Newsletter

March 18, 2024

March 2024 Newsletter

Table of Contents

President’s Message

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

When we think of March, we think of March break, and St. Patrick’s Day, however there is also a very important day that is also recognized in March; International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women’s achievements or rally for women’s equality. On the topic of recognizing celebrated dates, I’d be remised if I did not mention Black History Month. Every February, people across Canada participate in Black History Month events and festivities that honour the legacy of Black people in Canada and their communities. The 2024 theme for Black History Month is: “Black Excellence: A heritage to Celebrate; a Future to Build”.

A little history about our Local, it was 55 years ago, February 1st 1969, that CUPE Local 218 was recognized for its affiliation with CUPE. CUPE Local 218 has grown immensely over these years where we now have close to 4000 members and eight separate bargaining units.

We received the decision from Arbitrator William Kaplan on February 9th, 2024 setting out the wage increase that will apply with regards to Bill 124. Arbitrator Kaplan awarded a wage increase of 2.75% for 2021-2022, which is in addition to the 1% increase already given for that year. The increases for September 2019 and September 2020 will have an increase of 0.75% for each year, in addition to the 1% increase already given for those respective years.

No later than March 14th, 2024 School Boards must meet with the Union to discuss the process of revising the collective agreements for these years. On February 27th 2024, we met with the Durham District School Board and on March 6th, 2024 we met with the Durham Catholic District School Board. No later than June 8th, 2024 School Boards will provide payment to all eligible employees.

The DDSB has shared a list of eligible employees with the Union. We are cross-referencing their list with our list in hopes that nobody gets missed. For DCDSB, eligible employees that are no longer with the School Board that have changed their mailing address from their original mailing address will be able to update the DCDSB by emailing Bill124.DurhamCatholic@dcdsb.ca. The DDSB will be providing an email in the very near future for eligible employees that are no longer with the School Board that have changed their mailing address and/or their banking information from their original mailing address/banking information. We would also ask that when these Members are reaching out to their respective former employers to please email your new mailing address to CUPE at office@cupe218.ca.

This would help us to contact you for any future correspondence it needed. We would encourage all Members to reach out to any Members they are aware of that are no longer with either School Board to provide them this information.

You may have seen a Post Card circulating within your workplace. CUPE Local 218, ETFO and OSSTF have combined our resources for a campaign to “Take a stand for safety and respect in DDSB schools”. We are asking Members to submit the Post Card telling Trustees what is important to you. We need a code of conduct that is adhered to, one that ensures safe and respectful working and learning environments in DDSB schools. Please take the time to put your comments on the card and send it back to the CUPE office.

At our February General Membership meeting we held elections for the Education Committee, Bylaws Committee and the Social Committee. I would like to thank all previous committee Members that had dedicated their time in the roles and congratulate the new committee Members.

Education Committee:

Lori Richards
Jehan Bisnauth
Brandy Townson

Bylaws Committee:

Lori Richards
Brandy Townson
Tyler Hunter
Dave Slater

Social Committee:

Sean Hebert
Caterina Divilio
Jehan Bisnauth
Stephanie Dezsi
Greg Gillis
Jennifer Currie

In Solidarity,
Dennis Gibbs
President

Vice President’s Message

When you are reading this newsletter, March Break will be over and the nicer weather is heading our way.

I want to thank each and every one of you for your hard work and dedication each and every day to make our schools run smoothly ensuring our students’ success.

The news about Bill 124 and the remedy awarded, is deserving in so many ways. Hopefully it keeps us motivated as we approach a new bargaining year in 2025. It feels that it was just around the corner when we were fighting for fair working conditions and a respectable living wage. Hopefully the political protest days and the HUGE win will bill 124 will give each of us the motivation and drive for our next round of bargaining

Your executive team has been working hard on the new pay bands to reflect the win from Bill 124. Dennis and myself have met with both employers to discuss the grids and the timelines for the remedy.

On Feb 27, 2024 we met with the DDSB and discussed the new grids for our wages, premiums and allowances. They are going to be setting up an email address for any past employees that have changed their mailing and banking information. They provided us with a list of all eligible members from 2019- present that will be entitled to retro based on the arbitrators ruling. We are cross referencing their list with the list we have, and our goal is to reach out to those members to ensure they are aware of their entitlement and the DDSB has updated banking and address information. We discussed how this would not only impact active employees working, on paid short term leave or WSIB, but also anyone on maternity/paternity leave during those years. We discussed the obligation of the employee to notify Canada Life for any members that were eligible for Long Term Disability during that time and how it would impact their entitlement based on the increases. It was a very production meeting and the DDSB indicated that they have no concerns ensuring that the retro would be paid out by the June 8th deadline. We discussed putting it on a second cheque, but the employer was not willing to do so as well as give a detailed breakdown for each member. They did indicate that they would review the overall breakdown with the Union and we can assist any members if they have any questions about the calculations. In the next coming weeks we should be sharing the email address for any address or banking details that have changed for any retired or past employee’s.

On March 6, 2024 we met with the DCDSB. They were able to send us the wage grid breakdown prior to the meeting and we were able to review before the meeting date. There were three amounts that calculated differently from our spreadsheet and the Board indicated that they would go back and review. They did not give us the calculations for the premiums, and allowances, but indicated that they would send those off prior to calculating the retro so we were in agreement with the amounts. They too indicated that they had no concerns meeting the deadline and were hopeful that they would have the retro paid out as soon as they receive the funds from the government. They were also not willing to put the retro on a separate cheque. They were not clear on how they were going to do the breakdown, we stated we wanted to have those discussions prior to any retro being paid out to ensure that they were compounding the amounts from year to year. They had already reached out to OTIP regarding the members that would have been impacted if they were eligible for LTD during those years and are still waiting to have further discussions with OTIP. They did say that if anyone had challenges with the calculations based on leaves etc and they needed to pay those members out over more than one pay period, they would notify the member. We were clear that all monies needed to be paid out before the June 8th deadline date, regardless of it being paid out on one or multiple pays.

They set up an Email address for any employees that are no longer with the board and had changes to their mailing address Bill124.DurhamCatholic@dcdsb.ca

They are in the process of getting a list of members that have retired or resigned since 2019 – present and we will be cross checking their list with ours to ensure that all members entitled are aware and able to give new mailing information if needed.

We encourage you to share the email with any past employee’s to ensure that the retro for them is paid in a timely manner and without any challenges with cheques being returned based on an incorrect mailing address.

There is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that each and everyone of us get the money we so deserve.

Please reach out to the CUPE office or your unit chair if you have specific questions.

Every year the demands of our jobs as well as the staff shortages have impacted us all differently. I encourage you to reach out to the FEAP that is offered by both employers. Our mental and physical health is extremely important and should take priority. If we are not taking care of both, it not only impacts our job performance but also our personal lives.

If you have any questions or need the information to contact them, please reach out to the CUPE office.

Thank you to each and everyone of you for all your hard work and dedication. The strength of our union comes from the strength of us all. The stronger we stand, the more we will see the changes and respect we so rightfully deserve.

In Solidarity,
Carrie Boisvert
Vice President

Disability Management

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Welcome to March. By the time you receive this Newsletter, we will be so close to our April break. I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe in this trying time and I hope that everyone had some well-deserved time, if you were off for March Break.

As in all my reports, please continue to report any workplace injury to your supervisor, as well as notifying one of our disability team members at the CUPE office. The sooner we are aware of an injury, the better equipped we will be in answering any questions or concerns you may have and to go over any forms that need to be completed to help support your claim. 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 for us to support and ensure you have a safe return to work, we need to have all the documents you have submitted to the Board office. It is all confidential and only members of the Disability Team have access to it. Any paperwork that is completed due to a workplace injury is covered by WSIB and you do not need to pay.

When you are off sick, you are required to submit a medical certificate on the 5th day absent.

There is currently a new person taking over the role of the Disability manager at the DCDSB. Her name is Marcelle Spadafora and is very supportive of our members ensuring that the doctor’s recommendations are adhered to.

Any medical for the DCDSB is the be submitted to confidential.medical@dcdsb.ca and office@cupe218.ca

The DCDSB pays for any medical, up to $45.00. All receipts should be emailed to confidential.medical@dcdsb.ca and office@cupe218.ca. It does take about a month to be reimbursed for medical. If you have not received it, please reach out to marcelle.spadafora@dcdsb.ca and carrie.boisvert@cupe218.ca

Any medical for the DDSB is to be submitted to shortterm.absence@ddsb.ca and office@cupe218.ca

Please note that IF YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER FEELS THAT YOU ARE UNABLE TO RETURN TO WORK, THEY DO NOT NEED TO COMPLETE THE LIMITATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS CHECKLIST. THAT IS ONLY TO BE COMPLETED IF YOU ARE RETURNING WITH RESTRICTIONS.

If you have any questions around the process, please feel free to reach out to me by email or contact the CUPE office.

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 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 will 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.

WSIB and Covid

For any workplace injury, please notify the Union office and we can assist you with the process. The DDSB will often reach out and offer you a modified Return to work plan. Please do not answer the employer until you reach out to one of the Disability team to help you navigate through the process.

I understand that the process and requirements for COVID have changed but If you believe you may have been exposed to COVID-19 while at work and are off 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/Supervisor.

If you are presenting symptoms of, and/or have been diagnosed with COVID-19, which you believe to be contracted at work, you should complete the above form, notify the Board in the usual manner and seek medical advice immediately. Be sure to document for your records, the date of your doctor or hospital visit. COVID-19 exists in the broader community, which creates challenges in establishing the link between your workplace and contracting the virus. For a COVID-19 claim to be allowed, evidence must show that a worker’s risk of contracting the virus through their employment is greater than the risk to which the public at large is exposed, and that your work and/or workplace significantly contributed to the illness. You must also fill out a WSIB form 6, inform your Principal of this and send the completed form to 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 it online.

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 or Toll free 1-888-571-0218 Fax 905-571-4102

Carrie Boisvert – carrie.boisvert@cupe218.ca
Disability Management Coordinator

John Allan – john.allan@cupe218.ca
Stephanie Dezsi – Stephanie.dezsi@cupe218.ca

Catholic Board SCT

As we bid farewell to the chilly embrace of winter and eagerly embrace the warmth and vibrancy of spring, we’re happy to bring you our spring newsletter.

With each passing day, we witness nature’s gradual transformation, from the frost-kissed landscapes thawing into bursts of color, to the gentle melodies of birdsong heralding the arrival of a new season. It’s a time of rejuvenation, growth, and renewal—a reminder of the endless cycle of change and the promise of brighter days ahead.

I understand it’s been quite a wait for the new Collective Agreement to be finalized. However, I’m optimistic that the wait is drawing to a close. We submitted it to the board for their final review back in January, and they are currently examining it thoroughly. Once their review is complete, we aim to share the agreement promptly and conclude this bargaining phase, allowing us to shift our focus towards the next round of negotiations.

CUPE local 218 is always looking for more members to be involved. If you have any interest in becoming involved with the union or looking to expand your knowledge of worker rights, maybe you can find your calling helping others. Please contact the CUPE office to find out how to get involved.

The board is actively sending out their Absence reports as part of their new attendance management program. If you are contacted by the board regarding your attendance, please ensure you contact the union office. If you are told you are required to attend a meeting, please ensure that you contact the union office and myself to ensure that you have representation during the meeting.

As you may have heard Bill 124 is being repealed. CUPE won the case against the government and the bill was struck down. Thanks to a recent arbitration decision we can look forward to getting more retro payments for the period of September 2019 – Present day. We are working with the employer on what this will look like, but the basics are an extra, 0.75% for September 1^st, 2019, 0.75% for September 1st, 2020, and 2.75% for September 1^st, 2021. This is on top of the 1% per year we got at the time. This brings the total wage increase during the 2019-2021 collective agreement to 7.25% while I’m sure we all agree it’s not enough; it is better then our original 3% over the three years. These amounts will be compounded each year and then also added to 2022, 2023, and some of 2024. We expect the retro to be paid out by early to mid June 2024 as per the memorandum of settlement.

Each adult holds a responsibility for the safety of every child. However, what we aren’t accountable for is prolonged student supervision. If you sense that your school administrator is exploiting your presence in the office by leaving students unattended while supervisory staff is absent, address the issue directly with the administrator. Clearly communicate in writing that it’s not your duty to supervise students. If the problem persists, escalate the matter by informing your Union Representative.

Ensure that you’re consistently taking your breaks and lunches every day. You deserve these moments of rest and are entitled to them. Additionally, it’s beneficial to step away from your desk during these breaks to enjoy some peace and quiet. It’s unsustainable to cram 8+ hours of work into a 7-hour day. Work at a reasonable pace and prioritize avoiding burnout. Remember, the more tasks we complete in a day, the more our employers may expect from us.

If you experience an injury while on the job, it’s crucial to promptly report it to your principal and/or supervisor. Ensure that all necessary paperwork is filled out thoroughly and consider making copies for your personal records. Additionally, please inform the Union Office (office@cupe218.ca) about the incident and provide any subsequent updates. Our support is available to assist you when needed, but effective assistance can only be provided when we are kept informed.

If you are asked for a doctor’s note that you must pay for, please make sure you submit your receipt to Marcelle Spadafora at the DCDSB email address confidential.medical@dcdsb.ca as per the collective agreement the board reimburses for medical notes up to $45.

For any Health and Safety questions or concerns please contact the SCT Health and Safety Rep Alyssia King at alyssa.king@cupe218.ca.

Mike Morris
Chairperson
mmorris@cupe218.ca

Sandra Ribeiro-Dantas
Bargaining Committee
sandra.dantas@cupe218.ca

Jennifer Del Gatto
Bargaining Committee
jennifer.delgatto@cupe218.ca

Public Board OCT

Brothers and Sisters, we can almost smell spring flowers and warmer weather. Can you believe that we are past the halfway mark of the school year! Congratulations on persevering through the tough climate and harsh conditions this past year has brought.

I know many of you are wondering where our new collective agreement is. It is currently being reviewed by the employer and should go through one more pass by your union before it will be available to you. Be rest assured that the provisions outlined to you in our ratification and information sessions are in effect despite the document not being available to view. Once it is ready, we encourage everyone to download a copy to review the rights and benefits it outlines. This will empower you in your work environment.

Please be reminded that you should take your breaks and lunches. It is the responsibility of your admin to ensure that there is coverage to afford you a lunch. Some of us may feel guilty or pressured into not having a lunch simple because of coverage or obligation. We must remember that our individual health is equally as important as the well being of the schools we work in. Further, our collective agreement provides this provision for all of our members. If you happen to work through your lunch from time to time, remember that this would be considered overtime under normal circumstance. Please reach out to one of your committee members if you feel that there is conflict with your supervisor in being able to take breaks and lunches.

As we all await the financial award of the repeal of bill 124, please know that your Local and CUPE National are working diligently to ensure that our members receive the maximum allowed under the best conditions for members. It is meticulous work, however, there are strict timelines that will hopefully put the needed funds in our members accounts.

Did you Know:

Benefits are available to 10 month employees through your OTIP benefits plan. Each member pays their portion of the premium in or around the month of June to enable you to continue using your benefits over the summer months.

Looking for the most recent seniority list? The board will provide an updated version of the seniority list on March 31^st of each year. The seniority list can be found on the CUPE members portal or on the DDSB website by going to Spark/MyEmployment. You will have to scroll to the bottom until you see Seniority Documents.

On Behalf of your OCT bargaining team, please stay safe!
Antony Nembhard – OCT Chair – Antony.nembhard@cupe218.ca
Antony Nembhard – Ed Centre Rep
Leanne Finlay – Elementary Rep – Leanne.finlay@cupe218.ca

Catholic Board LINC ESL

A Couple of Issues:

We still don’t know when we will receive training on the SFE system. We have been waiting since September, 2023.
There is a grievance regarding overpayment deductions involving all units. A letter to Tracy Barill, Director at the DCDSB, has been issued regarding moving to arbitration to resolve this issue. The DCDSB has been deducting the full amount of the overpayment from a single paycheck instead of working out a payment schedule with the employee that is suitable for the employee – after all, it was not the employee’s mistake.

Some Dates:

March 8 is our PD Day when we will be training on the Avenue platform.
Our next Labour Management meeting is on April 17.
The annual OSBCU convention is March 24th to the 28^th this year held at the Sheraton, downtown Toronto.

How to Address a Grievance:

There is a procedure to follow when submitting an official grievance:

Member should tell their Union rep about their issue.
The Union writes a letter to the Employer on behalf of the Union member – the letter identifies the part of the Collective Agreement that the Union believes has been violated and suggests an appropriate remedy.
After the letter is received, it is followed-up with a series of meetings between the Union and the Employer. These meetings often lead to a resolution that all parties accept.
If the grievance is not resolved after a set number of meetings (usually three), it may be referred to an independent arbitrator.
The arbitrator is a neutral, third-party referee who makes a decision about the extent to which the grievance has merit, and how it should be resolved.
If you decide to file a grievance you will have the Union’s support throughout the entire process. A Union representative will draft the necessary documents, help you understand and meet the relevant deadlines at each stage of the process, or attend meetings on your behalf should you wish, as these meetings might intimidate some members who are on the fence about pursuing grievances.

Chairperson – Tracy Gill
Stewart – Katherine Sanchez

Public Board Continuing Education

March break is just around the corner. Yippee!!! This is YOUR time to get a bit of reprieve from your hectic work responsibilities. Don’t stress about planning, marking and preparing work for your classrooms, your students and the children within our programs. The best way to look at March Break is this is TIME to relax, refresh and refocus.

As we mentioned at our last PD session, we need one new member on our Bargaining Committee. Please reach out to Dennis Gibbs, CUPE Local 218 President if you are interested in this position dgibbs@cupe218.ca.

Seniority List: As with every year, the updated seniority list will be sent out on March 31st, 2024. Until then, you can find last year’s list on the CUPE Website in the Members Portal.

Labour Management – We had our 2nd meeting on February 27th, we were pleased with the fact that it has been acknowledged that the duties and responsibilities are not included on the LINC/ESL postings. This will be looked into for any postings moving forward.

Our next labor management meeting is scheduled for April 16th, 2024.

Supply Shortage – We continue to have concerns with a shortage of supply staff, even though new supply instructors were hired. It is imperative that we have documentation every time that a supply instructor is not available. It is only from statistics that we can make changes in the right direction. Please contact Kristine or Arisa if your class was not covered or if you were asked to merge a class into yours.

Collective Agreement – The collective agreement has been submitted to the board and we are waiting for the final approval from the board before we can add it to the website for members to access and become familiar with. Please remember if you have any questions regarding the CA, please reach out to either Arisa or myself.

Employment Insurance – We have had many questions from members about the board sending the ROE’s for the holiday break late. In January the DDSB payroll supervisor communicated with me that they will implement a change to their current practice and will process the ROEs’ for the permanent Con Ed Group earlier. This change will be effective March Break 2024.

Payroll and Benefits – There have been some questions about issues on payroll or benefits. Since this information is confidential, the union is not always privy to this information. It is therefore suggested that your first call be to the payroll department. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of misinformation to the payroll department and can be cleared up with a phone call. If there is still a discrepancy that can’t be resolved, then call the union for assistance.

Payroll & Benefits Specialist – Kate Hull – 905-666-6414

New ESL Classes and Job Postings – It has been communicated with me that four new ESL classes will start by the end of March to meet the needs of our ESL population. If you are currently working part-time, the postings should be coming out early in March.

Rescheduled PA in April 2024 – Just a friendly reminder that the DDSB has rescheduled the PA day originally set for Friday, April 19, 2024. The new date for the PA Day is Monday, April 8th, 2024. Admin has communicated that they are working on scheduling a mental health workshop for CNC to participate in. More information will come as we get closer to the date.

Issues arising at your workplace – If you are having any problems at work, the first step you need to take is to speak with your Admin. They are your direct supervisor and they are there to help and to work with you in getting the support you need. If you can’t seem to get a chance to go see them, send them an email with your issue/concern and ask for a time that you can meet to speak with them.

Bill 124 Remedy – Everyone is patiently waiting for information about when we will receive our salary increase and retro payments from Bill 124. The school board and union have met to discuss the process of revising the 2019-2022 & 2022-2026 calculations of the retroactive amounts owed to each eligible employee. The school board has communicated that they anticipate being able to provide payment to all eligible employees earlier than the June 12th, 2024 deadline. If you know of someone who worked during that time but has since retired or passed away, please pass this message on to them or a family member as they would be entitled to the remedy payment.

Board site to for information

Emails – Please remember to use your CUPE email address for contacting us or discussing union business. If you have not yet received, set up or are having difficulty accessing your CUPE email address or login information, contact Maureen Cope for assistance. maureen.cope@cupe218.ca

Moving classes – Admin has communicated that if you are being asked to move classrooms due to increased or lower registrations that any moving should be completed during your prep time. Please remember that your prep time is 15 minutes during each block. Only use the time allotted in your prep to move materials. Do not use your own time to move- request assistance from custodial and administration. Please refrain from moving materials and supplies during instructional time.

Our last newsletter of this school year will be posted in June.

Our next General Membership meeting will be held on March, 17th at 7:00pm. This is a great opportunity to have your questions answered by the experts.

As always, please feel free to contact Arisa or Kristine for any union-related issues.

Kristine Brown – Chair – kristine.brown@cupe218.ca
Arisa Tierney – arisa.tierney@cupe218.ca

Public Board CON ED Health & Safety

At the time of writing this newsletter, I want to acknowledge that February 29th (February 28th in non-leap years) is International Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) Awareness Day.
This date is devoted to raising awareness of repetitive strain injuries. One of the leading causes of workplace injuries involves the hazard of poor ergonomic design which can lead to a RSI.

If you are experiencing symptoms of Repetitive Strain Injury and you are concerned that they are impeding your ability to work, speak with Administration. Together you can work on implementing ergonomic prevention solutions that will eliminate any further injury. Remember to report all work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), to WSIB immediately.

When reporting an accident or injury please notify Admin, as well as the Union. Delays in reporting could result in a worker not receiving monies and or benefit entitlement.

When an illness or injury is severe enough to impact your abilities to work the Union will help facilitate a safe, healthy and sustainable return to work plan which may include workplace accommodations. This process could be a very stressful and frustrating time and we are here to help and support you in any way that we can. Also, any medical or documentation you receive from/or need to submit to either the employer or WSIB please share this info with the union as well. office@cupe218.ca

I would like to thank the membership for allowing me to attend CUPE Spring School at the end of February, where I completed the Level 2 Health & Safety Training. This training provided me with the skills required to represent you and to ensure that you know your rights and how to use them. The training enhances my commitment to improving the health and safety conditions at Con Ed by having the knowledge required to recognize and identify potential workplace risks and to make recommendations to our employer to address these risks.

Kristine Brown
Continuing Education Health & Safety Representative
kristine.brown@cupe218.ca

Catholic Board Facility Services

Dear Brother’s and Sister’s,

I can’t believe that I am writing my 3^rd newsletter of the year, time is sure flying by. Well, we are in the month of March already. Only 3 more months and we will be at the end of the school year and so much has gone on this year. I hope everyone has had a great March break and will get time to relax on Easter weekend.

Grievance update:

We have 3 grievances going to arbitration at this time and they are OT permits on weekend, Security checks and All Purpose position
We have 2 grievance for Chief wages one was sat at a step 2 and the other at a step 3. We are just waiting for responses on these two
We filed a step 2 grievance on overtime before a PA day and we sat this grievance in February were we weren’t successful because of the wording of the contract that says the overtime MAY be offered so that means the management doesn’t have to offer the overtime.
We will be filing several personal grievances on Weekend permits as they are piggy backing off of other permits to cut their cost of paying overtime.
We went to arbitration for the daycare coverage during the summer and adjusting hours of full time employees to cover the daycares. We were not successful with our arbitration case, the Arbitrator says the language in the contract was pretty clear that management could adjust shifts during the summer time to cover daycare locations. We did get something little out of it that the board has to make the floater work the later shift in one of these location if it is a full time member and a floater working at the location. Example would be a full time member would work 7am till 3:30 pm and then the floater would work 10 am till 6:30pm and not the other way around.

Vacation Information:

As you are aware the vacation memo came out with the new sheet on for filling out your vacation. I hope everyone was able to get their vacation in on time so management can go through them and get them back to us by the end of March. If, you haven’t got them in then please send them in as soon as possible.

Bill 124:

Update on Bill 124, I am sure you all heard that you are getting money from the government that you all deserve from the 2019 negotiations. We are meeting with the board at the beginning of the month of March to go through the numbers so hopefully the board will pay us on time not like our last round of bargaining. The board has up to the 12^th of June to pay us our retro and our wages will go up as well.

Supplies:

It has been brought to our attention that supplies are being cut or taking time to receive them. Please reach out the committee if this is happening at you location so we can bring it management attention. We talked to them last time we met for labor management about this issue but they said they only knew of one or two location but we told them that there were more so please reach out to us if it is happening to you.

Health and Safety:

As temperatures are going from cold to warm at this time of the season please be careful of ice patches at your locations. We have a lot of injuries that are not documented at our location, we would like to see everything documented even if it is a scrape you never know if it is going to get infected so please report any type of injury with you principal or your supervisor. Always get help moving any heavy items that may cause an injury. We need to look after our health at all times because we want to leave work like we came in to work and that is not injured.

Committee:
Sean Hebert – Chairperson
Dave Slater – Bargaining Rep
Greg Gillis – Bargaining Rep
Beth Davies – Inactive at this time

Public Board Custodial Maintenance

Well, spring is almost upon us and it won’t be long before we start enjoying the nice days ahead. The first round of Acting Lead & Lead Practicum testing has been done. I have had a few reach out to me with their thoughts on how it went. Many said that the practicum was pretty straight forward on a lot of questions and some questions they had to give some thought to the answer. Questions are based on the Modules that everyone is supposed to complete every September before school starts up. Some items in the modules are Health & Safety, WHMIS, and ladder training, just to name a few. Everything that you use or do, in your daily tasks could be included on the practicum. If you are interested in learning a little bit more in regards to the job as an Acting Lead or Lead, talk to the Lead in your building. Ask questions, watch your Lead on how a pull station test or sprinkler test is done. You can always review the modules and you can even talk to your supervisor. I have been told by both Supervisors and Recruiting that they can help you with mock interviews when the time comes for you to apply for a Lead position. As you are all aware, the numbers for Bill 124 have been finalized. Your union will be meeting with the employer in the next little while to compare notes and figures to make sure everything is correct. As of right now, the deadline for payout is June 12, 2024. While no formal email has gone out, the employer has decided that there will only be one custodial member in a school, regardless of how many permits or people are in the building. The union feels that this is a huge safety concern. The employer has also stated that extra help will be available at the end of the shift if needed. With a permit ending late on a weekend, we were concerned who would want to come in at 10 pm on a Saturday or Sunday night. If you have members of the public who confront you in any aggressive manner, you are to call monitoring and they will get the supervisor on call to get in touch with you. DO NOT engage anyone in this situation, and remove yourself from the area. Your bargaining team continues to discuss this issue at Labour Management. Your extra half hour to work for the Summer Fridays ended on February 23rd. The makeup time started on February 26th and will run until May 1st. Please review any absences since the start of school to find out how many of the makeup days you will have to work. A new transfer list system will be rolling out in the future. The new system will be electronic. A member will be able to add and remove their name from any school at any time. Once you enter your name on the list, you will be able to see your position for that school. There is no start date for the roll out as of yet, but we have been told it is getting close and the next step will be testing to make sure all the bugs are out. From the disability end of things, if you have an injury, whether it be workplace or somewhere else, please remember to cc your disability team here in the union office. “If you send it to the employer, please send it to the union”. It is vital that we have the same documents that you send to the employer. The employer is denying Dr’s notes more and more. They request that you have your medical professional complete the DDSB Medical Certificate and submit it to them. Be proactive, submit your requested medical certificates when requested.

In Solidarity,
John Allan Chairperson
Bret Filion
Ian Watt
Robin Fair
Mike Nixon
Jessica Fusco
Kevin Lamont
Tyler Cameron
Scott Freeburn

Catholic Board EA

Hello everyone! I would like to introduce myself, Patricia Bosley and the EA Catholic Board Committee. On January 1, 2024, I took on the role of EA Bargaining Chairperson. I will do my best to fill the role that Maureen Cope has done for the last few years. Maureen has moved into her new role as Secretary Treasurer of CUPE 218. We all wish her luck. Maureen will remain on the bargaining committee to continue to help us the committee and the members. Your other committee members are Kristina McLaren and Anita Condron. Kristina is on your bargaining committee and Anita is your Steward and also our new Health and Safety Rep.

I hope all members have had a relaxing and enjoyable March Break. Our hard work makes a difference in the lives of so many. But we need this time to recharge. If we don’t take care of ourselves we cannot help others around us.

ADHOC

We had our last meeting on Feb 27, 2024. We discussed the upcoming PD Day in April. The focus will be on EAs wellness, we went over the safe school incident reports please keep doing them its important, EA allocation information and the new Employee Performance Appraisal were also discussed.

Labour Management

The next meeting will be March 20, 2024

Communication

A reminder for all that if you haven’t applied for EI during the March Break it may not be too late. We are entitled to make a claim because we are not paid for this time any payment we receive is not for these days.
A reminder to always include your union representative when sending emails or receiving emails, or even taking phone calls. You can always follow up and cc one of us in. We want to help but we can’t if we don’t know about it.
The board has just hired 15 new FTE we would like to welcome them.

Education

Some of your committee members had the honour of attending CUPE Spring School this February. We spent several long days taking Leadership training. We learned things like leading as a team, conflict ready executives, and good meetings, essentials for inclusive unions, leadership essentials and by-law essentials. We hope to use this knowledge to support our members.

If you need anything we can be reached at:

Patricia Bosley(Ajax) – patricia.bosley@cupe218.ca

Bargaining Chair

Bargaining Committee

Maureen Cope(Pickering) – maureen.cope@cupe218.ca

Kristina McLaren(Oshawa) – kristina.mclaren@cupe218.ca

Steward

Anita Condron(Whitby) – Health and Safety Rep – anita.condron@cupe218.ca

Public Board EA

YOU MATTER! We all hope you had a wonderful March break and took time to do something for yourselves. Each and every one of you are incredible and appreciated, and do an amazing job.

We wanted to give a few reminders and clarification on items that seem to be coming up on a regular basis.

Yard duty/lunch room supervision:

We have clear language on this matter and shouldn’t be expected to do general yard duty or lunch room supervision. If this is an expectation at your school, please reach out to the steward for your area.

During these times you should be supervising special needs students that you support on a regular basis.

L24.08-Yard Duty/Lunch Room Supervision Educational Assistants shall not normally be required to do general yard duty supervision, or general lunch room supervision or general supervision on a bus.

Educational Assistants may be required to participate in these duties only in relation to one or more special needs students whom they support on a regular basis.

Lunchroom supervisors:

We have been notified that some schools are using lunchroom supervisors in the role of an EA. We have addressed the situations that have been brought to our attention, however if it is happening in your building please reach out as this is not allowed and needs to be addressed.

Walkie protocol:

If your school doesn’t have a walkie protocol and often times the walkie is going unanswered, please send an email to your admin and request that one be put in place due to calls going unanswered. You must be able to call for immediate assistance and someone needs to be on the other end to respond.

Attendance:

We have been notified by our members that some are being called into the office around attendance, these conversations should not be disciplinary in anyway. If you are being called in and it is anything more than a check in to see how you are doing or if you need anything, please let us know right away.

Medical documentation:

The employer can ask for medical after 5 consecutive days, if you are being asked to provide proof of illness before that please reach out to the local. The language in our C/A reads:

Proof of Illness: Sick Leave Days Payable at 100% Page 16 of 112 A Board may request medical confirmation of illness or injury and any restrictions or limitations any Employee may have, confirming the dates of absence and the reason thereof (omitting a diagnosis). Medical confirmation is to be provided by the Employee for absences of five (5) consecutive working days or longer. The medical confirmation may be required to be provided on the form contained in Appendix C.

The board may not accept a dr’s note and expect a medical certificate.

Cell phone use:

Please refrain from using your cell phones well working with students, you can use them on your breaks and lunches. Also, we do not communicate with our students outside of school by texting or social media. This has come up many times this year and can result in discipline.

Seniority list:

The board has until March 31st to provide an updated surplus list, when we receive the list it will be on the CUPE 218 member portal.

If you need anything or have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the steward from your area or give us a call. We love hearing from you and often we do not know what is happening if we aren’t made aware.

Thanks for everything each of you do for your students, it doesn’t go unnoticed.

In Solidarity,
Stephanie Dezsi – Chairperson

Bargaining Reps:
Jehan Bisnauth
Brandy Townson

Stewards:
Lori Richards
Jen Currie
Kim Pollock

Catholic Board EA Health & Safety

Hello All DCDSB Educational Assistants! As I write this, we’ve officially crossed the halfway point in the school year and only have four months to go! March Break is on the horizon, a well-deserved week off for each and every one of you and I hope as you are reading this you all had a chance to rest and enjoy some time off with your families.

SAFETY REMINDERS

Safety Plans

If you are working with a student that has a safety plan you must read it prior to working with them and the plan must be current. DO NOT work with the student if you have not read it. Educational Assistants should be involved in the development process of the safety plan and have input on any changes throughout the year. Please reach out to your principal if this is not happening. We are constantly working understaffed and short staffed and are being asked to bundle our students. Sometimes we are bundling multiple runners and behavioural students and if an incident or emergency situation occurs we cannot follow the safety plans as they are laid out. This is unsafe! Please question this, talk to your principal and contact us if this is happening.

NORI’s

The Notification of Risk of Injury form (NORI) is available to all employee groups who work at your location. It provides information to workers related to a risk of workplace violence from a person with a history of violent behavior. This form must be provided to all staff in the building that can be expected to encounter the person in the course of their work and the risk of workplace violence is likely to expose them to a physical injury. As with the safety plan, please make sure you are given time to read the NORI prior to working with the student. We have seen NORI’s which state “see safety plan”.

This is not acceptable and needs to be changed to reflect the employee’s safety! It should detail the student’s identifying information, how to summons immediate assistance, a brief description of the behaviours that present a risk, strategies for avoiding the risk, and emergency and intervention strategies.

Designated Back-Up

Safety plans need to have a designated back up named so that everyone is aware who will assist should you need to summons immediate assistance. This person may change throughout the course of the day because of lunches, breaks and absences, and alternates will need to be indicated in the plan. Many safety plans list PST and admin as back-ups, but as we know they are not always available. Wherever possible the designated back-should be a fellow EA. If immediate back-up is not coming in a reasonable amount of time, this is a safety issue. Please take note of the response time and reach out to your admin to rectify it and also reach out to your EA committee.

Walkie Talkies

Walkie talkies are your means to summons immediate assistance. Every school should have a working set of walkie talkies and we shouldn’t be relying on our personal communication devices/apps like WhatsApp for professional matters and especially not in emergency situations where back up is required. If you have not been provided with walkie talkies at your school please let us know.

Personal Protective Equipment

If you are required to wear PPE while working with a student as part of safety plan, then you must have your own and it must fit properly. We DO NOT SHARE PPE! Improperly fitting PPE could generate an additional hazard such as entanglement. Everyone who is required to wear PPE as part of a safety plan, including back-up staff should have their own. Laundering of the PPE can be done at school if there is a washer or your principal should take it home. It is not our responsibility to launder it, but you can choose to if you wish.

Road Safety

A road safety checklist for students who elope is in the works by the board. It will consist of controls and preventative strategies when working with students who elope outside the building and onto roadways. The form is to be completed collaboratively between EA’s, PST, teachers and admin to come up with strategies to keep both the student and staff safe. This form came into being following a Ministry of Labour inspection that was triggered by a work refusal where EA’s were being asked to follow a student on the road and manage traffic. Changes were implemented as a response to findings from the inspection to ensure safety.

Bus Riding

If you ride a bus with a student who has a safety plan make sure that there is a separate safety plan for the bus as well. Each school has been provided with a cell phone that is available to you should you need to call for assistance if you are required to ride the bus for pick up/drop off and excursions. Please take this as your walkie talkies will not work out of range.

Taxis

On some occasions it may be necessary to ride a taxi with a student to a co-op or other excursion. We have been made aware that on occasion the taxi company vetted by the board has sent drivers who do not have any visible company markings, signage or any licensing on the outside or inside of the vehicle or smell strongly of cigarette smoke.

Please know that it is entirely your right to ask for ID and your right to refuse getting into a vehicle that you feel is unsafe. Please alert your admin if this happens and reach out to us. Please also take the school cell phone with you the same as you would for the bus.

Incident Reports

Please ensure that you are competing incident reports for ali incidents of student aggression both physical and verbal or the threat of either. No injury, physical or mental should be disregarded. Your injury may lead to a WSIB claim and that report will be an important piece in not having your claim denied. Protect yourself! Principals may discourage you from submitting the report saying the behaviour is baseline. If your admin is discouraging you, not giving you time, or denying the report let us know. Some principals are denying reports because you have marked yes for suspension. It is the union’s stance that if the behaviour meets the definition of a suspension under the Education Act we will report it and the principal can make the choice based on their investigation. Please complete your reports on school time and make sure you are debriefing with your admin. Keep reporting! Please know your EA committee is reading them, responding, and tracking them.

NEW* Reports can now be edited if they are sent back by admin. This can happen if you have included student and staff names in the description or other errors.

Parklanes

If you are injured and you require ice, a band aid, cleaning an area due to a scratch or a bite, sitting down after a kick or punch or just need a moment for your mental health, please check First Aid on your report. If you mark first aid on your report, you will also complete a Parklane with your principal. If the injury was caused by aggression please make sure that it is marked as such and not struck/contact. Parklanes need to be completed within 24 hours of the incident. Please make sure you are given a copy of the report and it is signed and dated by both you and your admin. If you have broken skin from a bite, scratch, have been spit, vomited on or came into contact with feces or other bodily fluids, please fill out a WSIB Exposure Form. These could all lead to infection.

https://www.wsib.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2018-12/3958a_07_16_fs.pdf

If you sought medical attention, please mark that off as well and reach out to Carrie Boisvert our Disability Management Coordinator if you need help with forms, etc.
carrie.boisvert@cupe218.ca

The Right to Refuse Unsafe Work

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) gives a worker the right to refuse work that he or she believes is unsafe to himself/herself or another worker. A worker who believes that he or she is endangered by workplace violence may also refuse work.

There is a specific procedure that must be followed for any work refusal. If you feel that the work you are doing is not safe, please immediately reach out to your principal. If there is no resolution to the unsafe work, please reach out to myself or a member of the EA Committee so that we can help. There can be NO reprisals for exercising your right to refuse unsafe work.

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding health and safety please feel free to reach out. Thank you for all the hard work you do every day with our most vulnerable students.

Take care and stay safe,
Anita Condron
DCDSB EA Health and Safety Rep
anita.condron@cupe218.ca

Public Board EA Health & Safety

Violent Incident Reporting

There have been 1870 violent incident reports submitted from September 5, 2023 to February 25, 2024, by Educational Assistants. There were 168 incidents that required first aid or loss of time at work.

PLEASE remember that when you are injured at work during an incident- scratched, bitten, and bruised, involved in an intense incident where you need to take time for yourself before returning to your class(mental health 1st aid) you need to complete a Parklane report with your admin – DO NOT ask them to do it – tell them you need them to complete one as well you need to complete an exposure form for any bodily fluids that come into contact with you (via spitting, scratching, biting, urine, vomit, feces)

How to do a Parklane– if you are injured and need first aid (ice, clean a wound, bandage, take a few mins to calm yourself) or medical attention. You will notify your Principal of the injury and (ideally in person or via email) that a Parklane report needs to be done. It is not up to them whether this should or should not be done. It is your right.

Exposure form- this is available from the WSIB website. This should be completed whenever you are exposed to bodily fluids. You would complete it and either fax or mail it to the WSIB office as well as email it to the union office. Please see attached form Exposure Form WSIB.pdf

Violent Incident Reporting Chart

Reminder, if you are having an issue at work, remember that the first step is always to discuss it with your Admin. If you are still unable to resolve it, then feel free to send an email to me or any of the EA Stewards.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me and I will be there to support you.

Thank you for all you do to support students and don’t forget that YOU matter!

Brandy Townson – PB Health and Safety Rep.