Oct 14 Bargaining Bulletin

Dear Members,

I want to provide a brief update on bargaining.

To date the bargaining committee has met with the Employers on May 16, 17, 18, and July 6. We have had individual employer bargaining meetings on June 2, 14, 28 and 29 as well as July 7 and 11. Our CUPE National Rep and I have had 2 recent meetings with the Greater Victoria Labour Relations Association (GVLRA) on September 27 and October 12.

We have been able to achieve movement on certain proposals and come to agreements, however we have reached an impasse on wages and term.

At our meeting this past week with the GVLRA, we came prepared to discuss the remaining core outstanding issues – wages and term. We felt confident that with some cooperation we could conclude negotiations with a fair and reasonable agreement. We were surprised by the GVLRA’s unreasonableness in discussions around wages and terms and frustrated by their representative’s decision to end negotiations, declare that an impasse had been reached and suggest the parties file for mediation.

We believe that with additional bargaining dates we could conclude negotiations. We are now waiting for mediation dates from the Labour Relations Board and once we have confirmed dates, we will let members know.

Currently, we are working on planning our next steps. We continue to coordinate with other CUPE Locals in the region, and we are strongly considering taking a strike vote in advance of mediation.

With six separate units in our local, we are required to conduct six separate strike votes. This is logistically complex and will take several weeks. While we are hopeful that we can resolve bargaining without needing to take strike action, we want to be prepared should it become clear at mediation, or before, that the GVLRA is not willing to negotiate a fair and reasonable contract.

We are committed to keeping all members informed of what is happening with bargaining – so please make sure we have your personal email address, so you receive these important updates. Either visit our website www.cupe374.ca and subscribe or speak with your unit VP.

If you have any questions, please contact your Unit VP or call our office at 250 472 0374. Thank you for your support.

2022_10_14_Bargaining_Bulletin

Oct 12 Election: Acclaimed and Nominated Officer Information

The nomination window for our upcoming elections is now closed. The roles of President, Treasurer and Trustee will be acclaimed:

  • President: Shireen Clark   (Colwood, current incumbent)
  • Treasurer: Sarah Monaghan-Covacic (Sooke, current Recording Secretary)
  • Trustee: Laurel Houniet (North Saanich)

We will have one election for the position of Recording Secretary at our AGM on October 12. The nominees and their notes to members are below. Members should register to attend our AGM on October 12 at 7pm here in order to vote.

Adam Major

Hello Members,

My name is Adam Major. I have been a CUPE member for 10 years. Most recently with CUPE 374 for the last year after coming over from CUPE 2011. I am a father to 2 kids and actively involved in the community coaching Baseball (National little league) and volunteering at JBAA rugby club. As a Shop Steward for CUPE 2011, I grew a  passion for Labour movements and Mental health issues. As your representative for Recording Secretary I hope to add these skills to an all ready diverse executive team.

Thank you for your consideration.

Yours in Solidarity,

Adam Major
Oak Bay, Public Works
CUPE 374 Member

 

Gabrielle Whitters

Hello everyone,

My name is Gabrielle Whitters. I am a trained administrative professional with a background in local government and banking. I’ve been a member of CUPE since 2018 and have been responsible for meeting preparation, follow-up and recording secretary to many Council and Committee meetings since. I assist with records management and writing of policies and bylaws. I also held a temp position in Nanaimo with Human Resources where I assisted with processing and reviewing Worksafe claims.

I am a mother to one beautiful girl, and I enjoy the hiking and mushroom picking in the great outdoors. I am dedicated to learning more about CUPE and offering my established skillset to this position.

Thanks!

In Solidarity,

Gabrielle Whitters
Colwood, Corporate Services
CUPE 374 Member