Our Blogs - Page 23 of 25 - Wilfrid Laurier University Staff Association

Annual Meeting of the Provincial Assembly

December 2, 2020/in 2020/by WLUSA

OSSTF’s annual general meeting, known as AMPA, is coming up from March 12-15, 2021. If there was ever an event where you wanted to learn more about what OSSTF does for education and labour, this is the event to go to. They talk about so many initiatives that are going on. Normally held at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in Toronto, AMPA 2021 will be completely virtual this time as we continue to deal with the pandemic.

Nearly 600 delegates from across the province will attend AMPA 2021 to pass motions, vote on policies and adopt the budget. As well, with AMPA 2021 being an election year, delegates will hear speeches, have an opportunity to ask questions, and then vote for positions on the Provincial Executive.

This 3-day event is not just about business though. It covers many different areas including:

· Speeches from invited guests including politicians and national and international leaders
· Awards to OSSTF Members for contributions and to students for contributions
· Presentations from Social Justice Initiatives

WLUSA is allowed to bring 6 delegates to AMPA 2021. The President and the VP: External automatically get 2 of the 6.

If you are interested in being a delegate and being a part of this experience, please reply to this email and provide your name, position and reason for your interest (2-3 sentences is fine).

As per Bylaw 4, delegates and alternates will be selected by the WLUSA Council of Representatives, following the call for nominations.
**Please note that if you apply to attend AMPA, you will not be allowed to participate in the selection process.

Applications will be accepted until 4:30PM on Wednesday, December 23.

Driving in the rain? How to avoid hydroplaning and control your vehicle

November 17, 2020/in OTIP/by WLUSA

Hydroplaning occurs when a layer of water comes between your car’s tires and the road, causing your car to skid or slide across a wet surface. Even for the most experienced driver, this loss of steering and braking control can be a terrifying experience with potentially disastrous consequences.

Learn more at www.otipinsurance.com/article85.

WLUSA remembers Margaret Dilworth

November 13, 2020/in 2020/by WLUSA

Margaret Dilworth, a retiree and former WLUSA Member, passed away on November 6th, 2020.

A Laurier employee in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics for 36 years, Margaret also volunteered her time to WLUSA as their gift coordinator, purchasing cards and gifts for WLUSA Members who were about to retire, as a thank you for their years of service. She will be greatly missed.

More information, including an upcoming memorial service on November 16th, can be found at https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/therecord-waterloo/obituary.aspx?n=margaret-rose-dilworth&pid=197097550

Remembrance Day: Lest We Never Forget

November 11, 2020/in 2020, Did you know?/by WLUSA

On November 11, we observe a moment of silence to honour the courage, valour and sacrifice of the heroes who have served – and continue to serve – Canada during times of war and conflict.

Remembrance Day is about showing our respect and gratitude to the serving and previous members of our armed forces who have sacrificed for our country.

Find your moment – honour those who have served and show thanks for their sacrifice.

This year, please put health and safety first while observing Remembrance Day. You can pay tribute to our veterans and active service members by:

wearing a poppy
sharing your thanks online by using #RemembranceDay
observing a moment of silence at 11 a.m. on November 11 wherever you are

On November 11, we pay tribute to members of the Canadian Armed Forces who fought to defend our values and freedoms, and to those who continue to serve our country today. Watch this video and take a moment to honour their courage.

Open Call – Joint Committees

November 4, 2020/in 2020/by WLUSA

The WLUSA Executive is accepting applications to fill one (1) vacancy on the Joint Health & Safety Committee (JHSC) and one (1) vacancy on the Professional Development Fund Committee.

As a Member of the JHSC, you will discuss health and safety issues that impact the Waterloo and Kitchener Campuses of the University. Committee meetings will normally be one and a half hours in length and held monthly from September through June. Training is provided and you shall be granted release time to attend these meetings. This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to learn more about identifying hazardous situations, participating in consultations with the University, and monitoring of health and safety testing.

The Professional Development Fund Committee is chaired by the WLUSA/OSSTF President (non-voting) and is responsible for reviewing and approving applications to the fund. This ensures fairness and equity in the application of the employee for professional development opportunities. As a member of this committee, you will be expected to meet with the Committee monthly, either in person or over e-mail, for approximately 1 hour per session to evaluate applications.

No previous experience required for either committee.

If you are interested, please send an email to wlusaadmin@wlu.ca by 4:30pm on Friday, November 13th, and include your name, job title and department, and a short blurb (5-6 sentences) outlining why you are interested in the committee and any skills you possess that would contribute to the success of this Committee.

Support staff at U. of Ottawa reach tentative agreement

October 30, 2020/in 2020/by WLUSA

The support staff Bargaining Unit at the University of Ottawa (PSUO-SSUO), represented by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO), has reached a tentative agreement with the University of Ottawa. Strike action is suspended pending ratification.

The membership showed enormous solidarity and strength through a lengthy and difficult round of bargaining. Their support for their bargaining team allowed us to reach a deal that we can recommend for ratification
Marcelle Desmornes, President of PSUO-SSUO

Details remain confidential until ratified by both parties.

Support staff at U. of Ottawa on legal strike

October 21, 2020/in 2020/by WLUSA

The support staff bargaining unit at the University of Ottawa (PSUO-SSUO) of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) went on legal strike as of 12:01 a.m., Monday, October 19, after nineteen months of bargaining did not result in a tentative agreement.

Over 1,300 members of the PSUO-SSUO Bargaining Unit provide support and services to students and professors at the university. They will be on a full withdrawal of services until a tentative deal is reached with the University of Ottawa.

On behalf of the WLUSA Executive, Karen Cleaver, Vice-President: External, wrote the following letter to President Jacques Fremont:

President Jacques Frémont,
I’m writing to you as the Vice-President: External of District 35, WLUSA Bargaining Unit of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation. I want to express my absolute solidarity and support for the members of the OSSTF/FEESO District 35 PSUO-SSUO Bargaining Unit as they engage in a legal strike against the University of Ottawa.
I find your attempts to strip health benefits coverage for the over 1,300 employees at your university appalling, especially in the middle of pandemic. These members of OSSTF/FEESO provide important services and supports for students and professors at the university. Yet, you demonstrate a high level of disrespect for the work they do by continuing to put significant cuts to their collective agreement on the table.
As a leader representing over 600 education workers in office, clerical and technical roles at Wilfrid Laurier University, I know our local members will be greatly disappointed to hear of the university’s attempts to strip the collective agreement.
Make no mistake, the 60,000 education workers and teachers of OSSTF/FEESO stand with the members of the PSUO/SSUO bargaining unit.
Karen Cleaver
Vice-President: External
District 35, WLUSA Bargaining Unit

Don’t make these 5 common renovation mistakes!

October 15, 2020/in OTIP/by WLUSA

Renovating can make your home or office feel fresh, new and inviting. It’s an exciting opportunity to dream about your ideal space and make it a reality. If you’re going through the time, effort and expense to renovate, make sure you do it right the first time around by avoiding these five common mistakes from OTIP Insurance.

A message from the Social Committee

September 28, 2020/in 2020, Social/by WLUSA

Things may look a little different this year, but rest assured that the social committee is hard at work planning some fun virtual and socially distanced events! Some of the upcoming events currently in planning are:

Virtual paint night
Candle making
Mixology class
Drive in movie
Dinosaur drive thru exhibit at Bingeman’s

Please check our events page regularly for more information!

You may have also noticed that WLUSA is hosting it’s first ever Football Pool! We have 40 football fans participating and are well on our way! The victor will be named on the WLUSA website at the end of the season.

Declare racism a public health crisis: an open letter to Premier Ford

September 26, 2020/in 2020/by WLUSA

Reposted from the Ontario Federation of Labour

The following letter was sent by email to Hon. Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, and Hon. Christine Elliott Minister of Health:

Dear Hon. Doug Ford and Hon. Christine Elliott:

We are writing to urge you to declare racism, including anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism, a public health crisis.

Anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism are historic, pervasive, and systemic issues in our province.

Black and Indigenous Ontarians experience disproportionate levels of racial profiling; systemic discrimination within our institutions; higher rates of precarious employment, underemployment, and unemployment; significant poverty; and overrepresentation in criminal justice, mental health, and child welfare systems. Black, racialized, and indigenous workers also experience very significant amounts of racially motivated physical and verbal assault working in the Ontario health care system.

Black and Indigenous peoples are more likely to be living in low-income households, have less access to safe housing, have significantly higher rates of child poverty and mortality, earn less for equal work, and die at significantly younger ages.

The intersection of race with inequities in housing, income, and other social determinants of health has placed Black and Indigenous Peoples at greater risk. This is unacceptable. This must change.

In order to adequately address anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism, we need a public health perspective.

We ask that the government of Ontario commit to addressing the social determinants of health by supporting culturally relevant policies and programs that address the inequities that marginalized groups continue to face, with a focus on Black and Indigenous communities and residents.

We ask that the Minister of Health, through the 2021 Budget process and COVID-19 recovery planning, make recommendations to the Ministry of Health on reprioritizing Provincial resources to address the social determinants of health, focusing on racism facing Black and Indigenous Peoples.

We request that the Medical Officer of Health, in accordance with public health advice on physical distancing requirements and the Provincial Order that limits public gatherings, to organize training sessions for Public Health leaders to help them fight anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism in their organizations, on understanding Equity with Black and Indigenous Peoples’ values and principles, and embedding equity and anti-Black and anti-Indigenous Racism prevention principles in Governance and Leadership to build capacity to provide equitable space for racialized and marginalized representation.

We request that public health-related organizational board memberships reflect the full diversity and range of voices in our Province, with particular attention to voices from Black and Indigenous communities, during the next recruitment of board members and in the event of any vacancies.

In this time, when we’re seeing that this crisis is being unequally experienced, we need real and immediate action to support all Ontarians. We need the province to declare racism a public health crisis.

Sincerely,

PATTY COATES, President

AHMAD GAIED, Secretary-Treasurer

JANICE FOLK-DAWSON, Executive Vice-President

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