Exclusively Local 50
This document is intended for the reading enjoyment
of all members of CUPE Local 50 members.
CUPE LOCAL 50
2006 Executive
President – John Burrows Union Office
1st Vice President – Don Sutton Parks
2nd Vice President – Shon O’Hanley Parks
Sec. –Treas. – Carolyn Bradey – Vic.
Police Dept.
Recording Secretary – Steve Curry Parks
Members-at-Large:
(in alphabetical order)
Pam Bosmans – United Way
Mairi Britton – SPCA
Jay Chudleigh - Public Works
Carlos Flores – Public Works
Mark Gignac – Gorge Vale Golf Club
Bruce Grahame – Royal Oak Burial Park
Jim Herring - Public Works
Dan MacBeth – Civic Facilities
Carlos Rocha – Public Works
Michele Smith – Public Service Centre
Local 50’s
Annual Golf Tournament
The CUPE Local 50 Golf Tournament is scheduled for Saturday
June 24th at Cedar Hill Golf Club. First tee time 12:00
noon. All members of any level are welcome. Cost is
$60.00 per person. Set this day aside, come out and
have a great time. See the entry form on the last page
of the newsletter. For more information contact: Jay
Chudleigh @ 883-0740
General Membership Meetings
As per CUPE Local 50 Constitution & Bylaws:
General Membership meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday
in the months of January, March, May, September, October
& November at the Local’s office at #201-2736
Quadra Street @ 7:30 p.m.
Water Forum Link
Did You Know….!
CITY of VICTORIA
ARTICLE 28, BENEFIT PLANS
28.01 Medical Services Plan and Extended Health Benefits
(i) The Employer shall contribute eighty percent (80%)
of the monthly cost of a regular employee's participation
in the B.C. Medical Services Plan and the Extended Health
Benefits Plan under the trusteeship of the Capital Area
Benefit Trust, following completion of their probation
period, provided that the employee agrees to contribute
the remaining twenty percent (20%) on a check-off basis.
(ii) The Extended Health Benefit coverage shall include
vision care providing for full reimbursement towards
the cost of the purchase of one (1) pair of eyeglasses
every two (2) years for each regular employee and his
dependents to a maximum cost of four hundred dollars
($400.00) per pair; hearing aids to a maximum of two
thousand dollars ($2000.00) every five (5) years; an
unlimited lifetime maximum; bluenet and no deductible.
Effective April 1, 2006
Extended Health Benefit coverage shall also include
eye examinations for each regular employee and dependents
to a maximum of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) every
two (2) years.
Build
Child Care Link
Municipal Pension Plan Link
The Municipal Pension Plan has approximately
165,000 active and retired members. The plan provides
pension income for eligible employees of a municipality,
hospital, school district, college, or other municipal
employer in British Columbia.
Purchase of service means paying for periods of employment
that have not been counted as service with the Municipal
Pension Plan. By purchasing service, you may be able
to increase your future pension benefit. Detailed information
is available by visiting the Municipal Pension Plan
website. You can estimate the cost to purchase service
and the increase to your pension using the purchase
cost estimator.
Pension Estimator
The Municipal Pension Plan offers two tools that you
can use to estimate your pension. These tools require
you to transfer some information from your current Member's
Benefit Statement, so you may want to have it handy.
Personalized Pension Estimator
This estimator will display with your personal pension
information. For security purposes, you must provide
your social insurance number and you type in a date
that is located on your current Member's Benefit Statement.
General Pension Estimator
This estimator will not display with your personal information
Apply to Purchase Service
If you’ve decided that you want to purchase the
service, complete the purchase application using the
purchase cost estimator and forward it to your employer,
or you can download and print an application form.
Purchasing Arrears
Your employer is responsible for deducting the correct
pension contribution from your salary and sending the
money, along with the employer contributions, to the
Municipal Pension Plan. These payments must begin in
the first pay period following the date you become eligible
to contribute to the pension plan. You can buy back
your probationary period service time.
Purchasing Leaves of Absence
If you took an approved leave of absence from a Municipal
Pension Plan employer, you may be able to increase your
pensionable service by purchasing the leave time for
which you did not receive pay.
Purchasing Non-Contributory Service
You may be able to purchase non-contributory service
in the Municipal Pension Plan if you meet certain criteria
Reinstating a Refund
If you withdrew your pension contributions from the
Municipal Pension Plan and are currently an active plan
member, you may be able to “reinstate” your
pensionable service by repaying those funds, plus interest.
LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING #5
Municipal Pension Plan:
Buy Back of Service
1) Subject to the purchase of service provision contained
in the Municipal Pension Plan, the Employer agrees to
participate in such purchase, as is necessary, to extend
pensionable service of eligible employees covered by
the collective agreement up to a maximum of twelve (12)
months, which represents time served by the employee
in a probationary capacity served with the employer
which has not before been considered as pensionable
service. The employee must have a vested interest in
the Municipal Pension Plan. Such benefit shall be subject
to the following:
a) Eligible employees who wish to purchase such service
for periods worked prior to April 2002 may make arrangements
prior to April 2007 to purchase the full amount associated
with the purchase of service as determined by the Municipal
Pension Plan. The Municipal Pension Plan stipulates
that after April 2007 service prior to April 2002 will
not be eligible to be purchased.
b) The Employer agrees to reimburse the employee fifty
percent (50%) of the purchase cost upon the employee
producing the receipt and provided the employee has
reached the minimum retirement age. An employee who
wishes to take advantage of this benefit shall provide
at least one (1) month’s notice in advance of
their contemplated retirement date. The time constraints
may be waived under special circumstances and with the
approval of the Employer.
2) Eligible employees who are seeking purchase of service
for their probationary period served with the employer
after April 1, 2002 may make arrangements prior to April
1, 2007 to purchase the full amount associated with
the buy-back of service served with the employer for
which such service has not before been considered as
pensionable service.
Upon the employee producing the receipt, the Employer
agrees to reimburse the employee fifty percent (50%)
of the purchase cost as stipulated by the Municipal
Pension Plan. Reimbursement by the Employer shall be
made in the year in which the employee reaches minimum
retirement age.
I am a … Unionist
Hey, I'm not a generalist or a manager...
I don't sit at meeting, push paper, or just stare at
a computer...
and I don't know Bonnie, Maurice or anyone else at Human
Resources,
although I'm certain they're really really nice.
We have Leadhands and Foremens, not
Managers.
We know about collective agreements and fairness
And it’s about 'solidarity', not 'singularity'.
I can proudly wear the union label on
my jacket.
I believe in seniority, not favourtism,
experience, not education or TQ's,
and that collective bargaining, not legislation is best.
A collective agreement is the law,
and side deals aren’t allowed,
and a problem is a grievance not just a nuisance,
that Local 50 represents workers in Victoria,
and we are part of the Canadian Union Of Public Employees
My name is Joe!!
and I am a Union Member!!!
(With apologies to the Molson “I
am Canadian” Rant creators)
Fast Facts
About Workplace Injuries In British Columbia
In BC in the year 2000…
• 156 workers were killed on the job
• 6 workers between the ages of 15 and 24 were
killed on the job
• 3,796 workers were permanently disabled on the
job
• About 3.4 million workdays were lost due to
workplace injury and disease
• Over $1 billion was paid in compensation benefits
Today…
• Another 700 injuries will occur
• 14 will result in a permanent disability
• This hour… 34 workers will suffer a loss
time injuries
Repetitive Strain Injuries
Repetitive strain injuries (RSI) are a family of injuries
affecting tendons, tendon sheaths, muscles, nerves and
joints. They cause persistent or recurring pains most
commonly in the neck, shoulders, forearms, hands, wrists,
elbows and lower limbs.
The term "repetitive strain" injury is misleading.
Unlike other diseases, RSIs are not easily classified
because they have a variety of causes and include injuries
to different parts of the body. A number of terms are
applied to such injuries including: repetitive injury,
repetitive motion injury, repetitive trauma, overuse
injury, cumulative trauma disorder, occupational musculoskeletal
disorder and cervio-brachial disorder. The different
terms indicate that such injuries involve repetition,
and can also be caused by force, rapid movement, overuse,
static loading, excessive strain, uncomfortable positioning
of limbs or holding one’s posture in an unnatural,
constrained or constricted position.
Who is affected?
In the past, repetitive strain injuries were most commonly
attributed to those persons involved in sports - hence
the names, "tennis elbow" or "golfer’s
elbow". These injuries were generally not recognized
amongst workers, although syndromes related to specific
occupations such as "weaver’s cramp"
and "threader’s wrist" were reported.
However, RSIs are increasingly common among a variety
of worker groups, from clerks to jackhammer operators,
from maintenance workers to typists.
Many workers are unfamiliar with repetitive strain
injuries so everyday aches and pains are overlooked
and no connection is made between the injury and the
workplace. Aches and pains warn that a serious injury
may be developing. If the causes are not eliminated
or the worker moved from the job immediately, the damage
can be permanent and irreversible. Sometimes the injury
is crippling, leaving the worker in pain and possibly
immobile for life.
RSI: The Causes
The causes of repetitive strain injuries can be classified
in the following ways:
1. Rapid movement injuries, caused by repeated rapid
movements;
2. Forceful movement injuries, cause by exertion of
muscle movement;
3. Static loading injuries, caused by fixed positioning
with unsupported limbs.
Such injuries can be caused by either too little movement
or excessive movement while handling light as well as
heavy loads.
Safety First
Did you know that if you injure yourself and are required
to attend an accident investigation or if you are meeting
with the employer regarding return to work that you
have the right to have a workers representative. These
representatives have been appointed by your union and
will be there to help you at the investigation and protect
your rights. Our Safety and Worker representative for
Local 50 are Carlos Flores and Steve Curry. If you have
any Safety concerns please contact the above mentioned
brothers for help or leave a message in the Union office
if you wish to arrange for representation. We recommend
that you should have a Union Representative present
for any of these types of meetings.
President’s Report
To Mayor Alan Lowe
City of Victoria
Your Worship,
I am writing to you regarding the recent announcement
of the impending departure and replacement of City Manager
Joe Martinago. This decision has raised a number of
questions and concerns on the part CUPE Local 50 which
I would like to address to you.
To begin with, I am as mystified as many others as
to what the real issue behind this change is. Both you
and Mr. Martinago have made positive comments regarding
his tenure as City Manager and, to my knowledge, no
one from City Council, City management staff, the business
community or the neighborhood and community associations
have registered any complaints regarding the outgoing
City Manager’s performance. CUPE Local 50 has
certainly not found Mr. Martinago’s management
style to be problematic; in fact, compared to his predecessors
he has brought a welcome level of stability and professionalism
to labour relations to the City of Victoria with a concurrent
rise in morale among all staff.
We would not like to see a return to the fractious
labour relations of the past and trust that you and
Council share that desire. The union’s immediate
concern is what impact this change in the senior administration
position may have in the upcoming round of collective
agreement negotiations. Our long-term concern is in
regards to your comment in the media about a new strategic
plan for the City, a comment made in conjunction with
the story on Mr. Martinago’s exit. Is it unreasonable
to speculate that there is some connection between the
departure of the City Manager and a new “strategic”
direction for the City, which is incompatible with Mr.
Martinago’s philosophic view? Might this new direction
have a negative effect on the improved morale and labour
relations atmosphere that have prevailed during Joe
Martinago’s time with the City, not to mention
the possible impact on residents and taxpayers?
The following is a short list of some of the other
questions and concerns which this announcement has
raised for the union:
While City Council’s use of the “in-camera”
mechanism in personnel issues has merit in situations
that involve the privacy of personal information, its
use to conceal political differences seems questionable
at the least. Was there a specific decision or issue,
which caused the Mayor and Council to decide that the
City Manager had to be replaced?
It is difficult to believe that all nine members of
the Committee of the Whole unanimously supported the
removal of the City Manager. Again, the use of the “in-camera”
mechanism is inappropriate in that the debate and any
disagreement among Council members are not public knowledge.
It is difficult to believe that there was no dissent.
Was this essentially your decision or that of a majority
of City Council?
The secrecy surrounding Mr. Martinago’s severance
package is as unacceptable to the union as it is to
the general public. Given City Council’s budget
increases to the police, fire, bylaw enforcement and
planning departments (in opposition to the City Manager’s
recommendation) the union questions where the funding
for Mr. Martinago’s severance payment and for
the search for a replacement will be derived?
The Times-Colonist story says that union representatives
will be participating in the search for a new City Manager.
First, that participation is outside the mandate of
the union and, second, if it were within our purview
to make recommendations Local 50 would recommend retaining
Mr. Martinago.
In closing, I would like to re-emphasize the union’s
concerns regarding the reasons for the departure of
Joe Martinago and what this decision may bring for the
future of labour management relations at the City of
Victoria. I thank you for your consideration of our
questions and concerns and look forward to your response.
Yours truly,
John Burrows
President, CUPE Local 50
Poll finds Canadians
want municipal services public, not private
Nine out of 10 Canadians want their water and sewage
services kept public, according to a new poll released
on the eve of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
(FCM) annual conference in Montreal.
“Canadians want local public services kept in
public hands, controlled by democratically elected governments,
not run by private companies,” said Paul Moist,
national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees
(CUPE). “This should encourage all politicians
at the FCM meeting to keep water public and tell water
profiteers to back off.”
The poll found that 93 per cent of Canadians want water
services to remain public. The poll also found that
Canadians want the following services kept in public
hands: street and bridge maintenance (87 per cent),
libraries operation (85 per cent), public transit operation
(84 per cent), park and rink maintenance (83 per cent),
and garbage collection (82 per cent).
Also, about 63 per cent of Canadians want municipalities
to get the full share of the federal gas tax now, not
three years from now, as currently scheduled, according
to the poll.
Eighty-five per cent said it was important that cities
use the money to provide public services directly rather
than handing it over to private, for-profit companies
and contractors.
The poll was conducted by Vector Research and commissioned
by public and private sector unions. Its margin of error
is plus or minus 2.9 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
Workload
Overload
Cut through what governments and employers are saying
about workload. Cut through what the experts are claiming
about the lack of scientific proof that excessive workloads
are injuring thousands of workers each day and what’s
left?
In all provinces and at all levels of the public sector,
CUPE members are suffering from excessive and growing
demands on their working time. Faced with downsizing,
mergers, amalgamations and cutbacks many CUPE members
are being forced to carry overwhelming workloads. All
the while, governments are bragging about ’more
efficient’ public services where smaller workforces
are cleaning more schools, caring for more patients,
providing social services to more clients and ensuring
that municipal infrastructures are maintained.
Excessive workloads or work overload isn’t just
having too much work to do or working longer hours.
Employers today are intent on making us work harder
and faster. They are changing and intensifying the way
we do our work. Their goal is to be able to have us
do more work with fewer workers. In the end it all amounts
to the same thing – our bodies and our dignity
just can’t take it.
Quotes from a Brother’s Diary
November 7, 1998
I feel so alone and am scared to go back to work. Everything
is so overwhelming to me. I don’t know what to
do. Everything over the last 2-3 years was too much
for me… 15 years of cutbacks with the Board of
Education, especially end of June 98. I am just hanging
in for dear life (overwhelming).
November 15, 1998
Sunday. Very quiet day. Back to work tomorrow. I am
scared of the place. Just too much work… feel
I cannot fail them. No support from management. They’re
not to be seen and heard from. Like they don’t
even exist. No support or care about the fieldworkers…
that is what gets me down like that. I hope I can hang
in there.
November 19, 1998
Pressure at work is relentless… I don’t
know if its worthwhile to wait for (pension)…
work all your life and then this Board of Education
working the shit out of everybody with 60-70 people
on sick a day and with only 34 or 36 sick relief.
November 22, 1998
I will go back to work tomorrow but I am scared, terrified
of this workload and to keep it up. Pain in my chest
for some time. I will do what I can.
November 25, 1998
In paper and TV, Board of Education cutting back some
more due to money problems. Where is this going? Personally
cannot possibly keep up… now (no support, no help,
feel I am left to dry out on a limb). I don’t
know how to survive at this stage.
November 26, 1998
Informed today further cut back by Board of Education…
possibly lose a Cleaner I. I think this is it. I can’t
go on like this. The stress is terrible. Have chest
pain and shakes really hard to hold myself together.
Rest of staff all upset.
November 28, 1998
I can’t stop thinking about Board of Education
talk in the news and paper. This seems really to affect
me the most. I get… the shakes when I think about
it.
Scholarship Application Form
– 2006
CUPE Local 50 is proud to offer scholarships to members
of our local and their family members who are continuing
their education.
Who’s eligible?
Applicant must have completed Grade 12;
Must include a copy of Grade 12 secondary school transcript;
Must provide proof of registration into recognized post-secondary
institution;
Must be a member, spouse of a member, or have parent
or guardian who is a member of CUPE Local 50.
Application deadline: Friday, September
15th, 2006 by 4:00 p.m. Late applications will not be
eligible.
For more information: CUPE Local 50
Office @ 385-6023.
Please submit your application & requested
documentation to:
Scholarship Committee
CUPE Local 50
#201-2736 Quadra Street
VICTORIA BC V8T 4E6
Applicant Information:
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Date of Birth: (Month-Day-Year) |
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City & Postal Code: |
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CUPE Local 50 Member Information:
Relationship to Applicant: |
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