Dear members,      Please read on for general CUPE BC announcements and to learn more about upcoming events, learning resources, and community engagement opportunities. If this email was forwarded to you and you wish to be added to our mailing list, please send an email request to info@cupe.bc.ca.

CUPE Local 374 | Steve Seekins Memorial Donations:     In honour of the memory of Steve Seekins, a Local 374 member who died on the job last week, the Local has set up an account where donations can be made to the Community Savings Credit Union. All funds contributed will go directly to the Seekins family and help make a meaningful difference in honouring Steve’s life.

If you’d like to donate you can either:

1. Send a direct deposit (download form here) to Community Savings Credit Union.
2. Send an e-transfer to treasurer@cupe374.ca and those funds will be added to the account.

Online Applications Open | Aubrey Burton/Reg Ford Scholarship | Aug 11:        CUPE BC is now inviting applications online for the Aubrey Burton/Reg Ford Scholarship.   Scholarships are awarded on both a competitive and lottery basis based on the following criteria:

Parent, Guardian or Spouse of Applicant, or the Applicant her/himself must be a member in good standing of a CUPE Local affiliated to CUPE BC at the time of application.                               Applicant must have completed Grade 12 in the current or previous calendar year.                                                                                                                                                                                     Applicant must be entering the first year of a recognized public post-secondary institution in BC. A copy of the acceptance letter from the admitting institution must be supplied.                   Applicant must complete an online application form supported by copies of the Senior Secondary Statement Transcript and letter(s) of reference from the school principal or counsellor.

Online Application Form: Click here                 Application Deadline: August 11, 2023 (end of day)

 BCFED & BC Lions | June 17^th Kick-off Game | Ticket Giveaway:            CUPE BC is participating in the sponsorship of BC Federation of Labour’s collaboration with the BC Lions, promoting a Labour night at the Lions Concert and Kick Off home opener game on Saturday, June 17^th. Members who wish to attend the game can receive up to 4 tickets apiece by request to info@cupe.bc.ca within the deadline of June 9, 2023. Requests for additional tickets can be submitted if needed, but please note that receipt of tickets is not guaranteed as their number is limited. We hope everyone will enjoy this big night!

CoDev | Annual Solidarity and Fundraising Dinner | Jun 3:   Please join CoDevelopment Canada for the highly-anticipated return of their Annual Solidarity and Fundraising Dinner, where fellow labour activists from across the Lower Mainland celebrate 38 years of building partnerships between trade unions and civil society organizations in Canada and Latin America – partnerships that    work to defend public services, human rights, and workers’ rights across the Americas. The evening will feature an array of authentic Latin American dishes, Latin American music, a specially-curated silent auction with fine items sourced from across Latin America, and the always delectable dessert auction.

Date & Time: Saturday, Jun 3, 2023 | 5:30pm (Pacific)      Location: Maritime Labour Centre at 1880 Triumph St., Vancouver, BC.      Fees: Tables of ten guests for $950.00; individual tickets of $100.     Tickets: Online at codev.org OR cheque addressed to ‘CoDevelopment Canada’ OR cash at the CoDev office (#260 – 2747 E Hastings St., Vancouver).       More Info: Visit the CoDev website

CoC | BC Town Halls for Pharmacare | May 31-Jun 11       The Council of Canadians’ national pharmacare campaign is underway to push the Trudeau government to fulfill its promise to enact a public pharmacare plan by the end of the year, urgently needed amid skyrocketing inflation on all fronts. You can participate in four town halls coming up in BC, the Public Pharmacare Now! series:

Wednesday May 31: Nelson (w/ Steve Morgan, Colleen Fuller, Afshin Jaberi): https://canadians.org/event/nelson-pharmacare-town-hall/
At the Nelson United Church at 602 Silica St or on Zoom (register at the link above for Zoom link)

Wednesday June 7: Powell River (w/ Steve Morgan and local guests): https://canadians.org/event/powell-river-pharmacare-town-hall/
At the Seniors Centre at 6792 Cranberry St or on Zoom (register at the link above for the Zoom link)

Thursday June 8: Vancouver (w/Avi Lewis, Colleen Fuller, Afshin Jaberi, Steve Morgan): https://canadians.org/event/vancouver-pharmacare-town-hall/
At the Unitarian Church of Vancouver at 949 W. 49^th Ave Vancouver, BC

Sunday June 11: Victoria (w/Avi Lewis and special guests): https://canadians.org/event/victoria-pharmacare-town-hall/
At the Dave Dunnet Community Theatre at 2121 Cadboro Bay Rd Victoria, BC

VDLC | Municipal Affairs & Housing Committee Reboot | Jun 15:       The Vancouver & District Labour Council is re-constituting its Municipal Affairs & Housing Committee, a space for delegates and members of affiliate unions to come together and engage around local issues, including housing affordability and tenants’ rights. The first meeting will be held in digital format.            Date & Time: Jun 15, 2023 | 6:00pm (Pacific) via Zoom            Registration: Click here

National Accessibility Week Resources:       Did you know there are more than one billion people globally with disabilities? National AccessAbility Week (May 28-June 3) celebrates the contributions and leadership of Canadians with disabilities, recognizes efforts to remove barriers, and encourages education and action. UVic has compiled links and resources here.

Union Protein Project | AGM & Salmon BBQ | Jun 14:         All affiliates, supporters and friends of the Union Protein Project are welcome to the annual general meeting and barbecue in Langley this year. Ample free parking is available onsite.           Date & Time: Wednesday, Jun 14, 2023 | 11:30am (Pacific)

Location: United Steelworkers Union building at #9292 – 200^th St, Langley, BC

RSVP: E-mail admin@proteinproject.ca (deadline: Jun 7)

BCFED | Support for Gig Workers Petition

Show support for gig workers and their fight to achieve essential workplace protections through the BC Federation of Labour’s new Gig Workers Deserve Better campaign.

Mark’s | 10% Client Savings Card | Jul 2026:          All members can present this Mark’s CUPE BC Division Client Discount Card to receive an in-store 10% discount until July 2026. Additional identification should not be required at the point of purchase, but please contact our sales liaison Ainsley at604-700-1727 if there are any issues.

StrongerBC | Resources on Savings:        Access a range of low-cost services, income support, direct funding and tax relief through the BC Government’s StrongerBC online directory here.      Should you have any questions regarding this update, please email info@cupe.bc.ca for additional information.

  In solidarity,  CUPE BC Executive Board

Dear members,

Please read on for general CUPE BC announcements and to learn more about upcoming events, learning resources, and community engagement opportunities. If this email was forwarded to you and you wish to be added to our mailing list, please send an email request to info@cupe.bc.ca.

CUPE Education | July & August Courses

Register soon for CUPE Education online workshops this summer, as seats fill up quickly. The following courses are available:

Pride Events Swag Requests 2023

Locals planning events for Pride season can request swag from CUPE BC through our event support request form online. Please submit 2 weeks ahead of the event to ensure timely shipping.

Indigenous School Food Circle

The Indigenous School Food Circle is an initiative co-hosted by the Coalition for Healthy School Food, Canadian Feed the Children and Farm to Cafeteria Canada, established to inform how the Coalition advocates for funding for school food programs in Indigenous communities and for Indigenous students, and to support replication, networking and sharing of best practices among those who are coordinating and supporting school food programs in Indigenous communities and for Indigenous students. Contact Sydney Richards at srichard@canadianfeedthechildren.ca to learn about bi-monthly working group meetings and join the distribution list. Additional resources are available here.

CAF-FCA Health Canada Webinar | May 25

The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum will be hosting Kemi Odejbile and Paul Lalonde for a webinar, presenting results from a survey of 1,194 apprentices and tradespeople across Canada. The survey gathered data on apprentices’ lived experience in relation to substance use, with the goal of establishing practices that support apprentice well-being in the industry.

Date & Time: May 25, 2023 | 1:00pm (Eastern)
Registration: Click here

Kelowna Pride March and Festival | Jun 10

Kelowna members can support the local 2SLGBTQIA+ community at the Kelowna Pride March and Festival, with a booth from Local 338 as well as the North Okanagan Labour Council.

Date & Time: Saturday, Jun 10 | 11:00am – 3:00pm

Location: Kelowna City Park at 1600 Abbot St., Kelowna

DEWC | Vancouver Half Marathon | Jun 25

You can help fundraise to support vulnerable women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside through the Vancouver Half Marathon Charity Challenge. A variety of marathon lengths are available, as well as virtual participation. For each registration at the link below, $5 will be donated to the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centremeal program.

Date & Time: Jun 25, 2023

Registration: Click here

JAC2023 Registration

Registration is now open for delegates, sponsors and exhibitors for the 2023 Joint Annual Conference & Tradeshow in Penticton, co-sponsored by the Public Works Association of BC and the BC Municipal Safety Association. View the speaker list here, visit the registration page, or review the delegate guide ahead of the September 26-27 tradeshow.

Should you have any questions regarding this update, please email info@cupe.bc.ca for additional information.

  In solidarity,

  CUPE BC Executive Board

CUPE British Columbia

#410-6222 Willingdon Avenue

Burnaby, British Columbia

V5H 0G3

P: 604.291.9119

www.cupe.bc.ca

JOIN US

Monthly Hybrid Membership Meeting on Wednesday, May 17th, 2023 @ 6:30 pm

–  meaning you can join in person at 6222 Willingdon Ave, Burnaby   (RSVP required to bway1936@gmail.com)
– join via zoom (see link below) Registration is required by clicking the zoom link

The VDLC is also co-sponsoring a Day of Mourning ceremony with the BCFED, the Business Council of BC, and WorkSafeBC. Livestream of the event is available here  

Abbotsford.   FRIDAY, APRIL 28TH.    @.   10:30 AM.   Abbotsford City Hall – Civic Plaza,    32315 South Fraser Way,     Abbotsford, BC

Organizations –City of Abbotsford

Mark’s Discount | April 16-22
Members can present the attached Mark’s coupon at point of purchase for a 25% discount on all regular-priced items until Saturday, April 22

CUPE Local 561 | Call for Support
As many of you know, our members of CUPE 561 are on strike. These Fraser Valley transit operators have been without a contract for three years, and are paid 32% less than other transit workers in our region. These workers are facing a tough situation. The employer, First Transit, is a multi-national corporation headquartered in Europe, and has threatened to walk away from the contract before paying our members a fair wage. The ultimate responsibility for these workers rests with BC Transit, a crown corporation of the BC government, but the leadership at BC Transit refuse to take any responsibility for the actions and failures of their contractor.

We need the help of all 100,000 CUPE members in British Columbia. This employer, and BC Transit, needs to understand that when they pick a fight with one of us, they pick a fight with all of us. Please see the attached letter from Local 561 about ways you and your members can put pressure on BC Transit, and help our members win a fair deal. Our solidarity is our most powerful tool against regressive employers, and we need your help today to show that strength and solidarity to these regressive employers.

Rally to Support CUPE 561
Date: April 22             Time: Noon to 3pm.     Location: Jubilee Park, 2552 McCallum Rd 

Please sign up to select a day where your union/local can join a picket line to show solidarity with striking workers and help keep morale high. Below we have asked for the time you expect to come, as well as the number of people you expect to bring. These can be rough estimates but will help us and the local plan. There are four different picket line locations listed – please select the one you plan to be at by using an X, but you are also welcome to visit more than one line. These workers are on strike 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and picket times are listed below. If you have any questions, please contact Carissa, Local Community Organizer, at caritaylor@cupe.ca. 

Sign the e-action and learn more about the strike at weneedalift.ca

Picket locations: 

First Transit Chilliwack Yard 

44275 Yale Road, Chilliwack (24/7)

First Transit Abbotsford Yard

3032 Gladys Avenue, Abbotsford (24/7)

The main entrance is around the corner on Pratt Street

West Coast Express

Mission City Station – Railway Avenue, Mission

Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:30 – 8:30 a.m.

Lougheed Town Centre Station* (Exchange) 

Across the street from 9850 Gatineau Place, Burnaby

Times: 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

*Please note that there are limits on the number of participants at the Lougheed Town Centre Station

COPE-491

LWR 2022 Communication Final 2023-04-03April 1, 2022 Low Wage Redress Distribution

The parties have agreed on the distribution of the April 1, 2022 Low Wage Redress (LWR), effective the
first full pay period following April 1, 2022.
The agreement provides for the following wage increases:

Please click on the link above for the 16 page document that will provide all increases for the various classifications.

BURNABY – The Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) announced today that the 19,000 members of the community social services bargaining unit employed by the Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA) voted 95 per cent to accept the tentative agreement. The agreement was negotiated with the nine unions representing members in the agreement: BCGEU, CUPE, HEU, HSA, CSWU Local 1611, CLAC, USW 1-417, UFCW and BCNU.

The tentative deal was reached on February 6, 2023, after one year of negotiations. The new agreement is retroactive from April 1, 2022 through March 31, 2025 and includes:

 

• Low-wage redress* increases, retroactive for all employees (past and present) to April 1, 2022
• Wage increases that follow the GWI of the public sector agreements
• 100-per-cent paid sick leave, effective April 1, 2024
• Improvements to health and welfare benefits, leave provisions, safety and health, layoff and recall, bullying and harassment language.

* Low-wage redress (LWR) refers to funds that are meant to help reduce long-term inequalities in compensation in both community social services and health care sectors.

“Our members’ main priority was both fair and equitable compensation and restoration of a hundred per cent sick pay,” said CUPE BC General Vice-President Sheryl Burns. “The achievement on sick pay is historic because this was removed by the BC Liberals when they came into power.”

Burns added that members also voted resoundingly in favour of the new agreement because its provisions reflect the parties’ commitment to truth and reconciliation and the deal includes several improvements around health and safety while addressing mental health concerns.

Community social services workers work in every community in B.C., providing services such as support for Indigenous families, support for children and adults with developmental and physical disabilities, support for women, youth and children fleeing abuse, and support for people with mental health challenges and at-risk youth.

The Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) represents unionized workers in the community social services sector, and the Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA) represents over 200 community social services employers across the province.

 

Every year on April 28, we come together in memory and honour of those who have died, been injured or suffered illness in the workplace. Circle the date on your calendar now, and visit dayofmourning.bc.ca for a list of ceremonies happening throughout BC.

Vancouver ceremony info

Friday, April 28
10:30 am
Jack Poole Plaza
1055 Canada Place

A livestream will be available at dayofmourning.bc.ca.

Those wishing to show solidarity in person with Local 561 members’ walkout for pensions and wage equity can join the picket this week at three locations:

• Lougheed Town Centre Exchange Bay 1 – Burnaby, BC
  Address: Across the street from 9850 Gatineau Place
  Time: 6:00am – 7:00pm Monday to Friday (maximum 10 picketers)
  NOTE: To maintain the 10-person maximum picketers at Bay 1, if you have a larger group wishing to come and show solidarity, please contact firsttransitstrike@cupe561.ca one day in advance so that an additional location nearby, where many more picketers could fit, can be coordinated
• First Transit Chilliwack Yard – Chilliwack, BC
  Address: 44275 Yale Road
  Time: 24h per day for the week of 20^th March
• First Transit Abbotsford Yard – Abbotsford, BC

Address: 3032 Gladys Avenue (both entrance and exit sites)

Time: 24h per day for the week of 20^th March
NOTE: Parking available around the corner on Pratt Street

Should you have any questions regarding this update, please email info@cupe.bc.ca for additional information.

In solidarity,

CUPE BC Executive Board

CUPE British Columbia

#410-6222 Willingdon Avenue

Burnaby, British Columbia

V5H 0G3

P: 604.291.9119

www.cupe.bc.ca