December 2022 Newsletter

It’s difficult to believe that we are only two months into the school year, it feels like so much more. Christmas is only a few weeks away and given this will be the last newsletter until the New Year, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I would like to thank the Local’s Social Committee for organizing CUPE Local 218’s Children’s Christmas Party. All that attended had a great time. We had crafts, face painting, and for the first time, we had a Puppeteer. Of course, as always, Santa was there for visits, presents and photos. Well done team!

At our September General Membership meeting we opened the floor to nominations for a variety of positions. I would like to congratulate those members that were elected and acclaimed.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you that took the time to vote and support me in being re-elected as your President. It is my honour and privilege being the President of Local 218 and I can assure you that this is not a responsibility that I take lightly. I will continue to give you 110% providing the services and representation that you expect and deserve.

CUPE Education Workers, along with our Labour friends and people from the community, were part of a historic event. On November 4^th and November 7^th we took political action telling the Ford government that we will not stand for their bullying tactics and we will fight as one to protect our labour rights. On October 30^th, the OSBCU gave five days notice to strike. Shortly after this, the Ford Government passed Bill 28. This bill made it illegal for us to strike and imposed a Collective Agreement on us, both centrally and locally. Given the pressure and the show of solidarity, the Ford Government rescinded the Bill, which gave the labour movement back our rights. This is a time for all Union members to stand proud and be able to say that because of us, because of our actions, we made history not only in Ontario, but across Canada.

By the time you are reading this, you will know that the Central tentative agreement was accepted. Over 40,000 OSBCU members participated in the vote with 73% in favour of acceptance. For the first time in a decade, Education Workers have achieved a collective agreement that did not impose terms through legislation. Each President received their Local’s participation in the vote. CUPE Local 218’s results were; 82% in favour and 18% against. I’m sure you can understand that a lot of analysis and rationalizing goes through one’s mind when trying to come to a decision of voting in favour or against. CUPE is a democratic Union and every member has their right to vote without discrimination.

I would like to recognize all of the volunteers, strike captains and mobilizers that worked diligently for many hours. If it was not for these members, we would not have been able to support the membership.

Over the past few months we have been at the bargaining table with both the Durham Catholic District School Board and the Durham District School Board. While negotiations are still ongoing with both of the Employers, progress is slow. My hopes are now that an agreement has been ratified at the Central bargaining table, we will be able to have a more appropriate view of the Local proposal packages without any complications of understanding Central and Local items.

The Durham Catholic District School Board has started to implement their Attendance Support Program. I have some concerns with this policy and would argue that it does not meet the KVP principles. The Employer does not clearly state the consequences of violation of the policy and it does not clearly define a mechanism to exclude absenteeism that is defined under the WSIB and Employment standards acts, Human Rights Code or extenuating circumstances. And finally, the “last chance agreement” statement is unclear and could be viewed as a violation of the recognition clause. I will have more dialog with the Employer but at the end of the day, a possible grievance could be imminent.

Both DCDSB and DDSB continue to take advantage of members and their dedication to students and their professions. Some of these despicable acts are;

• Hiring unqualified workers to work in our professions.
• Workload/Workplace Burnout.
• Inadequate staffing
• Overtime inefficiencies

We have tried to work with the Employers on these and other matters but they continue to disregard any attempt due to the fact that the members continue to go above and beyond each and every day. I know and respect the ownership and dedication that all of you put in daily, but the sad facts are, your Employer will continue to disrespect you until we all say enough is enough.

Your committees have discussed these issues through Labour Management, grievances and have only gained little ground, why? Honestly, because your Employer does not respect you or the work that you do.

SO, I am now taking it to the Trustees and going to be very transparent with the community. On a weekly basis I have media reaching out to me and I have absolutely no problem sharing with them our struggles and our campaigns. You re-elected me for a reason, and that reason is to get a job done. With the support of your committees, and from you the membership, WE WILL SUCCEED.

In Solidarity,

Dennis Gibbs
President CUPE Local 218

In terms of Local bargaining, we currently have met with both boards and passed proposals for 5 out of 8 of the Units.  As we moved throughout the bargaining process we will continue to update you.  As you are aware from the Bargaining that took place centrally, this is a long process and any gains that are made at the table are due to our membership being united.  As soon as we show the Employer that we are divided it gives them the upper hand as they see and hear it.  As much as we all appreciate your opinion and questions we would ask that you contact the CUPE office.  The less that is shared on Social Media the more power we may have at the bargaining table.

We are currently in the process of collective data regarding shortages in our schools.  As one of the key items in the central proposals was supports and staffing in the schools.  Unfortunately if this agreement is passed, we will not have any additional supports in any of our 8 units.  With that being said, it is important that we show the media and the trustee’s that even with the allocations in schools we are still struggling with staff shortages due to members being off and no replacement coming in.

We have started with the DCDSB assigning a member to track absences and replacement staff each day.  Our hope is that we have a least one person for each unit in each school to assist with the tracking data.  Please reach out to me if this is something that you are able to do and I will set you up with our shared document for your location.

Both the DCDSB and the DDSB gave FEAP programs.  If you or someone in your family needs supports there should be information shared at each school location.  If that information is not there, then please reach out to the CUPE office and we will send the information to your school to put on your CUPE board.

I would like to end by once again thanking each and every one of you.  No matter the results of our vote we all should be very proud.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Carrie Boisvert
Carrie.boisvert@cupe218.ca

It has been a very trying time over the last few months.  It has taken all of us to make the changes that we so desperately need.  As I write this newsletter, we still are not sure if the Central tentative agreement will be ratified. Whatever the outcome we need to continue to work together to strengthen our Local and make the Public aware of what is currently happening in the Education sector.  Each of us face our own unique circumstance and whatever the outcome we need to support and respect each other’s opinion.

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 documentations 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 after 5 days absent.

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 christie.morissette@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 HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FEELS THAT YOU ARE UNABLE TO RETURN TO WORK, THEY DO NOT NEED TO COMPLETE THE LIMITATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS CHECK LIST.  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.

WSIB and Covid

If you believe you may have been exposed to COVID-19 while at work, but you are not ill and/or are not currently presenting symptoms of COVID-19, 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.

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 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

In the New Year our new committee’s will start.  The Disability team is changing, I am pleased to announce that John Allen will be one of the new Disability reps in the New Year.  He has been growing and learning over the last couple of months and I am pleased to have him part of the team.

I wish everyone a safe and relaxing Christmas Break.  I hope you all are able to take the time needed with family and friends and enjoy your well-deserved Break.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!!

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

Sean Hebert- shebert@cupe218.ca
Lori Richard- lrichards@cupe218.ca
John Allan- john.allan@cupe218.ca

There was an issue when an instructor, who is currently working in a 10-month position helping students with technology, applied for two part time teaching positions that came up. They applied but were denied because in the CA; it stipulates that you cannot apply for any other position while still fulfilling a current 10-month position not yet completed. We are currently in local bargaining negotiations for a new Collective Agreement and wondered if we could add wording that would not prevent a current 10-month employee from applying and being accepted for a new position even though they have not fulfilled the 10 months yet.

ARTICLE 14 – JOB POSTINGS AND TRANSFERS

14.01 When new jobs are created or where a vacancy exists, the Board shall post such positions for a period of five (5) working days and shall state the nature of the position, requirements of the job, required knowledge and education, skills, abilities, location and CLB Level(s). The Union will have access to the posting. LINC/ESL Instructors will be allowed one successful job posting in a ten (10) month period. The duration of the ten (10) month period shall begin as of the date when the LINC/ESL Instructor is advised of the appointment unless the start date is identified as a specific date in which case the ten (10) month period will start as of the date identified on the posting.

We then learned that all CAs do not accommodate changing jobs mid-contract to avoid scheduling nightmares.

Another applicant successfully applied and was hired. We now have 12 members in our small Unit. Congratulations to our new member.

Other than that, the recent political action and potential strike were uppermost in our minds. Thankfully, the political action was only for two days and in nice weather. Also thankfully, a strike in winter-like conditions was averted. The central CA is being voted on by the members at the moment after months of arduous bargaining by OSBCU. We will know the results of this vote on December 5. Now, the focus is on local bargaining for all units.

Another issue regarding sick leave came up as a member became quite ill and needed to use all their full-pay sick days. After this, there are 120 sick leave days at 90% pay:

C6.00 Sick leave

b) Sick Leave Days Payable at 100% Wages Permanent Employees Subject to paragraphs d), e) and f) below, Employees will be allocated eleven (11) sick days payable at one hundred percent (100%) of wages on the first day of each fiscal year, or the first day of employment.

c) Short Term Disability Coverage – Days Payable at 90% Wages Permanent Employees Subject to paragraphs d), e) and f) below, permanent Employees will be allocated one hundred and twenty (120) short-term disability days at the start of each fiscal year or the first day of employment. Permanent Employees eligible to access short term disability coverage shall receive payment equivalent to ninety percent (90%) of regular wages.

We look forward to ratifying our new local agreement. We had our first round of bargaining on November 23, 2022, and continue bargaining in the New Year; the date is yet to be determined.

Merry Christmas & a Happy New year to everyone.

From your bargaining team,
Tracy Gill & Katherine Sanchez

It is hard to believe that we are three months into the school year, and although the unseasonably warm fall days have sadly come and gone, the change of seasons brings us that much closer to the holiday season and spending quality time with family and friends.

This is my first newsletter as your new chairperson, and I want to take this time to thank everyone for welcoming me to the Con Ed Bargaining Committee.  I would also like to thank CUPE Local 218 for their support, guidance, and patience as I assume this new roll. To be honest, since I assumed this position on October 31^st, I have been overwhelmed with trying to process all the information that will enable me to provide support in the best possible way, please bear with me as I navigate through the union procedures.

By the time this newsletter comes out, we will have more information from the OSBCU on the ratification vote and the tentative agreement. You will be able to find all the official information either from the local 218 website, or from the OSBCU. It is very important that you are checking both on a regular basis.

On that note, I hope that everyone is well and finding healthy strategies for navigating through the stressful effects of the last few months. They have been the most stressful months of our careers. Thank you to all the members who stood strong in supporting the OSBCU’s commitment to fighting back against Bill 28.

Some of the LINC/ESL instructors have repeatedly expressed concerns with committee members about feelings the effects of burnout, not having enough time to prepare effectively for classroom teaching, large class sizes and teaching multiple levels at one time. In only a few short months, this is becoming overwhelming for many. Unfortunately, the issue has been communicated several times to administration and continues to not be addressed.  We will follow up with administration to find out the status of moving students and reorganizing classes and if this has been completed or if there will be additional changes in the future. We have been encouraged to provide you with a survey to get a better idea of how much time you are spending on planning so that this would support discussions at the bargaining table. We will be putting this together and sending it out ASAP. It is important that everyone remembers that when you work extra hours outside of your paid day, it is sending a message to the employer that your workloads are manageable. Make sure that you are taking your lunch breaks, every single day. You deserve them. Use your lunch time to get away from your desk and change your scenery while socializing with your colleagues. This is also a great time to check out the CUPE bulletin board in the lunchroom for updates and important information.

At the time of writing this newsletter, the committee has not been notified if the postings for the Temporary LINC Instructor,(Special Deliver Instruction project) or the Supply LINC Instructor have been filled. We will follow up with administration in the coming days and keep you informed.

By now everyone should have been assigned a parking spot in Oshawa, if there is a problem, please email either Silvia or Mary.

We will be following up with administration this month about starting to offer infant care again at both our Oshawa and Pickering locations. When we continue to hear about the importance of ‘bums in seats’, it is hard to understand why administration has been reluctant to allow us to provide this service.

Recently, I was made aware that only two participants could pre-registered for the 2023 CNC Conference. I was under the impression that all CNC would be participating in the virtual conference. Administration has inquired about this, and it is my hope that everyone will be invited to join the event. We will keep you posted.

The CUPE Local 218 Children’s Christmas Party was celebrated on November 26^th, 2022. The children really enjoyed making crafts, facepainting, watching the puppet show and especially their visit and gift from Santa. It was a wonderful event and great start to the holiday festivities.

Please remember that if you are injured at work, you need to report it to your supervisor ASAP. It is their responsibility to enter a Parklane form. Do not be afraid to report, you don’t know how you will feel the following day. No injury should be disregarded.

We are looking for a CUPE liaison for our Oshawa location to help spread news on both local and central negotiations. This role would not be time consuming. You would only need to check your email on a regular basis and, when something important pops up, communicate with colleagues (on your lunch or after school). You might also be asked to post information on the CUPE bulletin board (in your lunchroom). If this is something that you would be interested in, please speak with me, Darlene, or Arisa.

Now, I don’t have a crystal ball that can see what 2023 will look like for DCE education workers, but I believe that the more our members get involved, the more our voices will be heard by our employer. Together we remain united, and we will show that our voices matter. Remember, we are the glue that keeps DCE together!

The next General Membership meeting is scheduled for Sunday January 22^nd, 2023, at 7:00pm. It is my understanding that the meeting will be in person, always check the CUPE website for updated information. You are encouraged to attend meetings as the more our members get involved, the more our voices will be heard. This is a great opportunity to have your questions answered by the experts.

Our next Newsletter will be published in March 2023.

On behalf of your bargaining team, we wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and may this holiday season bring you so much happiness that continues throughout 2023.

Kristine Brown- Chair – kristine.brown@cupe218.ca
Darlene Sasseville- darlene.sassville@cupe218.ca
Arisa Tierney- arisa.tierney@cupe218.ca

We had our first Labour Management meeting on November 1^st where a number of things were discussed. It was also our first meeting with the new Superintendent of HR, Gerrard Winn. He seemed respectful so hopefully we will get things done in a timelier manner. Here is a list of topics that we brought up:

• We are setting up a committee to change the format of how performance appraisals are being done. This has been an ongoing discussion over the last two years. We believe that performance appraisals are not motivating or objective, and that we are the only group in the Board who is evaluated every year. Surprisingly Jackie supported this fact. We plan on making them more goal oriented whereby EAs can have an active role in their evaluations.
• We also brought up the fact that some schools do not have Walkie Talkies although the Safety Plan clearly defines that they are needed. Some principals however, are not prioritizing them.
• We also suggested that we follow the DDSB plan to have supply EAs assigned to our most challenging schools to cover staff shortages. We have been told that they will look into this possibility.

EA Supply Staffing shortages
We continue to have supply staffing shortages and some schools are working with shortages of 3 to 5 people, and have these happening for multiple days in a row. We have been told that the Centralized EAs will be deployed if needed for those schools who have extreme shortages. We are also asking for 1 representative from each school to keep a daily record in the Teams site called “EA Staffing.” There is a tally spreadsheet that we are tracking over a period of time so that we can let the public, and the board of trustees know how badly the staffing shortages are. Please let us know so that we can add you to the Teams site.

Local Bargaining
We had our first bargaining date for our committee with the Board on Wednesday, November 30^th. We are hoping to get an agreement a lot faster than we did the last time we bargained locally. Again, this is bargaining. We will keep you informed when we can. We will also let you know when it is time to ratify. This are local issues and are not monetary.

AD HOC
We had our AD HOC meeting is on Tuesday. November 29^th. We are hoping to get answers regarding our questions on how students without IEPs were responsible for incidences involving EAs. Do they have safety plans now that they are on our radar.

LEAD – Susie Lee Fernandez is doing a Special Ed review under the direction and in partnership of Queen’s University and the Abilities Centre., I along with a lot of other interested parties, and union affiliates were invited to the process where we took a deep dive into equity amongst our students and staff in keeping with equity following the AODA and the Human Right’s Code. Parents have also been invited to participate. Once this process is complete the Abilities Centre will provide us with the results. I’m sure the Board will share the results but I will make sure I will also share the results of the study. This process is to help better understand the needs of the individuals involved. This is important for accessibility and inclusion for students as well as staff. Please expect to participate in a staff survey about your perspective as an employee of the DCDSB.

Be honest as this survey will be anonymous so there won’t be any reflection on you.

Job Evaluation – nothing new to report Hoping to restart this process after bargaining is finished.

A word about Attendance Management

Attendance management has been around for many years in other companies. Together along with assent from the Ministry of Labour as well as the ministry of Education and in an effort to decrease “innocent absenteeism” our Board started using in quite a few years ago. Most of you received an email regarding this and a lot do not know what it is and why this has just come up. It is because the Board put this program on hold during the Pandemic but they have served us notice that as of October 2022 Attendance Management is back in play. Most of you do not have to worry. They have given a threshold of 11 days, and 8 occurrences. We realize that you have been told that if you are sick, stay home. Sounds ironic right? It is the “day here, and a day there usually involving Mondays and Fridays that the Board will target so yes you are allowed to be sick and use your sick days. Your committee is here for you should you have to be involved in the program.  I am so glad that we fought back and kept our sick days. Top up days are necessary if we do get a catastrophic illness or have to be off for a period of time for surgery. These are just two examples but there are many others that those top up days are essential to see us through a lengthy illness or to get us to our Long-Term Benefits.

Health and Safety: Carrie Boisvert

As of November 30th 2022, there has been a total of 312 Incident reports written. 103 of which resulted in first aid or medical attention. This is an increase from the following years. Please ensure that you are continuing to write the Incident reports as well as familiarizing yourself with the safety plans. If safety plans need to be created or changed, make sure your input is heard. Best practice would be a meeting, but understanding with your hours of work that it is not always possible. Your input can be heard through a conversation or an email. Do not sign or agree to a safety plan unless you feel that it reflects the students and staff safety.

If a principal or admin informs you that you are not to write an incident report, remind them that it is your report and your decision whether one needs to be written based on your incident with a student(s). Also, if they inform you that you need to report to them verbally before writing the report, that is a courtesy. Often, we do not have even time to do the write up during our 7 hours. If your incident results in first aid or medical attention, make sure you complete a Parklane with your admin and you sign and receive a copy for your records.

Hope you all have a safe and rest Christmas Break!!

I want to really thank members of my last committee. Bobbi Jo and Shelagh Cauchi who have been your bargaining rep and steward for the last 4 years and those years were heavy as we all know. I also want to welcome the new members to our EA Committee who will begin their journey in January:

Patricia Bosley – Bargaining Representative
Kristina McClaren – Bargaining Representative
Anita Condron – Steward

Although I am going to miss Carrie Boisvert on my committee as she is now our Vice President of our local,  I want to congratulate her on her well-earned position and thank her for being my right hand, and my left hand and…. and… Do not fear, I have been assured that she will be there supporting us and is one phone call away.

So, from all of us, we wish you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! Stay safe.

As always if you need us, we are here for you, and can be reached at:

Maureen Cope – Bargaining Chair, Catholic Board
maureen.cope@cupe218.ca

Bargaining Committee 
Carrie Boisvert – Health & SafetyRepresentative
carrie.boisvert@cupe218.ca

Bobbi Jo Agius – bobbijo.agius@cupe218.ca

Steward 
Shelagh Cauchi – shelagh.cauchi@cupe218.ca

I would like to start with saying how happy and very proud I was to see all of our Unit and the entire 218 Local out during the Political Protest.  Everyone may have been spread in a number of different locations but hopefully you found someone you knew, or had the chance to make new friends!  Together with many allies from all across Canada we forced the Government to repeal the bill and give us back our rights which many of our families (Parents, Grandparents etc) fought for us to have.  This is such a huge accomplishment and together we all made history in doing that!  I am a PROUD CUPE MEMBER and you should be too!

At the Beginning of this school year we sent an email with info for a number of items and attached a copy of the Collective Agreement as well for everyone to look over and find answers to a number of your questions.

I’m providing a follow up with some reminders and some new items to be aware of.  Print this info out or save it as reference to look up quickly.

LOCAL 218 BARGAINING – We’ve had a couple of meetings and had to cancel one due to it being the day before we participated in the Political Protest.   We are now waiting on additional dates.

POSTINGS – There were over 100 1.0 and .5 postings for permanent positions.  A number of members wanted a change in assignment and applied.  All of the others went external (which is good and bad as it should be increasing our FTE but we’re now losing a number of supplies)   Recruitment is going through the External hiring process now. This may take a bit due to Principals schedules and everything that is taking place.
Reminder – there are no postings after Dec and any opening is filled with an LTO.
As of January, unless there are specific situations, any open positions are held for the Surplus/Transfer list.

PD – There was a PD Day Friday Nov. 18th.  The Boards main focus this year is with BMS and having all trained on the Physical portion which has not taken place in person since the beginning of COVID.
LTOs are included and paid for all PD days this year so they are able to get their complete BMS training and there will be other dates for day to day supplies to take it.

VIRTUAL REMINDER– We (CUPE and ISS) have had an agreement since the beginning of COVID for all virtual members safety. When on any meet with students, always make sure that someone else is there and available. Whether it’s a teacher, SERT, Admin or another EA. You should not meet students alone, there needs to be someone else on the meet as well. They don’t have to be on screen but have to be listening and readily available for any issues should they arise. This protects all from any issues with students, parents etc. Also remember that you can always remove a student or shut down the meet quickly if anything happens. Contact Admin right away if there are any problems. If you feel unsafe at all, you need to speak with the Admin and have a plan put in place for your safety.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE– All LOA’s and Retirements or Resignations are to be completed via the Board on-line process. You can find this under Employee Self-Serve and then go to HRP Docs.
If you have questions in regards to leaves, you can find the information in Part B of our Collective Agreement under Article L20.00 – Leave of Absence. This includes, Jury Duty, Bereavement Leave (how many days you’re entitled to), Special Leave Days (which many think are personal days but there is a list of 6 special leaves you may take), Pregnancy Leave, Educational Leave and so on.  We do NOT have any personal days to take in our CA.
When requesting a Leave, please provide as much detail as possible or the Board will be contacting you to request it.
You do not apply for a Leave of Absence when you are off sick.  This info needs to go to shortterm.absence@ddsb.ca

PERSONAL DEVICES- CELL PHONES, LAPTOPS ETC – Question, is the Board paying for your Cell Phone or internet bill?  No?  THEN DON’T USE THEM FOR WORK! The Board is to provide you with all that is needed to do your job.  Every EA in our board should have a Chromebook. You shouldn’t use Cell phones in place of Walkie Talkies or if you are riding a bus. The Board needs to provide you with the means to reach out if help is needed.

You also should not be texting, meeting with, calling or communicating with parents.  That is the role of the Teacher or Admin.

WHO IS YOUR SUPERVISOR? – Principals are your direct Supervisors. Or the acting VP if the Principal is away. Teachers, Heads of Departments and SERTS are not.  We can follow their direction but they cannot evaluate or discipline us.
Any problems you have should go to your Principal first. They need to have the opportunity to clear up or fix a situation before it becomes bigger.

HOURS OF WORK AND OVERTIME- EA’s work either (.5) 3 ½ plus a 10 minute paid break or (1.0) 7 hours plus 2 10 min paid breaks and a 40 minute uninterrupted lunch. You won’t get your time back so TAKE YOUR BREAKS AND LUNCH.  Burn out is real!  The school and students can survive without you for a short time.  You need to take care of yourself and step away for a bit.  If you don’t take care of yourself- who will?  Your friends and family need you!
Anything over your scheduled work day is considered overtime and is paid as time and ½.  If you are over your hours, speak with your Principal and ask for a time-sheet.

HANDS OFF & PERSONAL SPACE – You don’t want to be reported and investigated by CAS.  Be mindful that the Boards policy is ‘Hands Off’, unless you are directed to do something, and even then I’d want someone as a witness. Many students need personal space and you should make them aware that you do too!

ABILITY MANAGEMENT – We are sorry if you have been injured or are off sick. To help you and us, please remember that if you unfortunately have been hurt or are off, to send us the same info as your provide the board.  You can cc us in on the same email you send the board. This will help us immensely when we have to assist you in dealing with questions, the Board and/or any Return to Work meeting.
Please reach out to the Union office for any assistance you may need.

Always check the CUPE website and your CUPE email for updates as well as go into the portal to find a wide variety of information.  You can also sign up with the OSBCU to receive up to the minute updates sent to your email as well. Go to osbcu.ca and subscribe for updates.

By the time you receive this, the Christmas break is or will be here shortly. Take time to enjoy with family and friends, sleep in, go to a movie or go walking in the fresh air. It doesn’t matter what you do, just take some time to breathe and rest – for you!

Whether you celebrate Christmas, another holiday or none at all, I’d like to wish you the best and be well.

Happy Holidays!  See you in January!

In Solidarity,

Lori Richards – Chairperson & Disability Management Rep.
lrichards@cupe218.ca

Glen Morrison – Bargaining Rep
glen.morrison@cupe218.ca

Sue Wilkinson – Bargaining Rep
swilkinson@cupe218.ca

Fil Wylie – Steward                                 Deb Kennelly – Steward
filomena.wylie@cupe218.ca                     deborah.kennelly@cupe218.ca

Stephanie Dezsi – Steward, H&S Rep        Brandy Townson -Steward
Stephanie.dezsi@cupe218.ca                   brandy.townson@cupe218.ca

I would like to take this time to remind everyone to be mindful of footwear as winter has arrived. Proper footwear can prevent slips and falls and will prevent injuries.

PPE:
Also, with the increase of cold and flu’s going around our schools, it has been made clear that each school should have ample supply of masks for our members to have access to if they wish to us them. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home. Your health is most important, and you need to worry about you!

Reporting:
Between the beginning of the school year up to October 31^st there has been 646 violent incident reports completed. I have noticed an increase in reports coming in over the month of November and want to remind each of you to be completing all necessary forms.

• Exposure forms– if you are exposed to bodily fluids, there is a WSIB exposure form to be completed. Complete this even if you are wearing PPE.
• Parklane reports-if you are injured and require ANY first aid, such as ice, band-aid, disinfectant or need to see a medical practitioner, then you need to inform your Principal and have a Parklane report completed. (Even if you do not lose time from work) This is something that the Principal must complete.
• Safe Schools form –is located with the VIR in the Employee self serve portal.
• Violent Incident report-located in the Employee self serve portal.

This may mean that you are completing more than one form! You should be given time during your working hours to complete these forms and if you are not, please ask your admin when a good time is to complete them or if you can have coverage so that you can complete them. You should not be completing them on your own time.

You are all doing an amazing job, never feel like an incident is too small to report!

We are so close to winter break, please take the time to rest and relax! Burning out is a real thing and each and everyone of you deserves this break. Enjoy your time spent with friends and family but don’t forget to take time for yourself!

Stephanie Dezsi
Educational Assistant Health and Safety Representative
Stephanie.dezsi@cupe218.ca

I can’t believe it, we are already in December and Christmas is right around the corner. We just wanted to say how extremely proud to be working with such an amazing team of Custodians and Maintenance personnel. This team has been amazing hard workers for the school board, we have gone above and beyond our duties to make our schools run so smoothly.

We wanted to Congratulate Dennis Gibbs for being voted in for a term as President of Cupe 218. We would also like to say Congratulations to Carrie Boisvert for being acclaimed as Vice President of Cupe.218.

I just wanted to congratulate the members that ran and were successful to be part of the FS unit. Your FS unit will be Beth Davies, Dave Slater and Sean Hebert on the bargaining committee. Greg Gillis will be a steward for the FS committee. Congratulations to everyone.

It was amazing to see everyone fighting at the political protest against Bill 28. We made the government crumble to repeal the bill and it was great to see you all fighting for that. As you are all aware we have reached a tentative deal and by the time this comes out we will know the results of the voting. We will be starting local bargaining on December 14/22 with the board.

In November, we were able to finally get the school maps completed so we are hoping that once this newsletter comes out that all maps that needed adjustments will be in the schools. If there is any issues with the maps please send an email and we will get it sorted out.

We currently have 3 grievances we’re working on. The first grievance is going to arbitration. This grievance has been dragging on since 2019 with absolutely no regard for time lines by the employer. This grievance is about full time staff shifts being moved from 7am to 3:30pm to 10:00am to 6:30pm shift during summer month and March break. We just filed a personal and policy grievance for weekend permits and not staffing them properly.

We just want to let you know that we are putting pressure on the board to hire faster with the postings, new hires from the floaters list and new floaters to fill the voids in your location. We are aware of the shortages and we are trying to make them move faster with their process.

As the weather is getting colder and snow is starting to fly, I would like to remind everyone to be very careful of not slipping on the ice out there. I would also like to remind you to take your time coming in to work on those snowy days.

We want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! I hope you are able to enjoy some well deserved rest during the holidays.

David Slater – Chairperson

Beth Marie Davies

We have had only one Local Bargaining date so far. This is due to the two days of Political Protest and the potential for strike action until the last minute Tentative Deal. I am hoping that talks will start back up once we get the results of the Ratification Vote. We will be having a Labour Management meeting in January. The committee will be bringing forward the work load issue yet again. Our members are burnt out, injured and mentally drained from the amount of work being delegated to them. Enough is enough. Do not overwork yourself! Take your breaks and work at a non- stressful, safe pace. Ultimately, these are the employer’s buildings and it is their responsibility to provide our members with the staffing and tools to make them successful at their jobs.

As this will be the last newsletter until the New Year, I would just like to thank your Custodial Maintenance Committee, Dan Fusco, Robin Fair, Kevin Lamont, Jessica Fusco and Scott Freeburn for their time and effort they have put in for the last 2 years serving our unit. I would like to give an extra special thanks to Brother Dan Fusco. Dan decided not to seek re-election for the 2023-24 term. We wish Dan well and thank him for his years of involvement in our local.

In the New Year I would like to welcome, Bret Filion, Mike Nixon, Tyler Cameron and Ian Watt to the Custodial Maintenance Committee.

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 receives a copy as well. No injury is too small to report.

Our next General Membership Meeting will be January 22, 2023. If you need help with the CUPE 218 Website Portal or Email please contact Sue Wilkinson at the office or swilkinson@cupe218.ca

Regardless of what you celebrate, please enjoy the Holiday Season, and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours.

In Solidarity,

John Allan
Interim Chairperson

As this is my first newsletter, I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Robin Fair and I am a custodian at Pickering High School. I will be your new Health and Safety Rep., replacing Dan Mills as he has retired. I wish Dan all the luck and fun in his well deserved retirement. He will be missed for all of his knowledge and experience working with so many of you over the last 30 years. I will try my best to live up to his expectations.

That being said, as we move into the wintery season, please be mindful of how and where you walk while working outdoors in inclement weather. Your health and well being are first and foremost. Without that you can’t live or work. Please pay close attention to tripping hazards or uneven surfaces you may encounter while shoveling or snow blowing your walkways and kindie pens. Please also make sure to safety check your snow blowers and make sure that they are in good working order and that the safety (kill switch) is also working. If you are having problems with starting your machines or do not know how to use a snow blower, please contact myself or your supervisor for instructions. I have asked the board for an instructional sheet that will have QR codes to link to certain machines so that you can bring up the manuals for each snow blower. This pamphlet is still in the works.

If you have the unfortunate mishap of being injured, please, please, please report it. We do not know what happens in the workplace unless it gets reported. The more we report accidents and injuries the more we may be able to see certain patterns and look for solutions to the problems.

As this will be the last newsletter before the end of the 2022, I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year. Take some time over the break to relax and spend time with the ones you love.

In Solidarity,

Robin Fair
CUPE218
Health and Safety
Custodial Maintenance

Well, we’ve experienced the beginning of a new school year like never before.  Our Collective Agreement expired and then everything snowballed from there.  From OSBCU bargaining, an overwhelming 96.5% in favour strike vote, Bill 28, Unions from across Canada standing in solidarity with CUPE Education Workers, Political Protest, Strike Pay, Bill 28 Repealed, Bargaining until the 11^th hour with strike action looming, Lecce – late as always with the announcement, Ratification Vote results pending.  Then in the midst of all the bargaining the DDSB experiences a cyber attack!  What a time it has been.

At the time I am writing this there are still so many unanswered questions.  Will the tentative agreement be accepted by our 55,000 members?  What happens if it isn’t accepted?  When will DDSB internet/programs be back to normal?  What about the MFA?  What happens if I don’t want to use my personal device for the MFA?  And many more questions will continue to pop up.  Here’s hoping by the time we are all reading this we have many of the answers and are able to move forward in a positive way.

The most recent question of the day has been regarding the MFA and what if a member does not want to use their personal device.  The board is offering a token device but of course, the plan was to roll it out rather than it being an immediate part of the solution to the cyber attack recovery.  In this situation, the board is rolling out information to all admin/supervisors so please keep checking with them.  They have been given the information regarding the token devices and will continue to receive more information as the board rolls out their recovery action plan.

This advice is helpful in many different circumstances.  If you have a concern regarding your work, work place or an incident has happened, please speak with your admin/supervisor.  Many times they are able to resolve a concern quickly so that it doesn’t become a more concerning issue.

Another help for members is to know what is in your Collective Agreement. Do you know what types of leaves are available to you?  What days you are entitled to with pay?  Who sets your work hours?  How much vacation time are you entitled to?  There is so much information in our CA, it is truly worth a read.

You need to be informed.  And another way to be informed is via your cupe email.  If you can’t access your cupe email you need to contact Sue Wilkinson at swilkinson@cupe218.ca.  All information is shared both via email and posted on the cupe218.ca website.  Be proactive, be involved, be informed.

My hope is that every member has a very Merry Christmas and is able to do something that brings them joy over this holiday season.  Take time for yourself and enjoy your holiday time.  And of course, Happy New Year!

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

I know the deal that was reached is controversial amongst almost everyone, but it’s done now, and it has been ratified. This means that once local bargaining has concluded and been ratified, the board will have 30 days to process the pay increase and the retro.

Local bargaining is about to start soon. We have met and agreed to some ground rules, but we have not yet had our first actual bargaining date. I hope that we can secure a deal that has some tangible benefits for all of us. Please stay tuned to your CUPE 218 email for updates regarding local bargaining.

Thank you to everyone who came out and joined us, or helped out with the CUPE 218 kids Christmas party this year. Santa was there and all the kids seemed to have fun. We had plenty of food and drinks for everyone, and lots of activities for the kids.

In our last labour management meeting we had discussions with the employer around overtime (school based staff). The employer does not want to track centrally OT in the schools which is why they do not want to have a central form. They think of it as something worked out between the school admin’s and their staff. They have confirmed that overtime does not need to be approved by HR. If it is approved by the school admin. Unfortunately that means you still need to track it locally at the school, but it also means that if your school admin approves it then that is all that is required. You can take it as lieu time or as pay. If you are taking it as lieu time, your principal should arrange coverage with HR if needed.

The board has recently re-introduced attendance management. Please read their numbered memo if you have questions about this effort they are undertaking. When HR showed it to us, their slide had a caption on it that said this will help improve morale… however they were not exactly able to explain that statement (no surprise there). The unions position is that you have 11 sick days and 120 days of short-term disability leave per year. If the employer calls you into any attendance management meeting, or any other disciplinary meeting please contact the union to join you. Make sure to tell the employer that you are requesting a union representative to be present. If you are asked for a doctor’s note that you have to pay for, please make sure you submit your receipt to Christie Morissette at the DCDSB.

I’d like to remind everyone that we do NOT get a day off over the break in lieu of the Federal Truth and Reconciliation Day. We do NOT have this language in our CBA, however the Custodial/Maintenance unit does which is why they get a day in lieu.

If you are not feeling well, please do the ministry self assessment and follow the directions, it can be found at https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/

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.

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

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.

If you go outside of your workplace to do work tasks – i.e., going to the bank – please stop going on your own time; you should only be going during your work hours. This means you shouldn’t go on your UNPAID lunch, or before or after work. This is still work and shouldn’t be done on your own time.

Every adult is responsible for the safety of every child but what we are not responsible for is supervision of students for prolonged periods of time. If you feel your school administrator is taking advantage of your presence in the office by having students sit there while the supervising staff is nowhere to be seen, first speak to the administrator and let them know it is not your responsibility to supervise students. If the situation continues, please contact the union office.

Effective January 1, 2023

Non-full-time expansion

Removes the current eligibility requirement for non-full-time employees to join the Plan so that all non-full-time employees may elect to join the Plan at any time. Enrollment in the Plan would take effect on the first day of the month after the employee’s election is received and would remain in place as long as the member continues working with their current employer.

This change is effective January 1, 2023, which means that until then, the current eligibility requirement continues to apply. More information will be available closer to the implementation date.

Sue Wilkinson
Secretary Treasurer
CUPE Local 218
swilkinson@cupe218.ca

[pdf-embedder url=”https://cupe218.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/OTIP-Dec-Shop-safely-online-this-holiday-season-1.pdf” title=”OTIP Dec – Shop safely online this holiday season (1)”]

To register for the Edvantage program please contact Sue Wilkinson, swilkinson@cupe218.ca

Congratulations to the 2023-2024 elected committee Members and Thank You to all of the outgoing Reps for their dedication to the Local!

Please contact the office at 905-571-7879 or office@cupe218.ca and your call will be directed accordingly.

CUPE 218 COMMITTEE LIST
President
Dennis Gibbs

Vice President
Carrie Boisvert

Secretary Treasurer
Sue Wilkinson

Recording Secretary
Ramona Lisa McDonald

WSIB/LTD
Carrie Boisvert – Co-Ordinator for both Boards
John Allan – Rep.

HEALTH & SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES
Carrie Boisvert   Catholic Board EA Contact
Robin Fair   Public Board Custodial Maintenance
Sean Hebert  Catholic Board Facility Services
Alyssa King  Catholic Board SCT
Stephanie Dezsi Public Board E.A.

Job Evaluation Co-Chair
Maureen Cope  Catholic Board
Sharon Munro  Public Board

Public Board C.M. Bargaining
Chair – John Allan
Robin Fair
Kevin Lamont
Mike Nixon
Jess Fusco
C.M. Stewards
Scott Freeburn
Bret Filion
Tyler Cameron
Ian Watt

Catholic Board F.S. Bargaining
Chair – Sean Hebert
Beth Marie Davies
David Slater
F.S. Steward
Greg Gillis

Catholic Board LINC/ESL Bargaining
Chair – Tracy Gill
Katherine Sanchez

Public Board Con. Ed. Bargaining
Chair – Kristine Brown
Darlene Sasseville
Arisa Ogi Tierney

Catholic Board E.A. Bargaining
Chair – Maureen Cope
Kristina MacLaren
Patricia Bosley
E.A. Stewards
Anita Condron

Public Board E.A. Bargaining
Chair – Stephanie Dezsi
Sue Wilkinson
Brandy Townson
Jehan Bisnauth
E.A. Stewards
Lori Ann Richards
Glen Morrison
Jennifer Currie
Kimberley Pollock

Public Board O.C.T. Bargaining
Chair – Antony Nembhard
Allison Petty
Leanne Finlay
Andrew Pearce

S.C.T. Bargaining
Chair – Mike Morris
Sandra Dantas
Jennifer Del Gatto

If you require assistance with your CUPE email please contact Sue Wilkinson, swilkinson@cupe218.ca