Wishing everyone a holiday filled with all of the above. 

Sheryl, Bernice and Lee Ann

CUPE 1936 members who work at Collingwood Neighbourhood House are invited to fill out their bargaining surveys, either online or using  a paper version.

For paper versions, please contact the Local office or a Shop Steward at CNH.

CLICK HERE to fill it out online.

Please note that all surveys must be complete by 2pm on November 30th!

UPDATE!  While paper surveys will be collected at 2pm on Nov 30th, you can STILL fill out the online survey until 8am on Monday, December 3rd!

Greetings,

CUPE’s National Child Care Working Group is going to be on Parliament Hill on November 20^th, along with parents, grandparents and other child care advocates to tell MPs and Senators that across Canada, licensed child care is unaffordable, impossible to find, and suffering a workforce crisis.

We want to leave Parliamentarians thinking hard about the situation for families and educators in their local ridings and communities. They need to know that all of Parliament has a responsibility to help solve this crisis. That’s why we are asking them to become child care champions by increasing funding for child care, with a 10-year goal of child care for all—a child care system that is accessible and inclusive of all families who need child care.

And we need your help! On November 20^th, you can join us from wherever you are in Canada and show your support for child care. There are three important actions you can take:

1) Tweet with us!

We’re using the hashtag #ChildCareChampion to tell MPs that affordable, quality child care is a priority. Tweet with us using this hashtag to show why you support increased funding for child care. Here are some ideas:

• I need a #ChildCareChampion because child care workers need decent wages and working conditions. Visit childcareforall.ca to find out more.
•  I need a #ChildCareChampion because I’ve been a child care worker for two decades & my job is still precarious. Visit childcareforall.ca to find out more.

• We need a #ChildCareChampion because access to affordable child care is a massive hurdle to gender equality in the workforce. Visitchildcareforall.ca to find out more.

• We need a #ChildCareChampion because where someone lives shouldn’t determine whether they will be able to afford child care. Visitchildcareforall.ca to find out more.

Want to make sure you’re heard? Tweet directly at your Member of Parliament! Click here to find your MP’s Twitter handle.

 2) Send a letter to your MP

Tell your MP we need child care champions on Parliament Hill! Click here to send a message to your MP.

3) Sign the petition

Visit childcareforall.ca to sign Child Care Now’s petition, asking for:

• The federal government to implement a high-quality, universal non-profit child care system that families across Canada can afford; and
• All levels of government to make major investments in child care—starting in 2019 and increasing each year until Canada meets the accepted international child care spending benchmark of 1 percent of GDP.

This petition will be delivered directly to the Office of the Prime Minister leading up to the 2019 federal election. Click here to sign.

Thanks in advance for your solidarity and support!

 

Please note that our membership meetings will be starting @ 6:45 pm to 8:45 pm.

Join us on November 21st for the last membership meeting of this year. (we don’t meet in December)

There will be pizza for all and it is a great opportunity to hear what the local is working on as well to hear about the local units.

We look forward to seeing you there.

There is underground parking  available

Parking at the CUPE Regional office

45 spaces will be available for those attending the meeting.

• Someone will be present at the top of the ramp to open the parking gate for you. Please identify which unit you are from.
• Park in any spot on P1 that has a “reserved 24 hour” sign on it. There are designated accessible spots.
• Someone will be present to let you into the elevator area to go up to the 4th floor.
• If you arrive  after 7 there are a few spaces available in the surface courtyard. (Please leave those free for latecomers.)

If you aren’t parking:

Someone will be present to let you into the ground level lobby to go up to the 4th floor.

If you arrive late:

A phone number will be posted to text someone to come and let you in.

This evening, the Honourable Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care, met with Local 1936 members from Hastings Community Association and Little Mountain Neighbourhood House, as well as a local community parent, to discuss childcare in BC.

“You’re educators, not baby-sitters”, Minister Chen said to the group, after speaking briefly about the resources and support that the Provincial Government are investing in to the Early Care and Learning sector.

While a lot of press has been given to the $1/hr pay increase to ECE workers, there are other supports available to other workers in the sector.  For more information for workers, parents, or providers, please visit the government’s Childcare BC website.

Other resources that Minister Chen had for the members in attendance, addressing the Government’s three pillars of affordability, accessibility, and quality child care, can be found below.

Local 1936 is also proud to represent at one of the Provincial Government’s new “prototype” low-cost spaces at existing child care facilities across B.C.

New Spaces Fund information Sheet

Early Care and Learning Information Sheet

Affordable Child Care Benefit and Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative Information

 

Sheryl Burns, president of CUPE Local 1936 which is part of the CSS, said that union members are “super happy ” about the new agreement which will come into effect next April. Burns said that is because workers in community services have been struggling to get by in the Metro Vancouver area.

“Because our workers are paid so poorly, they can’t actually afford to live and work in the area,” she said. “Many workers work two and three jobs in order to survive — single parents go to food banks, it’s really horrible.”

See the full article at https://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2018/11/06/community-service-and-health-workers-win-100-million-in-redress-funding-for-low-wages.html

By now, you probably have received your mail-in ballot on changing the way we elect our Provincial Government.  This short presentation talks about what Proportional Representation would mean for us here in BC.  Please feel free to download it!

Presentation On Proportional Representation

If you’re having problems viewing the PowerPoint presentation above, you can get a PDF version of it by clicking here.

If you haven’t received your ballot from Elections BC, you can contact them through their website at https://elections.bc.ca/.

Pictured here are CUPE Local 1936 President, Sheryl Burns, the CUPE BC Regional Director, Meena Brisard and her children, the Honourable Minister of State for Childcare, Katrina Chen, and Administrative Assistant to the Honourable Katrina Chen, Niki Sharma who joined CUPE Local 1936 Early Childhood Educators from Collingwood Neighborhood House to discuss British Columbia’s Child Care Plan of BC on Wednesday, October 10th.  The Assistant Deputy Minister of the Early Years and Inclusion Division, Ministry of Children and Family Development, Christine Massey was also present.  CUPE Local 1936 members were provided an opportunity to ask Minister Chen questions relating to the Childcare Plan of BC and expressed gratitude for the NDP Provincial Government’s commitment to Early Childhood Care and to those who provide childcare to the province’s children.

CUPE Local 1936 would like to thank Collingwood Neighborhood House Early Childhood Educator, Kulwant Kular who graciously prepared the room used by her program for this meeting.

CUPE Local 1936 is located in unceded Central Coast Salish territory.  We wish to express our gratitude for the use of this unceded territory to all Central Coast Salish Peoples and to Qay’gayt and Musqueam First Nations who have ties to this territory.

CUPE Local 1936 believes that acknowledging Traditional Indigenous Territory is a way to honour and show respect to the original inhabitants of this land, on which we learn, work and play.

Five locals give back to their community with picnic in the park

PORT MOODY—Cloudy weather was not enough to dampen spirits at the fourth annual Tri-Cities family picnic in the park on Saturday (September 22).

Before a spectacular view of Burrard Inlet, members from five CUPE locals served up hotdogs, snacks and refreshments while providing games and face painting for the kids. Visitors to Rocky Point Park were surprised and delighted to wander into the CUPE fest and be welcomed with offers of free food and children’s entertainment. Some gave donations to help offset the costs.

CUPE 386 (Coquitlam Civic) President Gord Willis said there are two reasons for holding the event, sponsored by locals 386, 498, 561, 825, and 1936.

“One is that it’s for our members who live and work in different cities—it gives them a chance to work together and get to know each other,” said Willis. “The other is that it’s for the public. People don’t often get to see us outside our jobs, and they don’t see us in the news unless it’s contract negotiation time. So having a fun event like this is a good way for the public to get to know us better.”

CUPE 825 (Port Moody Civic) President Christine Gervan thanked the many volunteers who helped stage the event.

“I certainly see the five locals as a team connecting and working together for the betterment of our members, strengthening CUPE and the community as a whole,” said Gervan.

CUPE 386 (Community Social Services of Greater Vancouver) President Sheryl Burns noted that the presence of Tri-Cities candidates for the October 20 community elections is a good sign of CUPE’s influence.

“Events like this enable us to make connections with community members and build relationships,” said Burns.

“It’s good that so many labour-endorsed candidates are here too, because the community knows we support them. It also shows the people who are running for office that CUPE keeps local politicians accountable.”

Halfway through the event, the clouds parted and the sun shone down on the park, drawing more visitors.

“Thankfully the weather was better than anticipated, so it was a wonderful event for the amazing volunteers and for those we were privileged to connect with,” said Gervan.

For more photos, visit the gallery.