Our Blogs - Page 23 of 31 - Wilfrid Laurier University Staff Association

Spring is in the air – Road trip!

April 4, 2022/in OTIP/by Tracy Cochrane

Ontario is a big province with lots to offer—from beautiful nature scenes to bustling city centres. Check out these Ontario road trip ideas that guarantee fun for all ages.

Will a speed camera ticket make my insurance rate go up?

April 4, 2022/in OTIP/by Tracy Cochrane

You arrive home after a long day of work and check your mailbox. Inside, you find a ticket from a speed camera with a photo of your vehicle driving above the posted limit. Let’s address some commonly asked questions about speed camera tickets.

I’m moving: what should I do about my home insurance policy?

April 4, 2022/in OTIP, Uncategorized/by Tracy Cochrane

Take a look at the moving and home insurance frequently asked questions inside so that you can look forward to making memories in your new home, confident that you have the coverage you need.

POST-SECONDARY CAUCUS: GETTING ORGANIZED FOR MAY 1

April 1, 2022/in Provincial Election 2022, Uncategorized/by Tracy Cochrane

Join the province-wide post-secondary caucus to get organized for the May 1 Day of Action!

The caucus is open to anyone who studies or works at a college, university, or any other post-secondary institution in Ontario.

What is the May 1 day of action?

On Sunday, May 1, thousands of people in locations all over the province will take action for a better Ontario. The day of action is part of a growing province-wide movement to challenge the harmful policies of the current provincial government and to raise our shared demands for what our campuses and communities need. Watch a teaser video about May 1 here.

post-secondary caucus

Link the Watershed

April 1, 2022/in Did you know?/by Tracy Cochrane

The following is a proposal to link our communities with a network of four new conventional transit routes operated by our existing municipal urban transit providers (Brantford Transit, Grand River Transit, and Guelph Transit) as soon as possible; with additional service changes to the rural transit services Brant Transit, Wellington RideWell, Ride Norfolk, PC Connect, and GOST to create a highly integrated network of rural and urban transit services and linking the Watershed.

With close to 1 million people expected to live in Watershed Region by 2030, it is critical that we work together to make travel in the area easier for everyone.

Link the Watershed Transit

University and PSAC reach tentative agreement for Graduate Teaching Assistants

March 24, 2022/in Did you know?/by Tracy Cochrane

Sent on behalf of Pamela Cant, Chief HR & Equity Officer

I am pleased to advise that Wilfrid Laurier University and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) have reached a tentative deal for the first collective agreement for Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs). PSAC represents approximately 338 graduate teaching assistants in Waterloo, Kitchener and Brantford.

The agreement was reached on March 23, 2022 following 25 meetings between the parties, and most recently with the assistance of a ministry appointed conciliator.

The tentative deal will be reviewed for ratification by the university’s Board of Governors and PSAC members. Both parties have agreed to recommend ratification of the tentative agreement. The details of the tentative agreement are confidential until both parties ratify.

The university is grateful to both bargaining teams for the hard work and goodwill they invested within a challenging financial and legislative landscape to reach an agreement they are each pleased to recommend.

Pamela Cant, MHRM (she/her)
Chief Human Resources & Equity Officer

Human Resources Department

How to Choose the Right Vehicle

March 10, 2022/in OTIP/by WLUSA

When it comes to finding the right car for you, there are pros and cons to both new and used vehicles — but ultimately, your decision will likely come down to budget and your driving habits. So how do you choose the right vehicle for yourself? Consider these factors before deciding.

GIG WORKERS’ BILL OF RIGHTS

February 9, 2022/in Uncategorized/by WLUSA

Gig workers played an essential role keeping our neighbours safe and keeping the restaurant industry afloat during the pandemic, yet they are denied basic rights at work available to all other employees. Now the Ford Conservatives are attacking all Ontario workers. Recommendations from the Ontario Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee would create a third class of worker with less rights than full employees.

This is a Bill of Rights created by gig workers endorsed by Gig Workers United (CUPW), Uber Drivers United (UFCW), and the Ontario Federation of Labour to outline what minimum rights our governments must guarantee to ensure fairness and non-discriminatory treatment for gig workers.

A worker is a worker; Full employment rights with no carve-outs from minimum wage, sick leave, vacation pay and other minimum employment standards.
Payment for all hours of work: Paid time from when workers sign in until they sign out of the app with a clear and concise breakdown of how pay is calculated.
Compensation for necessary work related expenses to ensure gig workers’ real wages are not reduced below the minimum wage
Full and equal access to regulated benefits programs like Employment Insurance (EI), Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and injury compensation (WSIB).
Data transparency: access to all data collected and how the algorithm affects workers, including any forms of discipline.
Make all work count: gig work must count towards Permanent Residency applications.
Put onus on employers to prove that workers are not employees, instead of workers proving that they are not independent contractors. Enshrine the predictable and purposive ABC test for employment status.
Recognize gig workers’ right to form a union, with the union they choose, to have a collective voice at work.
Workers must have the right to negotiate for livable wages and benefits with their employer. Real, worker-led sectoral bargaining to enable meaningful collective bargaining to raise industry standards
An end to arbitrary deactivations and fair compensation for glitches: Just cause protection against deactivation, access to a clear and free process and enforcement mechanisms for minimum standards. Compensation for technical issues on the platform’s end.

Sign on to support the Gig Workers’ Bill of Rights.

Taken from: https://ofl.ca/action/gig-workers/

Why Organize UW?

February 9, 2022/in Uncategorized/by WLUSA

The University of Waterloo is one of the last universities in Canada without a union for graduate student teaching assistants, research assistants, contract faculty, technicians, and other academic research and teaching staff positions.

The lack of a union has meant diminished ability to affect our working conditions, get fair wages, lower health and safety protocols, no clear or consistent hiring processes, unchallenged harassment, and no support for mental health services, and dealing with problems with work/overwork alone.

The only way to address these issues and advance the rights of graduate student and other academic workers on campus is to organize a union and negotiate a collective agreement with the university.

Our goals are:

Fairness: Transparency, clarity, and standards at work
Equity: Enforceable protections for all
Security: Job security and clear rules for access of work
Safety: A safe and healthy workplace
Respect: Recognition as essential academic workers
Support: Proper training & supervision
Dignity: Improved mental health supports
Democracy: A collective voice for graduate workers over working conditions

Together, we can make the University of Waterloo a better space for academic workers.

Sign a card today.

about us fairness anti-racism health and safety access to work workplace democracy working environment

Committee to Organize uWaterloo

supported by CUPE

The Committee to Organize uWaterloo is a grassroots campaign to unionize the academic workers at the University of Waterloo. The campaign is supported by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Canada’s largest union.

Taken from: https://organizeuw.org/post/whyorganizeuw/

Leasing vs. buying a car: What’s best for me?

February 9, 2022/in OTIP/by Tracy Cochrane

Both leasing and buying have their benefits and drawbacks, so the right choice all depends on your budget, driving needs and lifestyle. We’ve outlined some of the key factors to consider when deciding between leasing versus buying your next vehicle to help you determine which option is best for you.

supported by CUPE

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