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September 19th – Queen’s Funeral

Greetings CUPE 1975 members,

You all should have received the information now that the University of Saskatchewan wasn’t in favor of granting Monday, Sept 19th as a holiday. Our language under Article 16.1 of our Collective Agreement states:

“Any date proclaimed as a public holiday by the provincial or federal government will be deemed to be a holiday for employees providing this does not duplicate holiday provisions above,”

The wording of this article hinges on the word “proclaim.”

We are continuing to communicate with our CUPE National Lawyer to see if we have a  valid grievance to file.

Bob Jones, President

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Upcoming Ratification Meeting and Vote

UPDATE: There have been some questions and concerns from the below post. The union and the University are still working on putting the MOA together and until it is signed by both sides, we are not allowed to release ANY information about it.

It is made more difficult to get reviewed and signed with people on both sides being on vacation too. CUPE is doing the best they can and working overtime to be ready for the ratification meeting next week. Both sides are trying to have this done before the summer holiday season.

Thank you for your understanding.

Greetings CUPE 1975 members,

As many of you have heard, our Bargaining Committee has been successful in negotiating a tentative Collective Agreement with the University of Saskatchewan.  Since that point, we have been working hard on your behalf to put all the pieces together to host the ratification meeting and vote.

THE RATIFICATION MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE ON TUESDAY, JUNE 28TH AT 2:30 PM IN THE HEALTH SCIENCES THEATRE, RM 1150. VOTING WILL TAKE PLACE ELECTRONICALLY,BEGINNING AT 5:00 PM AND RUNNING UNTIL 5:00 PM ON JUNE 29TH.

For this meeting to happen we are busy compiling all the agreed to Articles into a Memorandum of Agreement (“MOA”), which must be reviewed by both parties, CUPE 1975 and The University of Saskatchewan. Once that document is finalized, it will be the document that will be presented to the membership on June 28th.

We are also working on transmitting this meeting virtually via Zoom, so all the members of CUPE 1975 will have access to it. 

We have requested permission for our members to be able to attend the meeting at 2:30 pm on June 28th, and we received a message today stating that it will be a departmental choice, based on needs of the department, but that central Human Resources was encouraging departments and colleges to allow it to happen. You will need to check with your manager for approval.

As with all ratification votes, each member will have one vote. For this contract to be ratified, there would need to be acceptance of the offer from over 50 per cent of the votes.  50 percent plus one vote would ratify it.  Our Bargaining Committee and the rest of the Executive receive one vote, the same as all members.

As with any communication we send out to our members, we require permission from the University to use their USASK email system. The other ways we communicate with you is through our website, through the personal email addresses some of you have shared with us and our Facebook page. I would encourage you all to monitor our webpage leading up to our meeting for additional information when it becomes available.

We have had some challenges putting all these pieces together to have this vote prior to the summer break. We have decided to incorporate our General Membership Meeting that was to take place that day, into the first few minutes of this meeting. We are planning to stay after the meeting to answer questions, as always, and we are planning to attach the MOA into the voting document that you will receive. This will give you time to review it again after the meeting if you choose and then make your decision. 

Bob Jones, President

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Mental Health Awareness Week

Hello CUPE 1975 Members,

Over these past few years, COVID really has taken a toll on people’s mental health. With lack of normalcy and change in everyday life, it can be hard to know where to turn when things get difficult.

CUPE 1975 and ASPA have partnered up with the Canadian Mental Health Association to promote resources where you and your loved ones can feel heard.

May 2nd – 8th is Mental Health week, and we would like to offer you a free presentation on Mental Health Awareness. This will be held May 5th from 3:30pm-4:30pm in Arts Room 241, presented by Heidi Fischer.

T-shirts will be available on site for purchase. Each shirt is $10.00, and all proceeds go to the Canadian Mental Health Association – Saskatoon Branch. We look forward to seeing as many people as possible wearing these t-shirts around campus to show support for mental health awareness and acceptance.

Sent on behalf of CUPE1975 & ASPA’s Joint Mental Health Committee

Mental Health Campaign: ASPA & CUPE 1975
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Happy Holidays from the President

Greetings fellow CUPE 1975 members,

Another holiday season is upon us and once again I’m left wondering where the year went.  As a local we have been engaged in bargaining for most of this year and it will carry forward into 2022.  We have determined dates for the New Year, and we will keep you posted with progress. 

We were very happy to see most of our fellow members return to their jobs with the University this fall and are hopeful that the measures taken by the University will protect our campus community from any significant COVID outbreaks going forward.  I don’t believe anyone would have thought that nearly 2 years into this pandemic, we would be where we are today.  Many of the things that COVID brought with it are requiring our Executive’s time and resources to deal with.  I’m hopeful, as many of you are, that the new year will see COVID disappear into our rear-view mirror. 

We hosted our elections in November of this year again and the Table Officer positions of 1st Vice-President and Treasurer were up.  Ryan Klassen was successful in his bid for the 1st Vice-President’s position and Jeff Theis was successful in his pursuit of the Treasurer’s position.  Both Ryan and Jeff have been involved in our local for several years and their experience will benefit our members.  We also held a by-election as Natalie Laing elected to leave the University to pursue other options.  Erwin Marbella was successful in becoming the new 2nd Vice-President, a position he has held for the past 8 months while Natalie was on a leave.  In the Area Rep positions, Dylan Powell, one of our tech reps, and Lara O’Grady, our library rep, have stepped down from their roles within our union.  Our other reps, with some encouragement, have decided to stay on and continue to do the important work of representing our members.  You can find a complete list of all our current reps and the vacant positions on our Executive by accessing our website.  Thank you to those who have stepped away from our Executive and to those of you who have chosen to stay involved.  We will be developing our committees for the New Year in January, so if any of you have any interest in joining any of our committees, reach out to us and let’s have a conversation.  A list of all the committees is on our website.

I have talked in the past about our interest in partnering with The Canadian Mental Health Association, to bring some awareness and understanding about the challenges that many individuals face, both on campus and off.  I have mentioned it to some of the other Unions on campus and I’m happy to say that ASPA has agreed to partner with us and help create some awareness and acceptance for people struggling with mental health issues.  The stats that the CMHA has shared with us this past year is that, prior to COVID, 1 in 5 Canadians, were suffering with some form of mental health issues at any one time. With the onset of COVID, that number increased to between 2 or 3 people out of 5.  I have been told that Saskatchewan trails most provinces in funding for mental health.  Our members have shared with me that getting help for themselves or their loved ones can be very challenging at best.  We are not able to write a cheque that will address all these issues.  What we can do is recognize it in others and show support to those going through it.  Mental health takes shape in many ways and forms.   The support people require differs from individual to individual.   All people benefit from a conversation with a friend or family member when they are going through a difficult time.  This may be all they need while others require more.  Often these challenges can be elevated by removing some of those things that serve to anchor us in our lives.  This can include the loss of family, a friend, or a spouse.  The holiday season can escalate those feelings of loss.  You might need a friend to talk to or be required to be the friend who listens.  Our CUPE Executive is often called upon to be the one who listens along with others when people are having trouble.  Our CUPE/ASPA partnership is planning several initiatives for 2022.  This committee has several ideas and lots of energy to put into this joint effort.  I look forward to seeing everything they have planned.  

Be kind to others.  

Happy Holidays,  

Bob Jones

President

CUPE 1975

Nominations are now open!

We are now accepting nominations for our upcoming election this November. The positions open for election are:

1st Vice President

Treasurer

Recording Secretary

If you have someone you would like to nominate or you would like to throw your name in the hat, please fill out the attached nomination form and return to the office once complete. The deadline to submit is October 31, 2023.

Nomination-Form-2023Download

Summer Vacation

Due to some well-deserved vacation time, our office will be staffed a little lighter for the next couple of weeks. Please be patient with us if we take a little bit longer to respond. Our Executive Admin, Heather, will be on vacation from July 17-28th. Leona Gates will be her replacement but AFTERNOONS ONLY.

Our President, Gail Lasiuk, will be taking some time off as well. Cindy Toy, our 2nd Vice-President, will cover her office from July 18-21st and Ryan Klassen, our 1st Vice-President, will cover her desk for the few weeks after that.

We hope each of you are getting the chance to take some time off and enjoy the summer months as well.

Notice of Motion – Bylaw Amendments

As outlined in the CUPE Bylaws and Constitution, this is to advise that amendments to CUPE 1975’s Bylaws will be presented to the membership for voting on at the September General Membership Meeting on September 26, 2023 at 12 pm in Thorvaldson, Rm 205A.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact our office.

OH&S Conference

September 13-15, 2023

The SFL Occupational Health and Safety Conference is held annually for workers in Saskatchewan to learn about the latest issues surrounding occupational health and safety.

The conference is open to all SFL affiliates and non-affiliates. Non-unionized workers are welcome to attend as well.

This year, our conference will be held September 13 – 15 at the Delta Hotels by Marriott located at 405 – 20th Street East in downtown Saskatoon. Hotel and parking information can be accessed at Delta Overview.

Courses begin Wednesday afternoon and run until Friday at noon. We do our best to ensure you are registered in the course of your choice. You will be registered in only one course, based on a first registered, first preference basis. Register early as there is a limited number of seats available in each course.

Included with registration fees are lunches on Wednesday and Thursday and a social with appetizers and cash bar at the Delta upon adjournment on Wednesday.

Please contact your union should you require childcare while attending this conference. Exceptions may apply and requests must be submitted to the SFL no later than August 11.

Information on available courses, conference fees and registration can be found in the brochure and at SFL Occupational Health and Safety Conference – Saskatchewan Federation of Labour.

This conference is open to anyone who sits on a safety committee or is involved in OH&S. Please contact the office by July 28, 2023 if you are interested in attending this conference.

Welcome!

We are so excited to announce that Ka-Sheena will be joining our team to assist our office to cover vacation/holiday/EDO absences! Ka-Sheena is originally from Jamaica and came to Canada in 2019. She has over 5 years administration experience and also has her Masters of Education. We look forward to getting to know her better and have her assist in keeping the office running smoothly. Pop by to say “hi” and welcome her to CUPE 1975.

SFL Summer Camp 2023

SFL Summer Camp is back in 2023 from August 19-25 at Shekinah Retreat Centre. The camp focuses on issues relevant to young people. The SFL Summer camp addresses challenges facing youth including social justice and equality issues. It combines learning with cooperative recreation activities and lots of fun!

Young people between the ages of 13-16 who are children of union members are eligible to attend.

Click to access 2023-Summer-Camp-Brochure-and-Registration-2023.pdf

https://sfl.sk.ca/events/32nd-annual-sfl-summer-camp

Please contact Heather at our office you would like to submit an application for your child(ren) by May 15, 2023.