The Communiqué – November 5, 2019
November 5, 2019
In this issue:
Save the Date: Fall General Membership Meeting
We will be holding the Fall 2019 General Membership Meeting on Wednesday, November 20, from 1:00-3:00pm in 2224-2228 Richcraft Hall. Light refreshments will be available. Full details on the agenda to follow. We will be providing an update on Pension and Benefits issues (more on this below).
Pension and Benefits Issues
In case you missed our Town Hall on October 14, CUASA wanted to provide its members with updates on some ongoing pension and benefits issues.
CUASA has had to temporarily suspend its participation on the Joint Pension Review Committee (JPRC) because of Carleton University’s repeated attacks on CUASA members’ pension rights and forcing the parties into interest arbitration on May 7, 2020.
We have also filed two Association grievances against Carleton University on benefits issues. The first relates to the University refusing to accept referrals or prescriptions from nurse practitioners and midwives, which are authorized medical services in Ontario. The second grievance relates to Carleton winding down access for our members to the campus medical clinic.
More information on these issues can be found here. CUASA members are encouraged to attend the Fall GMM (details above) for further information, or to ask any questions they may have.
Update on Bill 124
On October 30, 2019, the Ontario Government’s Orders of the Day revealed that Bill 124, which proposes to cap public sector salary and compensation increases at 1% for a period of three years, will be referred to the Standing Committee on General Government.
Public hearings were held yesterday, November 4, for one day only. The Bill is anticipated to be brought back to the House as early as Thursday, November 7, for its third and final reading. The Orders of the Day indicate that debate on the third reading will be limited to one hour.
CUASA is disappointed that the provincial government is determined to ram through its attack on workers’ rights without proper consultation or debate. Holding just one hour of debate for a bill that will affect public sector employees for three years is just preposterous.
As we have stated previously, Bill 124 impacts the rights of CUASA members to fair and unrestricted bargaining. We object to unwarranted government interference, particularly since university employees bargain directly with their employer, not with the provincial government.
We encourage all CUASA members to write to their MPP and let them know you are appalled by the government’s actions.
CUASA’s President, Angelo Mingarelli, and Director, Christal Côté, will be at Queen’s Park with OCUFA on Wednesday, November 6, to hold discussions with MPPs on this issue.
CAUT News: Possible Strikes Loom
CAUT warns of possible strikes looming for faculty associations at Cape Breton, Northern British Columbia, and Algoma Universities failing resolution in their current negotiations. More details can be found here.
Reminder: President’s Survey
If you haven’t already, please take a moment to review our brief President’s Survey, which asks for your thoughts on what is or isn’t working for you as a member of this Association. Which questions you answer are entirely at your discretion, and we welcome any and all responses. You can access the survey here.
Vacant Steering Positions
The following Steering positions are currently vacant (click the title to see position descriptions):
- Instructor Representative (two-year term, 2019-2021)
- Treasurer (two-year term, 2019-2021)
- External Relations Officer (two-year term, 2019-2021)
- Communications Officer (two-year term, 2019-2021)
- Chair, Equity (two-year term, 2019-2021)
- Chair, Nominations and Elections (two-year term, 2019-2021; note that there is a 0.5 credit teaching release added for this term)
If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact the CUASA Office for a nomination form, either by dropping by 2003 Dunton Tower, or by emailing [email protected].
Our Association is only as strong as its membership, so we count on the time and commitment of our members to achieve our goals. The Collective Agreement recognizes CUASA work as Service in members’ annual reviews. CUASA may purchase teaching releases under Article 18.8(c), subject to budget availability, and application to/approval by the Steering committee.
Call for Committee Volunteers
The Collective Bargaining Committee is seeking one or two members from the Faculty of Public Affairs to join its ranks and help prepare for the next round of bargaining. For more information on the CBC, please see Bylaw 7 here.
We are also seeking one volunteer for each of the following: the Salary Adjustment Commission, the Joint Committee on Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and the Joint Health and Safety Committee.
If you are interested in volunteering for any of these vacancies, please email [email protected].
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CUASA Communiqué, November 5, 2019 The Communiqué is published by the Carleton University Academic Staff Association (CUASA), 2003 Dunton Tower, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Canada, K1S 5B6. Past issues are archived on the CUASA Web site at CUASA.ca. The Communiqué publishes CUASA-related news and information for our Members and provides Members with a forum to express their CUASA-related ideas and opinions. We want to hear from you! Please send your CUASA-related story ideas, news items, opinion pieces, letters, photographs, and other submissions to the CUASA Office at [email protected]. You can find CUASA’s Accessible Customer Service Policy here. |
