Welcome back students, staff and faculty on behalf of the 600 CUPE 4879 Members at TRU in Kamloops and Williams Lake. We are the support staff, behind the scenes and on the front lines, here to make your TRU experience a positive and successful one as you study and work towards achieving your learning and life goals. Best wishes for a great year.
Category Archives: News
CUPE 4879 Scholarship Award Winners!
The CUPE 4879 Education Committee made their selections for the recipients of the Scholarship awards and the winners were…..Joseph Falsetta and Robert Wisla, pictured here with Education Committee member Cindy Ozouf.
Message from CUPE National President
National President’s column
CUPE members from across the country will gather in Toronto in October for our 28th constitutional convention. There, we will report on the work we have undertaken since our 2015 convention and establish, together, our priorities for the next two years.
We will debate and adopt our Strategic Directions, dozens of policy resolutions, and a new organizing plan. And we will consider changes to our constitution – the document that sets out how we govern ourselves.
Over the years we have had many important convention debates about our governance. Some have focused on our finances, and others have focused on representation on our National Executive Board.
This year, your National Executive Board is submitting a constitutional amendment that seeks to add four additional seats to our board – Diversity Vice President positions to represent workers with disabilities, LGBTTI workers, young workers, and women.
Right now, the bulk of our board is based on regional representation, and I think it serves our regions incredibly well.
In my years on the NEB, I have always valued the perspective brought to our table by the two existing DVPs, especially (but not only) on matters relevant to racialized and Indigenous workers. And I recognize that crucial voices have been missing from our discussions about the state and the future of our great union.
Across the country, some of our most important struggles are focused on sectors and communities with some of the most marginalized and precarious workers. And many of those workers are women, racialized and Indigenous workers, LGBTTI workers, young workers, and workers with disabilities.
We have a chance to better understand and fight for these members, by ensuring there are representatives on our National Executive Board who are mandated, by convention, to represent them.
As National President, I know it is important that our union’s governing body is closer to a fair representation of our membership. More, and more diverse, perspectives will enrich our discussions and allow us to make better decisions, for everyone.
It’s time to make this change. Together, we can make our great union even stronger.
61st Annual Labour Day Picnic in Kamloops
Mark your calendars for the Annual KDLC Labour Day Picnic on September 4th, 2017, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the McDonald Park Bandshell on the North Shore.
As always, we will feature local musicians, free kids activities, food, prizes and giveaways and much more.
As always, this is a great opportunity to meet and greet labour and community groups in our community and we hope that you will be part of it.
Everyone is welcome!!! Free and Fun, Rain or Shine…
International Workers Day
How are you celebrating May day?
CUPE recognizes International Workers’ Day today, May 1, in solidarity with millions of workers around the world. In commemoration of the struggle for an eight-hour work day, we recognize the historic struggles of workers who have gone before us and their hard-fought gains we benefit from today.
As the See Red Wear Red campaign continues…
As the campaign continues… A picture can be worth a thousand words.
The 4879 Executive would like to announce the See Red Wear Red picture contest. We are asking our creative CUPE 4879 colleagues to create a poster, picture, photo or drawing that supports our See Red Wear Red campaign (crayon drawing submissions will be accepted). Submit your creative images in support of the red-circling issue on campus. The image may demonstrate how it affects our members financially or how it affects morale etc.
Humor is welcomed but serious is ok too because it is a serious issue. You can create a meme using meme generators such as Imgur or Imgflip to create original memes or create other interesting posters/images using other methods. Just show that you support the See Red Wear Red campaign and the people affected by red-circling.
Selected images will be published on our social media throughout the campaign to the end of May. The Executive will select the top 6 images to be presented at the June GM. From the top six, one will be selected to win a $100 GC to Earls and the runner up will receive a $50 GC to Earls. Winners will be voted on at the June meeting. Submit your entries to CUPE4879@shaw.ca.
The contest will run until May 31st.
Don’t forget to wear red on Thursday! . #seeredwearred #mytru #cupe4879
Exhibit 1: Photo by Val in Student Development
KDLC Student Bursaries Deadline May 12, 2017
2017 Student Bursaries
Who is eligible?
- Members or relatives of members, of unions affiliated to and in good standing with, the KDLC.
- Definition of a relative: a spouse of same or opposite sex, parent, child, including step-child or foster child, brother, sister, grandchild, niece or nephew.
- Applicants must be registered in a full-time or part-time post secondary program at a PUBLIC education institution in 2017/2018.
All of the following information MUST be included in your submission to the KDLC Bursary Committee.
1. Application form: 2017 KDLC BURSARY APPLICATION
2. Transcript of your grade standing
3. Confirmation of your enrollment in a PUBLIC education institution in 2017/2018. If you are waiting for enrollment confirmation, please send a letter stating you are waiting for the confirmation and if you are chosen for a bursary, the confirmation will have to be shown before you will receive the bursary
4. A double-spaced typed essay of 750-1000 words on the following topic. This essay shall be the basis for awarding the bursary.
What impact do you feel the “Fight for $15” campaign will have?
5. Please submit all of the above information to the address below before May 12, 2017.
The Committee will ONLY accept Bursary applications by mail to:
Bursary Committee
Kamloops and District Labour Council PO Box 369 STN MAIN
Kamloops, BC
V2C 5K9
Please ALSO send a copy of your bursary application and your answer to the question to chblma@telus.net. This is to make sure we get all of the applications in a timely fashion.
Good Quality Jobs Make Good Quality Education
See this great link at CUPE National for article on Precarious Work in Post Secondary Education.
https://cupe.ca/good-quality-jobs-make-good-quality-education
See Red. Wear Red.
Dear CUPE 4879 Brothers and Sisters,
Your CUPE 4879 Negotiations Committee is met
with the employer on Thursday, March 2nd to discuss how to improve the JE point system. The goal is to have fewer or no jobs red-circled and either maintain the pay band at the original rate or improve the rankings. Red circling means a member’s salary is frozen at the current level until the new lower pay band for the position catches up through cost-of-living or other wage increases. It is demoralizing to the member and causes financial hardship, and it causes inequality in the workplace when new workers get hired at a lower pay band. The employer also sees a need for improvements for the purposes of hiring and retention.
In solidarity with our friends and coworkers who have been affected by red-circling under the current JE plan, the Union will be running a campaign “See Red. Wear Red.” Thursdays. Starting this Thursday March 2nd, we ask all CUPE 4879 members to wear red in support of our red-circled members and to let the employer know that we want and need to make changes. Red-coloured hats, scarves, t-shirts, or jackets will make a visible statement of support for the Negotiations Committee and a message of solidarity with our fellow members. Please spread the word by inviting your colleagues to join in the wear red campaign. Send us your pictures or post them on Facebook and Twitter #seeredwearred #mytru #cupe4879
We will keep you posted as we progress in the talks. If you have suggestions about how to improve the JE process, feedback for the Negotiating Committee, or questions about red-circling, please contact the CUPE Office at cupe4879@tru.ca or lorugg@gmail.com.
In solidarity and on behalf of the Executive and Negotiation Committee,
Lois Rugg, President
CUPE Local 4879
A big shout out to Chris Ward for initiating this campaign and suggesting the theme.
CUPE 4879 Scholarship Award
Scholarship Application
For CUPE 4879 Members, their Child/Spouse, or those under their
Guardianship
Return Completed Application and all Documents to:
CUPE 4879 Administrative Office
Room OM2784
TRU, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8
Email: cupe4879@tru.ca or www.4879.cupe.ca
Applications can be mailed or sent electronically
GENERAL INFORMATION
Three $1000 education awards are available. Preference will be given for one award to a student in a trade, technical, or vocational program; for the second award, preference will be given to a student in an academic program, and the third will be awarded to a student in either a trade or academic program.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
The applicant must:
1. Have a parent, guardian, or spouse/partner who is a member in good standing of CUPE Local 4879; or the applicant her/himself must be a member in good standing of CUPE Local 4879.
2. Submit proof of paid registration:
• In a full-time course load (for academic and vocational students, this means enrolment in at least 3 courses; and for trades and technical students, this means enrolment in at least an 8 week full-time training course).
• In a first year or subsequent years at a recognized post-secondary institution in a trade, technical, vocational, or academic program in Canada.
• For the academic year in which they are applying for the scholarship.
Note: Preference will be given to students attending Thompson Rivers University.
3. Submit a 500-word letter (maximum length) describing their future plans and their knowledge of unions in their community.
4. Provide a letter of reference from an employer or from a representative of a school recently attended.
5. Submit the completed application form and additional materials requested above to the CUPE 4879 administration office by 12:00 noon of the stated deadline day in a sealed envelope marked “CUPE 4879 EDUCATION AWARD” on the outside with no other identifying information.
EVALUATION CRITERIA/GENERAL GUIDELINES
1. Qualifying applicants must comply fully with the requirements set out above.
2. Applications must be submitted to the CUPE administration office in sealed envelopes, which will be handled only by the CUPE administration secretary who will maintain the confidentiality of the applicants’ identity to prevent possible conflicts of interest and ensure the fairness of the evaluation in the selection process.
3. The Education Committee will evaluate the applications on the merit of their content only. The applicant’s identity will be completely masked on all documents reviewed by the committee. The evaluation will be conducted on the basis of the adherence of the application to the requirements, and the quality and content of the essay and the reference letter―all of these elements will be given equal weight. When possible, preference will be given to making one award to a student in a trade, technical, or vocational program; and another award to a student in an academic program; the third award will be made available to a student in either a trade or an academic program.
4. When a known conflict of interest occurs with respect to a member of the Education Committee―for example, when the applicant is a dependant of a member of the Education Committee―then that member will not participate in the evaluation process. The Executive Committee will appoint a member of the Executive Committee to participate in the evaluation process in place of the Education Committee member.
5. The Education Committee will make their selection decision, record their findings, and make a written recommendation to the Executive Committee for confirmation. The identity of the selected applicants will not be revealed before the Executive Committee makes their confirmation.
6. The identity of unsuccessful applicants will remain confidential in perpetuity. However, the total number of applicants in each given school year can be revealed to the CUPE 4879 membership.
EDUCATION AWARD TIMELINES
1. The application deadline is 12 noon on December 15th, 2016.
2. If less than three application submissions are received, the Education Committee will promote the education award availability amongst CUPE 4879 members and make every effort to garner additional applications.
3. The selected recipients of the education awards will be notified by mid-February or as soon thereafter as possible. The CUPE 4879 office administration will process the monetary awards, and arrangements will be made to deliver the cheques to the recipients as soon as possible after their notification.