CUPE Local 1356 Blog

Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1356. We have three Collective Agreements as Local 1356, 1356-01, and 1356-02. The membership is comprised of the full-time and part-time workers of York University the Local website is at 1356.cupe.ca This Blog will include Local information and information garnered from sources other Universities, Colleges, Post Secondary/Tertiary Education and news sources supplying information.

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

OUWCC Summer 2005 Newsletter

Some news on Co-ordinated Bargaining is included in this issue.

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

dub poet d'bi.young with dubbin.revolushun gang.stars

>>>> dub poet d'bi.young with dubbin.revolushun gang.stars <<<
LIVE at York University
this thursday, June 23rd, 2005
{{{ 12 - 4pm, performance at 1:30pm }}}
in the Commons, by the fountain
d'bi young with the dubbin.revolushun gang.stars will be performing as part of the alternative Pride festivities at York. Join us in the Commons for a kissing booth, an interactive art installation, mural painting, beats and other activities that challenge heterosexism and celebrate queer culture!
Early birds get the fruit, sandwiches and refreshments!!

d'bi.young with dubbin.revolushun gang.stars is:
d'bi.young - vocals;
da original one - beatbox;
nick "brownman" ali - horns;
amina alfred - percussions;
greg roy - drums;
beau dixon - bass

For more info, please contact Ahmed Habib at (647) 892-6300

Lakehead University Strike Over

CAW Local 229 members at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario have overwhelmingly ratified a new collective agreement that provides wage increases, strong outsourcing protection and brings to an end a bitter strike.

The CAW represents 60 workers at the university who had been on strike since April 11. The workers, many of whom are women, include custodial, grounds and maintenance employees. They voted 94 per cent in favour of the new agreement.

Association of Pizza Delivery Drivers gets another union election scheduled

Muskegon, MI Domino’s Pizza delivery drivers to vote for union representation.

NLRB schedules vote at another Domino’s Pizza.

Although Domino’s Pizza, LLC continues to say that drivers are not wanting a union, or that the union has limited appeal to drivers, the Association of Pizza Delivery Drivers has filed with the NLRB a petition to represent delivery drivers at another Domino’s Pizza franchise.

This time in Muskegon, MI the Association of Pizza Delivery Drivers has an election scheduled on the 14th of July, between 3:00 and 4:00 pm at the employer’s location.

Citing unfair mileage compensation, lack of health and dental benefits, and a lack of safety training, and the employer not reimburseing the drivers for commercial liability insurance, as reasons for wanting union representation, an overwhelming number of the drivers have signed authorization cards asking the union to represent them for pruposes of collective bargaining.

Considering the number of deliveries that pizza delivery drivers make on a university its time our own local area had this happen!

Stupid Party?!

This article is in a publication of political commentary on Canadian Politics the Tyee.

courtesy of: Labour Headline News Digest is a service of LabourUnions.com.

Winners at annual CALM Awards

CUPE took home several awards from the Canadian Association of Labour Media conference held June 10-12 at Algonquin College in Ottawa.

CUPE National’s November 2004 issue of Organize took the graphics award for excellence in layout and design. The best print ad award went to “Not wanted” produced by HEU (Hospital Employees’ Union, CUPE’s health services division in B.C.). Best illustrations were “The Custodian” commissioned for CUPE Local 3570 (drawn by Ted Dave and Deb Rooney) and CUPE 2950’s “Bewildered” (by volunteers).

CUPE National’s Bargaining Equality binder won the Breaking Barriers award for a communications initiative that enhances member participation and access and overcomes discrimination.

In the print division, HEU’s The Guardian publication won for best overall publication by staff. The best moving billboard went to CUPE B.C.’s “Public Education Builds Strong Communities” campaign materials. Doug Smith’s article “We need each other in Canada” published in CUPE National’s Rebuilding Strong Communities magazine won the Ed Finn Award for best feature. CUPE 79’s News and Views won for excellence in writing for locals with 1,000 or more members.

In the electronics awards, the best commercial radio ad went to CUPE B.C. for “Confessions of a Translink director.”

CUPE Local 1356 is also a member of CALM

OFL Asks Ontario Human Rights Commission To Review Mandatory Retirement Amendments

(TORONTO) -- “Changes to the Ontario Human Rights Code that entrench discriminatory treatment of older, injured workers must be reviewed, says OFL president Wayne Samuelson. I have also asked the Commission to make recommendations to the appropriate government bodies so all Ontario workers are protected and all discriminatory effects are emoved from the legislation.”

No WSIA Coverage for Workers Over 65!

(TORONTO) - "The McGuinty government's attempt to end age discrimination in the workforce by eliminating mandatory retirement at aged 65 has totally backfired on older injured workers," said OFL president Wayne Samuelson.

"The legislation to end mandatory retirement that allows workers to continue after age 65 also denies older workers the benefits and protections of the Workplace Safety & Insurance Act," Samuelson said. "Employers can hire and injure older workers without having to provide them with the necessary compensation or the requirement to assist in their rehabilitation and reinstatement."

Laurie Hardwick
OFL Director of Organization Services

This has the effect that they are not eligible for WSIB payments for injury, health care services, nor to return to the workplace.

Thursday, June 16, 2005

Know Your Rights: A Guide to Ontario's Workplace

An electronic version suitable for printing in booklet form is also available

Written by: Steve Shemluck
Updated by: Petar Guzina & Heather Petrie
With background materials supplied by: Ethan Poskanzer, Andrea Bowker & Judith McCormack of Sack Goldblatt Mitchell
Editor: Kate Laxer
© Copyright 2002

source site: http://www.yorku.ca/crws/kyrintro.htm

How Unions Matter in the New Economy

Call for proposals for participants in the CRWS Conference

Themes include:
Getting Organized
with interactive case-study panels on Organizing Wal-Mart and Organizing Around Employment Standards

Making Connections
with interactive case-study panels on Young Workers and Equity Groups Connecting with Unions

Toronto, Ontario
October 28 and 29, 2005

CRWS welcomes your feedback and suggestions.
Contact Daphne Paszterko at paszter@yorku.ca for more information or to submit a proposal.

Submission deadline June 30, 2005

Just Labour: A Canadian Journal of Work and Society

Volume 5 (Winter 2005)
An intriguing collection of articles about labour and how labour affects society.

Changes in Optional Added Fees

As of 1 May 2005 the fees for the following are:
  • Family Vision coverage $27.54 per month [from $26.78]
  • VADD single $0.015 per $1000 coverage [from $0.013]
  • VADD family $0.023 per $1000 coverage [from $0.020]
These affect CUPE 1356, CUPE 1356-01 and IUOE at York University.

Mothers In The Middle : Bridging Family and Work

This Summer Institute will identify the forces – attitudinal, governmental, legal, economic, – that perpetuate the cultural marginalization of motherwork and give rise to the incompatibility of employment with motherhood and to consider how best to challenge and change these factors. The institute will explore how factors such as public policy, law, work practices, cultural attitudes, childcare, and childrearing/domestic labour in the home work towards and against mother's employment participation. The Institute will provide a forum to explore how we can better support mother's labour participation and enable her to achieve a work-family balance.

Government plan for postsecondary education helps students reach higher

Enhanced student assistance funding key component of plan
May 17, 2005

OTTAWA – Ontario's more than 500,000 college and university students will benefit from the most substantial investment in postsecondary education in 40 years, including enhanced student assistance funding, Mary Anne Chambers, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities said today.

"If Ontario is to achieve its full potential, it is critical to reach higher when it comes to postsecondary education," said Chambers as she spoke to students, staff and faculty at Algonquin College. "This is why our government is improving access to higher education and committing itself to a healthy and vibrant postsecondary and training system."

The additional $6.2 billion investment, including major improvements to financial assistance for students were outlined in Reaching Higher: The McGuinty Government Plan for Postsecondary Education, which was unveiled in last week's Budget. Through the plan, the government will provide an additional $1.5 billion in funding for student financial assistance by 2009-10 to:

  • Offer new low-income grants for first-year, dependent students
  • Enhance student support for second-year dependent students
  • Join with the federal government to expand eligibility for student loans
  • Reduce the amount of money middle-income parents are expected to contribute to their children's education
  • Match funds raised by colleges and universities to establish endowments for student financial assistance
  • Work with the federal government to broaden and expand student assistance.

"Our government is proud to make these changes – the most significant improvements to student aid since the Ontario Student Assistance Program was first set up more than 25 years ago," added Chambers. "Under our plan, a student's report card - not his or her wallet – will determine whether they get the chance to reach higher."

The minister also told the students that through the plan, the government will freeze tuition for a second straight year, help colleges hire more faculty to accommodate higher enrolments and improve student success, and improve pathways for students through increased collaboration between colleges and universities.

"Our historic investment in postsecondary education is essential to the future prosperity of our province," said Jim Watson, Minister of Consumer and Business Services and MPP for Ottawa West-Nepean. "The brains and know-how of a skilled workforce are the economic edge of the 21st century, that is why we are ensuring that our postsecondary education and training system is among the best in the world."

See also:
* Backgrounder: Reaching higher in postsecondary education

Ontario announces funding for research

Ontario announces funding for research
see the CP item in the Toronto Star

Elections for CLC President

The Original was Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2005 11:53 AM

Carol Wall.........643.....37.0%
Ken Giorgetti..1084.....62.3%
Spoiled.................13......0.7%

Total:..................1740..100.0%

Votes are not tabulated by union. However the sense of the convention floor is that Carol Wall probably received a majority of votes of the delegates from public sector unions.

Hassan Yussuf, Barb Byers, and Marie-Clark Walker all were re-elected by acclamation.

Newcastle College have held a series of strikes

A recent email brought us this item:

I thought you should see this news story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/4072474.stm which I found on LabourStart today.

LabourStart is the online global labour news service, located at http://www.labourstart.org . Hope you find it of interest.

Derek Blackadder

UK Union calls for colleges to halt jobs cull

NATFHE - The University & College Lecturers’ Union has called for a moratorium on the escalating numbers of redundancies being meted out in the UK’s further education colleges. As the largest union for further education lecturers, NATFHE, has asked umbrella body, the Association of Colleges, to advise college managements to halt the job cuts now before irrecoverable damage is done.

Cuts in jobs and courses have been rising as it became clear that this year’s FE budget shows a lower rate of increase than in recent years (4.3%). The government has targeted the money at specific areas including qualifications for 16-19-year-olds and for those without basic skills and qualifications up to GCSE level. But one area - adult funding - has been dealt a shattering blow of a 3% (£55m) reduction.

While the situation varies from college to college, it is all too clear that many colleges will lack the cash to cover the Government’s target areas resulting in a budget-squeeze on adult courses and others that don’t fall into Government target areas.

NATFHE is now carrying out a nationwide survey of all its branches at UK colleges in a bid to pinpoint precise numbers of jobs and courses axed so far.

But in the meantime, it has warned colleges they must put the brakes on the cull before so much damage is done, they will be unable to fully function in years to come.

NATFHE general secretary, Paul Mackney, warned:

‘This wave of job and course cuts is ridiculously short-termist. Shedding more skilled staff will impair the infrastructure of our colleges.

‘We hope the Government will realise urgently that they haven’t got the strategy right yet for adult learners who will fill most new and replacement jobs as the number of younger workers declines, and need high level skills. But colleges won’t be able to gear up if they sack staff now. Job cuts make it very difficult for colleges to respond to local need and changes such as the recent Rover crisis.

‘NATHE believes a moratorium on job losses is our best hope of saving colleges from irrecoverable damage.’

Barry Lovejoy, NATFHE head of colleges, added ‘NATFHE is committed to resisting any compulsory redundancies and we are likely to see local branches organising ballots for strike action if any are proposed.’

Added Notes:

NATFHE is the largest trade union and professional association for lecturers, trainers, researchers and managers, working in further and higher education, throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The union also has members in adult and prison education services. Total membership stands at 68,000.
NATFHE’S WORK ON FUNDING

• As a member of the advisory group set up for the government-commissioned Foster Further Education Review, NATFHE general secretary, Paul Mackney, has made the case for extra resources.

• As a member of the National Institute for Adult Learning’s (NIACE) Committee of Enquiry into Adult Learning in Further Education, NATFHE general secretary, Paul Mackney, has made the case for extra resources.

• NATFHE will meet Government ministers to make the case for extra resources

• NATFHE will lobby nationally and locally alongside other unions and FE organisations to emphasise the need to stop the cuts and close the estimated 10% funding gap between colleges and school sixth forms. Sign the joint fair funding petition on the NATFHE website.

• NATFHE will be sending out detailed press information about cuts at individual colleges to regional and local media as it receives results from a nationwide survey.

FURTHER EDUCATION FACTS

• Teachers and lecturers top the unpaid overtime league table doing an average of 11 hours and 36 minutes extra work a week

• Lecturing staff turnover figures increased from 11% to 14.3% between September 2003-September 2004

• More than twice as many 16-18-year-olds study in colleges than schools - 701,000 in FE colleges or sixth form colleges compared with just 345,000 in schools (2003/4)

• 100,000 14-16-year-olds study in FE (2003/4) and this will rise to 250,000 by 2008

• More than 40% of those entering higher education go via colleges

• Every year, colleges train three million adults

• Colleges run 200 million training days each year - more than three times the amount employers run

Register Now: Medina Summer Program 2005

This is an item we received in a recent email:

Medina Collective: A Mentorship Movement

Yes! We are looking for a few good women. Could it be
you?!?

The Medina Collective is looking for 10 fantastic,
creative, super-shy, extra-outgoing, bookworms,
b-girls, emcees, dj's, writers and exciters to
participate in this year's hip hop journalism,
mentorship project for young women of colour.

In December 2004, the Medina Collective launched
Medina Magazine, Toronto's only urban womanist
magazine. Dealing with hip hop, urban culture, and
social justice, Medina Magazine provides a refreshing
and seldom heard perspective about young women in
Toronto. Now it's your turn to be a part of herstory!

    If you are:
  • A young woman of colour
  • Between the ages 16-24
  • In love with all things urban, artsy, political and/or creative
  • Available 3 evenings per week from July 4th to August 12 from 5-9pm
  • Excited about the opportunity to become a journalist, photographer or creative visionary for Medina Magazine


Then become a participant in the program!

    You get:
  • Instructed by some of Toronto's most talented writers, creators, activists and facilitators
  • To refine your writing and develop a portfolio
  • To meet other fabulous women like yourself!
  • Your writing in a Toronto-wide publication
  • ... Plus many other secrets that we don't want to give away yet.


To participate please complete the linked application and email or fax it to us at 416-539-0161 (please call us first).

If you have any questions, please call us from 9-8pm at 416-284-7058 Ext. 2 or email us here.

Peace,
Tonika Morgan

The Medina Collective
A Women's Mentorship Movement
http://medinacollective.tripod.com

World University News from a New Zealand View

We received this recently from a dedicated LabourStart contributor and it has caused us to add this our side-bar on the right-side as a regular link:

I thought you should see this news story: http://www.aus.ac.nz/publications/tertiary_update/2005/No18.htm
which I found on LabourStart today.

LabourStart is the online global labour news service, located at http://www.labourstart.org . Hope you find it of interest.

Derek Blackadder

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Ontario Government Passes Changes to Labour Relations Act

Human Rights Commission Concerns Ignored!
McGuinty government ignores human rights issues with Bill 144 -- Liberal majority passes inequitable legislation

(TORONTO) - Ontario Federation of Labour president Wayne Samuelson was outraged that the McGuinty Liberals used their majority government to pass Bill 144, Labour Relations Statute Law Amendment Act, 2004 on June 13, the last day of the Parliamentary session despite concerns by the Ontario Human Rights Commission that the legislation is flawed and discriminatory.

"Chief Commissioner, Keith Norton stated in his May 16, 2005 letter to the Minister of Labour that, "Specifically, it has been suggested that the proposed amendments would provide benefit, namely the ability to bypass the standard wait period and certification vote, to a male-dominated, largely white employment sector, while excluding other sectors, many of which tend to be comprised, in good number, of women and members of racialized groups."

"Why didn't the government investigate the caution by the Human Rights Commission thoroughly and reply? It seems to be a real slap in the face to hundreds of thousands of women workers and equity groups," Samuelson said.

"The labour movement and equity groups have raised these human rights issues from the first introduction of this Bill," Samuelson said. "Now the government has not only ignored the labour movement and equity groups but Chief Commissioner, Keith Norton and the Ontario Human Rights Commission as well."

"Why didn't the Premier intervene when his Minister of Labour, Chris Bentley, received this inquiry by the Ontario Human Rights Commission? Why was Bill 144 passed with this troubling cloud of potential conflict?"

More information

Dana Boettger
OFL
Communications Director

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

No Real Choice in Removal of Mandatory Retirement

PROVINCE FAILS TO DELIVER ANY REAL CHOICE FOR RETIRING WORKERS

(TORONTO) - "Eliminating mandatory retirement without addressing all the issues that effect a person's quality of life upon retirement is an empty promise," said OFL president Wayne Samuelson today.

"Today's media stunt by Labour Minister Bentley failed to address the real choices working people face when they leave the workforce. People need to have the financial ability to retire," Samuelson said. "When pension plans are inadequate and government support falls short people are not in a position to 'choose' to retire."

"The crucial issue to be resolved is the stagnant state of our pensions. Pensions in Ontario need to be indexed to inflation. It is imperative for the economic livelihood of retired workers that their pensions are not only secure but that they provide income for a decent life," Samuelson said.

"This Magna-style announcement of government policies at a Home Depot location is insulting to the workers of this province. Is the Minister of Labour trying to illustrate the point that if you don't have enough money to retire you'll have to stay working at places like Home Depot until you're 90 years old?"

More information:
Dana Boettger
OFL Communications