Table of Contents
Zoom Meeting
Presidents Message
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
I hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving and enjoyed the nice weather.
October is Women’s History Month. We are proud to recognize and celebrate the contributions of women and girls to our past, present and future. Women have long been trailblazers in creating a better, more inclusive, and equal Canada.
Congratulations to Sister Sue Wilkinson and Brother John Allan who were nominated and acclaimed, to the positions of Secretary-Treasurer and Sargent-at-Arms, at our September Membership meeting.
On September 16th, 2021 a Central Dispute was filed with the Council of Trustees Associations (CTA) regarding Employers directing Members to view the COVID-19 educational video on Members’ own time. As this is a requirement, Employer Policy, time should be provided during the Employer’s time.
A Policy grievance was filed with the Durham Catholic District School Board for a breach of personal members information. I had a conversation with the Employer regarding this matter and was informed that this was an unfortunate human error. It was discussed that the Privacy Commission would be contacted by the Employer but given the seriousness of this matter, a grievance was filed.
On the topic of grievances; both the Durham Catholic District School Board and the Durham District School Board were issued grievances for violating the Article within most Collective Agreements for not recognizing September 30th, National Day for truth and Reconciliation, as a statutory holiday. I would like to add that the DCDSB also added, within their response on this topic, that they are reviewing Remembrance Day and wish to have discussions as we move into the next round of Collective Bargaining. WOW! ABSOLEUTELY DISPICABLE.
With respect to Medical Documentation; if you are not aware yet, both the DCDSB and the DDSB have revised their Medical Forms. This was a result of our Central Language and the tremendous effort from our Disability Coordinator Sister Carrie Boisvert that this was accomplished. Please view Sister Boisvert’s Newsletter for more details.
Over the last ten months I have been attending Committee meetings, Labour Management meetings and a variety of other meetings with the committees and with both Employers. I have come to find that there is a separation or difference if you will, with procedures and practices. After conversations and some mentoring, I am happy to say that all Bargaining teams have turned the page and are firing on all cylinders. I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am and pleased with the amount of positive feedback we are getting from members. Please, if you have questions, concerns or require support, reach out and contact your representative. If for some reason you do not get a response, contact Brother Hebert and/or I and we will help you.
Every day members of Local 218 go above and beyond supporting students, technology support, maintaining the schools and so many other very important duties which sadly go unappreciated. “RESPECT US AND RESPECT THE WORK THAT WE DO”, I ask you to PLEASE stay within your job description, do not start your day of work early, do not stay after the end of your work day, and take your breaks. If you cannot complete your work within the hours that the Employer has scheduled you, inform your supervisor. We will never win this fight if we continue to go above and beyond. If there is any, and I mean any, reprisal from your supervisor, DO NOT HESITATE to contact your Union Representative or myself. We are in the process of working with our CUPE National and the OSBCU to kickoff our campaign to put pressure on the Employer for Fair, Respectful working conditions.
Some of you might have had the pleasure of meeting our National Servicing representative Sister Linda Merkac. Sister Merkac is taking some vacation and transitioning into her retirement. I would like to thank her for her years of service with Local 218 and wish her all the best in her new adventure in her retirement. With that said, I would like to welcome Brother Danny Scheibli as our new National Servicing representative. We are all looking forward to working with him.
In Solidarity
Dennis Gibbs
President
CUPE Local 218
Vice President’s Message
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Well, here we are already a month in to the school year. It is amazing how time just flies and we have already been in school for over 6 weeks. Fall is in the air as we see the temperatures start to drop and the leaves are starting to change colors and fall to the ground. As temperatures are changing and the leaves are falling to ground please remember that driving condition can get a little slick on the road so please be careful driving on the roads.
I want to take time this time to congratulate Sue Wilkinson Secretary-Treasurer and John Allan Sergeant-At-Arms on being acclaimed in their position on the union. I look forward to working with both of you to make this Cupe 218 a stronger local. I would also like to wish good luck to Ramona Mcdonald and Cindy Ellis who are running for Recording Secretary. This election will take place on Saturday, November 20/21 so please mark that date on your calendar to remember to vote
We are in the midst of getting all the collective agreements finalized from DDSB and the DCDSB. This has been a long lengthy process but we are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. I know you don’t want to hear this but we are starting to get ready for the next round of bargaining as our contracts are done at the end of August 2022. We are preparing a bargaining survey to go out to the members to get your input on what is a priority for each bargaining unit. These surveys will be unit specific, they are going to touch on what you are looking for, for your unit so please keep your eyes and ears open for this information that will be coming out in the near future.
Well it has been 6 weeks and schools are still open which it is a good thing even though we have had COVID cases in the schools. I want to thank everyone for their hard work on all the protocols that have been put in to place for COVID without all your help the schools would be shut down and we would be back to virtual learning so Thank you for your work.
Another thing that we have been working on hear at the office is Equity involvement with both boards. We have been in contact with both boards about their Equity committee at the board levels. We are hoping to get members involved in those committees and have an input from our local. Please keep an eye out for information about the equity involvement at the Cupe level.
Disability Information:
If you have been injured at work or not at work and you require to be off work for anytime please reach out to the union office to find out what your options are. Even, if you are not sure please give us a call to find out if there is anything that we can do for you and if you need to send us any medical information for your injuries and need time off to heal from those injuries then we can lead you in the right direction. Please reach out to us for any support.
Both the DCDSB and the DDSB have FEAP programs if you, or someone needs a little extra support. Most schools have information or posters with the number to call, or the contact information is on their websites. It is completely confidential. The FEAP sheets for both boards is in this newsletter for your information.
Health and Safety Information:
In the month of September, I sent some Health and Safety posters and information sheets to each location on both boards. These posters and information sheets should be posted on your Health and Safety board wherever it may be. If you require more Health and Safety materials for your Health and Safety board in your location please feel free to reach out to me at shebert@cupe218.ca and I will order them and get them out to your location as soon as I can so the Health and Safety board is up to date on the information that you need.
We will be having our virtual general membership meeting on Sunday, October 24/21. Please save that date, come on and hear the information on what is going on in your Cupe local. Let’s fill all those virtual screens.
Sean Hebert
Vice President and Disability Rep
Cupe 218
shebert@cupe218.ca
Disability Management
Just like that September is gone. Thank you to all the custodians who ensure our schools are safe for both us and our students. For our secretaries who ensure the day to day activities are happening in a safe and efficient way. And to our Educational Assistants who work with our most vulnerable students to ensure they are safe and also helping them navigate through another year of uncertainty and daily changes.
Even though we are in our second full year with COVID protocols, many of you are still raising questions around the procedure for informing the board that you are off for medical reasons both COVID and non COVID related. The Catholic Board are still in the Grievance process for individual members and policy grievances around members having to use their sick days when they are off awaiting COVID testing or results. The DCDSB is in the process of releasing a new memo for this current school year around Covid Related Absences and Expectations of Remote Learning while schools and classrooms are directed to self-isolate because of Outbreaks. Hopefully it will be shared soon through the DCDSB portal.
The DDSB remains the same around the protocol for COVID related absences. If you are experiencing symptoms and have to get testing you are to notify your supervisor and shortterm.absence@ddsb.ca that you have symptoms and are required to get tested. Once you are symptom free you can notify your supervisor and short term to tell them that you are symptom free and can work at home while you are awaiting the results of your COVID test. Please reach out to them and keep them informed of your status with communications that you are able to work but cannot come into the schools because you are still awaiting your test results. The days you are absence and experiencing symptoms you will be coded under 018 (sick). When you are symptom free your coding will be changed to Quarantine. Once you have received your test results and you are symptom free, you can return back to the workplace. Please email your supervisor and short term when that happens. You will NOT be required to get a doctor’s note as long as your symptoms were COVID related and your test results came back negative. For addition information you can go onto the board website under Employee FAQ – Absence Scenarios
When you have a Covid related absence and are from the Durham Catholic board you are required to notify your supervisor and log into your SFE and mark your absent accordingly. The drop down menu will give you your options. When you receive your COVID results you submit them to COVIDTestResults@dcdsb.ca. .
If you have any addition questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact one of the Disability team at the CUPE office. As always when you are off for any medical reason and need to obtain a medical note, we ask that you forward a copy to the CUPE office. It is all confidential and it helps our team when we are discussing and reviewing your file.
There was a new Medical Certificate bargained centrally during the last round of Bargaining. Those Medical Certificates can be accessed on the Board and CUPE website. For both Boards, if your doctor feels that you are unable to return to work at this time, they DO NOT NEED TO COMPLETE THE LIMITATIONS AND RESTRICTION CHECK BOX. That is only to be filled out if your doctor feels you can return back to work with limitations and restrictions.
As always, if you are injured in the workplace and have to seek medical attention, please remember to get a copy of the Form 8 that is filled out by your doctor. The Board will fill out a Form 7 and you can go onto the WSIB website to fill out the Form 6.
https://eservices.wsib.on.ca/portal/server.pt/community/eform_6/209
We asked that you have both Forms 7 and 8 before you fill out Form 6 online. This will help you point out any discrepancies that were submitted by the employer.
Both boards are currently sending out LTD packages by email. 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. Please remember the following regarding your sick days:
Permanent Employees The allocations outlined in paragraphs b) and c) above will be provided on the first day of each fiscal year, or the first day of employment, subject to the exceptions below: Where a permanent Employee is accessing sick leave and/or the short-term disability plan in a fiscal year and the absence continues into the following fiscal year for the same medical condition, the permanent Employee will continue to access any unused sick leave days or short-term disability days from the previous fiscal year’s allocation. A new allocation will not be provided to the permanent Employee until s/he has returned to work and completed eleven (11) consecutive working days at their regular working hours. The permanent Employee’s new sick leave allocation will be eleven (11) days at 100% wages. The permanent Employee will also be allocated one hundred and twenty (120) short term disability days payable at ninety percent (90%) of regular salary reduced by any paid sick days already taken in the current fiscal year. 11 If a permanent Employee is absent on his/her last regularly scheduled work day and the first regularly scheduled work day of the following year for unrelated reasons, the allocation outlined above will be provided on the first day of the fiscal year, provided the employee submits medical documentation to support the absence, in accordance with paragraph (h).
For both WSIB and Illness related absences, OMERS has a disability Waiver that waives your portion after you have been off for 5 months + 1 day. Here is the information from OMERS website regarding the waiver:
From the OMERS Site:
“While on disability waiver (also called “disability waiver of contributions”), you continue to accumulate credited service in the OMERS Plan, as if you are still working. The OMERS Plan covers your contributions and your employer’s contributions.”
We have had members being mailed out the waiver and have questions around it. If you have any questions around the waiver, please contact our office and we can answer any questions. You can also contact OMERS directly.
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Phone: +1 416.369.2444
Toll-free: +1 800.387.0813
https://www.omers.com/disability-benefits
As we continue to adapt to the day to day changes around the world. Our number one priority is to ensure your safety and keep you informed.
Stay safe and remember to support one another
Yours in solidarity,
Carrie Boisvert
Carrie.boisvert@cupe218.ca
Disability Coordinator
Lori Ann Richards- lrichards@cupe218.ca
Bobby Montgomery- bmontgomery@cupe218.ca
Sean Hebert- shebert@cupe218.ca
Facility Services Catholic Board
Happy October Brothers and Sisters,
I hope everyone has enjoyed their long Thanksgiving weekend and had some great time with family and friends, we all deserve it.
To start with, make sure you familiarize yourself with the latest cleaning and disinfecting Protocol document that has been sent out by RaeAnn which will have the changes highlighted for you.
Most Split shifts are now in back in place and seem to be running smoothly. We are still receiving calls from our members regarding the lack of help that was promised to us when this whole Pandemic started and we are trying to address the issue with Management. If you find that you are in need of extra help in your school, please contact your SQS and let them know and then let your CUPE rep. know that you have asked for help. We would like to keep track of these request and see how many are actually filled. OMAC. We want to make sure as many sites are provided with either their regular split shift or adequate assistance for any staffing shortfalls.
We have 4 grievances at this time.
1 Policy – Step 2 / RE. Change of shift hours during summer. Awaiting employer response
1 Policy- Step 2 / RE. Mandatory Vacation day for Sept. 30th (Truth and Reconciliation Day) Awaiting employer response
1 Personal – Step 1 / RE. Letter of Discipline. Awaiting employer response
1 Personal – Step 2 / RE. Unfair dismissal. Awaiting employer response
I have been informed that Community use will resume on November 1st and I will be meeting with management to discuss protocols that will be needed and to ask for extra help to deal with all the added work. We have a Labor Management meeting on Oct. 14th and another meeting with the employer on Oct. 22nd regarding workload.
Going forward from November on your CUPE 218 reps will be covering the following areas:
Natalie Melich- Oshawa Schools
John Quarrie- Whitby, Brooklin, Port Perry and Beaverton
Dave Slater- Ajax and Pickering
If you have any problems you don’t have the answers to please contact your corresponding Rep to your area and they will be happy to help you.
Our Collective Agreement is just waiting on the final touches. As soon as it’s available it will be posted on the CUPE 218 website.
As always if you have any questions or enquiries, please refer to your CUPE email for any updates or new information. If you are having difficulties accessing your CUPE email or the website please call Sue Wilkinson at the office. Sue can be reached at 905 571 7879
Please remember to keep a close watch on your PPE inventory. If your school needs PPE supplies and your monthly delivery isn’t enough then place a work order in EBASE under “Shipping/Receiving” for extra supplies. Try to avoid waiting until the last possible minute and running out. Also remember to keep your face masks on at all times except for eating and drinking as it is possible that you may be reported, as our Principals, Vice Principals and supervisors are out at the schools checking on this for compliance. If you cannot maintain a 2m distance from students or other and staff you must wear a face shield as well as your mask.
Please feel free to contact one of your reps listed below if you have any questions or concerns. We will do our best to provide the answers and/or support that is required.
On a personal note I would just like to thank all of our custodial and Maintenance staff for their hard work and dedication to our fellow staff, students and buildings. Our professionalism and continued dedication makes me proud to be able to be your CUPE Rep.
In Solidarity,
Dave Slater – Chair C/M d.slater@cupe218.ca
Natalie Melich- Bargaining natalie.melich@cupe218.ca
John Quarrie- Bargaining john.quarrie@cupe218.ca
Public Board Custodial Maintenance
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
October has been a busy month for your committee. As stated in last month’s newsletter we have over 120 grievances filed for overtime losses, vacation denials and unjust discipline. We have made some progress on a few grievances and have avoided bringing them to arbitration but the majority will be taken all the way to arbitration. We have an upcoming arbitration date set for mid-November for the grievances pertaining to overtime losses and we are hoping we will be one step closer to a binding decision by the arbitrator. I understand that it can be very frustrating for members who are awaiting an outcome but the process of arbitration can be a lengthy process.
September 30th 2021 marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day honours the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.
The creation of this federal statutory holiday was through legislative amendments made by Parliament. On June 3, 2021, Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) received Royal Assent.
I have, on behalf of the members of the Custodial/Maintenance unit, filed a grievance asking that the board recognize this day in our collective agreement under Article 22.01 which reads that “ Should the Federal government enact legislation proclaiming any additional statutory holiday(s) , it shall be recognized in this collective agreement in accordance with legislated requirements. We are hoping to have an answer from the board on this soon.
Most recently the Union and the board have come to an agreement to discontinue the use of the term “Chief custodian”. The Union and the employer have agreed that we will stop using the word “Chief” in job titles, citing respect for our indigenous communities. As a result going forward the term “Lead custodian” will be used.
The Custodial /Maintenance committee is continuing to work and with the help of Brother Dan Mills, our Health and Safety representative. We have been working on the unfair workload that the DDSB has delegated to their employees. We find it disheartening that the employer has no problem putting a workload on their employee that could cause them possible injury or have them work at a pace that could be unsafe. On a daily basis the members of the Custodial/Maintenance unit go above and beyond completing unreasonable amounts of work with no appreciation. It is a proven fact that ALL members of CUPE local 218 take pride in the quality of work that they provide. It is disrespectful and shameful that they are taken advantage of. You might be contacted by a member of the committee requesting some information regarding your workplace. PLEASE remember not to start before your scheduled shift and not to stay after the end of your shift, take all breaks and work at a safe pace. If there are duties that you were not able to complete please contact your Lead custodian and or Supervisor to make them aware. Just doing these few things that are your right will help to properly schedule the number of working hours that are needed.
By now you should have received your uniform vouchers. According to central language All Allowances are to be increased each year by 1% as well as wages – this should apply to clothing/boot vouchers listed in the Collective Agreement. Central has confirmed that the uniform “voucher” is an “allowance” and should be increased accordingly.
The Collective Agreement will reflect in the body of the paragraph in Article L25.00. $202 – then at the bottom – Effective Sept 1 2020 $204 & Effective Sept 1 2021 $206 – Employees are entitled to an additional $12 – this can be provided now if employees have not used their Voucher or could be added to the next year. Please also remember that you are required to purchase new safety footwear every two years. Please keep your receipt to provide proof if you are questioned about your footwear.
Please remember that if you have the unfortunate experience of a work-related injury to please report it to your Supervisor and to Carrie Boisvert, our Disability Coordinator at the Union Office, Also, if you submit medical to the Employer, PLEASE make sure Carrie or I receive a copy as well. No injury is too small to report.
In Solidarity,
Bob Montgomery
Chairperson and Disability Representative
Bargaining Committee: Stewards:
John Allan Kevin Lamont
Dan Mills Robin Fair
Dan Fusco Jess Fusco
Public Board Custodial Maintenance Health & Safety
Hello to everyone. By the time you are reading this, I hope you all had the chance to enjoy Thanksgiving as you wished. We have made it through month one of the school year and are still going strong towards a complete in-person school year. I hope that you received the much-deserved recognition for National Custodian Day. I did notice that there was no acknowledgement from the Director or Associate Directors of our Board. I must say, I wasn’t surprised, especially considering the current workload issues.
Going forward, I must remind everyone that if you get injured, REPORT IT! This is not only for your own health, safety, and well being down the road but for also for the health, safety and well-being of all custodial staff. Reporting injuries helps to track issues that may exist and need to be dealt with. Bob Montgomery, Sean Hebert and I had a meeting with the Board about the lack of staff and increased workload. We were told that the expectations are 22,000 square feet per 8 hour FTE and that includes the Lead Custodians. We once again voiced our concerns regarding the workload. There is to be an Ergonomic Review. At the time of writing this, I had requested more information about what that will include and requested a job shadow(s) and to be involved on your behalf. This issue is ongoing and, to be honest, we are not too optimistic for a favourable outcome. That is why I say do the priorities as listed to ensure the staff and students safety to the best of our abilities. Be sure to document and report any issues to your supervisor so they are aware.
I have also contacted the Board about the snow clearing and salting duties. They have increased over the years, especially with the Kindergarten enclosures being put on to us. I have suggested that a plan be created for primary walkway/entry-ways to be cleared/salted. This would be decided with the supervisor, principal and yourself. It could also be a task for the workplace inspection team. Once there is an agreement for the entry-ways, it could be recorded and posted for all school staff to be aware and also shared with the community to help ensure their safety. Overall, I just feel it shows our due diligence and would allow us to get the disinfecting completed and hopefully take some of the stress away.
As the leaves start to fall and clean up is required, be conscious of the possibility of sharps. Please ensure you are wearing good, thick gloves and not pressing down on leaves and garbage while in bins with your hands as this could result in puncture wounds. If you have roof work to do;
- Ensure you are trained in Working at Heights, have workplan and proper equipment;
- Have a communication and rescue plan.
- These are both the Employer’s responsibility to have in place prior to requesting you take on a duty on the roof. If you are uncomfortable or feel unsafe or do not have the above-mentioned items in place, it is your right to refuse roof work.
With inclement weather around the corner, take a walk of your grounds so you are aware of any trouble areas (uneven sidewalks and interlocking) that may cause you injury while clearing snow such as jamming your wrist, fingers, arms, and even back. Take the time to refresh your memory for proper operation of the snow blower and make sure all cables and tires are ready to go. Most of all, make sure the safety (kill key and auger clearing towel) are present.
Another item to touch on, there seems to be a growing trend where work orders are being cancelled. This is especially concerning in cases where the work orders are for Health & Safety concerns or items identified during workplace inspections. This should not be happening as they are identified hazards and require proper explanation and timelines if they cannot be fixed within a reasonable time. If you are having these issues or concerns, please let me know as I can address it at the WIRC committee. All schools should be receiving a delivery of Health and Safety information posters and materials from the Union hall. Please read and post.
The last thing is a request for the Lead Custodians to send us a copy of your school’s sections and the total number of custodial staff working at your school. Please also note if your school has gained additional staff of lost staff. This can be sent to the Union Hall to the attention of Bob Montgomery or to Seneca Trail, attention Dan Mills.
Again, please remember to take care of yourself both physically and mentally as we deserve to be going home the same way we arrive to work. I realise this is our job but it shouldn’t jeopardize our livelihoods.
Stay Safe, any questions or concerns contact me at daniel.mills@cupe218.ca or 905 571 7879
“See you Along the Path “
Daniel Mills CUPE218
Custodial Maintenance
Health and Safety
Representative and Facilitator
Catholic Board LINC ESL
Well we made it through September!
Good work to all of you for starting in your new classes with new students and changed levels. Who would have thought that all our classes would have been reshuffled!!
We realize that a number of changes have occurred since our return this school year. We do feel a lot of administration tasks have been passed on to us on top of our workload as Instructors. Please document all the administration work that you have done for future reference.
As for now, we have collated proposals for our next bargaining contract. Thank you all for your input. I’ll be in touch with you once we have finalized the terms of the new contract.
With regards to seniority list, we are still waiting for a response back from the Board. The question put forward was whether Night School Instructors and Supply Instructors have a separate seniority list.
Hopefully October will bring some good news and closure for our contract agreement. We are still waiting for the Board to sign off our first collective agreement since ratification in February this year.
Please note that you will have to use your CUPE Local 218 email. If you do not have access to your CUPE 218 email, please be sure to contact Sue Wilkinson at the Union Office (swilkinson@cupe218.ca) for your login information; this information will give you access to both your email and the members’ area of our website. We encourage you to log in so that you have access to the latest updates concerning your union.
Hoping to see you all at our next Members General Meeting virtually.
It is Thanksgiving long weekend as I write this Newsletter. I hope that you and your family get as much time together to relax and enjoy the holiday. Take care and stay safe.
Happy Thanksgiving!
In Solidarity,
Sajida Aaron Bargaining Chair, DCDSB
Your Bargaining Committee:
Sajida Aaron – sajida.aaron@cupe218.ca
Katherine Sanchez – katherine.sanchez@cupe218.ca
Public Board CON ED
We hope you have had a good start to this new school year. One of the main features has been the shifting balance between on-line and in person learning, with some classes being re-organized as a result.
The final version of the Collective Agreement has been signed by the CUPE reps. Once we receive the signed document back from the Board it will be posted on our website.
The following was our job evaluation report in our last newsletter,
Regarding job evaluation, members of our committee continued to meet over the summer with Linda Merkac, the CUPE national rep, Helen Gibb-Gavel, the CUPE JE specialist, and the Board reps accompanied by their legal advisers. At our initial meeting, we were advised of the points value of each job. These point values had been determined by the joint Board/CUPE JE Committee earlier in the year, based on the questionnaires submitted by our members. At the next meeting, we were shown how these points were aligned to existing pay bands of other CUPE units. The JE Terms of Reference, negotiated by CUPE and the Board a number of years ago,dictated whether a job would increase or decrease in value. Each member of our unit will receive an individual email stating the results of their specific job title.
I rather optimistically stated that each member would receive an individual email or letter stating the results of their specific job title. Right now we are waiting for a Memorandum of Agreement from the Board which has to be signed by both sides. Meanwhile, we are following up with weekly phone calls to monitor the progress.
We hope you are able to attend our general membership meeting which will be held virtually on October 24th at 7:00.
Please do not hesitate to contact Jane, Darlene or Judy should you require any information or assistance.
On behalf of your Con Ed bargaining team,
Jane Batterink
Bargaining Chair, Public Board
Continuing Education
Your Bargaining Committee:
Jane Batterink–jbatterink@cupe218.ca
Darlene Sasseville–darlene.sasseville@cupe218.ca
Judy White–judy.white@cupe218.ca
Catholic Board Educational Assistants
Hello to you all! I can’t believe it is the last week of September. By the time you receive this newsletter, we would’ve all had Thanksgiving. Right now, I am thankful for my health, and my family. We are also thankful to all of you for maintaining your health, and supporting your students. We hope you have been able to spend time with your families and friends, and taken the time to be thankful as well. It was a relatively smooth start up with only a few hiccups.
I can feel the weather changing especially at night so prepare yourselves for cooler days especially when you must do yard duties. With the fluctuation of temperatures, we can expect more colds so I am resharing some good practises that I faithfully follow in order to stave off sickness. I for once did not get a cold last year, and I believe it is because of masking so this has been one benefit to having to wear this necessary PPE.
Here are some home remedies I rely on:
- Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer (as the kids we work with usually show up with colds and never stay home). This will also help prevent you from getting COVID.
- Take home remedies, such as “oil of oregano” drops or EmergC packets, when you are feeling the first effects of a virus. Costco sells them in 90 packets, and usually, it only takes 3 or 4 at one packet a day to slam that virus out; this also usually helps with cold sores when you first notice one coming in.
Please continue to cc us in when you are contacting anyone from the Board, so we know and can assist you with any issues you may have. If it is a health & safety issue include Carrie as well carrie.boisvert@cupe218.ca
Health & Safety – Carrie Boisvert
As always, I continue to remind you of the importance of filling out Incident Reports when you feel physically or verbally threatened or you were injured due to an incident. The reporting tool is your tool. No one is to direct you to write a report or not write a report. While filling out the report, I remind you that if you are cleaning a scratch or bite, that is first aid, so please make sure you check off first aid so a Parklane can be completed with your administrator. This ensures that if there is any follow up care needed you already establish there was some sort of injury due to the incident. When completing the Parklane with your Principal, I remind you again that this is your report and you generate the answers. If there is a discrepancy between you and your administrator regarding an answer your answer is the final one that is submitted. Make sure you get a copy of the report for your records. Both the video to complete an incident report and a Parklane report was emailed to your CUPE email address, and you can also access it on the CUPE website. When necessary, please ensure that the Safety plans are updated and reviewed when needed. It is a living document and may need to be changed throughout the course of the school year.
COVID Testing:
Some of you have chosen not to get the COVID vaccine so therefore must do “Rapid Testing” so that you can attend work. You also must attest whether or not you have the vaccine. If you have not done the attestation or participated in the rapid testing before going to work, you will be asked to remain home without pay. Please know that this is a ministry mandate, and not a union or board decision. This is the letter we received from the Ministry of Health:
Ministry Guidelines can be found on their website: https://www.ontario.ca/page/guide-reopening-ontarios-schools
Daily COVID Screening Protocol
If you have done the self- screening protocol, and have symptoms and therefore unsafe to enter your school site, let your administrator know that you are capable of working from home so that they don’t dock it from your sick time.
Masking
Some have had some adverse reactions but we still have to wear a mask. There are 3 different types of masks but you will need to first talk to your principal and request a different one. However, not everyone will be approved as there are only so many. Please continue to wear your board issued masks and goggles.
Labour Management
Our first labour management meeting is on October 19th. With that being said, I am looking to hear from you to give me the information I require so that I can continue to advocate on your behalf regarding provision of a laptop/device to assist you all in doing your jobs. So far, the board has continued to deny our request to have technology as they do not think it is needed to do our jobs. I am looking for how often during the day you use a Chromebook etc. to assist, and to create material to assist your students, emails, virtual meetings, reports including incident reports. Please send me all the information you can so that I can create statistics and refute the Boards claims that technology would not be useful as a tool for your jobs. I am hoping to gather this information from each school so I can prove that technology is needed.
Hours of Work
We have a lot of inquiries regarding the hours of work that we are required to do. If you are working full-time hours, you must work 7 hours and 40 minutes. If you are working part-time, you are only required to work 3.5 hours or 3 and a half hours.
AD HOC
Our first AD HOC date was on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, where we reviewed the Online incident reporting system, and the Parklane. Some principals believe they have to debrief for every incident report, but a debrief is only required if you request one, or you have an injury. A Parklane is created with your principal/supervisor when and during a debrief and there is an injury.
Job Evaluation – Ongoing
As you may have noticed that there have been a lot of new people hired in the Board’s HR department so we have been put on the backburner in bringing your position to a job evaluation committee. We are still working and pushing to get it there. Our CUPE VP Sean Hebert has just recently met with the co-chair of the steering committee, and this gives me hope that Job Evaluation should be up and running soon.
A word from Susie Lee-Fernandez:
Dear Educational Assistants,
I cannot express the full scope of my gratitude for everything you have done over this past month to support our students with special needs. I realize that the transition back to school has been successful but not without some challenges.
I wish each of you a beautiful Thanksgiving weekend with your loved ones. Happy Thanksgiving!
Susie
Remember, we are here if you need us! If you’re a new employee and haven’t set up your CUPE email, please email swilkinson@cupe218.ca or call the CUPE office @ (905) 571-7879.
Happy Halloween!
Maureen Cope – maureen.cope@cupe218.ca
Bargaining Chair, Durham Catholic Board Educational Assistants
Bargaining Committee
Carrie Boisvert – Health & Safety Representative carrie.boisvert@cupe218.ca
Bobbi Jo Agius – bobbijo.agius@cupe218.ca
Steward
Shelagh Cauchi – shelagh.cauchi@cupe218.ca
Just a reminder!
Keep in mind that if we don’t return your call right away it is because we are also working.
Educational Assistants/Outdoor ED-Public Board
EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS/OUTDOOR ED INSTRUCTORS – DDSB
It’s been a busy start with a number of issues to be sorted. We hope everyone had a chance to see and save the Welcome Back notice as there were many reminders and info to help answer many of the questions we receive.
We wanted to share a few more reminders and updates.
- Supplies- yes, there have been a number of shortages and issues. Many who were on the list have chosen not to work. The Board is monitoring the system daily and have recognized there is a problem. All school boards across the province are having the same issue. In trying to help with the shortage they have started hiring dedicated supplies for the schools who have been in crisis with a number of shortages. They will continue with this as required.
They have been hiring lately and an ‘on going’ posting has gone out to Apply to Education.
As with many EAs, the majority of supplies either work for a couple of boards, or have other jobs as well. This is one of the reasons there are difficulties with getting supplies in the High Schools. The change in hours has prevented many from accepting these positions.
We’ve heard from many supplies that they either haven’t been called or as we were made aware, there were system errors in which jobs were cancelled.
As a supply, please don’t just sit and wait for a phone call. If you don’t receive a call, you can contact dispatch directly or go on line in SFE to look at and book yourself into open positions.
We appreciate being made aware of schools not receiving supplies so we can monitor it as well but you also need to ask your Admin to contact the Board and make them aware. Especially since being short staffed is creating Health & Safety concerns.
- 4 hour supervision and lunch supervisors – again this year we became aware that many schools have been using these workers to fill in for or do the job of an EA. This is NOTto be taking place. It’s doing the job of a Bargaining Unit member. The Board was alerted that this cannot take place and a memo went out to all Superintendents and Principals. If you find this is happening in your school, please notify me right away lrichards@cupe218.ca
- Just as we do not fill in for ECEs when they are off ill – either as a permanent EA or Supply. This is doing the work of another bargaining unit.
- EAs do not have to find their own back up for a bus duty or supervision. Nor do they book or find their own supply when needing to be off. That is the job of Admin.
- DDSB email – we are not to be using the Board email for any Union business. Please email your Rep/Steward via the CUPE 218 email. You can forward your 218 email address to your personal account but don’t forward it to your Board email address as the Board will remove it.
- Please don’t apply for a LOA for sick leave as you will be denied – for sick leaves, surgery etc. you have to contact Short Term Absence abasence@ddsb.caand it’s advisable to contact the Union as well. As well, your sick days are for you only and not for taking care of your kids or other family members. That would fall under a LOA and be considered an unpaid leave day.
- Please remember that we don’t have personal days in our Collective Agreement.
- Retirement/Resignation- for this as with all other leaves, it is done through you ESS (Employee Self Serve) under forms.
- H&S- please make sure to read Traceys H&S report in each newsletter as she provides great info.
- As always- be cautious of all social media and stay off it when you should be working.
- If you have questions, you need to contact the Rep/Steward for the Area in which the school you work at is located. Asking union questions on social media has led to incorrect information and management has been seeing what’s posted and by who. Somehow, they are always watching.
- If you send an email or phone the office to speak with your Rep/Steward and don’t receive a reply within a day or so, please remember that there are approximately 1,500 EAs with supplies and it can be busy. Resend your email or call again.
The Chart on the next page shows who your contact person is.
Take care, be safe and well.
Chairperson – Lori Richards
Bargaining Reps – Tracey Lesperance, Sue Wilkinson, Glen Morrison
Stewards- Brandy Townson, Deb Kennelly, Fil Wylie, Stephanie Dezsi
PUBLIC BOARD EA SCHOOL AREA AND CONTACT PERSON – PLEASE CONTACT THE REP OR STEWARD FOR YOUR AREA SCHOOL VIA YOUR CUPE EMAIL ADDRESS, OR CONTACT THE OFFICE AND ASK THAT A MESSAGE BE SENT TO YOUR REP/STEWARD.
REMINDER – We are not to use the DDSB email for any Union business.
| SCHOOL AREA | CONTACT PERSON (REP) | CONTACT INFO |
|
AJAX ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS —————————————— PICKERING ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
|
STEPHANIE DEZSI (STEWARD) —————————————— BRANDY TOWNSON (STEWARD) |
——————————————-
|
|
ALL NORTHERN & WHITBY–ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS |
DEB KENNELLY (STEWARD) |
|
|
OSHAWA ELEMENTARY (ADELAIDE MCLAUGHLIN P.S.– JEANNE SAUVE P.S.) —————————————— OSHAWA ELEMENTARY (KEDRON P.S. – WOODCREST P.S.) |
FIL WYLIE (STEWARD)
—————————————– SUE WILKINSON (REP & SET UP FOR CUPE 218 EMAIL, BENEFITS AND OTIP) |
——————————————–
|
|
ALL HIGH SCHOOLS & H&S ITEMS |
TRACEY LESPERANCE (REP AND EA H&S REP) |
|
|
ALL BOARD MEETINGS AND CUPE EA COLLABORATOR —————————————— SUPPLIES -OFFICE /OUTDOOR ED/ DISABILITY MANAGEMENT REP |
GLEN MORRISON (REP) —————————————— LORI RICHARDS (CHAIRPERSON) |
——————————————-
|
Public Board Educational Assistants Health & Safety
Wow, can you believe how fast September went? Now here we are in October, one of the prettiest months of the year!
This month there are some Health Awareness Campaigns to be aware of:
Breast Cancer Awareness (pink) –1 in 8 Canadian women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. And while more people are surviving a breast cancer diagnosis than ever before, it’s still the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among Canadian women.
ADHD Awareness (orange) gives Canadians an opportunity to become more aware and educated about ADHD.
World Mental Health Awareness is October 10th ( purple) The overall objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
This year’s slogan: Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality. #WorldMentalHealthDay
On the DDSB website and Staff SPARK page, Well-Being and Mental Health – DDSB Spark there are some great resources for staff.
DDSB-Healthy-Habits-for-Well-Being.pdf
Personal Resiliency Tips During the COVID-19 Pandemic (ddsb.ca)
How-to-handle-emotions-at-work.pdf (ddsb.ca)
EAP (Employee Assistance Program) www. workhealthlife
COVID UPDATE
Pandemic school nurses have been visiting schools and introducing themselves to staff. They are attached to a family of schools and will be the contact if there is COVID at a school.
Vaccination clinics have been at a variety of schools. They are open to any employee. Those that received the first dose in September will be eligible for the second dose during the October clinics.
Changes to the DDSB website, there are some new Health and Safety tabs. Such as COVID-19 information, Ventilation Measures Report, and School Upgrades.
PPE– The schools all have a large supply of PPE. If you require anything, first approach your Administration and if there are any difficulties let me know.
New this year is the choice to wear goggles/shield/safety glasses, unless within 2m from an unmasked person. I would suggest that when you are on yard duty, or bus supervision, that you bring eye protection with you. There may be times when you will encounter an unmasked student and will want that extra bit of safety.
Training
I have received wonderful feedback on the September PD day training. Though most of the sessions were a refresher, it was great to finally see some information on debriefing. It gives us a good idea of what it is suppose to look like. This is an area that seems to be often forgotten but it is an important part! Everyone involved needs to have the opportunity to discuss and feel heard after an act of violence occurs. It does not have to be as formal as the video but it should involve all team members, at a time and place that allows the ability to speak freely and problem solve.
BMS Training- this year again the training will be virtual. School based consults with Psychological Services may occur if there is need in a specific school.
There is a mask tolerance program/training in the professional learning site. This details strategies to help students become more tolerant of masks. https:professionallearning.ddsb.ca/d2l/home
Reporting
Thank you to the 200+ EAs who have completed Violent Incident Reports in the month of September. I know, a strange thing to say. But the sad reality of our profession.
Remember it is everyone’s duty to report violence in the workplace. That means physical, verbal, and emotional violence. In most cases, a VIR and a Safe Schools Incident Report are needed.
If you are in contact with any bodily fluids do an exposure form.
Head injuries, make sure that you get it checked out and report it immediately to your Principal.
Parklanes, are to be done whenever you experience an injury that requires first aid. Immediately report it to your Principal and state that you want a Parklane completed. Do not be embarrassed or feel that you are imposing. Your health is important and if you don’t self advocate, who will?
You have rights! The right to go to work, and return home safely.
When you are involved in workplace violence and /injury you have a duty to report it to your supervisor (Principal).
You are to have time during the work day to complete all forms needed.
You are to have a debrief with all those involved in the incident. During working hours.
You are to receive verification in writing that your Principal has investigated the incident. Part B of the SSIR.
You will be provided with all PPE you require to safely do the job duties you are assigned.
If you have issues with any of this things at your workplace, YOU NEED TO SPEAK UP.
As always first go to your Principal and state your concern or need. If you do not get what you need then put it in writing to them. After this stage, if there are still concerns then reach out to your Union Steward or the CUPE 218 office for guidance.
We are here to support you!
Take care and stay safe.
Tracey Lesperance
Health and Safety Representative
Educational Assistants CUPE 218
Catholic Board SCT
Welcome to October 2021… the pandemic is still going on edition. I hope everyone was able to find a few moments over the recent holiday weekend and the Federal National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to find a few moments to reflect on our Country’s past and ways we can all do better in the future.
As I stated above the pandemic continues along with the many changes that brings to our daily experience. By now everyone should have filled out their Attestation form and depending on your answers you have either confirmed you are fully vaccination or if you declined to answer or answered no you are required to test twice weekly as per the employer’s directions. Please remember that these are employer polices brought in at the direction of the ministry of education and/or the Ontario Chief Medical Officer. These are not CUPE policies however we are required to follow them.
If you have any questions about the requirements, I encourage you to check the CUPE 218 COVID updates section of the website: https://cupe218.ca/covid-19-virus-updates-2/. Personally, I have found some of the recent postings extremely helpful:
New information will be posted there as we receive it. Please check back regularly for updates. Please ensure you have access to your CUPE 218 email address, if you do not, please contact Sue Wilkinson at swilkinson@cupe218.ca.
We do not currently have any labour management dates set.
Even though we are still waiting for the signed copy of our last contract we need to start looking to the future. If you have any specific proposals that you would like to see considered, please let the committee know as we are starting to gear up for the next round of bargaining.
If injured on the job, please make sure you report it right away to your Principal and/or Supervisor. Make sure all paperwork 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.
If you are putting in a vacation and/or leave request, please CC myself or the office on it so that we are kept in the loop should we need to follow up with it later.
Make sure to be taking your breaks and lunches every single day. You deserve them and you have the right to them, it also never hurts to take them away from your desk for a little peace and quiet.
Please ensure you check the seniority list every year when it comes out for any errors in YOUR information. If you see an issue, please contact HR to see about getting it corrected and CC the union in the email.
Our next membership Meeting is scheduled for Sunday October 24th 2019 at 7:00pm. I hope to see you there!
| 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
The leaves have changed colour. The weather has cooled. The days are shorter. Fall has settled in. And will Fall comes Thanksgiving, a time to reflect on all the things we have to be grateful for.
Health and Safety – DDSB has sent out Mandatory Health and Safety Training. These modules are to be completed by October 29. Please remember that duties assigned by the board are to be completed during your regular work day. If finding time to complete these duties becomes problematic, please speak with your supervisor to work out a solution.
Leaves – All leave requests are made through the HRP Link in Employee Self-Serve. Article L21.00 in our Collective Agreement lists all leaves available to our unit including: Jury duty, Bereavement, Pregnancy, Parental, and Special Leaves (as included below) to highlight just a few.
L21.09 (b) Special Leave
An employee shall be granted leave of absence, with pay, for periods of up to an annual maximum of two (2) days, one (1) day per occurrence, for special or compassionate reasons, subject to the approval of the Superintendent of Education – Human Resource Services or designate where such leaves occur during a scheduled work day. For the purpose of this paragraph, year is defined as Sept. 1 to Aug. 31.
Special Leaves are:
- to attend the graduation exercise of the employee, spouse or child from a recognized course of study from a secondary school, college or university;
- to attend the birth or homecoming of the employee’s child;
- to write examinations to upgrade the employee’s employment qualifications;
- to attend a funeral of a close friend;
- moving to a new place of residence on the day of the move, limited to once per year;
- to observe religious holidays. Eligibility for religious holidays under this article is understood to apply to holy days for any religion which is recognized as being permanently established both as to the continuity of its existence and as to its rights and ceremonies.
Sick Days – While you are in Employee Self-Serve you can check on how many top-up days you have carried over from last year’s sick days. To access this information, you will need to go to Personal then Absence. We have 131 sick days in all; 11 days are paid at 100% and 120 days are Short Term Days paid at 90%. Any unused sick days from the previous school year are carried over as Sick Leave Top Up. So, if you have 1 day left then 10 Short Term Days would be topped up to 100% and so on.
OSBCU – The OSBCU held serval Classification Forums this month including an Information & Technology Forum and Clerical Forum. These forums are great opportunity to meet with CUPE members from other locals to discuss issues pertaining to each unit. These forums are held semi-annually, and information is posted on our CUPE website under the OSBCU tab for anyone interested in attending.
OCT Committee Contact Information
OCT Chairperson Allison Petty
allison.petty@cupe218.ca
Elementary Schools Rep Leanne Finlay leanne.finlay@cupe218.ca
Secondary Schools Rep Antony Nembhard antony.nembhard@cupe218.ca
Education Centre Rep Andrew Pearce andrew.pearce@cupe218.ca
OTIP Articles
5 things you can do now to prepare your home for winter
Now that fall is officially here, many Canadians are busy enjoying all that the season has to offer. Between admiring the colour-changing leaves on a cool evening stroll and baking pies made with freshly picked apples, prepping for winter may be at the bottom of your fall to-do list. However, using the last of the year’s warmer weather to prepare your home for winter cold could spare you a lot of trouble once the weather starts to turn. Here are five things you can do in the fall to get your home ready for winter.
https://www.otipinsurance.com/article126.
Roundabouts don’t have to be scary
October usually brings images of ghosts, goblins, skeletons and other classic “spooky season” frights. If driving through a roundabout is on your list of “spooky” things, read on. While roundabouts have become increasingly popular in Canada over the years, they still make up only a small fraction of the country’s intersections and continue to leave many Canadian drivers apprehensive. But navigating a roundabout doesn’t have to be scary!
https://www.otipinsurance.com/article125.
What’s behind the increased cost of auto insurance claims?
With the average cost of auto insurance claims on the rise, many drivers are wondering what’s behind the increase and if there’s any relief in sight. Here’s a breakdown of two key factors that are behind the rising cost of auto insurance claims in recent years.
https://www.otipinsurance.com/article124
Employee Assistance Program
Employee Assistance Program
Durham Catholic District School Board Employees
FSEAP 1-613-549-5561
1-888-409-4499 Toll Free
myfseap.ca
Durham Public School Board Employees
Morneau Shepell 1-844-880-9142
Edvantage Program
Edvantage Card
The Edvantage Program gives you special access to discounts on
things like car insurance, Canada’s Wonderland passes, GoodLife
memberships, retail purchases and more!
Haven’t registered for Edvantage?
Contact Sue Wilkinson at swilkinson@cupe218.ca to register today!
