Fall Banquet Update
We are pleased to let you know that the planning for the Fall Banquet in honour of our retirees is well under way. The tickets have all been mailed to our retired members – so keep an eye on your mailboxes!
As many of you will know, we have needed to upgrade the venue of the banquet for several years now. Our numbers keep growing and while the Glenmore served us well for the many years we held the banquet there, it was time for a change. So, this year, it’s being held at the Grey Eagle Resort and Casino, a spacious venue that can more than accommodate our needs. If all goes well, it is a place we can continue to grow into for years to come.
We look forward to celebrating our retired members on October 2nd, 2021!
Civic Elections and Endorsements
Our civic election is drawing ever closer. As many of you will know, this could not be a more important election. Your vote, while always important is imperative for this election.
We have been running our “Are You In” campaign for the majority of 2021. Our aim has been to shed light on the poor decisions made at City Hall that negatively affect our lives and the need for our members to get out and vote for candidates who care about public services. Very soon – October 18th, 2021 – you will be putting those aims into action. As such, we want to provide you with a list of vetted and endorsed candidates. When researching incumbent candidates, voting records are also looked at. Who supported motions that would hurt our jobs, who opposed those things? For newcomer candidates, their values are researched as well as their vision for the City of Calgary and its citizens.
All candidates up for endorsement are brought to the membership for approval. Each name on this list has been vetted and subsequently approved by our own members.
This is not a complete list as of yet but we will have it posted on our website and will update it as more candidates are officially endorsed.
The current Civic Election endorsement list:
Ward 2 – Jennifer Wyness
Ward 3 – Jasmin Mian
Ward 6 – Lana Bentley
Ward 8 – Courney Walcott
Ward 9 – Gian-Carlo Carra
Ward 10 – Abed Harb
Ward 11 – Kourtney Branigan
Ward 12 – Evan Spencer
Ward 13 – Jay Unsworth
Mark your calendars for October 18th and get out and vote!
September 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
As discussed in previous Monthly Insights, the history and trauma associated with residential schools is being exposed for what it really was in recent months. With over 1300 unmarked graves of mostly children being found across four former residential schools the dark truth of what occurred is finally coming to the nation’s attention.
In June, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that with the passing of Bill C-5, September 30th will be a Federal statutory holiday called “the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation”. The intent behind the day of observance being to recognize the lasting negative legacy of residential schools as well as to honour the survivors and their families.
Upon the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation receiving Royal Assent we approached the City to confirm their intent to honour this tragic legacy. Article 117.01 of our Collective Agreement clearly states that any holiday proclaimed by any of the three levels of government will be recognized. After several follow ups the City has yet to confirm their intention. They have had almost three months to review this very simple language. If they can not confirm in the very near future, we are prepared to advance a grievance. We will update you as soon as we know more.
Bike Draw Winners
Our 2021 Bicycle Draw is complete with all winners having been confirmed and all prizes picked up! You can see a complete list of winners, including their photos and a draw video, on our website at tinyurl.com/drawwinners.
Rehire as of August 2021
Our latest update on rehire is that management is currently in the process of calling 113 laid off members for rehire to start on October 4, 2021. The breakdown of that 113 is approximately 78 Conventional Operators and 35 Community Shuttle operators.
We have had a few questions as to what that means regarding reinstated health benefits and a simple explanation is this: for Conventional Operators health benefits are reinstated the day they start back at work. S&A benefits will resume after 90 days. For Community Shuttle Operators we refer to Article 201 (Working Hours) of the Collective Agreement wherein there is a qualification period before benefits are reinstated.
Additionally, questions have arisen about the ATU Local 583 benefit plan for laid off members – for those still laid off the benefits are claimable until December 31, 2021 or until rehired at which point a member would no longer be eligible.
We of course, will continue our push to have management bring back our remaining laid off members. The discussions with the City on this issue are ongoing and we will update the membership on any progress.
If you have any questions regarding rehire you are always welcome to give us a call at the office to speak to an Officer.
Covid 19 Vaccinations
Whether or not the City can require Covid-19 vaccinations continues to be a query we receive on our social media and in the office.
Our Officers and Office Staff are all fully vaccinated to date and are comfortable letting that be known.
However, we are aware that there are members who have reasons for why they either cannot or do not want, to vaccinate.
ATU Local 583 has taken the position that we will protect these rights.
The city is discussing mandatory rapid testing for those who are not fully vaccinated. Once we have more details on any potential policy, we will review those expectations and the legalities around that.
At the end of the day our biggest concern is member safety and the rights of our members. Our goal is to find the balance between protecting those rights and keeping ourselves and those around us as safe as possible.
We will, as always, keep you all apprised as this evolves.
COPE #397 /jw
