1. REPORT ON THE ANNUAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY  OF CUPE 2626 UNION OF STUDENT WORKERS AT UOTTAWA

Last Wednesday, on April 6, 2022, CUPE 2626’s Annual General Assembly could not proceed because not enough members participated in the Assembly. The AGA was not canceled but instead converted into a special Steward’s Council which involved your 2626-3 Residence Life Stewards: Max Christie and Sudipta Verma. Here are the highlights of this special Steward’s Council:

• This was the first time all CUPE 2626 members, Academic workers (teaching and research assistants, correctors, etc.) and members of the subunits, 2626-1 Lifeguards and 2626-3 Residence Life workers, participated in the same meeting.
• Your current 2626-3 Residence Life Representatives prepared and shared a report about 2626-3 activities in the past year. You can read the complete report here.
• The Steward’s Council elected on an interim basis Ferial Limam as your Residence Life Representative! The RLR is a member of the 2626 Executive Board and is the main point of contact between your 2626-3 subunit and the EB. Congratulations Ferial!

Although you can always reach your RLR at residence.rep@cupe2626.ca, please contact your Stewards, Max Christie and Sudipta Verma, if you have any issues or questions related to your work conditions and your Collective Agreement.

2. REPORT ON THE LAST MEETING WITH THE EMPLOYER

On March 11, 2022, your Union Representatives, Ferial L., Max C. and Sudipta V., met with the Employer for the Labour Relations Committee meeting. As per our Collective Agreement (Art. 15), we discussed issues, other than grievances, relating to working conditions or relations between the University, the employees and our Union. Here are the highlights:

• • Timesheets
    Union Representatives have been pressuring the Employer to improve the current timesheets (or “Hours Reporting Form” as per Article 19.7  Collective Agreement) because members do not think the excel sheets are the most effective tool. After failing to follow through with the Union’s proposal to use a tool such as Survey Monkey, the Employer is preparing a new “solution” and will test it out this summer.
  • Accommodation procedures
    Union Representatives asked the Employer to provide more information for members about their rights in terms of accommodation and how it works. The Employer will provide information of their right to work accommodations during the signature  of the contract, once hired and during training. It’s important for any member in need of work-related accommodation to inform the Employer as soon as possible. For more information, click here or ask the Employer.
  • Health and Safety  Concerns
    Union Representatives brought the Employer’s attention to two important health & safety concerns:
    • The broken elevators such as the one in the LeBlanc Residence and move out approaching fast. The Employer could not promise to fix the elevators. They will hire movers and provide volunteers to help students move out.
    • The important lack of security guards. The Employer could not promise to fix this problem. Their long term “solution” is to hire for next fall “Residence Safety Ambassadors”: student employees that are not licensed security guards that will focus on “education” and “preliminary interventions”. Union Representatives will keep a close eye on the evolution of this situation and keep pressuring the Employer to hire licensed security guards.
  • Leaves/Time off
    Union Representatives asked to clarify the 72 hours religious leave as per Article 12.7 Time Off  Considering operational needs, employees can request official time off periods during the semester which are not required to be related to academic availabilities. Each semester, all Employees are entitled to two seventy-two (72) hours’ time off periods as well as one forty eight (48) hours’ time off period. In addition to these time off periods available each semester, Employees are entitled to one seventy-two (72) hours’ time off period between August and April for religious purposes. This religious purpose seventy-two (72) hours can be used by the Employees for either Thanksgiving, Easter or any other religious holiday.

The Employer explains that this can be seen as an extra 72 hours leave, not tied to a religious observance, as it would not be inclusive enough. This extra 72 hours  can be requested like any other leave  request within the semester.

• • End of year expectations – Bank of hours

The Employer is worried about employees not completing their expected 540 hours by the end of their contract. They warned the Union Representatives that they would ask employees to volunteer for more work BUT would not pay any time worked over the 540 hours.

TRACK YOUR HOURS and reach out to your Stewards, Max Christie and Sudipta Verma, if you have any concerns about your hours as we get closer to the end of your contract.

3. ON THE IMPORTANCE OF COUNTING YOUR HOURS AND AVOIDING OVERWORK

As per Article 19 Hours of Work in our  Collective Agreement,

• Work Limits

-Your Coordo cannot ask you to work more than 8 hours per day (unless you are on call) and 40 hours per week.

-The maximum bank of hours is 555 hours over a 37-week Academic Session. These hours include work, training, on-call duty, credited leaves and meetings.

• Workload planning with your Coordo

-Your Coordo should meet with you to review your work schedule and tasks to be accomplished during those hours of work.

– It’s important to keep track of your hours with your timesheet in order to avoid overwork.

-Once a month, your Coordo should also be reviewing with you your timesheet to ensure you are both keeping track of assigned responsibilities  and hours to be worked in accordance with the maximum bank hours.

• Balancing Work and School

– The Collective Agreement ensures that, as a Union member, you are able to work without your studies being impacted. Your Employer will make every reasonable effort not to schedule or reschedule shifts in such a way that it conflicts with your mandatory academic duties (e.g., classes, discussion group, laboratory session, tutorial, conferences or an examination, etc.).

– Where a conflict arises, you and your Coordo will attempt to resolve the conflict in order to minimize the effect on your academic duties.

4. ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGAGING WITH YOUR UNION! 

• Like all other labour unions, CUPE 2626-3 Union of uOttawa Residence Life Workers is not a “service provider” or a separate entity from its members, the workers it represents. The Union is the collective experience of all its members in struggle to defend their rights and interests.
• To quote our previous CUPE 2626-3 leadership, Roaine and Adrien: “This is your Union and its strength depends on unity, everyone getting involved. Together we are stronger, divided we are weaker. Any change or positive improvement can only come from this.”
• Residence Life depends on us and our labour. As workers, we deserve to be treated with respect and dignity by our Employer, coordinators and students. To ensure this, as well as make any possible improvements about our work conditions in the future, every member must be engaged within their Union and communicate any concerns or questions with their Union Representatives. Communication and action are key!
• How can members be more engaged? This begins with reviewing your Collective Agreement, discussing it with your coworkers and making sure everyone understands what it means to be unionized and sharing any concerns or questions you might have with your Stewards.
• If you have any ideas about building solidarity between 2626-3 members and making our Union stronger, please email your Residence Life Representative!  We can always organize educational activities, create posters, distribute flyers, etc.

The CUPE 2626-3 Union of Residence Life Workers team
Ferial Limam, Residence Life Representative, residence.rep@cupe2626.ca

Sudipta Verma, Steward, sverma4@uottawa.ca

Max Christie, Steward,  mchrist5@uottawa.ca