CUPE Local 1356 Blog

the late Osmundo Campana funeral arrangements

2010-11-28T20:32:00.003-05:00

McDougall & Brown Funeral Home - Eglinton Chapel
http://www.mcdbrowneglinton.ca/#
The visitation is Sunday 28 Nov 2010 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm
and Monday 29 Nov 2010 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm

Funeral on Tuesday 30 Nov 2010 at 10 am
St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church
640 Glenholme Ave
Toronto, ON 416-781-8444 call ahead for specific details

Osmundo was a past Steward although in the recent years he was a Supervisor on Night Shift in Custodial Services.

also on Yfile http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=16010

Response from the family

OSMUNDO GARCIA CAMPANA
DECEMBER 4th 1950 to NOVEMBER 25th 2010

On behalf of the Campana family we would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every person who came out to pay their respects to our loving father. We are overwhelmed with the amount of love and support that we have received from all of you. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful people look after our father after so many years. Although his life was short-lived; we will remember the impact he has made on others and the life of his wife, children, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, grand nieces and nephews and only grand-daughter. May our father's soul rest in peace.

God Bless you all,

Sincerely,
Elaine Campana-Labayen and John Campana

Work piles up for campus janitors

2010-03-22T19:49:00.000-04:00

Washington State University

WSU custodians say more work and less staff is affecting sanitation around campus.

Rochelle Adams

The Daily Evergreen

Published: 03/22/2010

Some WSU custodians say that they are being given more work than they have time to complete it. Over the last few years, custodians under WSU Facilities and Operations workload per hours of work has gone up enough to prevent them from finishing assigned tasks, said Steve A.* and Jennifer T.*, two FacOps custodians. They worry that the uncompleted custodial work building up will lead to the campus becoming unsanitary.

City taking over some building maintenance to save money

2010-03-16T19:54:00.000-04:00

By Gretchen Ross
Posted by Sarah Harlan

EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) - In a money-saving move, the city of Evansville will take over the maintenance on four buildings currently managed by SMG.

Ohio State janitor's gunfire kills co-worker, self

2010-03-13T16:47:00.001-05:00

By MATT LEINGANG, Associated Press Tue Mar 9, 6:26 pm ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Ohio State University janitor who was about to lose his job walked into a maintenance building for his early morning shift Tuesday and shot two supervisors, killing one of them and fatally shooting himself. No students were hurt.

Nathaniel Brown, 51, arrived for work at the nation's largest university dressed in dark clothing, a hooded sweat shirt and a backpack. He then opened fire in an office suite using two handguns, campus Police Chief Paul Denton said.

Meningitis outbreak sets off probe at Ohio University

2010-03-13T16:39:00.000-05:00

Seven students were sickened by same group of bacteria
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 12:20 AM
By Misti Crane
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Seven cases of bacterial meningitis at Ohio University caused by the same group of bacteria also share the same genetic fingerprint, prompting public-health experts to declare an outbreak and delve deeper into an investigation of the illnesses there.

The investigation by federal, state and local scientists will take at least a couple of weeks and aims to uncover what might have made the students susceptible to the bacteria, which don't cause problems for most people, said Dr. Mary DiOrio, assistant state epidemiologist.

Announcing the winner of the Not Rex contest

2010-03-13T15:44:00.001-05:00

The Not Rexes have spoken and the people have voted. rabble.ca is pleased to present the winner of our Not Rex Murphy Context -- Humberto DaSilva! Humberto is a union representative and writer born and bred in Toronto. His father and mother, now retired, were respectively a miner and a shopkeeper in their native Portugal. In 1998, Humberto led an organizing drive of his workplace after unaddressed maintenance concerns resulted in an aircraft accident and after several of his co-workers contracted tuberculosis during the Kosovo airlift. He was the union local president during the merger of Royal Airlines, Canjet and Canada 3000. He achieved short-lived media notoriety during the "blame the union" spin frenzy that accompanied the collapse of Canada 3000 following 9/11.

We know the judges were impressed with Humberto's passion and it seems he has struck a chord with voters. In case you missed it check out his application video below.

Humberto will be recording new videos as antidotes to Rex's commentary on three different Thursday evenings starting Thursday, March 18th and we are excited to see what he comes up with.

We are also excited about the progressive voices out there that want to send a different message to Canadians. We want to thank everyone who submitted a video and is keen on spreading progressive commentary on important issues of the day. We think the Not Rex contest can be the start of a beautiful thing -- bringing more strong video commentary on rabble.ca (more on that later).

We also want to thank our judges Amber Mac, Wayne MacPhail, Murray Dobbin, Tor Sandberg, Kim Elliott and everyone that voted in the contest.

So stay tuned and congratulations again to Humberto DaSilva.

The Janitor

2010-03-13T14:29:00.004-05:00

This is one of the LabourStart Labour Video of the Year videos that you may vote for.

CUPE Budget Federal 2010 Analysis

2010-03-08T21:27:00.002-05:00

Last week, the Harper government released a do-nothing budget, relying largely on corporate tax cuts - and completely lacking in any kind of strategy to help put Canadians back to work.

Hidden in the 424 pages of the budget, though, are changes to programs that will have a huge effect on CUPE members and other working Canadians. To help understand what's actually in there, CUPE researchers have prepared a series of fact sheets. From pensions to privatization, from climate change to child care, these fact sheets explain what's in the budget, what it means, and what better choices might have been.

Check out CUPE's comprehensive budget coverage.

McMaster reveals new president's contract

2010-03-06T20:29:00.002-05:00

Wade Hemsworth
(Mar 5, 2010)

Four months before Patrick Deane takes over as McMaster president, the university has made his contract public.

McMaster posted Deane's five-year contract on its Daily News website yesterday, demonstrating a change of course after opposing the release of current president Peter George's contract in 2006.

H1N1 Infuenza - York University Protocols -CHANGED

2010-03-06T14:38:00.005-05:00

*** The following notice is sent on behalf of Sharon Hooper, Assistant Vice President, Human Resources and Employee Relations ***

On October 16th, 2009, a communication was sent to managers requesting that employee absences be reported to the Department of Human Resources on a daily basis to assist the University in monitoring absences related to the pandemic influenza outbreak.

On Monday March 1, 2010, the Pandemic Influenza Planning Committee recommended to the Provost, Senate Executive and Senior Administration:

the University cease the online tracking of absences of students and employees (due to H1 N1 or "flu like symptoms") and
the University revert to its normal practices of requiring physician's notes for student petitions and requests for deferred standing, and for employee absences as specified in collective agreements and Human Resources operating procedures.

The Committee made its recommendations on the basis of the following:

Public Health Agency Canada (PHAC) issued a statement January 27, 2010 that it had officially declared the second wave of H1 N1 influenza as passed;

There has been no indication of a re-emergence of a widespread outbreak of H1 N1 over the past two months, and the likelihood of a re-emergence in the next several months remains low;
There has been a significant drop in the number of reported student absences due to H1 N1 or flu like symptoms since early January; and
Advice received from Toronto Public Health.

The Provost, Senate Executive and Senior Administration have accepted the recommendations of the Pandemic Influenza Planning Committee. In the interests of fairness and timely notification to employees, it has been agreed that the recommendations will take effect on Monday, March 15, 2010

As a result, effective Monday, March 15, 2010, the University will not require centralized reporting of absences and will revert to its regular practice of requiring physician's notes for employee absences as specified in collective agreements and Human Resources operating procedures. I would ask that managers notify all their staff that the University is reverting to its regular practices effective Monday March 15, 2010.

The World Health Organization continues to assess the level of pandemic alert for H1N1 at Phase 6 (full pandemic alert). The Pandemic Committee recommends that all members of the community remain vigilant with respect to level of awareness and flu prevention measures. In this regard, hand sanitizer dispensers will continue to be replenished, Flu Prevention notices will continue to be posted in washrooms, offices and in publicly accessible corridors, and custodians in academic and residential buildings will continue to focus on a standard of cleaning in and around washrooms
and in high traffic areas consistent with the current level of cleaning practice.

If you have any specific questions relating to procedures for non-academic employees, I would ask that you contact either Carey Barker, Paul Campbell, or Leanne De Filippis.

Northern Ontario gains more CUPE members

2010-03-02T23:15:00.001-05:00

Laurentian University teaching assistants have recently voted to join CUPE.

Mar 1, 2010 01:52 PM

As the economic downturn continues in Canada, CUPE’s commitment to improving working conditions, advancing workers’ rights, and ensuring workers are treated fairly at all times is more important than ever.

In Northern Ontario, child and youth workers at the Sault Area Hospital in Sault Ste-Marie, and graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) at Laurentian University in Sudbury, showed their confidence in CUPE by recently voting to join Canada’s largest union to improve their working and earning conditions.

“Our newest members will have the backing and support of Canada’s leading union,” said Colette Proctor, CUPE organizing representative. “During tough economic times, job security and workers’ rights are top priorities for workers and CUPE will be there to ensure our members’ rights are protected and advanced.”

The 10 child and youth workers in the Sault Area Hospital are organizing to be treated fairly as government cutbacks continue to affect service delivery at hospitals across Ontario. Meanwhile, the 233 graduate teaching assistants at Laurentian University are seeking to achieve wage parity with other universities of comparable size.

“The university administration tried unsuccessfully to cut their wages last year and now with CUPE on their side we will work with the GTAs to ensure our members’ issues are addressed properly,” adds Proctor.

Outsourcing Teaching - University of Windsor

2010-01-26T14:16:00.005-05:00

U of W mulls outsourcing teachers

The Windsor Star
Tue Jan 26 2010
Page: A3
Section: News
Byline: Craig Pearson
Source: The Windsor Star

Some University of Windsor professors worry the school may soon become one of the first in Canada to outsource professorial work.

The Australian-based Study Group International would recruit international students and provide them first-year instruction -- with academic, English and cultural courses. If the students pass, the University of Windsor would automatically accept them into second year.

If approved at a senate meeting Feb. 10, the International Study Centre, University of Windsor, would open in September. The recruits would be Study Group students, not University of Windsor students, even though they would share the campus.

"Windsor has been a leader in international-student recruitment in Canada for the last dozen years," Bruce Tucker, vice-president for academic affairs at the University of Windsor, said Monday. "We have a higher percentage of international students on campus than most other universities, with around 12 per cent (of the school's almost 16,000 students).

"But it's also an area where competition is heating up all around the world. In order to be competitive, we need to take the next step."

Australia leads in international recruiting, with perhaps 40 per cent of its university population from outside the country. But everyone from China to Europe wants in: International students pay more.

A typical student from Ontario pays $5,500 to $6,000 for a year's tuition in Windsor. An international student pays perhaps $15,000. And an SGI student might pay a little more.

The school wants to improve its retention rate. Tucker said the university loses about 18 per cent of Ontario students and 40 per cent of international students.

While Windsor might become the first university to hire SGI, the largest such company in the world, the trend began at other campuses in the country two or three years ago. A firm called Navitas has signed contracts with the University of Manitoba, Simon Fraser and, last week, Dalhousie.

"Academically, I don't feel this is a sound move on the University of Windsor's part," said Brian E. Brown, president of the University of Windsor Faculty Association which represents 1,000 full- and part-time faculty. "I'm very worried about the academic quality of education these individuals will receive. If the courses are equivalent to courses that we teach right now in our first-year program, then those courses should be taught by our professors, who are well-qualified."

Canadian Association of University Teachers spokesman David Robinson considers the outsourcing trend disturbing.

"These companies set up private for-profit colleges on university campuses," Robinson said. "The interest here is to get money. That's really sad in many ways. What the universities are really doing is lending them their good name, because the companies are nothing on their own.

"But in the end, it will tarnish their brand name."

Robinson feels academic standards will be lower than what the almost 50,000 university professors across Canada could provide.

"These kinds of companies essentially allow for queue-jumping," said Robinson. "You have very wealthy international students paying very high fees."

But Tucker said academic standards would remain high with Study Group and that more international flavour would enrich the campus.

"It would not do Study Group any good to put forward unqualified students into our second year because they would soon be out of business," said Tucker, who sees a social-justice element to the move. "These are students who could not come to the university the regular way, largely because of their English skills. This is in keeping with the University of Windsor's tradition of giving students a second chance."

Edition: Final

RadioLabour.net

2010-01-25T20:54:00.005-05:00

A new weekly presentation of international labour news is being organized on the Internet.

The audiocast - called Solidarity News - will be available on RadioLabour.net every Monday morning.

RadioLabour is the brainchild of Marc Belanger -- the founder of SoliNet, which was the first trade union online network back in the 1980s.

Solidarity News will focus on union and workers' activities and issues from around the world with special emphasis on emerging market and developing countries.

RadioLabour reporters will provide regular weekly presentations, but a special feature of the audiocast will be reports from unionists who want to report on particular events or publicize an activity of their organization.

Scripts of the audiocasts will be available as aids for unionists who want to learn the use of English as an additional language in the international labour movement.

For more information about RadioLabour, listen to the audiocasts, or provide reports, visit the RadioLabour site.

As an aside our Local used Solinet while it was operational!

That Benefit Form We are All Looking For!

2010-01-20T21:17:00.012-05:00

At the 20 January 2010 Labour-Management Meeting of 1356 the following information was confirmed, the form exists!

The form that is to be used to assign the benefit to a provider, like the visit to get orthotics and you use the form and the orthotic shop gets the payment direct from Sunlife can be found at our website http://1356.cupe.ca/www/health-care-benefits-form and the direct link to the form.

The York University website link is here or as http://www.yorku.ca/hr/documents/sun_life_assignment_of_benefits.pdf

Brockville part-time bus drivers join CUPE

2009-07-07T23:26:00.000-04:00

Jun 9, 2008 12:43 PM

BROCKVILLE, Ont. – On Friday, part-time bus drivers with the city of Brockville have voted to join the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). They will belong to the same union as the full time drivers (CUPE local 115), but will possibly be negotiating a separate collective agreement.

The drivers want to be treated fairly with similar wages and working conditions as their full time colleagues. They are looking to increase their job security and speak with one voice with other city employees against contracting out and for accountable and high quality public services.

Local 115 president, Jason Barlow welcomes the new members. “We are looking forward to helping them in any way we can so they get the respect and fairness they deserve. And we will all work together to keep the Brockville transit system accountable to the public.”

CUPE Local 1356-01 Collective Agreement Ratified

2009-07-07T11:41:00.002-04:00

The Parking and Security members ratified a new collective agreement today.

Conservative Party Tries to Interfere with Student Government Elections

2009-07-07T11:37:00.005-04:00

Below is a copy of a recent press release of the YFS exposing members of the Conservative Party of Canada and the York Administration for trying undermine your democratic right to vote in an autonomous students’ union election:

Conservative Politicians and York University Administrators Revealed Interfering in York Student Elections

TORONTO, July 6 /CNW/ - Emails secured through a recent Freedom of Information request revealed that Conservative MP Peter Kent, MPP Peter Shurman, and senior York University administrators were interfering in this year's general elections of the York Federation of Students (YFS). During the elections, Robert Tiffin, York University's Vice-President Students, warned the students' union not to disqualify candidates who were caught violating the elections rules because the University and members of Parliament "were watching the election closely." MP Peter Kent was later found to have assigned a key staff member to intervene in the election on behalf of a team of candidates. Both politicians appeared to ask if York would throw out the results, despite no evidence of wrongdoing or any authority to do so.

"The student elections were run in a fair and democratic manner and in accordance with our bylaws," said Krisna Saravanamuttu, President of the York Federation of Students. "The York Administration and members of the Conservative Party have no right or authority to interfere in the elections of the students' union simply because they disagree with student criticisms of their policies."

Campus students' unions, like the York Federation of Students, are autonomous non-profit corporations that are run by and for students and which are independent of their campus administrations. Students' unions exist to provide services for students and a voice for students to lobby decision-makers on issues that affect them.

"The York Federation of Students is accountable only to the 44,000 undergraduate students at York University and the Ontario courts," said Saravanamuttu. "University administrators and Conservative politicians interfering in student elections is like an employer attempting to select
union representatives. Their objective in silencing opposition is quite obvious here."

The emails uncovered through an access to information request revealed persistent inquires from key political staff on behalf of Conservative MPP Shurman and MP Kent about the results of the York student elections and are part of a growing body of evidence that the federal and provincial Conservative Parties are attempting to undermine democratic student decision-making. Earlier this year, Conservative MP Peter Braid was secretly recorded addressing students in Waterloo as part of a day-long workshop designed to counsel Conservative students on how to set up front groups on campuses to siphon away money intended for student activities in order to advance the Party's agenda under false pretenses.

"Students have the democratic right to choose their own representatives without the university administration and the Conservative Party interference," says Saravanamuttu. "I think tax-payers would be pretty shocked to learn that their money is being used in this way."

Read the full access to information request here.
http://files.newswire.ca/485/York-FIPPA.pdf

The York Federation of Students represents over 44,000 undergraduate students at York University and is a member of the Canadian Federation of Students and the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario.

For further information:
Krisna Saravanamuttu,
President of the York Federation of Students:
president@yfs.ca

Error in Collective Agreement Printing CUPE Local 1356

2009-06-17T12:37:00.004-04:00

There is an error in the printing [and web versions] of the CUPE Local 1356 Collective Agreement in Article 24.03 part 8 only. To correct this just delete the phrase " (Employee Coverage Only) " The coverage for this benefit was, is, and continues to be for the employee and family [if the family is registered with the employer.]

CUPE protests at Mac convocation

2009-06-11T14:32:00.002-04:00

The Canadian Union of Public Employees is picketing McMaster’s social sciences convocation ceremonies at the Hamilton Convention Centre today.

CUPE Local 3906 says the demonstration is to inform the public of “layoffs” which are the consequences of restructuring at the university.

The complaints stem from the concerns of sessional faculty members – faculty serving in a temporary capacity to instruct specific courses on a course-by-course basis – represented by CUPE Local 3906.

source Hamilton Spectator

VCU Professor gets Silicosis

2009-06-11T09:22:00.001-04:00

One of Virginia Commonwealth University's star professors is incurably ill from dust inhaled in university studios, but the school says its facilities are safe and warnings adequate.

from Richmond Times-Dispatch
Contact David Ress at (804) 649-6051 or dress@timesdispatch.com

UW Custodians Angry by Shift Change

2009-06-02T08:27:00.001-04:00

custodians at the University of Washington are coming together across ethnic lines and language barriers to keep their work shifts. The predominantly Asian, Latino, and East African workforce consists of 66 custodians who work from 4:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. On June 1, they will be reassigned to a day-shift that begins at 5 a.m.

source Northwest Asian Weekly

Green Roof on All New Buildings in Toronto

2009-06-02T08:22:00.000-04:00

The new bylaw mandates rooftop vegetation on all new high-rise condos and offices with a floor surface greater than 2,000 square metres, mid-rise residential buildings above eight storeys, industrial plants, schools and non-profit housing.

source National Post

UNITE-HERE President Resigns

2009-06-02T07:53:00.001-04:00

Bruce S. Raynor, the longtime labor leader for the nation’s apparel workers, announced on Friday that he was resigning as president of Unite Here, the joint union that garment workers created with hotel workers five years ago.

source - NY Times

Canada's Quiet Bargain

2009-04-18T23:30:00.001-04:00

Canada’s Quiet Bargain: The Benefits of Public Spending responds to incessant calls for tax cuts and concludes public services make a significant contribution to the majority of Canadians’ standard of living – worth at least 50% of their income.

with thanks to the CCPA

CUPE Website of the year

2009-04-17T22:45:00.004-04:00

Do this as a write-in vote on the site.

Drug spending estimated at $30 billion in 2008

2009-04-17T22:19:00.001-04:00

“Over the last 20 years, drugs have consistently remained one of the major cost drivers in health care,” says Michael Hunt, Manager of Pharmaceutical Programs at CIHI. “Spending on pharmaceuticals has more than doubled over the past 10 years, outpacing growth in health spending by hospitals, physicians and other health professionals.”

source Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)

Hospital cleaners left with breathing trouble, hair loss

2009-04-17T22:10:00.002-04:00

Employees do not have access to protective gear when using corrosive chemicals and air ventilation systems are inadequate, according to the inspector's report, issued on April 8.

The cleaning contractor at Nanaimo Regional Hospital has failed a health and safety inspection.

The five orders issued to the contractor echo concerns from hospital housekeeping employees who gave their union a strike mandate in order to entice Compass negotiators back to the bargaining table.

Nanaimo Daily News through part of canada.com

Direct Deposit for Expense Reimbursements and Accountable Advances

2009-04-17T22:01:00.005-04:00

Over the past four years the Finance Division has encouraged employees to participate in the Direct Deposit program for the reimbursement of employee expenses and accountable advances. This program commenced in 2005 and has currently converted the majority of employees to direct deposit, thus eliminating the need to prepare and mail cheques to employees. Given the success of this program, we are now in the process of converting the remaining employees to direct deposit.

Please note that currently only payments in Canadian funds and to a Canadian bank are being processed by direct deposit. All other payments will be processed by cheque.

Some of the advantages of direct deposit are:

* Payments are received faster than waiting for the cheque to arrive in the mail.
* Payments are deposited directly into your account thereby eliminating the need to have cheques forwarded to you in the event you are out of town.
* Direct deposit offers enhanced security; it eliminates the possibility that a cheque could be intercepted without your knowledge.
* The Finance Department will email your payment details on the day that we initiate payment. The funds should reach your account within 1-2 business days of this notification.

The following information applies:

The attached Direct Deposit Application Form must be completed and returned by mail or in person to: Accounts Payable Department, Suite B, EOB.

The bank account used for direct deposit must be held with a Canadian bank. A voided cheque must be provided.

If the direct deposit is to be made to a savings account or if a void cheque is not available, then the following alternative documentation would be acceptable:

* a copy of your account statement,
* a letter from the bank, or a screen print from your on-line banking service
* This documentation must contain: your name, your address, bank name, institution number, transit number, and bank account number.
* A valid email address is required to notify you of impending direct deposits.

All banking information is regarded as confidential and is used strictly for the purpose of implementing the Direct Deposit payment option.

Please note that this is a separate direct deposit program than the one administered by Human Resources to deposit your pay.

Should you wish your expense reimbursements and accountable advance requests to be deposited into the same account as your pay, we only require

that you send an email to the Accounts Payable department specifying this preference.

We will then make the appropriate arrangements with the Payroll Department on your behalf.

If you have further questions regarding the Direct Deposit program, please email Accounts Payable at acctspay@yorku.ca.

Yours sincerely,

Aldo DiMarcantonio
Comptroller

There are links available to file the forms required to start this procedure.
Look at the following directly:

http://www.yorku.ca/finance/documents/Direct_Deposit_Letter_for_Employees.pdf

http://www.yorku.ca/finance/documents/Direct_Deposit_Employee.pdf

Judge awards $500,000 to woman abused by supervisor, employer also held vicariously liable

2009-04-17T21:54:00.001-04:00

Determining that abusive treatment by a supervisor had caused post-traumatic stress and long-term depression that precluded a return to any kind of employment and that the employer was vicariously liable for everything that occurred, an Ontario judge awarded more than $500,000 damages jointly against the supervisor and the employer for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, mental suffering, and psycho-traumatic disability.

Lancaster House Labour On-line

Super-Strong Paint Kills Superbugs

2009-04-17T21:04:00.001-04:00

“When any building or furnishing is damp for more than 48 hours, mold may grow,” the scientists write in the article. “Water damage due to roof or plumbing leakage, floods, and poor drainage of rainwater runoff or landscape irrigation can significantly promote mold growth.”

Mold, in addition to causing physical damage to building materials, also can sensitize and produce allergic responses in some individuals. Mold exposure, the scientists write, also can cause serious fungal infections.

Thanks to WebMD website

Union-bashing columnist tries to have it both ways, says prof

2009-04-16T09:14:00.002-04:00

In Terence Corcoran’s world, Wal-Mart, a company racking in billions of dollars annually in profits, is a hero for convincing a Quebec arbitrator to allow it to keep its employees’ wages at slightly above minimum wage, wrote David Doorey, professor in the Master of Human Resources Management Program in York’s Atkinson School of Administrative Studies, in the National Post April 15. The villain in his story is the United Food and Commercial Workers Union for obtaining “only” a 30-cents-per-hour raise.

But Corcoran would have us believe that it is the bully union that should be chastised, and not Wal-Mart. Why? Because the union promised the employees more than it actually was able to obtain from the arbitrator, for one thing. And for another, it was certified on the basis that a majority of the Wal-Mart employees signed a card saying they wanted the union to represent them, rather than by winning a vote.
In fact, the model worked as it should, wrote Doorey. It gave the workers an opportunity to see what a union could do for them. If a majority of employees are unhappy with what the union won in the first agreement, they can show the union the door and return to the non-union model that has served Wal-Mart employees so well in the past.

Unions rarely make huge strides in first contracts. Improvements come incrementally, round by round. In this case, the union not only won a modest raise, it won a grievance procedure that will allow employees to challenge management decisions they perceive to be arbitrary or based on favouritism. So, it’s unfair to suggest that the union achieved nothing here.

Of course, Corcoran has argued in his column before that unions that win “good” settlements for their members are to blame for the crumbling of the economy, the failures of government and various other ills. Now he’s chastising a union for bargaining a "bad” settlement for its members.

That’s the great thing about ideologues, said Doorey. They can take any facts and make them fit their world view.

You've got to see the bathroom

2009-04-14T08:41:00.001-04:00

An online survey of 2,175 adults by Harris Interactive last year found that 88% of people who visit restaurants believe that restroom cleanliness reflects the restaurant's overall hygiene, including sanitary standards in the kitchen and prep areas.

Detroit Free Press

Mall Opera Man

2009-04-11T19:11:00.002-04:00

They know Robert because he entertains them with music... a music he was never trained in: opera. Robert grew up singing to the radio and in church choirs. Opera is not his bag. Never was. Until one early morning down a lonely corridor at the mall when he just started singing a song. He had no idea what the song was, where he originally heard it, or what type of music it was. He just started singing it. Later someone said, "Robert, are you singing opera?" That's how all this started.

This story reminds the older members of our Local of a couple of singers that were in our midst over the years. George Cirlus worked as a semi-pro singer is one that comes to mind first as he had been one our Trustees many years ago.

RCMP have right to unionize, judge declares

2009-04-11T13:30:00.000-04:00

In a 37-page ruling, an Ontario judge has held that, under the Charter of Rights, Canada's 20,000 RCMP officers are entitled to decide whether they wish to bargain with the force's management through a union of their own choice. At present they are limited to a consultative Staff Relations Representative Program under management's control.

Korean carrier KTF launches mobile phone-controlled vacuum cleaner

2009-04-11T13:15:00.001-04:00

South Korean telecom firm KTF has just announced a cleaning robot which can be controlled by a 3G cellphone. The robot -- called the CW100 -- was built in collaboration with Microbot, and is a "smart" vacuum (much like a Roomba). The CW100 uses an onboard video camera to send live images of what it's "seeing" to the mobile phone, and the user can then remotely control it using the keypad. The bot will be sold for KRW 500,000 (about $370) in conjunction with a data plan that runs KRW 5,000 (about $3.70) per month. Sounds pretty affordable and awesome to us -- as long as it doesn't run over the family cat. Check out another photo after the break.

CUPE 3903 - We have a deal! (pending ratification by you, of course)

2009-04-08T22:48:00.000-04:00

The following is the text of a press release sent out earlier tonight. Watch this site for more information coming soon, or drop by the union office in the East Office Building and say hello!

------------------

CUPE 3903's executive committee and bargaining team are pleased to announce that after nine months of negotiations--and the longest university strike in the history of English-speaking Canada--the union has reached a mediated settlement with York University.

The union represents 3400 contract professors, teaching assistants, graduate assistants, and research assistants at York University. Earlier this year, CUPE 3903 was legislated back to work by the McGuinty government, after a strike that started in November 2008 and lasted 85 days.

Medicine Hat security guards join CUPE

2009-04-04T23:19:00.000-04:00

Mar 6, 2009 04:27 PM

MEDICINE HAT – Security Guards employed by G4S Security Systems have voted to join the Canadian Union of Public Employees. The 60 employees are believed to be the first group of security guards in G4S to form a union.

The employees provide security services to the Medicine Hat Hospital, College, as well as other locations. They are also responsible for by-law enforcement for the City of Medicine Hat.

CUPE Alberta President D’Arcy Lanovaz said employees came to the union with complaints of unfair treatment by their employer.

“We heard complaints about women making a dollar an hour less than men doing the same job, and some employees getting preferential treatment by managers,” said Lanovaz. “Worker safety was also a critical factor, with many employees forced to work alone.”

Lanovaz said this was the second attempt by the employees to form a union in under a year

Army declines to privatize West Point janitors

2009-03-27T14:05:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Army has decided not to privatize the jobs of about 100 janitors at West Point.

As quoted from the Boston Herald.

Janitor teaches kids lessons on literacy, responsibility

2009-03-16T16:01:00.000-04:00

Teaching social responsibility is done in the schools but, she says, it can use some positive reinforcement because teachers are overworked just doing the curriculum. Although most kids take the janitor for granted because they don’t see the work involved, her notes teaches them about doing the right thing and taking more responsibility for their own situation. And she does it in a fun way.

Nomination for a Non-academic Employee for a position on the Board of Governors

2009-03-16T09:40:00.002-04:00

Forwarding a note on behalf of Harriet Lewis, Secretary of the University:

This is to notify you that an election will be held to nominate a full-time eligible non-academic employee for a position on the Board of Governors. The term of office is two years, beginning on July 1, 2009. The election will be conducted by mailed ballot, distributed to all full-time non-academic employees at their University workplace addresses.

Nominations are invited of full-time eligible non-academic employees who have a record of at least five years of service at the University. Nominations open March 23, 2009 and will close at 12:00 noon on Monday, April 6, 2009, by which time all nominations must be received at the University Secretariat, N926 Ross Building, Keele Campus.

To obtain a nomination form or further information about the Board, the election process or eligibility, please go to:
http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/board/elections/2009_STAFF/Nominations2009.htm
or contact the University Secretariat at (416) 736-5012.

Elizabeth Veness, University Secretariat, N926 Ross Bldg.
Coordinator, Senate Support, (416) 736-5012
fax: (416)736-5769 http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/

UnionBook

2009-02-11T21:22:00.004-05:00

During the recent run up to the settlement we were using a FaceBook account which was deleted by FaceBook. No real reason was supplied. Other unions have faced this issue too. Union Book was created by the same folks that bring us LabourStart a news service about and for unions.

The intention of UnionBook is to be a supplement to Union Members to connect with each other and beyond to the greater labour movement.

Some members of our Local already have joined as well as the Local itself.

Sudbury - School Board custodians have new deal

2009-01-13T15:34:00.002-05:00

The deal gives the workers a salary increase of 12.5 per cent over four years and other benefits. Paving the way for the deal were voluntary discussions at the provincial level between trustees and the union before the collective agreement expired on Aug. 31, 2008.

University of Colorado Denver Janitors fighting for right to unionize

2009-01-13T14:35:00.001-05:00

According to a report issued by the University of Colorado Denver (UCD), 98 percent of downtown Denver buildings use janitor companies covered by a union. Carnation Building Services (CBS) is one of the few companies that don’t.

Rally Downtown in Solidarity with CUPE 3903 on Strike at York University

2008-12-01T09:42:00.001-05:00

Fight against the Casualization and Devaluation of Educational Work

On Nov. 6th Contract Faculty, Teaching and Graduate Assistants at York University walked out.

December 3rd will be Day 28 of our strike.

We are calling on all unions, allies & supporters to come out to show your solidarity on:
Wednesday December 3rd, 1pm Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities 900 Bay St. (Bay and Wellesley) Toronto

For updates and online action visit: www.3903strike.ca

Help CUPE 3903's Google Rankings

2008-12-01T07:50:00.000-05:00

Please help CUPE 3903. They're in week two of a strike and they've
been sideswiped by someone who registered cupe3903.ca and pointed it
at the university web site.

While they pursue their complaint with the Canadian Internet
Registration Authority, they're looking to improve their ranking on
Google, so that people searching for information about the York
University strike find their information, not the university's, or the
anti-strike student groups'.

>> Additionally, another way to boost search engine ranking is from
>> inbound links. The more websites that link to www.3903strike.ca
>> the better... and even more than quantity of links are quality. If
>> we can get a couple of very popular sites to link to us the more
>> google will like our new page! So get the word out!

Please put a link to the real CUPE 3903 site (www.3903strike.ca) on
your website, using "York University strike information" as the link
text. Not sure how to do that? Take the following code:

York University strike
information and get your web worker to put it on your page.

Thanks for your help!

cmkl

CUPE 3913 lays on pressure to settle with University of Guelph

2008-12-01T07:43:00.001-05:00

More than 500 people have sent e-mails to administrators at the University of Guelph to encourage them to make the most of mediation and settle with its teaching assistants and sessional lecturers.

CUPE 3913 was in mediation this week to avoid a strike by its 1,200 sessional lecturers and teaching assistants.

Outstanding issues include increased workload and class sizes, health and safety concerns and job security.

The two sides will be in a legal strike or lockout position December 1 at 12:01 am.

Add your voice here: cupe.ca/action/guelph-3913.

From an internal email from CUPE National - FastFacts

York and 3903 talking again

2008-12-01T07:40:00.000-05:00

CUPE 3903 got York University back to the table this week in a bid to end their strike, which began November 6.

CUPE 3903 spokesperson Rafeef Ziadah said the union's main issues were:

* benefit funds just above 2005 levels;
* job security for contract faculty;
* subsistence wages that meet the real cost of living in Toronto.

CUPE National President Paul Moist walked the picket lines at York, November 23.

From an internal email from CUPE National - FastFacts

Support for CUPE Local 3903

2008-11-28T07:53:00.000-05:00

The Local Executive is requesting that members contribute non-perishable foods towards a food bank focused upon the members of CUPE Local 3903.

More details to follow.

We do expect to be collecting at our Regular December 2008 Membership Meeting scheduled for Sunday 14 December 2008, as the economic consequences would still be affecting their membership.

Arthurs' Commission Report on Pensions Needs Close Study Says Ontario Federation of Labour

2008-11-23T20:24:00.000-05:00

"The labour movement will be carefully studying and fully
participating in the discussions and review of the Ontario Expert Commission
on Pensions Report that was released today," said OFL president Wayne
Samuelson.

"The Report's recommendations are complex and interdependent and deserve
serious consideration by government. The current crisis in financial markets
should not drive long-term reform efforts.

"While we assess the Report the labour movement will be keeping two
priorities in mind - strong regulation to enhance security for those with
defined pension plans and the need to expand pension plan coverage for those
without," Samuelson said.

University Federal Funding from Statistics Canada

2008-11-20T14:06:00.000-05:00

Interesting data from Statistics Canada that was not announced publicly by the Harper government, showing a decline in spending on research and development in the university sector in 2008/09, particularly in the social sciences and humanities. The throne speech contained no mention of the word “university” and one mention of the term “post secondary education.”

Sue Lott
Research Officer
CUPE National Office

Federal government spending on science and technology
2008/2009 (intentions)

The federal government will spend an anticipated $9.9 billion on science and technology in the fiscal year 2008/2009.

This will be a decline of about 3% (in current dollars) from the previous fiscal year, and the first decline after five years of increases.

About 63% of this total will go to research and development, and the remaining 37% to related scientific activities.

Of the total, natural sciences and engineering will receive just under $7.5 billion, most of which will go to research and development. Social sciences and humanities will get an anticipated $2.4 billion.

Toby Sanger
Economist
Canadian Union of Public Employees
1375 St Laurent Blvd, Ottawa, K1G 0Z7, Canada

Restroom Innovation

2008-11-19T13:07:00.000-05:00

today's restroom care manufacturers are using touch-free technology to solve many common concerns.

And, new players have entered the field with outside-the-box thinking and are now offering touch-free technology in the areas of self-cleaning toilets, waterless urinals, programmable odor control options, and touchless door openers.

Today's restroom experience can be virtually touchless from entrance to exit.

For cleaning crews, the potential for cross contamination and risk are lowered with modern equipment.

World Toilet Day

2008-11-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

SINGAPORE (AFP) – A Singapore-based non-profit organisation proclaimed World Toilet Day on Wednesday, but said it was no laughing matter.

The World Toilet Organisation, founded in 2001, aims to make sanitation a key global issue.

"Each year lack of toilets causes 200 million tons of human waste to go uncollected and untreated around the world, fouling the environment and exposing millions of people to diseases," the organisation said on its website.

"November 19th is World Toilet Day, a day on which we can remind others the importance of better sanitation for EVERYONE."

The group, known by its initials "WTO" says it is a global network of 151 toilet and sanitation organisations in 53 countries.

World Toilet Day "is now being celebrated by members all over the world," the website said.

In its Toilet Day message, the WTO said 2.5 billion people in the world lack access to proper toilet facilities.

The WTO was founded by Singaporean entrepreneur Jack Sim, who has described himself as "something like an evangelist" when it comes to toilets. He could not be reached on Wednesday.

WTO has also organised World Toilet Summits for academics and other experts to discuss toilet-related issues. Sim is also director of the World Toilet College which offers training in toilet maintenance and related matters.

The BadgerHerald UWisc - Virus spreads across campus

2008-11-18T12:54:00.001-05:00

University of Wisconsin officials scrambled Friday to respond to an apparent growing breakout of norovirus on and near campus.

The virus is commonly mistaken as the stomach flu, and symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, headaches and nausea.

Spending on health care to reach $5,170 per Canadian in 2008

2008-11-13T21:30:00.000-05:00

Health expenditure as a proportion of GDP grows to an estimated 10.7%

November 13, 2008 —
Canada’s health care spending is expected to reach $171.9 billion in 2008, or $5,170 per person, according to new figures released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). This represents an increase of $10.3 billion over estimated expenditures for 2007, or a growth of 6.4%. These figures are featured in National Health Expenditure Trends, 1975 to 2008, Canada’s most comprehensive source of information tracking how dollars are spent on health care in this country.

When looking at health care spending as a proportion of Canada’s overall economy, health expenditure is expected to reach 10.7% of the gross domestic product (GDP), the highest share ever recorded. This rate has climbed gradually, from 10.0% in 2002, to an estimated 10.6% last year.

“Health care spending is expected to grow faster than Canada’s economy, outpacing inflation and population growth,” says Glenda Yeates, President and CEO of CIHI. “In the context of recent changes in the economy, it is important to keep monitoring these trends in order to better understand how our dollars are being spent and how we compare to other countries.”

After adjusting for inflation and population growth, spending is expected to grow by 3.4% in 2008, which is similar to adjusted annual growth rates of recent years: 2.8% in 2007 (estimated), 3.7% in 2006 and 2.8% in 2005.
Spending on drugs growing faster than spending on hospitals or physicians

Hospitals continue to make up the largest component of Canada’s health care spending; however, their share of total health expenditure has steadily declined. In 2008, hospitals are expected to account for 28.0% ($48.1 billion) of total health care spending, down from 30.7% in 1998 and 44.7% in 1975.

Since 1997, pharmaceuticals have consumed the second-largest share of health dollars. In 2008, spending on drugs (including both prescribed and non-prescribed medications) is expected to account for 17.4% of health care spending ($29.8 billion), up from 15.0% a decade ago and 8.8% in 1975. Payments to physicians represent Canada’s third-largest share of health expenditure, accounting for an estimated 13.4% of total spending in 2008 ($23 billion), a share that has remained relatively stable since 1999. This year spending on drugs is expected to grow faster (8.3%) than spending on hospitals (5.8%) or physicians (6.2%).

Public - and private-sector spending shares remain unchanged

Since 1997, the public- and private-sector shares of total health expenditure have remained relatively stable, with governments accounting for 70% of total spending and the private sector (including privately insured and out-of-pocket expenses) for 30%. In 2008, public-sector health care spending is expected to reach $120.3 billion in 2008 (70.0% of total spending), compared to $51.6 billion spent by the private sector (30.0% of total spending).

Prescribed drugs and dental care account for the largest shares of private health care spending, while hospitals and physicians represent the largest shares for the public sector.

In 2006, the latest year of available data, out-of-pocket expenses by individual Canadians represented 15% of total health expenditure, or $22.1 billion. Private insurance accounted for 12%, or $18.2 billion.
Spending on health varies from province to province

Total (public and private) health spending varies across Canada. Spending per person is expected to be highest in Alberta and Manitoba, at $5,730 and $5,555, respectively, and lowest in Quebec ($4,653) and British Columbia ($5,093).

Provincial and territorial government health expenditures will account for just over 64% of total health expenditures in Canada in 2008. Provincial and territorial government spending per person ranges from lows of $3,006 in Quebec, $3,270 in Ontario and $3,300 in Prince Edward Island to highs of $3,962 in Newfoundland and Labrador and $3,817 in Alberta.

“Each province has its own unique environment that will influence decisions around health spending,” says Francine Anne Roy, Director, Health Services Information at CIHI. “Variations in models of care, salary and benefit levels, health needs and the geographic distribution of a province’s population are all factors that can affect health system expenditures.”

Total provincial health expenditure as a percent of provincial GDP ranges from 6.9% in Alberta and 8.8% in Newfoundland and Labrador to 14.6% in Nova Scotia and 15.3% in P.E.I. in 2008.

Spending highest on infants and seniors

In 2006, the latest year available for age-specific data, per capita health care spending by provincial and territorial governments was highest for infants younger than 1 ($7,891) and people 65 and older ($9,967). In contrast, health care spending on Canadians between the ages of 1 and 64 averaged $1,832 per person.

Among seniors, there was also great variation. For those age 65 to 69, the average per capita spending was $5,369 in 2006. For those age 85 to 89, per person spending reached an average of $21,209.

CIHI’s figures show that Canadians age 65 and older accounted for an estimated 44% of total provincial and territorial government health care spending in 2006, a proportion that has not changed significantly since 1998, when national data broken down by age group first became available. Infants (younger than 1 year) account for about 3%.

International comparisons

Among 25 countries that have comparable accounting systems in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2006, the latest year for which data are available, spending per person on health care remained highest in the United States (US$6,714). The U.S. was followed by Norway (US$4,520), Switzerland (US$4,311) and Luxembourg (US$4,303). Canada was in the top fifth of countries in terms of per person spending on health, spending US$3,678 per person, which was similar to seven other OECD countries, including France, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria. The lowest per capita expenditures were seen in Turkey (US$591) and Mexico (US$794).

National Health Expenditure Database

The data released today are from CIHI’s latest report, National Health Expenditure Trends, 1975 to 2008, which provides an overview of health care spending trends from 1975 to 2006, as well as forecasts for 2007 and 2008. The report draws upon data compiled from CIHI’s National Health Expenditure Database, Canada’s most comprehensive source of information on health care spending. Where appropriate, National Health Expenditure Trends, 1975 to 2008 provides data in both current and constant dollars. Current dollars measure actual expenditure in a given year. Constant dollars remove the effects of inflation to measure expenditure based on price levels prevailing in a base year. In this report, the term “constant dollars” refers to amounts in 1997 prices. Real growth rates measure annual changes of data reported in constant dollars.
About CIHI

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) collects and analyzes information on health and health care in Canada and makes it publicly available. Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments created CIHI as a not-for-profit, independent organization dedicated to forging a common approach to Canadian health information. CIHI’s goal: to provide timely, accurate and comparable information. CIHI’s data and reports inform health policies, support the effective delivery of health services and raise awareness among Canadians of the factors that contribute to good health.

The report and the following figures and tables are available from CIHI’s website, at www.cihi.ca.

Table 1
Total Health Expenditure, Canada, 1975 to 2008—Summary (Table A.1 in the report)

Table 2
Total Health Expenditure by Use of Funds, Canada, 1975 to 2008—Current Dollars (Table A.3.1.2—parts 1 and 2 in the report)

Figure 1
Public - and Private-Sector Shares of Total Health Expenditure (Figure 8 in the report)

Table 3
Total Health Expenditure, by Province/Territory and Canada, 1975 to 2008—Current Dollars (Table B.1.2 in the report)

Table 4
Provincial/Territorial Government-Sector Health Expenditure, by Province/Territory and Canada, 1975 to 2008—Current Dollars (Table B.4.2 in the report)

Figure 2
Total Health Expenditure per Capita in U.S. Dollars, 25 Selected Countries, 2006 (adapted from Figure 35 in the report)

How Bleach Kills Bacteria - new research at UM

2008-11-13T21:19:00.000-05:00

"At high temperatures, proteins begin to lose their three-dimensional molecular structure and start to clump together and form large, insoluble aggregates, just like when you boil an egg," said lead author Jeannette Winter, who was a postdoctoral fellow in Jakob's lab. And like eggs, which once boiled never turn liquid again, aggregated proteins usually remain insoluble, and the stressed cells eventually die.

Jakob and her research team figured out that bleach and high temperatures have very similar effects on proteins. Just like heat, the hypochlorite in bleach causes proteins to lose their structure and form large aggregates.

further in the article there is discussion on how the body has cells that also create hypochlorite

These findings are not only important for understanding how bleach keeps our kitchen countertops sanitary, but they may lead to insights into how we fight off bacterial infections. Our own immune cells produce significant amounts of hypochlorite as a first line of defense to kill invading microorganisms. Unfortunately, hypochlorite damages not just bacterial cells, but ours as well. It is the uncontrolled production of hypochlorite acid that is thought to cause tissue damage at sites of chronic inflammation.

also reported in the journal Cell

The vet/janitor with the Medal of Honor

2008-11-12T08:21:00.001-05:00

NEWNAN, GA — The Veterans Day program at Madras Middle School featured Texas Air National Guard Brig. Gen. Donald Harvel telling an inspirational story about a janitor, according to the Times-Herald.

The late Bill Crawford took great pride in his work cleaning Air Force Academy dormitories, but cadets considered him "just an older gentleman with a crooked smile and a shuffle in his step who, aside from an occasional nod of acknowledgment, faded into the background," the story stated.

Then cadets found out the rest of the story — as an Army private, Crawford took out three machine gun nests on September 14, 1943, near Altavilla, Italy, was seriously wounded, and held prisoner by the Germans for 18 months, the story noted.

Crawford had been presumed dead, and the Congressional Medal of Honor had been given to his father, the story added.

When cadets asked Crawford why he didn't tell them about his Medal of Honor, he humbly replied: "It was one day a long time ago. I didn't think it was that big a deal."

Harvel told the schoolchildren: "Be cautious of labels. After all, Bill Crawford was just a janitor. Don't sell your people short. Any one of them may rise to the occasion when duty calls."

Click here to read Crawford's Wikipedia entry and Medal of Honor citation.

Case for Recycling - The Pacer - U Tenn Martin

2008-11-12T08:14:00.000-05:00

recycling actually saves the university money by reducing garbage fees. He said $10,000 was made last year by recycling

UCSB - Janitors Get Green Award

2008-11-11T08:40:00.000-05:00

UCSB custodians recently received the prestigious Grand Award for their environmentally friendly cleaning practices.

The York University Staff Association (YusApuY) and CUPE 1356 Joint Communication

2008-11-06T08:45:00.001-05:00

The York University Staff Association (YusApuY) and CUPE 1356 Joint Communication

We are writing this communiqué to our respective memberships to advise you of your right and responsibilities in the event that CUPE 3903 is on strike.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact you union through regular channels; voice mail and email will be checked regularly.

It is expected that you will report to work at your regularly scheduled time. It is likely that you will encounter delays at all of the entrances of the University – please exercise patience and understanding while waiting to gain entrance to the University.

In the event that you are late as a direct result of the labour dispute, please contact your Supervisor upon your arrival. You will not suffer any loss of compensation, nor will your time be deducted.

It is important that you recognize the legal right to strike of our CUPE 3903 brothers and sisters.

We should all recognize that this action is not the first choice of CUPE 3903, or that of any union. After many months of negotiating with this employer, similar to that of YusApuY and CUPE 1356, this employer continues to demand concessions.

All of the bargaining units have been under attack in recent months and it is crucial that we demonstrate to this employer our support and solidarity for our fellow community members.

In Solidarity,

Jack McCann.......Joanie Cameron Pritchett
President..........President
CUPE 1356...........YusApuY

Results of the Ratification Meetings

2008-11-05T09:06:00.003-05:00

The membership of CUPE Local 1356 has during it's meetings on 4 November 2008 voted upon the proposed settlement.

The members have Ratified the recommendation of the Negotiation Committee of our Local with the result of the votes being 95.7% - In Favour of the Settlement, 281 members voted in these meetings.

1356 Ratification Meeting

2008-11-02T14:34:00.001-05:00

Ratification Meeting only 1356 Collective Agreement members

Dayshift only: 9:00 a.m.
TUESDAY November 4, 2008
102 Accolade Building East

A secret ballot vote will be conducted on the Tentative Settlement over the two meetings.

Evening and Night Shifts only: 8:00 p.m.
TUESDAY November 4, 2008
Senate Chamber, Ross Building

Night shift will be starting their shift four hours early to be accommodated for this important meeting.

Tentative Settlement Achieved

2008-10-31T22:21:00.002-04:00

A Tentative Settlement was achieved today in the Negotiations of CUPE Local 1356 and York University. The Ratification Meetings will be conducted on Tuesday November 4th 2008. Day shift members will meet at their session at 9:00 AM with the Night shift members starting earlier than their usual start time and combining with the Evening shift members for their meeting at 8:00 PM.

Patient Safety in Ontario Acute Care Hospitals: A Snapshot of Hospital-Acquired Infection Control Practices

2008-10-31T13:34:00.000-04:00

According to a new analysis from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), 99% of the 103 Ontario hospitals participating in a 2008 patient safety survey reported that they had a formal hand hygiene policy in place, and just more than one-third of these (38%) established an auditing process to ensure that proper handwashing procedures are being followed. Hand hygiene is recognized in Canada and internationally as a top patient safety priority measure in preventing the spread of infections, and auditing is a key component in ensuring observance of hand hygiene policies.

Strike Vote for CUPE Local 1356 - posting #3 - Final

2008-10-29T22:03:00.001-04:00

The resounding vote of 99.6% in favour of Strike Action should it be necessary is quite impressive considering that it was at the third meeting of the Local in three weeks and further at a meeting conducted at 8:00 PM of a Sunday with a huge turnout!

Management is Circulating a Junk Flyer

2008-10-23T11:45:00.001-04:00

The University is circulating a document to the members claiming 'Bad Faith Bargaining' and false info of other sorts.

Facebook Support Group

2008-10-23T11:44:00.000-04:00

Join in on the Facebook group.

CUPE Local 3903 Strike Vote

2008-10-22T11:01:00.000-04:00

Teaching assistants and contract instructors at York University have voted 86 per cent in favour of giving their union a strike mandate.

The instructors say they are being asked to teach more than double the amount of classes as regular professors, and that they don't know which classes they will teach each semester until one month before the school starts. They are asking for better job security.

The teaching assistants, graduate students who help professors with marking and sometimes teach classes, are asking for better pay.

The strike mandate doesn't mean instructors and teaching assistants will necessarily go on strike, but it gives the union the ability to walk off the job with 72 hours' notice if they are unable to negotiate a better deal with the school.

quoted from The Star

1356 Strike Vote

2008-10-22T10:29:00.000-04:00

Strike Vote at 109 Accolade Building West 8:00 PM Sunday 26 October 2008

Management is Demanding Major Concessions

Personal Safety on York University Campus Survey

2008-10-21T11:58:00.002-04:00

Over the next several months, METRAC will be conducting a safety audit of York University and its satellite locations. METRAC holds the principle that if a space is made safer for the most vulnerable of its users, then the space is made safer for everyone.

In order to get a sense of your experiences and understandings of safety at York University, METRAC wants to hear from all campus users – that’s you! Everyone has an important voice in this safety audit process. We invite you to participate in our research by completing the survey below. While responding to our questions, please respond in the context of York University and the campus spaces that you frequent; please keep your personal safety, as well as the physical safety of an area, in mind; and please feel free to mention whatever on campus safety concerns you may have.

The survey should take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.

Disclaimer: Your participation in this survey is completely voluntary and confidential. You are free to withdraw from the research at any time, and to withdraw data pertaining to yourself, without penalty. The information collected in this survey is also confidential and anonymous. The information gathered will be accessed by METRAC alone and is for the sole purpose of the York University Safety Audit, and for no other purpose. Information provided by you in this survey will be recorded and stored electronically.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/yorksafetyaudit

We should have a large group fill-in this survey to assist in highlighting issues we feel or have.

No Board Report filed for by the University

2008-10-18T22:23:00.001-04:00

The University has filed for a "No Board Report" which can allow the University to cause a "Lock Out".

If the University forces a vote on their proposed Collective Agreement we would request that it be voted - AGAINST or NO.

If the Union puts forward a vote on a Collective Agreement we ask that the members listen to the meeting arguments for and against and vote their conscience.

Check the Negotiation Blog for further information as it becomes available.

New Blog on Negotiations

2008-10-13T21:19:00.000-04:00

To keep the focus of Negotiations in one place and to allow the greater capability of comments this topic was moved onto its own blog.

Emergency Membership Meeting

2008-10-06T09:31:00.001-04:00

Watch your notice boards and emails for information on the location.

Meeting to be held on Thanksgiving Day Monday 13 October 2008 at about 2:00 pm

Topics:

1356 Negotiating Committee Update
Strike Committee Report and Sign-up for Volunteers
Selection of Picket Captains

First look at University Presidents' campus contracts

2008-07-05T00:39:00.000-04:00

July 03, 2008 Hamilton Spectator

University presidents’ contracts are beginning to be made public after The Hamilton Spectator won a two-year battle to obtain a copy of the full employment details of McMaster University President Peter George.

The office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario supported the Spectator’s case that universities should make public the contracts of their chief executives, the same as other parts of the public sector. The commission ordered McMaster to give a copy of George’s contract to the Spectator by the end of February. McMaster balked, saying it would go to court rather than abide by the ruling.

However, late last month, McMaster abandoned its request for a judicial review and released the contract almost two years after the Spectator’s original request under freedom of information legislation in August, 2006.

Possible TTC Strike

2008-03-28T11:17:00.001-04:00

the link above is not the same content as follows.

The following message was received by CUPE Local 1356.

*** The following message is being sent on behalf of Norman Ahmet, Assistant Vice President, Human Resources and Employee Relations ***

TTC employees will be in a legal strike position on Tuesday April 1, 2008 and accordingly there could be service disruptions and possibly a complete shut down of service on or after that date. Whether or not there are any service disruptions, employees are expected to attend work as scheduled.

Managers should inform their employees of this expectation and suggest that they make alternative transportation arrangements, in advance of Tuesday.

We can anticipate that TTC service disruptions may result in lengthier travel times. Employees should be aware that it may take them longer to get to work on time and should adjust their travel time accordingly. Managers should be mindful that despite their best efforts, employees may be late in arriving for work and they should respond to lateness, as appropriate, in the circumstances.

Employees who do not attend work as expected will be required to use vacation time, or banked lieu time to cover the days(s) missed.

CUPE Local 1334 Tentative Agreement

2008-03-09T21:44:00.000-04:00

The University of Guelph CUPE Local 1334 has arrived at a Tentative Agreement in last minute negotiations with a Strike pending which has now been placed on hold.

Local Elections

2008-03-09T21:41:00.000-04:00

This afternoon the local conducted its Annual General Meeting. The only substantial change was the change in the Chief Steward 1356.

CUPE 4580 set to strike University of Windsor

2008-02-04T20:52:00.000-05:00

WINDSOR, ON, Feb. 4 /CNW Telbec/ - Contract negotiations between the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 4580 and the University of Windsor have reached an impasse. CUPE 4580 represents approximately 900 graduate and teaching assistants.
The parties will be in a legal strike or lockout position sometime the week of February 17 if an agreement is not reached.
In the current academic year, the University of Windsor has implemented its largest ever, one-time increase in tuition fees. Increases range from 4.5% to 41% and affect all teaching and graduate assistants. Additional increases are projected for the 2008-2009 academic year.
The Union has scheduled a strike vote for 6 p.m., February 6 at the CAW Student Centre, Ambassador Auditorium on the University Campus.
© 2008 CNW Group Ltd.

Canadian university endowment funds skyrocket

2008-02-04T20:45:00.000-05:00

Pauline Tam
CanWest News Service

Friday, October 26, 2007

The value of Canadian university endowment funds has reached an all-time high, surpassing $10 billion, according to a new survey.

The latest figures from the Canadian Association of University Business Officers show the country's ivory tower has come of age as a fundraising and investing force, generating average annual assets worth $1 billion.

At December 2006, the net value of all endowments grew to $10.4 billion - a 55-per-cent increase from 2002, when they were valued $6.7 billion.

The stunning pace of growth suggests universities have become powerhouse investors as well as big-time fundraisers.

The U.S. is home to some of the world's largest educational funds, including Harvard University's endowment, which has recently been valued at $35 billion U.S.

Endowments are created when universities invest the donations they receive. As the principle grows in value, the investment income is spent, creating a perpetual stream of revenue.

According to the Canadian study, which tracks 69 universities, the growth in endowments since 2002 has been driven by stepped-up efforts to raise money ($2.3 billion) and improvements in investment returns ($3.4 billion).

As a result, $2 billion have been handed out to professors and students across the country. Typically, the lion's share supports research and teaching positions that attract and retain top faculty. They also fund scholarships and bursaries that lure top students.

A smaller portion goes toward the construction and outfitting of new classrooms and labs.

The study puts the typical value of an endowment at $151 million. In practice, however, the endowed wealth of universities varies greatly.

According to a recent survey by Standard and Poor's, a debt-rating agency, fundraising and investing is still dominated by a handful of universities.

The survey, which provides a snapshot of the richest education funds, reveals that the country's eight largest schools account for nearly $5 billion, or half the total value of all university endowments.

Unlike the results reported by the universities, S&P puts a value on endowments based on the amount of money that has been invested, rather than pledges that have yet to be received. As a result, the S&P valuations are lower than those produced by the universities.

According to S&P, Queen's University leads the pack in the per-capita value of its endowment.

For every full-time student enrolled at the school, the university has endowed wealth worth nearly $32,000, or a total of $460 million.

McGill University is second with a per-student endowment worth $28,692, or $801 million.

That's followed by the University of Toronto ($27,055 per student, or $1.6 billion in total endowment), the University of B.C. ($26,471, or $751 million) and McMaster University ($20,289, or $389 million).

After that, the value of endowments drops precipitously. The University of Western Ontario trails a distant sixth with a per-student fund worth $9,562, or $267 million. The University of Guelph ($9,363 per student, or $150 million) and York University ($6,687, or $246 million) round out the list.

David Mitchell, vice-principal of advancement at Queen's University, says endowments give schools an edge in establishing a reputation and providing students with a quality education.

"It really shows that some universities have concentrated on building independent streams of revenue that will support students and academic quality," says Mitchell. "We all know that government funding, as a percentage of total spending by universities, has really declined over the last generation."

Others are reluctant to draw a direct link between endowed wealth and education quality.

Ross Finnie, a University of Ottawa economist and higher education specialist, says at best, endowments allow universities to free up more dollars for discretionary spending. "It probably increases the amount of money a university has overall and so it just goes into general spending," says Finnie.

Indeed, despite their wealth, Canadian universities are also carrying record-high debt loads.

A recent study by the Dominion Bond Rating Service has found 13 Canadian universities collectively owe Bay Street more than $3 billion in long-term loans.

Most of the money has gone to fund ambitious renovation and construction projects, and some has been used to refinance existing bank debt -- a trend that disturbs some observers. Mitchell says the money raised for endowments are not used to pay down debts. Instead, universities rely on operating revenues for debt servicing.

Ottawa Citizen
© CanWest News Service 2007

UBC Parking faces class-action lawsuit

2008-01-04T22:33:00.000-05:00

UBC Parking faces class-action lawsuit

Tuesday, January 9th, 2007

I AIN’T PAYING: Daniel Barbour’s unpaid parking ticket led to the $4 million class-action lawsuit. KELLAN HIGGINS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

by Momoko Price
News Staff

According to UBC’s parking enforcement policies, not paying your parking tickets can have serious consequences, including vehicle impoundment, fine increases and the retraction of university services. But according to the grounds of Daniel Barbour’s newly approved class-action lawsuit against UBC, these consequences aren’t legally enforceable, and haven’t been for the past 16 years.

Last month the BC Supreme Court approved Barbour’s case to go forward and now $4 million, paid in parking fines by some 100,000 people since 1990, may be at stake.

It began on March 26, 2004 as a heated dispute between an angry driver and the man who towed his car. At the time, Barbour said his car had been towed due to five outstanding parking tickets which he knew nothing about. The tickets amounted to about $150 but a further $200 had to be paid to get his car. Barbour claims he was denied the option to appeal the charges against him until after he had paid the fines, a regulation he considered wholly contradictory and unfair.

Barbour was frustrated.

“I realised that their policy doesn’t even say they have to put a notice on your dashboard…and if you want to appeal the fines you could only appeal to the people who charged you in the first place,” he said.

Because the UBC Parking appeals procedure does not involve an impartial arbitrator to resolve challenged cases, Barbour claims UBC is enforcing and defining parking laws unfairly and outside its jurisdiction.

UBC Public Affairs director Scott Macrae contends that UBC is entirely within its right to enforce fines and that they are no different than any other university in BC.

“We’re authorised by legislation to pass these rules regarding traffic through the University Act,” he said. “We’re well within our rights to regulate parking and, as part of that regulation, to give fines to people when they go against the regulations we’ve set up.”

Though he did not wish to comment on the lawsuit itself, Macrae confirmed that the University will appeal the Supreme Court’s decision from last month.

“We believe we have the authority to not only charge for parking, which we do on a non-profit basis, but we also believe we have the right to fine people when they disobey the rules.”

To the contrary, Barbour’s lawyer Sharon Matthews states that the issue is not UBC’s general jurisdiction to “regulate traffic,” but whether or not it can legally define parking offenses and collect fines from contravening parties, actions that require special permission from the legislature, which Matthews says UBC never had.

“UBC says in its policy and regulations that if you have contravened their regulations that you have committed an offense, and a private citizen—which essentially is what UBC is—can’t do that. It can’t go around creating offenses and saying what’s allowed and what’s not.”

While Macrae stressed the fact that parking fines at UBC are meant solely to deter parking violations and not to generate profit, Barbour is convinced the system is set up to make money, and speculates that the reason the issue hasn’t been raised before is because students are penalised most of the time by regulations.

“People don’t do anything about it because most of them are students who don’t know better and when it’s $15 or $40 here or there and they can withhold your marks, it’s not worth it.”

This article was filed on Tuesday, January 9th, 2007 at 12:20 am under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
4 Responses to “UBC Parking faces class-action lawsuit”

1. Flynn Says:
January 26th, 2007 at 4:56 pm

“We believe we have the authority to not only charge for parking, which we do on a non-profit basis, but we also believe we have the right to fine people when they disobey the rules.”

-None profit, you say? I beg to differ. You guys deserve this lawsuit, money grubbers.
2. Dan Matson Says:
January 28th, 2007 at 12:21 pm

I would like to say that as a UBC student, who drives to school quite often, fully support Barbour’s case against UBC. I (and almost all of my student colleagues) believe that UBC has gotten away with too many capital-motivated schemes that don’t benefit the students themselves. Parking is a perfect example. I have been through the exact same situation as Barbour, and I am glad that he has the will and perserverance to go through with this!
3. Michelle Says:
March 15th, 2007 at 8:46 pm

UBC charges parking fines on a non-profit basis? Is there any evidence on where they direct the funds to? Is it given back to the students, whose cost of education increasess every single year?

I totally support Barbour’s case… UBC really has gotten away with way too much for way too long.
4. Primer: Electoral Area A : TheThunderbird.ca Says:
December 5th, 2007 at 2:45 pm

[…] UBC Parking was taken to court in April 2007 by driver Daniel Barbour, who alleged he was denied the chance to appeal five parking tickets before he paid them. His lawsuit against UBC questions whether the University can define parking violations and collect fines - case is currently before the BC Supreme Court. […]

Job protection for reservists similar to maternity leave

2007-12-11T13:27:00.000-05:00

By Carly Foster, Employee Benefits Canada
December 10, 2007

Ontario reservists in the Canadian Forces now have job protection similar to maternity leave.

The Fairness for Military Families Act allows an employee who is a reservist, and who worked for their civilian employer for at least six consecutive months, to take a leave without pay if he or she is deployed to a Canadian Forces operation outside the country or to an operation inside Canada that provides assistance in dealing with an emergency.

Upon completion of the leave, employers are required to reinstate the reservists to their same position if it still exists, or to a comparable position if it does not. The reservist leave provisions apply to all employers covered by the Employment Standards Act, 2000, regardless of size.

Prior to the introduction of the Act, military reservists working as civilians in Ontario did not enjoy any special legislative job protection, and therefore did not have a guaranteed job upon completion of their deployments, unless one had been negotiated contractually.

Reservists are to provide reasonable notice to their employers, in writing, before beginning and ending the leave. Employers are not required to contribute to any benefit plans during the leave period. However, if the employer chooses to postpone the reservist’s return date, the employer would be required to make the benefit plan contributions and the employee could participate in such plans for the postponement period.

The bill also eliminates the 90-day waiting period for provincial health coverage originally applied to military families transferred to Ontario.

Ontario now joins Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia in protecting reservists’ jobs.

Vancouver Public Library on Strike

2007-10-05T19:10:00.000-04:00

While Jack was in Vancouver he was able to picket with the Brothers and Sisters of Local 391.

They have been on strike for more than 5 weeks now.

All the info can be found on their website at www.cupe391.ca Or
www.fairnessforcivicworkers.com

Study shows decrease in seniors taking potentially harmful drugs between 2000 and 2006

2007-09-18T11:27:00.000-04:00

New CIHI analysis shows that more than a quarter of seniors continue using these drugs

The proportion of seniors taking potentially harmful drugs decreased over the last six years, from more than one in three seniors (34%) on prescribed medication in 2000–2001 to just over one in four seniors (27%) in 2005–2006. A new study released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), Drug Claims by Seniors: An Analysis Focusing on Potentially Inappropriate Use of Medications, 2000 to 2006, examines public drug program claims in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick. The study focuses on medications on the Beers list—an internationally recognized list of medications identified as “potentially inappropriate” for seniors because of an elevated risk of adverse effects. First developed in 1991 by U.S. gerontologist Dr. Mark H. Beers, the list was developed using criteria such as appropriate use of medication, effectiveness, risk of adverse events and the availability of safer alternatives.

“Prescription drug therapy is a very important component of health care delivery for the elderly in this country. As the Canadian population ages, a better understanding of any potentially inappropriate use of these drugs is essential,” says Francine Anne Roy, Director of Health Resources Information at CIHI.

Top five Beers list drugs claimed are similar across the four provincial drug programs

The study noted a decline in the chronic use of drugs from the Beers list in all four provinces. Chronic use of medications on the Beers list is described as a minimum of three prescriptions and 100 solid dosage units in a given year. In 2000–2001, chronic use ranged from 19.5% of seniors with drug claims in Manitoba to 27.5% in New Brunswick. This range was from 12.9% in Alberta to 18.8% in New Brunswick in 2005–2006.*

“Our analysis shows a decline in the overall use of drugs on the Beers list. This is not surprising considering increased awareness around the safety and benefits of some of these medications, including oral conjugated estrogens, used for hormone replacement therapy,” says Michael Hunt, Manager of Pharmaceuticals at CIHI. “On the other hand, the use of other drugs on the list appears to be increasing. The chronic use of amitriptyline, an antidepressant that carries high potential health risks, has increased over five years, making it the fastest-growing drug on the Beers list in terms of usage in all four provinces.”

In 2005–2006, the top five Beers list drugs most prescribed and claimed, by number of chronic users, were similar between the four provincial drug programs. Overall, the top five were:

Oral conjugated estrogens—hormone replacement

Amitriptyline—an antidepressant

Digoxin—a treatment for heart conditions

Oxybutynin—a treatment for incontinence

Temazepam—a treatment for sleep disorders

A sub-category of Beers drugs labelled “high risk,” identified originally by Dr. Beers and subsequently by a United States consensus panel of experts in their 2003 update of the Beers list, are of particular concern due to the potential for “adverse outcomes of high severity.” Between 2000–2001 and 2005–2006, chronic use of Beers drugs considered to be high risk decreased in all four provinces. In 2005–2006, the use varied from 8.2% of seniors with drug claims in Alberta to 12.0% in New Brunswick. Among the number of potential effects on seniors using these medications are unwanted changes in blood pressure, confusion, sedation and dizziness.

The chronic use of more than one Beers drug occurred, on average, in less than 2% of all seniors using medications in the four provinces. CIHI’s analysis found chronic Beers list medication use increased with age and was highest among women and seniors aged 85 and older.

The proportion of seniors who had drug claims accepted by the public drug programs in the four provinces varied from 59% in New Brunswick to more than 90% in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

About CIHI

CIHI’s goal: to provide timely, accurate and comparable information. CIHI’s data and reports inform health policies, support the effective delivery of health services and raise awareness among Canadians of the factors that contribute to good health.

Breaking Barriers: Building a Culture of Assessment

2007-09-18T11:25:00.000-04:00

The NC State University Office of Assessment is seeking proposals for
concurrent session presentations for the 2008 NC State Undergraduate
Assessment Symposium. The deadline for submission is 5:00pm, November
12, 2007. Our theme this year is building a culture of assessment
through breaking barriers. Dr. Barbara Walvoord, Chair of Assessment
Committee, Fellow of the Institute for Educational Initiatives, and
Concurrent Professor of English, University of Notre Dame will be our
keynote speaker. Dr. Amy Driscoll, Associate Senior Scholar, the
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Dr. Jeffrey
Seybert, Director of Research, Evaluation and Instructional Development,
Johnson County Community will be our plenary speakers. In addition we
will have invited Saturday workshops presenters, invited policy
representatives for our Saturday panel discussion and free consultation
services for attendees. We invite you to share your knowledge and
experiences with higher education professionals of various experience
levels from across the nation. Each concurrent session will be 60
minutes long and should be highly interactive, providing opportunities
for audience participation.

Tracks featured include: Academic Disciplines, General Education,
Institutional Effectiveness, Community Colleges, Academic Support
Services, Student Development/Student Affairs, Experiential Education,
and Campus Partnerships. For more details, please go to:
http://www.ncsu.edu/assessment/symposium/proposal.htm

To submit a proposal, please fill out the Word proposal form at
and send
it to Dr. Pamela Steinke, Assistant Director of Assessment, at
Pamela_Steinke@ncsu.edu , or to
Andjie Barton, Symposium Coordinator, at Andjelia_Barton@ncsu.edu
.

Deadline for submission is 5:00pm, November 12, 2007.

For more information about the Symposium, please visit our website at:
http://www.ncsu.edu/assessment/symposium

Canadian Campus Privitzation Survey 2007

2007-09-18T11:14:00.000-04:00

We want to broaden our understanding of the growing tide of commercialism on our university campuses so the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Polaris Institute, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Canadian Federation of Students and Sustainable Campuses have developed a short survey we hope you will complete. Results from the survey will be released to the public early in 2008 and the information obtained through the survey results will be available for use by all sponsoring organizations, student groups and allies in your research or campaign work.

This is the first survey of its kind in the post-secondary sector, and to ensure its accurate representation of the level of commercialism on Canadian campuses we need your cooperation--and thank you in advance for your participation.

Go here now to complete:
English language survey http://www.corporatecampus.org/
en francais http://www.campusinc.ca/

Please note:

All surveys, even partially completed ones, contain important information, even though there may be some questions you are unable to respond to.

It is vitally important that you fill out the name of your institution and the organization to which you respond so that all results can be accurately
synthesized and analyzed.

We ask that you complete this survey NO LATER THAN October 1, 2007.

Thank you for your time.

CUPE members please direct any questions to Margot Young myoung@cupe.ca

Mental disorders - hospitals - homeless

2007-08-30T13:28:00.000-04:00

Mental disorders account for more than half of hospital stays among the homeless in Canada

New CIHI report offers overview of links between mental health, mental illness and homelessness

August 30, 2007—Mental disorders accounted for 52% of acute care hospitalizations among the homeless in 2005–2006 (outside Quebec), according to a new report released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). In addition, the report shows that 35% of visits to selected emergency departments (EDs)—mostly in Ontario—by homeless people were related to mental and behavioural disorders, a proportion that is higher than that for other patients (3%).

The Improving the Health of Canadians: Mental Health and Homelessness report provides an overview of the latest research, surveys and policy initiatives related to mental health and homelessness and, for the first time, presents data on hospital use by homeless Canadians.

“Mental illness affects a broad range of Canadians; most people with compromised mental health are not homeless, and many people who are homeless have never been diagnosed with a mental illness,” says Dr. Jennifer Zelmer, Vice President, Research and Analysis at CIHI. “However, studies show that people who are homeless are more likely to suffer from a mental illness or compromised mental health than the general population.”

For example, the leading reasons for hospital use were different for homeless patients and others. Mental disorders were the most common diagnoses among homeless patients admitted to an acute care hospital in 2005–2006 (52% of admissions). The most frequent reasons for hospitalization among other patients were pregnancy and childbirth (13%). Likewise, 35% of visits by homeless persons to selected EDs (mostly in Ontario) were related to mental disorders; injury and poisonings were the most common reasons for ED visits among other patients (25%). Among ED patients recorded as homeless, the most common type of mental disorder was substance abuse, which accounted for 54% of visits (62% for homeless men and 30% for homeless women), followed by other psychotic disorders (20% of visits), such as schizophrenia.
Homelessness linked with stress, coping, low self-esteem, low levels of social support and suicide

The report notes many factors both at the individual and broader social level—such as housing, income and the ability to cope—that have been shown to contribute to the onset or duration of homelessness. Many of these same factors are also linked to compromised mental health.

“This report explores the complex relationship between mental health and homelessness,” says Dr. Elizabeth Votta, Program Lead at the Canadian Population Health Initiative, a program of CIHI. “People with severe mental illness may experience limited housing, employment and income options. On the other hand, people who are homeless tend to report higher stress, lower self-worth, less social support and different coping strategies, factors that are associated with depressive symptoms, substance abuse, suicidal behaviours and poor self-rated health.”

Research cited in the report indicates that the homeless often experience more difficulty coping with stress, experience lower self-esteem and have less social support than people who are not homeless. For example:

· A study in Ottawa revealed that homeless male youth reported stress levels more than twice as high as levels reported by a group of non-homeless youth.

· A study in Kitchener–Waterloo showed that street youth were more likely to engage in substance abuse and self-harm as a means of coping. Non-homeless youth were more likely to cope by talking to someone they trusted or through productive problem-solving.

· A national survey found that 2% of males and 6% of females aged 15 to 24 reported having attempted suicide in Canada. Studies report higher rates among homeless youth. For example, a 2006 British Columbia survey indicates that 15% of males and 30% of females who were street-involved and marginalized reported having attempted suicide at least once in the previous 12 months.

The report also cites many examples of research linking mental illness and homelessness. These studies, conducted across Canada with different methods and over different periods of time, tended to show higher levels of diagnosed mental illness among people who were homeless than among the population as a whole. Several studies also indicate that rates of substance abuse are higher among the homeless than among other Canadians. Research suggests that homeless individuals with both a substance abuse disorder and a mental illness diagnosis are likely to remain homeless longer than others.
Canadian Population Health Initiative

The Canadian Population Health Initiative (CPHI) is part of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). CPHI supports research to advance knowledge on the determinants of health in Canada and to develop policy options to improve population health and reduce health inequalities.
About CIHI

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) collects and analyzes information on health and health care in Canada and makes it publicly available. Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments created CIHI as a not-for-profit, independent organization dedicated to forging a common approach to Canadian health information. CIHI’s goal: to provide timely, accurate and comparable information. CIHI’s data and reports inform health policies, support the effective delivery of health services and raise awareness among Canadians of the factors that contribute to good health.

Youth Union Movement Event 1 September 2007 Toronto, ON

2007-08-27T21:55:00.000-04:00

An exciting event is coming up.

The Toronto Youth Union Movement has organized an amazing event which is to start of our Labour Day weekend. It is a concert at Nathan Philip Square, on Sept 1st, at 1pm, with local up-and-coming performers and some known ones also. Here and there we will have a short speech, but the focus is on the performances.

We agreed that a cultural event is one of the best ways to reach youth. The goals of the event are to connect labour and community youth, continue to build a youth network in the city, promote Y.U.M., bring labour issues to youth as they will relate to it, and to have an amazing event.

Some of your unions and locals have donated funds to this event. Thank you for the generous support. There will be a program on the day recognizing our sponsors.

Would you be so kind as to share it with your contacts and networks, and asking them to share it with their contacts and networks? Also please encourage any youth and really anyone to come out to the event. Thank you. We need all the help we can get in promoting this event. It is a first and getting youth to come out is an exciting challenge; but I am hopeful. We have a great line-up of performers.

New CIHI analysis shows varying rates of adverse events in Canada

2007-08-27T21:44:00.000-04:00

August 14, 2007

A new analysis on adverse events released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) examines the risk of birth trauma in hospital and a range of other adverse events, including medication errors, in-hospital hip fractures and problems related to blood transfusions. Focusing on results from recent surveys, as well as several patient safety indicators, Patient Safety in Canada, shows that some adverse events are comparatively rare, but others occur more frequently. For example, in 2005, 1 in 10 adults with health problems reported receiving the wrong medication or wrong dose in the previous year. Adverse blood transfusion events are reported much less often. They occurred in about 1 in 4,100 cases in 2003.

“While we do not know how to prevent all adverse events, tracking how often they occur and understanding the factors that contribute to them is an important step in improving patient safety,” says Dr. Jennifer Zelmer, CIHI’s Vice-President of Research and Analysis.

One in 141 babies experience birth trauma each year; one in 21 women experience obstetric trauma

There are over one quarter of a million babies born in Canadian hospitals each year (outside of Quebec), one of the leading reasons for hospitalization in Canada. While most deliveries proceed smoothly, adverse events do occur in some cases. For example, the analysis found that between April 2003 and March 2006, on average, one in 141 babies born in hospitals outside of Quebec experienced birth trauma, such as injuries to a baby’s scalp and nervous system or skull fractures. This represents more than 1700 cases yearly.

Likewise, 1 out of 21 mothers giving birth by vaginal delivery (almost 5%) experience obstetrical traumas, such as lacerations of the cervix, vaginal wall or sulcus, or injury to the bladder or urethra. Between April 2003 and March 2006, there were, on average, more than 9,100 reported obstetric traumas in Canadian hospitals outside of Quebec each year. Previous research suggests that risk factors for obstetric trauma include newborns weighing more than 4 kg, long labour, instrumental delivery and a woman’s position during birth.

Risk of post-admission pulmonary embolisms measured for the first time

CIHI’s analysis found that 3.6 out of every 1,000 patients in Canadian hospitals (outside of Quebec and parts of Manitoba) experience a pulmonary embolism (PE), which occurs when
a blood clot or globule of fat or tissue travels through the veins and into the lung. It usually originates in a vein in the leg, when it is known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

The risk of post-admission PE or DVT generally increases with age, with patients 60 and over at higher risk than younger patients. However, the rate among children 4 and under is statistically significantly higher compared to that for older children up to 17 years of age.

Reducing the risk of foreign objects left in after surgery

Foreign objects left in after a procedure are less common than many other adverse events, affecting about 1 in 3,000 inpatients in Canadian hospitals outside of Quebec and parts of Manitoba, resulting in more than 200 cases per year between 2003–2004 and 2005–2006.

Previous studies show that obese patients are at higher risk of having a foreign object left behind after surgery. Other higher risk groups include patients who undergo emergency operations, have an unexpected change in operation or have a change in nursing or surgical staff during a procedure. Patients aged 17 and under are at lower risk than adults.

“The consequences of leaving a sponge or other foreign object in after surgery can be significant, but experts suggest that targeted strategies can reduce the risk,” says Dr. Indra Pulcins, CIHI’s Director of Health Reports and Analysis. “Documented prevention strategies include following a strict practice of sponge and instrument counts, as well as vigilant inspection of body cavities when the surgery is complete.”

Improving patient safety

“Health professionals always give their best efforts yet the fact remains that problems or adverse events happen during care delivery,” said Phil Hassen, CEO of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute. “By being vigilant in our focus on patient safety, we hope to see changes in practice that will significantly reduce needless injuries and deaths that result from adverse events.”

For example, many health care providers are focused on reducing the risk of medication errors. In a survey conducted in 2006, 8% of primary care doctors reported that patients had received the wrong drug or dose in the last 12 months. In 2005, 18% of nurses surveyed reported that patients in their care had occasionally or frequently received the wrong medication or dose in the previous year.

Experts have suggested a number of strategies to reduce the risk, including medication reconciliation—the process designed to prevent medication errors at patient transition points—(recently made an accreditation requirement for Canadian health care facilities) and automated drug alerts. In 2006, 10% of Canadian primary care physicians reported routinely receiving computerized alerts about potential drug interactions or dose problems. (Another 31% said that they received this information using a manual system.) Canada’s 10% compares with 23% in the United States, 40% in Germany and 80% or more in Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

About CIHI

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) collects and analyzes information on health and health care in Canada and makes it publicly available. Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments created CIHI as a not-for-profit, independent organization dedicated to forging a common approach to Canadian health information. CIHI’s goal: to provide timely, accurate and comparable information. CIHI’s data and reports inform health policies, support the effective delivery of health services and raise awareness among Canadians of the factors that contribute to good health.

Research Action Alliance on the Consequences of Work Injury

2007-07-23T19:19:00.000-04:00

The First newsletter for RAACWI!

Research Action Alliance on the Consequences of Work Injury

Workers sometimes fear reprisals on safety issues

2007-07-23T19:13:00.000-04:00

Cornwall Standard-Freeholder (On)
Friday, June 22, 2007
Page: 6
Section: Opinion

On average, in the last three years, claims reported to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board included 350,000 for occupational injuries and disease and 540 claims for fatalities. As outrageous these numbers are, they indicate that we have a long way to go for healthy and safe workplaces in this province. I believe that a contributing factor is the fear of reprisals that workers face from their employer and another is refusal of Ministry of Labour to prosecute employers for violating section 50 (Reprisals Prohibited) of the Act.

Reprisals by employers against workers who seek compliance with the existing Health and Safety Law have been prohibited since 1971. Despite this fact, the adverse effects to worker health and safety resulting from fear of reprisals continues to remain unaddressed by the Ministry of Labour. The ministry makes no attempt to conceal the fact that they refuse to enforce section 50 (reprisals prohibited) of the Act. In fact website information directed at young workers, clearly states that the MOL will not even make a determination in a complaint under section 50. In addition, to state in their website "worksmartontario" "that it probably isn't a good place to work if your employer reacts by punishing you" if you complain about hazards or exercise your right to refuse unsafe work, is not acceptable and must never be. No worker in this province should lose a job for trying to protect their health or safety.

In support of the fact that in the absence of effective reprisal protection, workers will accept workplace hazards, even putting their very lives at risk. There is no evidence more compelling than that recorded in the certified transcripts of testimony given by workers who worked at the Westray Mine in Nova Scotia prior to the disaster which killed 26 workers on May 9, 1992.

The minister of labour stated the following in the legislature on Feb. 12, 1987. "If Ontario workers are to exercise their rights under this act freely and fully, they must be free from the fear of harassment, intimidation and reprisal. Therefore, the government intends to establish a new office of investigations to help workers exercise this freedom."

Today, no such office exist and no evidence can be found of an employer convicted for violating section 50 of the Act. (Reprisals) Today, MOL inspectors are prohibited from issuing orders under the reprisal section of the Act. MOL still refuses to enforce the legislation prohibiting such reprisals.

Considering this injustice in law, I ask our MPP Jim Brownell, to bring this urgent matter to the legislature. The office of investigations must be established and employers must be prosecuted if they violate section 50 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Rolland Seguin,

Cornwall

© 2007 Osprey Media Group Inc. All rights reserved.

Workers' safety is number one concern

2007-07-23T19:12:00.000-04:00

Date: June 1, 2007
Source: Cornwall Seaway News
Page: 14

Dear Editor,

I am pleased to respond to Roland Seguin’s letter, which appeared in the Seaway News on May 25, 2007 on the subject of Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) reprisals.

The health and safety of Ontario workers is a key priority of our government and the Ministry of Labour. Our Ministry continues to take strong, aggressive action to ensure that when Ontarians go off to work they come home safe and sound.

Under the OHSA workers have three basic rights:

• The right to participate. Workers have the right to be part of the process of identifying and resolving workplace health and safety concerns.

• The right to know. Workers have the right to know about any potential hazards to which they may be exposed.

• The right to refuse. Workers have the right to refuse work that they believe is dangerous to either their own health and safety or that of another worker. The OHSA describes the exact process for refusing dangerous work and the responsibilities of the employer in responding to
such a refusal.

Section 50 of the OHSA protects workers from reprisal by employers for exercising their rights under the act. If workers believe they have been the subject of a reprisal for exercising their rights under the OHSA, they can make a complaint to the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB).

The OLRB is a respected, independent tribunal mandated to mediate and adjudicate a variety of labour and employment related matters.

If workers are unionized, they also have the option of filing a grievance under the collective agreement.

These means of resolving disputes related to reprisal allegations are well suited to deal with all of the issues, which often can be complex. The OLRB has broad powers to remedy an unlawful reprisal, including reinstatement if the worker’s employment has been terminated.

Our government is working to reduce workplace injuries by 20 percent through a comprehensive, integrated health and safety strategy using education, training, legislation/regulation and enforcement. Our goal is that by 2008, there will be 20,000 fewer lost-time injuries than would have otherwise occurred, and that this level will be maintained. Lost-time injuries are claims by workers who have lost wages by missing work as a result of a temporary or permanent work injury.

This strategy is being carried forward by our high-risk workplace initiative and the targeted inspection of priority firms. Importantly, this strategy is working. There have been 30,340 fewer lost-time injuries than would have otherwise occurred.

The health and safety of Ontario workers is our number
one concern. Creating safe, healthy workplaces benefits all Ontarians and the Ministry of Labour is playing its part.

Steve Peters, Minister of Labour

Big Cost Increase Is Predicted to Treat Ground Zero Workers

2007-07-23T19:08:00.000-04:00

The New York Times
July 18, 2007
Big Cost Increase Is Predicted to Treat Ground Zero Workers
By ANTHONY DePALMA

New federal planning documents suggest that the money needed to treat ailing ground zero workers could soar to $20 million a month by the end of this year, up from about $6 million a month now.

The documents, prepared by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, present one of the most comprehensive cost estimates of ground zero health issues. They project that costs will rise because the number of recovery workers getting sick is increasing, and their illnesses are becoming more severe.

23 children visit an Ontario ER daily due to playground injuries

2007-07-19T22:53:00.000-04:00

Number of admissions for head injuries declines, though overall number of playground injuries resulting in visits to hospital remains stable

July 18, 2007—Ontario emergency departments received 8,734 visits due to playground injuries in 2004–2005, up slightly from 8,698 in 2002–2003, according to new data released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). The vast majority (97%) of these injuries occurred in children aged 19 years and under, representing 23 visits every day to Ontario emergency departments. As expected, summer is the high season for playground injuries, with 44% occurring in June, July or August.

“Over the past few years, we have witnessed a number of initiatives aimed at reducing the number of playground injuries,” says Margaret Keresteci, Manager of Clinical Registries at CIHI. “While we have not seen a decrease in the overall numbers, the good news today is that in general the more debilitating injuries, such as head injuries, are on the decline. This may be due to changes in the design of playgrounds, such as height restrictions on playground equipment, as well as removing hard surfaces beneath the structures to soften the landing for potential falls.”

For those visiting the emergency department after a playground injury in 2004–2005, the largest proportion (51%), were seen for orthopedic injuries, mainly fractures of the upper limbs (such as a broken arm, wrist or elbow), followed by head injuries (22%). Similarly, for admissions to hospital (of at least one night) the most commonly reported injury was an upper arm fracture (80%). Head injuries sustained in Ontario playgrounds that required admission to hospital decreased substantially from 131 in 2002–2003 to 37 in 2004–2005.

Children aged five to nine most at risk

In 2004–2005, children aged five to nine years of age had the highest number of visits to an emergency department due to playground injuries among all age groups, with 4,744 (representing 54% of all visits) and the highest number of hospital stays of at least one night, with 335 (or 61% of overall cases). Children aged 10 to 14 had the second-highest proportion of emergency department visits for playground injuries (2,018 or 23%). Children under the age of five had the third-highest number of visits (1,469 or 17%), and the second-highest number of hospitalizations for playground injuries in Ontario, with 111 hospital stays of at least one night.

“These data show that kids are getting injured every day in Ontario and some of them are ending up in hospital with serious injuries,” says Allyson Hewitt, executive director, Safe Kids Canada. “We definitely want to see kids in playgrounds, exploring and developing their skills and muscles—it is so important for them to be able to do that. But we want their parents and caregivers to be aware of some of the risks and to understand how to prevent them. Safer playgrounds and close supervision are key to preventing injuries, and with it kids can play all summer.”

Hospitalization trends

The number of people admitted to a hospital for at least one night for this type of injury decreased from 590 in 2002–2003 to 553 in 2004–2005 (6%). However, when examining trends over a longer period, the number of hospitalizations for playground injuries remained relatively stable, fluctuating from a low of 420 in 1998 to a high of 644 in 1999.

Regional variations

In 2004–2005, the number of visits to emergency departments because of playground injuries varied considerably from one part of Ontario to another. The southeast region (Kingston and Brockville areas) had the highest rate of playground injuries in Ontario, with 438 ED visits per 100,000 population under 20 years of age, followed by the southwest (London and Windsor areas) with 430 per 100,000, while Mississauga Halton (Mississauga and Oakville) had the lowest rates, with 130 visits per 100, 000 population.

“Our new data tell us that there are regional variations in the number of children requiring care at a hospital after sustaining playground injuries, with visits to emergency or admission to hospital being more common in some areas. Some of the factors that may help explain these differences are availability of playground equipment or tendency for children to use the equipment. Further analysis would be required at the regional level to better understand the specific local issues relating to injuries that occur in playgrounds,” says Keresteci.

The northwest region (including Thunder Bay and Kenora) recorded the highest rate of hospitalizations (at least one night in hospital) with 23 per 100,000, followed by North Simcoe Muskoka (Barrie and Huntsville), with 20 per 100,000. The central region (including North York and Newmarket) had the lowest rate at 12 per 100,000.
Ontario Trauma Registry

Managed by CIHI, the Ontario Trauma Registry (OTR) is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and provides data on hospitalizations and deaths resulting from injury. The goal of the OTR is to help reduce injury admissions and deaths in the province by identifying, describing and quantifying the nature and scope of injury in Ontario. The information is used by policy-makers, researchers, coroners, trauma-care providers and injury-prevention specialists to develop and monitor injury prevention and treatment programs.

National Ambulatory Care Reporting System

The National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS) includes data for all hospital-based and community-based ambulatory care, including emergency departments, day surgery and outpatient clinics. The province of Ontario is taking a leadership role in the collection on a province-wide basis of this information, which is used by policy-makers, researchers and ambulatory-care providers to support the study of clinical outcomes and health status of Canadians. The goal of NACRS is to assist with the evaluation of the management of ambulatory care services in Canadian health care facilities and to facilitate provincial and national comparative reporting.

About CIHI

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) collects and analyzes information on health and health care in Canada and makes it publicly available. Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments created CIHI as a not-for-profit, independent organization dedicated to forging a common approach to Canadian health information. CIHI’s goal: to provide timely, accurate at and comparable information. CIHI’s data and reports inform health policies, support the effective delivery of health services and raise awareness among Canadians of the factors that contribute to good health.

Workers sometimes fear reprisals on safety issues

2007-07-17T19:42:00.000-04:00

Workers sometimes fear reprisals on safety issues

Cornwall Standard-Freeholder (On)
Friday, June 22, 2007
Page: 6
Section: Opinion

On average, in the last three years, claims reported to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board included 350,000 for occupational injuries and disease and 540 claims for fatalities. As outrageous these numbers are, they indicate that we have a long way to go for healthy and safe workplaces in this province. I believe that a contributing factor is the fear of reprisals that workers face from their employer and another is refusal of Ministry of Labour to prosecute employers for violating section 50 (Reprisals Prohibited) of the Act.

Reprisals by employers against workers who seek compliance with the existing Health and Safety Law have been prohibited since 1971. Despite this fact, the adverse effects to worker health and safety resulting from fear of reprisals continues to remain unaddressed by the Ministry of Labour. The ministry makes no attempt to conceal the fact that they refuse to enforce section 50 (reprisals prohibited) of the Act. In fact website information directed at young workers, clearly states that the MOL will not even make a determination in a complaint under section 50. In addition, to state in their website "worksmartontario" "that it probably isn't a good place to work if your employer reacts by punishing you" if you complain about hazards or exercise your right to refuse unsafe work, is not acceptable and must never be. No worker in this province should lose a job for trying to protect their health or safety.

In support of the fact that in the absence of effective reprisal protection, workers will accept workplace hazards, even putting their very lives at risk. There is no evidence more compelling than that recorded in the certified transcripts of testimony given by workers who worked at the Westray Mine in Nova Scotia prior to the disaster which killed 26 workers on May 9, 1992.

The minister of labour stated the following in the legislature on Feb. 12, 1987. "If Ontario workers are to exercise their rights under this act freely and fully, they must be free from the fear of harassment, intimidation and reprisal. Therefore, the government intends to establish a new office of investigations to help workers exercise this freedom."

Today, no such office exist and no evidence can be found of an employer convicted for violating section 50 of the Act. (Reprisals) Today, MOL inspectors are prohibited from issuing orders under the reprisal section of the Act. MOL still refuses to enforce the legislation prohibiting such reprisals.

Considering this injustice in law, I ask our MPP Jim Brownell, to bring this urgent matter to the legislature. The office of investigations must be established and employers must be prosecuted if they violate section 50 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Rolland Seguin,

Cornwall

© 2007 Osprey Media Group Inc. All rights reserved.

Fast Facts news from CUPE

2007-07-05T16:45:00.000-04:00

FastFacts in your inbox!

Did you know you can get FastFacts by e-mail? To sign up for this service, please send an e-mail to clandry_at_cupe.ca. Make sure to include your name, Local number, e-mail address and province.

Maritimes University enrolment declining faster than expected

2007-06-27T14:23:00.000-04:00

ELIZABETH CHURCH
University enrolment in Canada's three Maritime provinces is dropping sooner and more dramatically than expected thanks to the lure of western oil-patch jobs, a declining population and the end of the recent flood of Ontario students, a new report says.
If current trends continue, the number of university students could fall by 10 per cent or more in the next decade, predicts the report, produced by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission and released yesterday. In the past two school years alone, undergraduate levels have fallen by 4.5 per cent after reaching a peak in 2004-2005.
"It has been quite a shift. We didn't expect the decline to hit us so quickly," said Mireille Duguay, chief executive officer of the commission, an agency created by the Maritime premiers.
A decrease in the university-aged population of the provinces has long been expected, but Ms. Duguay said the effects of that demographic trend have been accelerated by an increase in the number of high-school students choosing not to go to university. "We are seeing students make different choices," she said. "They are leaving the province, they are staying and taking jobs or they are going to college."
An increasing number of students who do go to university are also travelling outside the region, especially to neighbouring Newfoundland, motivated in part by lower tuition fees, the study found. Nova Scotia has taken steps to change that trend with measures such as lower tuition rates for students from the province.
Ms. Duguay said the influx of Ontario students to the area - starting four years ago, when Grade 13 was eliminated and two classes graduated at once - helped to mask the developing trend. Now that the bulge is through the system, the changes are becoming apparent. "The double cohort prevented us from seeing what was really happening," she said.
Peter Halpin, executive director of the Association of Atlantic Universities, said most university leaders are already taking steps to counter the prospect of declining student numbers. "People are working pretty hard to manage the situation. They have invested a lot of time and energy in branding and marketing."
Many of the 17 universities that his organization represents are looking outside the region - and the country - to increase their student numbers, he said.
At Dalhousie University in Halifax, for example, where enrolment has remained steady, fewer than 60 per cent of undergraduates come from the Maritimes and 23 per cent are from Ontario, a spokeswoman said.
Mr. Halpin said the academic community is also focusing on increasing the percentage of local high-school students who go on to university.
That is key, Ms. Duguay said, because another recent study showed that once they graduate, about 90 per cent of university students stay in the region.
Young people between 18 and 24 now account for the highest levels of migration from the Maritimes, she said, with many heading west to jobs in the resource sector.

The Globe and Mail
Wed 27 Jun 2007
Page: A6
Section: National News
Byline: Elizabeth Church

Construction Notice No. 3 – Archives Project

2007-06-27T14:18:00.000-04:00

Temporary Lane Restriction - Vanier Lane

All members of the York University community are advised that the installation of manholes and stormwater and sanitary pipelines in Vanier Lane for the Archives Project will commence later this week on Thursday and Friday, June 28 and 29. Completion date is anticipated to be July 16.

There should be minimal disruption to the community and pedestrian and traffic flows during this roadway restriction on Vanier Lane. The contractor will conduct reasonable hours of operation at the site, with daily work activities starting no earlier than 7:00 a.m.

The contractor for the project will take all necessary precautions to ensure community members are safe at all times. Precautionary measures include posting warning signs, use of flag persons to direct pedestrians and traffic, and scheduling certain activities at off-peak times.

Vanier Lane will have at least one lane open at all times, with flagmen controlling the traffic flow.
Both lanes of Vanier Lane will be reopened in the evenings.
Work near the Bookstore loading bay is scheduled to occur on the weekends of July 7-8 and July 14-15.

Please circulate this email widely within your department. Additional notifications will be circulated as required.

The York University Development Corporation is managing this construction project on behalf of the University. Please forward any feedback and questions directly to yudc@yorku.ca.

Supreme Court Ruling on Union Rights

2007-06-27T09:35:00.000-04:00

On Friday June 8, the Supreme Court reversed 20 years of its own jurisprudence by ruling (6-1) that the guarantee of freedom of association in section 2(d) of the Charter of Rights protects the right of Canadian workers to bargain collectively.

In this landmark decision, Health Services and Support - Facilities Subsector Bargaining Assn. v. British Columbia, [2007] SCC 27, the Court declared unconstitutional several provisions of B.C.'s Health and Social Services Delivery Improvement Act (Bill 29), which had purported to override collective agreement protections for health care workers in areas such as contracting out, layoff and bumping rights.

The Health Services decision is likely to impact numerous labour relations issues across Canada, as the Court has now recognized a constitutional foundation for the protection of collective bargaining which had previously been rejected by Canadian courts, most notably in the "labour trilogy" decided by the Supreme Court in 1987. Observers agree that issues decided prior to the Health Services case will undoubtedly undergo re-examination, and future efforts by governments to restrict collective bargaining will have to withstand constitutional scrutiny.

Issues which may be impacted by this decision include:

The exclusion of particular groups of employees from bargaining
Restrictions on the bargaining rights, including the right to strike, of other groups of employees
Limits on strikes and related activity, such as picketing
Limits on other forms of union activity
Back-to-work, wage control or other legislation restraining bargaining
Limits on the process of interest arbitration

Although the Court's declaration has been suspended for 12 months to permit the
provincial government to consider the implications of this ruling, there will
also be significant implications for employers, unions and workers in the health
services sector in B.C., where thousands of non-clinical support staff from B.C.
hospitals were laid off, and then reemployed on less beneficial terms by contractors
providing the same services, following passage of Bill 29.

from an email from Lancaster House http://www.lancasterhouse.com/conferences/Audio/2007/
health-services/main-hs.asp

CUPE reaches deal at Dalhousie University

2007-06-27T09:21:00.000-04:00

June 13, 2007 10:14 AM
(Halifax) – Close to a thousand CUPE members at Dalhousie University have a new contract.

Teaching Assistants (TA’s), part-time faculty, markers and demonstrators, and Lab Instructors ratified the three-year deal this week.

CUPE National Representative Peter Baxter says, “That means we’ve now successfully concluding bargaining for university workers at Dal, MSVU and SMU.”

The existing contract for members of CUPE Local 3912 at Dalhousie expired on August 31, 2006.

Student Debt

2007-06-07T22:47:00.000-04:00

York’s Information & Privacy Office launches an updated Web site

2007-06-07T22:19:00.000-04:00

The Information & Privacy Office (IPO) at York University has updated its Web site. The revamped site features several major improvements and additions:

Easy access to tip sheets and other resources to assist staff with records management and access to information requests as part of the information and privacy toolkit;
The first two approved common records retention and disposition schedules, with an accompanying records classification system, user guide and related forms;
Links to relevant York policies, external resources and legislation.

Information & Privacy Office staff are available to answer questions about information on the site. For more details or further assistance, contact IPO at info.privacy@yorku.ca.