that an administrator will be present when students are or that students are sent back to class before they leave. The exception to this would be a self-evident emergency. This does not include the school admin stepping out for a coffee break.
If you are away and are not being replaced when you should be, please reach out to the union and let us know. The board does not tell us when they do not fill absences. We only know when the membership informs us. We would like to try to get a handle on how often this is happening, and we need members to keep us informed.
If you have a friend or family member that applied to the board and did not get a callback or interview, please let us know who and if we can use name to ask HR about it as they are always complaining about the difficulties in hiring people.
If you are interested in posting to a position, please apply when the position is posted internally. Once a posting is external the board has no obligation to existing CUPE members.
If you have any questions or concerns about your health and safety at work, please first speak with your supervisor so that they are aware of the issue and have a chance to correct it. If that fails, please contact our SCT Health and Safety rep Alyssa King at alyssa.king@cupe218.ca. You can also contact me as well or call and leave a message at the CUPE 218 Office @ 905-571-7879.
If injured on the job, please make sure you report it right away to your principal and/or Supervisor. Make sure all paperwork and a Safe Schools report is completed and copies are made for your own files. Please also let the Union Office (office@cupe218.ca) know that an incident has occurred and any updates following. We are here to assist you when required, however we can only do that when we are informed.
The board has recently re-introduced attendance management. Please read their numbered memo if you have questions about this effort they are undertaking. The union’s position is that you have 11 sick days and 120 days of short-term disability leave per year. If the employer calls you into any attendance management meeting, or any other disciplinary meeting please contact the union to join you. Make sure to tell the employer that you are requesting a union representative to be present. If you are asked for a doctor’s note that you must pay for, please make sure you submit your receipt to confidential.medical@dcdsb.ca as these are covered up to $45.00.
If you need assistance getting access to your CUPE 218 email and account, please complete the form here: https://cupe218.ca/password-receovery/
We have an upcoming Bylaw meeting on June 23rd at 7pm, it will be virtual so please try to attend. I look forward to seeing you all again in the fall.
| Mike Morris Chairperson mmorris@cupe218.ca | Sandra Ribeiro-Dantas Bargaining Committee | Jennifer Del Gatto Bargaining Committee |
Public Board OCT
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It is June and Time for everyone to exhale. It has been a long and stressful school year. You owe it to yourself to ensure you take some time to rejuvenate. Refresh your mind and your body. Remember to keep active. Twenty minutes of moderate to high intensity of physical activity every other day is doctor recommended to maintain energy and fight off those pesky ailments.
New Ed Centre Rep
Please welcome our new Ed Centre Rep, Ramona-Lisa McDonald. If you are in the Ed Centre. Feel Free to reach out and introduce yourself.
Bill 124
We were finally remedied. Unfortunately there was no way to verify what was received because of the process used to make these adjustments. If you are curious about and have the time to do your own calculations you can use the following amounts: additional increases on wages, 0.75% effective September 1, 2019, 0.75% effective September 1, 2020 and 2.75% effective September 1, 2021.
If you find any concerns or have any inquires direct them to bill124@ddsb.ca
Retiring soon, already retired?
If you are a retiree or are retiring soon, please reach out so that we can provide you with information that you need to know. We have a list of contacts and other pertinent information you may be interested in. There are processes that you should be promptly competed to avoid unnecessary hassles. As well, maintain a voice in what’s happening to your money. Share your thoughts and have it heard on the OMER’s Board. Please reach out to sseaborn@ymail.com so share your concerns.
What has your union done for you lately?
Many members make the statement “I pay my dues what is my union doing for me? Outside of bargaining for what members feel are their most important issues; outside of standing behind our members when their rights have been violated, outside of fighting for every member to feel safe at work; outside of working tirelessly to comfort and console our members in difficult situations; our union is a place of Solidarity, Celebration, Inclusivity, Information, Advice, Counsel, Brother and Sisterhood and most important it is a group of Humans who try their very best to ensure that members are not taken advantage of. But the true definition of Union is: “the act or instance of joining two or more thing into one. A union is a joining of members. The members are the Union. You are the Union. We encourage all members to not just reach out to the bargain units, Chairs and executive at moments despair or crises, but to participate in our meetings, participate in our social events and actively engage in understanding your Collective Agreement. The best thing this Union can do for you is to ensure that you are informed, giving you the ability to know and understand your rights and your obligations. the U is the first in what the union is all about. In this new school year YOU are encouraged to attend our AGM’s, participate in our surveys and reach out to your Representatives for general inquiries and updates. When You are informed and active the Union is at its strongest and it’s best.
2023-2026 Collective Agreement
The collective agreement is receiving a final pass with the addition of the Bill 124 wage remedy. We hope that you will be able to receive a copy by September.
Did you Know?
Make up time cannot be used as overtime. All make-time is banked for the specific purpose for allowing maintain your income during periods you would otherwise lose it or have to use vacation.
The top 5 things to do in summer (Ontario Summer anyway) are:
- Enjoy the beaches of one of Ontario’s 250, 000 Lakes
- Take a boat tour of the Thousand Islands
- Take a wine tour in Niagara-On-the Lake
- Explore Algonquin Provincial Park
- Take a scenic drive along the Niagara Parkway
Courtesy of Anderson Vacations.
Bargaining Team
Antony Nembhard – OCT Chair – antony.nembhard@cupe218.ca
Ramona-Lisa McDonald – Ed Centre Rep – rmcdonald@cupe218.ca
Leanne Finlay – Elementary Rep – leanne.finlay@cupe218.ca
Allison Petty – Secondary Rep – allison.petty@cupe218.ca
Having an Amazing Summer!
Antony Nembhard
OCT Chair
2080 Wentworth Street Whitby, Ontario.
L1N 8W9 Canada
905-242-1377
905-571-7879 (Office)
Catholic Board LINC/ESL
Firstly, congratulations to all instructors who have worked very hard and diligently to provide excellent service for our students. A well-deserved summer break is gratefully accepted.
For further information regarding OMERS, you can go to https://www.omers.com/ and login to your account.
For information on CUPE 218 bylaws, you can go to CUPE 218 and click on Member Login. Once logged in, scroll down and click on the Resources tab to find the link to Bylaws. These bylaws are going to be amended, something that is way overdue. It will include hybrid GMMs for beginning in September, 2024, so you can join the monthly meetings online and never miss important information discussed at these meetings.
We all enjoyed receiving our retro pay from Bill 124. The board paid out on time on May 30, 2024.
Come September, 2024, we will be looking at implementing Avenue. Do not worry yourselves about this, and remember that you are not obligated to work on this outside paid working hours.
Your bargaining committee, Tracy Gill and Katherine Sanchez, with CUPE 218 is committed to keeping the DCDSB honest and to honing a respectful and courteous relationship with the Board.
Have a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable summer break. Remember that we are in this together.
Take care.
From your bargaining committee,
Tracy Gill (Chair) & Katherine Sanchez (committee member)
Public Board CONED
It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of the school year. When you are reading this newsletter, we very well could be just beginning our summer vacation. I would like to take this time to thank all of you for the incredible work that you do. Once again, you have gone over and above for our students, children, and families.
I would like to welcome Darlene Tennant back to the Con Ed bargaining committee. Your commitment to our program is greatly appreciated.
CNC Layoffs: As many of you are aware, layoff notices have been issued to five of our CNC staff. This has been devastating for our members who love and know the importance of the jobs that they have done for so many years. The board has communicated that this reduction is a direct result of the well-deserved wage increases members received from their pay equity settlement as well as the additional wage increase from Bill 124. In my opinion, this is completely unfair. Their commitment to our program that initially paid them much less only proves their passion and dedication for providing a quality program for immigrant and refugee children. On Monday, May 27th many of us attended the DDSB Finance Committee Meeting where both Carrie Boisvert and I spoke about how the layoff will not only impact our members but they will ultimately impact our LINC programs. It saddened me to hear that the message that the Trustees were hearing was that the reduction in staffing would not cause a disruption to the services provided for the adults requesting childcare and that the number of learners utilizing childcare service has decreased. To be clear, this will result in a disruption to the services that we provide and the childcare program in Oshawa was full this year and the numbers are steadily increasing at our Pickering location.
As much as I will miss each and every member, I am happy to report that during the redeployment process the impacted members have been offered Permanent positions within either the EA or ECE units for the 2024/2025 school year.
I want to thank every member of CUPE 218 that has supported us throughout this battle. Carrie Boisvert, I could not have survived this without your knowledge, guidance, & support.
OSBCU Classification Forum-This was a great opportunity to discuss how to continue to grow our worker power and to address issues that we are all facing in our workplace. During the presentation, it was mentioned that the OSBCU Classification committee was currently looking for an Instructor to join. I am happy to report that one of our 218 members has expressed interest and has completed the application form.
Bill 124 Retro Pay and Pay Increase: By now you should have received the retro payment for the period of September 2019 to present. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to me as soon as possible.
During our June labor management meeting I requested to be provided with an updated Con Ed pay grid with all of our new rates of pay that reflect the increases.
Collective Agreement: I know that it has been a long wait for our new collective agreement. We thank you for your patience and understanding as this has been a very lengthy process. I am optimistic that the final amended agreement will be posted on the DDSB website as well as the CUPE 218 website very shortly. I encourage you to review your rights and benefits it outlines.
OSBCU Convention: I would like to thank the membership for providing me with the opportunity to attend the OSBCU 2024 Convention in March. During this convention we elected a new executive board. Joe Tigani was elected the new OSBCU President.
Delegates of this convention had the opportunity to debate important and even contentious issues and hear what matters most to education workers.
This was a useful and informative conference. The presentation on the Ontario Municipal Retirement Plan (OMERS) highlighted the importance and advantages of union representation.
CUPE Ontario Division Convention: On May 29th – June 1st I had the opportunity to attend the CUPE Ontario’s 60th Anniversary Convention. During this conference we joined the Ontario Health Coalition to tell the Ford government to stop the privatization of our Health Care. On the 2nd day of convention, delegates re-elected Fred Hahn as president and Yolanda McClean as secretary-treasurer. We also had the opportunity to debate the action plan that sets the direction of our union for the next year. I would like to thank the membership for providing me with this education opportunity on building justice, fighting for equality, and winning for workers.
Employment Insurance: Please remember that the Union has nothing to do with EI and their process. If you have problems with your claim, you will have to reach out to Service Canada. It is my understanding that the ROE’s will be submitted after the last supply pay has been issued, which I believe will be July 11th.
Job Evaluation: I would like to thank Sharon Munro for taking the time to discuss the Job Evaluation process with us in May. I feel that this was a great opportunity for questions to be answered and what your next steps can be in this process. I want to reiterate that I, as a member of the JE committee, Arisa or Darlene, as members of the bargaining team will not be overseeing the evaluation process of the LINC/ESL instructors as this is a direct conflict.
I believe that Sharon Munro has included a submission in this newsletter with important JE information.
Retirement: We say goodbye to Sister Maureen Johnston. Maureen has been a long-serving member of our unit. Maureen’s dedication and knowledge will be missed, and we wish her all the best as she starts this next chapter of her life- Happy Retirement Maureen!!
If you are thinking of retiring, the CUPE Ontario Retirees group wants you! They are currently looking for past or soon to be retirees to sit on the Retirees OMERS board so that retirees have a say. If this intrigues you please reach out to sseaborn@ymail.com using your personal email. Have a voice when it comes to your pension.
CUPE EWBT Information: Remember to update the status of your overage student. Each year, you need to confirm that your over age child(ren) is/are enrolled in school full time.
- OTIP will send a reminder communication in June, and another in August. If you have not completed the recertification, please complete it by August 31, 2024. This will ensure health and dental coverage is available to your eligible overage child(ren) should they need it.
What you need to do:
- Go to www.otip.com and click Log in.
- Select Health and Dental from the drop-down menu and log in.
- After you have logged in, click My Benefits.
- Click on Start under the Annual Overage Dependent Recertification activity listed in Here are some things you need to do next. You will need to complete this activity by August 31.
- Click Continue to go to the next step.
- Read the eligibility information for your over-age child. Click Continue.
- Click Recertify Student Status in the Dependent student status should be reconfirmed box.
- Click the down arrow beside each student’s name and select Yes, if reconfirming, or No, if not.
- Click Save to return to the Family step. Once you have confirmed the student status for your over-age child(ren), you will see the Student status successfully updated in a green box.
- Click Next to go to the Beneficiaries step. You can review your beneficiary designation to make sure it is still current. If there are no changes, click Next.
- On the Complete your enrolment step, review the Family Members section to confirm coverage for all of your family members.
- Scroll down, check I agree to the Terms and Conditions and click Complete Enrolment to complete this event.
- Click Download my Enrolment Summary to print your confirmation statement for your records.
- Click Take me home. You are done! Annual Overage Dependent Recertification will no longer be in the Here are some things you need to do next: box.
Your benefits coverage will continue without interruption over the summer seasonal layoff period.This means that your monthly premium withdrawals from our plan administrator (OTIP) will continue and be taken in July and August.
September Start – I know that we don’t want to think about September just yet. That said, I feel that it is better to know what to expect. Administration has communicated that online registration will begin mid-July. In person registration will be September 3rd – 5th . An email will be sent to the CNC staff to see who would like to assist with registration on these days. Sept. 6th is an all-staff PD Day and September 9th will be the first day of LINC/ESL classes. LBS has a start date of September 16th.
Reminders: Please remember to complete the CUPE 218 Scholarship application in September. I know that we don’t want to think about September as we are heading off for the summer but this is a great opportunity to offset some of your child’s educational expenses. The application can be found on the CUPE website or you can see me in early September and I will provide you with the application.
Lastly, I would like to thank all the Con Ed members for their continued hard work throughout this school year and hopefully you will be able to enjoy some much-needed relaxation in the upcoming summer months.
See you in September Con Ed!!
Please feel free to contact Darlene, Arisa, or Kristine for any union-related issues.
Kristine Brown- Chair – kristine.brown@cupe218.ca
Darlene Tennant- darlene.tennant@cupe218.ca
Arisa Tierney- arisa.tierney@cupe218.ca
Public Board CONED Health & Safety
Well Con Ed, we made it. I hope that as you are all reading this last newsletter of the school year, you are excited about the warm summer weather that we will all be able to enjoy in the coming days.
As we are approaching the end of the school year, please remember to get help from the custodial team if you need assistance with moving any heavy items that may cause an injury.
Heat Stress
Several heat-related illnesses can affect workers, regardless of age or physical condition. Some of the symptoms are non- specific. This means that when a worker is working in a warm environment, any unusual symptom can be a sign of overheating.
| Heat-Related Illness | Symptoms and Signs |
| Heat Stroke | ● Confusion ● Slurred speech ● Unconsciousness ● Seizures ● Heavy sweating or hot, dry skin ● Very high body temperature ● Rapid heart rate |
| Heat Exhaustion | ● Fatigue ● Irritability ● Thirst ● Nausea or vomiting ● Dizziness or lightheadedness ● Heavy sweating ● Elevated body temperature or fast heart rate |
| Heat Cramps | ● Muscle Spasms or pain ● Usually in legs, arms, or trunk |
| Heat Syncope | ● Fainting ● Dizziness |
| Heat Rash | ● Clusters of red bumps on skin ● Often appears on neck, upper chest and skin folds |
| Rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) | ● Muscle pain ● Dark urine or reduced urine output ● weakness |
Please familiarize yourself with the heat symptoms. When any of these symptoms is present, promptly provide first aid. Do not try to diagnose which illness is occurring. Diagnosis is often
difficult because symptoms of multiple heat-related illnesses can occur together. Time is of the essence. These conditions can worsen quickly and result in fatalities.
Did you know that it is your right to have Administration fill out a parklane form if you are concerned about Heat Stress. A form can be and should be filled out even if you just need a moment to cool down, and step away from a hot classroom. Please check First Aid on your report.
Although we have made significant gains in the past year and now see our exterior doors locked, a buzzing in system, and a TV monitor in the office to see who enters the building throughout the school day, I want to send a friendly reminder to always be aware that there are times when students are exiting the building and the doors remain open, thus allowing members of the public to enter our building. Ideally it would be great, if our classroom doors remained shut and locked at all times, but I understand that some like to keep the doors open for air circulation.
The DCE Health & Safety inspection was completed on Wednesday, May 27, 2024. I was not able to participate in the inspection but I was provided with the report. Please remember that if you have any questions or concerns about your classroom use this time to discuss them with the Health & Safety representatives.
It has been brought to our attention that some of the classrooms are not able to hear the fire alarm when their classroom door is closed. Administration and the custodial team are looking into this issue. Please remember that if you have difficulty hearing an announcement or an alarm, report it immediately to the administration.
Have a great summer Con Ed!! See you in September.
Kristine Brown
Continuing Education Health & Safety Representative
kristine.brown@cupe218.ca
Catholic Board Facilities
To All Facility Service Members,
Well, we are here at the end of a school year once again, it is amazing how fast the school year went again this year. As we are preparing for another summer cleanup, we hope that you all get some vacation time to spend with family and friends. We need to take time to unwind and renew ourselves for another school year ahead.
Retro pay update from Bill 124:
I hope by this time that everyone has received their Bill 124 remedy pay out, if you have please reach out to the committee to let us know so we can follow up with the DCDSB. If you have any issues with the payment please send your concerns to this email bill124durhamcatholic@dcdsb.ca to get your answers. I have not heard of any issues at this time but if there are any please email the address above to get it sorted out.
Grievance update:
Here is our list of grievances that are in various steps currently.
- 1 Grievance for External permits this one is going to Arbitration.
- 1 Grievance for acting Chief was sat at a step 3 and still waiting for a response.
- 1 Grievance for the All-Purpose position that is going to arbitration.
- 1 Grievance for Vacant Positions this one is in abeyance.
- 1 Grievance for Duty to accommodate this one is in abeyance.
- 1 Grievance on Security Checks that is going to arbitration.
- 16 Grievances on weekend permit coverage that was sat at a step 1 and we are still waiting for a response
- 1 grievance for overtime list that has been filed at a step 1 for not following the overtime list.
We are meeting with management on June 21/24 to try and resolve some of these grievance before they go any further in the grievance process.
Facility Service committee Update:
As a committee, we have divided up the areas by town or city. If you have any information or questions, please contact the committee member in your town or city your school is in.
Beth Davies – Maternity Leave
Dave Slater – Pickering/Oshawa
Greg Gillis – Ajax/Oshawa
Sean Hebert – Whitby, Brooklin, Port Perry, Uxbridge, Beaverton and Maintenance.
Summer Cleanup:
Summer cleanup is just around the corner and as all of us have already probably started prepping for the cleanup, I want to remind you to take micro breaks if needed as the schools get very hot over the summer months and stay hydrated. If you are short custodians please reach out to management for help as we are up over our compliment of floaters right now and we don’t want to hear that they have been sitting at home during the summer months as there is enough work for them in the schools. If, you hear of any floaters sitting at home during the month of July and August please reach out to the committee to let us know as we want to be on top of management this summer for using floaters.
Workload Committee:
As July and August approach, we would like to hear from you to let us know if you are gaining any portables or losing any for the following school year. Also if they are opening or closing classrooms in your school as we want to be prepared when we meet with management in the summer to discuss workload issues at different locations.
Health and Safety:
As the weather is getting warmer, please remember to stay hydrated and remember to take cool down breaks. During summer clean up remember to work smart and to get help if you need it to move things in the classroom. If you have any Health and Safety concerns at your location, please reach out to Sean Hebert at shebert@cupe218.ca.
We want to thank you for all your work during the school year and your support for the FS committee. We hope you have a great summer; we hope that you get some holiday time to spend away from the work place and spend time with family.
Sean Hebert – Chairperson
Dave Slater – Bargaining Rep
Beth Davies – Bargaining Rep (Maternity Leave)
Greg Gillis – Steward
Public Board Custodial Maintenance
Well, another school year is almost in the books. Once again, the Custodial Maintenance Unit has done an extraordinary job. Given the work-load and the day-to-day hurdles that they have to endure throughout the school year, everyone should be commended on a job well done.
As summer clean up approaches, please be mindful of the signs and symptoms of Heat Related Illness and what you can do,
Heavy sweating • Weakness • Cold, pale, and clammy skin • Fast, weak pulse • Nausea or vomiting • Fainting • Headache • Excessive thirst • Muscle aches and cramps • Dizziness, Move to a cooler location • Lie down and loosen your clothing • Apply cool, wet cloths to as much of your body as possible. Sip water • If you vomited and it continues, seek medical attention immediately and contact your Supervisor and the Union office.
Please mark your calendars for June 16, 2024 as there will be a special meeting for all DDSB custodial staff beginning at 7 pm. This will be a virtual meeting to discuss the possibility of changing the Transfer Process. Just prior to bargaining, a questionnaire was sent out to all members of the Custodial / Maintenance (CM) unit on what they thought some key points should be at bargaining. One of those item which members stated was weather the transfer process should move from first come, first served to a seniority based list. The CM committee have had discussions on our thoughts for this possible change and the transfer committee has also brought these concerns to the employer at our meetings. At the June 16 virtual meeting, we will be answering your questions regarding this issue and at the end of the meeting, we will be having a vote on whether to accept this change or not. The decision will be based on a majority vote amongst those custodial members who are in attendance on the virtual meeting. We hope to have a good turnout for this vote.
A new electronic transfer list process will also be rolling out in the future. There will no longer be a paper copy to fill out either physically or electronically. Members will login to a page on the DDSB staff portal where each member will be allowed to submit and delete transfers to all schools they wish. You will be able to see all schools you have submitted transfers to and you will be able to delete schools you no longer wish to transfer into. Each member will only be allowed to see their own name. We have also been told that members will be allowed to see what position they are in for the schools they submitted transfers to. The transfer committee was given test credentials for the site and it does seem very user friendly. The committee is still working on a potential roll out date with the employer. Article L33.09 in our Collective Agreement refers to the transfer process from one school to another.
The employer will be holding some in-person training over the summer months. A lunch will be provided on these days for all members. Food selection has not been made as of yet but the employer has stated the options would be, Pizza, Wraps & Salads, Greek or LVIV Hall (This was the food at plant days).
The next date for the Acting Lead / Lead practicum will be in August, so please keep your eye on your email for dates and times.
At the end of May, the Cupe Ontario Convention took place. It was stated that Cupe retirees do not have a seat at the OMERS table regarding our pension plan. This needs to change and Cupe has asked all retirees to get in touch with sseaborn@ymail.com with your personal email address to allow their voice to be heard at the table.
Job evaluation information will be going out over the summer for all bargaining units.
Please remember that if you have the unfortunate experience of a work-related injury to please report it to your Supervisor and the Disability team at the Union office. When you are required to submit Medical Documentation to the Board, please send a copy to the Union office as well.
In Solidarity,
John Allan Chairperson
Bret Filion
Ian Watt
Robin Fair
Mike Nixon
Jessica Fusco
Kevin Lamont
Tyler Cameron
Scott Freeburn
Catholic Board EA
It has been a pleasure to help and support all of you these last few months of 2024 as your Chairperson. I hope I have been able to serve you all well. June is almost done and we are all looking forward to the summer break. The EA Committee and I hope you enjoy this much deserved break.
The Board has decided to forgo EA appraisals for this year, but if your principal has already completed one for HR, they will still accept them. We have brought it to their attention at several Labour Management meetings to not have them done yearly and they have at least agreed to entertain the idea of them being done every other year. This is an ongoing conversation.
If you or anyone you know is retiring or thinking about retiring soon, please reach out to a member on this committee or the Union office as we have some information to help with this transition.
With the stress of June in our schools and the ending of the school year, let us be mindful to treat our co-workers with respect. It is not only the children that can be going through hard times, you just never know how someone’s day starts or ends. So let’s choose KINDNESS. Looking forward to being here for you in September.
If you need anything we can be reached at:
Bargaining Chair
Patricia Bosley(Ajax) – patricia.bosley@cupe218.ca
Bargaining Committee
Maureen Cope(Pickering) – maureen.cope@cupe218.ca
Kristina McLaren(Oshawa) – kristina.mclaren@cupe218.ca
Steward
Anita Condron(Whitby) – Health & Safety Rep – anita.condron@cupe218.ca
Public Board EA
Summer break is almost here, I would say start the countdown but I know for most, it started already! I would like to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU for the incredible work that each and every one of you do on a daily basis. Being an educational assistant is a difficult job but your student’s couldn’t get through each day without you and you are all absolutely amazing human beings and appreciated.
Staffing – As you have likely seen, over 100 EA positions came out on “Apply to Education,” and by the time you are reading this, placements likely have started. If you are moving positions for next year, speak with your admin around the last day of school PD.
Employment Insurance – It’s that time of year unfortunately and I just wanted to remind you all that you have to be willing, ready, and capable of working. This also means you should be looking for work, in the chance that EI reaches out to check your job search. Silly because most places don’t hire for a short time but you want to make sure that you can support your report of being willing, capable, and ready. The union doesn’t have anything to do with the process or sending ROE’s, if you have any issues with your claim you will have to reach out to Service Canada.
Reminder – The increase of allegations made against members resulting in CAS investigations has been insane. Please keep your hands off students unless you are using proper BMS protocols. These investigations take a huge toll on mental health and can take a long time to get through.
Retirees – First of all, congratulations on retiring and thank you for all the hard work and years you put into your career. Still thinking of what you want to do to keep busy well retired? Well…CUPE ON Retirees group wants you! We need a seat on the OMERS board so that you retirees have a say. If this intrigues you please reach out to sseaborn@ymail.com using your personal email. Have a voice when it comes to your pension.
Social Committee – The social committee is putting on a CUPE 218 Wonderland day on July 6th, an email went out to emails around purchasing tickets for the event where we will take on Wonderland and have a BBQ as a group. We will be joined by Snoopy and we will have face painting. We hope to see you all there.
The committee wishes you a safe, relaxing, well deserved, amazing summer with lots of sunshine and great memories. Take time for you!
Stephanie Dezsi- EA/Outdoor Ed Chairperson
Jehan Bisnauth
Brandy Townson
Lori Richards
Jennifer Currie
Glen Morrison
Deborah Kennelly
Catholic Board EA Health & Safety
With the summer break now in sight and the school year coming to an end, I would like to take moment to remind every one of you of the incredible work you do in supporting our most vulnerable and challenging students. Please know your dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment have made a significant impact on their lives and education.
I want to thank everyone for continuing to fill out the Safe Schools Incident Reports. Your EA committee reads and reviews every single one of them, allowing us to be aware of violent incidents and address concerns with the employer. Please continue to complete them for all incidents of both physical and verbal aggression and please remember that no injury should be disregarded. If you have washed a cut, or spit, had to get ice, or believe that the incident will result in an injury or bruising the next day, mark first aid on your report and complete a Parklane with your principal.
At our last Joint Occupational Health and Safety meeting, Lisa Beaulne, the Supervisor of Educational Assistants presented her report indicating that incident reports are down overall month to month and since the beginning of the year (there are over 1000 so far). This is the current data, however there are many factors to consider. Underreporting violent incidences happens for a variety of reasons, including not being given the time to complete them during working hours, consistently told it’s just baseline behaviour or you do not have to fill them out because of mitigating factors. Whatever consequence is ultimately given, it does not negate our responsibility and our right to report even if there are mitigating circumstances. We should not be dissuaded from reporting and if you are please reach out. However, this is not to overlook the incredibly hard work you do using your skills and talents in working with our most challenging students. Your efforts do contribute to their well-being and teach those important skills and self-regulation to reduce the frequency of violent behaviours.
We have had a few work refusals this year that have forced the board to make changes to improve safety. At the beginning of May a Road Safety Checklist for students who elope off property was introduced as a result of one of these work refusals. While a win, it was rolled out without proper training for principals and no notification to EAs. Many principals have failed to collaborate with EAs so this is going back so changes can be made. If you currently work with students who do elope off property, please ask your principal for this checklist and have your input and observations of the hazards around the school property included. It’s for your safety!
We also had a work refusal in relation to bundling of multiple students with safety plans. If you cannot follow their safety plans in the event of an escalation or elopement – THIS IS NOT SAFE. It has been confirmed by the employer, that if you are bundling two or more children as part of your daily schedule (i.e. lunch bunch, recess club, etc.) it needs to be reflected on both/all the students safety plans and indicate preventive actions to be taken in the case of an emergency. If you are currently bundling students as part of your schedule and do not have a plan if one or more of the students escalates or elopes please get that in writing. Please reach out to us if you have concerns or questions regarding this.
Remember you have the right to return home uninjured both mentally and physically. I want to emphasize the importance of pushing back and holding the employer accountable when you feel the work you are being asked to do is unsafe. Refusing work that is unsafe is your right and your committee is always here to help you if you need it.
Please continue to remain vigilant in this last month of school. There are many field trips and excursions taking place at this time of year. Make sure that if you are being asked to support a student on a field trip that a risk assessment has been done for the location and both a field trip and bus/transportation safety plan is completed.
I’d like to thank you for all your hard work, patience, and kindness. Enjoy your well-deserved summer break. I wish you all the best for a safe and fun summer!
Anita Condron
EA Health and Safety Representative/Steward
anita.condron@cupe218.ca
Public Board Job Evaluation
Did you know that if your job has changed significantly, you can complete a job evaluation package? The Job Evaluation Committee is a joint Union/Board committee that uses the CUPE Job Evaluation Tool to evaluate jobs. If you would like to request a Job Evaluation package please email Lisa.coppins@ddsb.ca at the Board office and copy sharon.munro@ddsb.ca so the Union is aware of the request . Once you have received the package, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. We can also assist you in completing the package. The more thorough the package the better understanding the Committee members will have of your job.
Sharon Munro
Co-Chair Job Evaluation Committee
Retirement
Congratulations on your retirement! I am sure you have questions on what’s the next step.
- The first step is to let your employer know that you are retiring and when.
- The second is to give OMERS a call so they can set up your pension payments for a smooth transition.
- Benefits – if you are with the CUPE benefit trust, OTIP, now and want to change over to RTIP you can usually do that without a medical if you do it right away. There are other
- Benefit companies to consider but many members claim that RTIP is a good choice for them.
- Life insurance – if you are under 65 and want to continue with the life insurance plan through the Trust you have to contact them immediately after your retirement date.
- OMERS – contact them and speak to someone directly to ensure that the data you have is accurate. Some members didn’t account for the time we were on strike and they didn’t pay back their pension contributions
- Give the Board 60 days’ notice if you can to ensure that they have contacted OMERS to make sure you receive your pension the first month of your retirement. Retirement is now just a form online. It is up to you when you would like to start collecting your pension.
- Please contact the Board and CUPE office if you have a change of address and phone number after you retire and let the Board know if you change banking information. (retro pay is deposited directly into your account when a collective agreement is reached and future settlements of lawsuits like Bill 115 where we benefit can occur)
Still thinking of what you want to do with the rest of your life and aren’t sure? Well…CUPE ON Retirees group wants you! We need a seat on the OMERS board so that you retirees have a say. If this intrigues you please reach out to sseaborn@ymail.com using your personal email. Have a voice when it comes to your pension.
Thank you!
Maureen Cope
Secretary-Treasurer
CUPE Local 218
2080 Wentworth St. Whitby, ON.
L1N 8W9
(905) 571-7879
