Thursday September 22, 2022

IMPORTANT: CUPE 2977 Bargaining Update
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As you know, we are in collective agreement negotiations with our employer.  We met with the employer on five (5) different occasions between February 2022 and June 2022. However, the employer has yet to agree to our modest and fair bargaining proposals.  Due to this, we have applied for conciliation with the first meeting to take place on October 19, 2022.

If an agreement still cannot be reached, even with the help of a Conciliation Officer, either the union or the employer can request a ‘no-board report’ from the Ministry of Labour. Once requested, the Ministry will issue a ‘No Board Report’ (usually within 5 days) which triggers a 17-day period before a legal lockout or strike can occur.

As you know, we held a strike mandate vote on June 20, 2022, to help us succeed in negotiating a better contract. There was an overwhelmingly positive response with 95% in favour.  This shows our solidarity and sends a strong message to the employer that we are united and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve a fair collective agreement.

Through the past several months, we have been training a strike committee made up of a group of volunteers to lead our members if a work stoppage were to occur.  This committee will care to picket line coordination, administration, communication, and finance.

Our goal is to negotiate a collective agreement that we can all feel proud of—one that recognizes and respects our important work.

Please ensure that you have provided us with up-to-date contact information as we will continue to send updates as they occur.

Also, please refer to the attached Bargaining FAQ for more information about the bargaining process.

In solidarity,

Your CUPE 2977 Bargaining Committee

On June 20th, a strike mandate vote was held and your Bargaining Committee wanted to share some great news about the results.

The membership has spoken LOUDLY and CLEARLY in favour of a strike mandate with an overwhelming 95.2%.

The speaks volumes when the Bargaining Committee meets with the Employer during conciliation in the coming months.  This signals to the Employer that not only do you support the bargaining committee, it also shows that you are willing to fight for what is long overdue – better wages!

The Bargaining Committee wants to thank each and every member who came to the information sessions, votes and continues to support us as we fight for you.  We appreciate the confidence you have in us.  The fight isn’t over yet!

Stay tuned for updates on conciliation dates.

In Solidarity,

Your Bargaining Committee

Carly, Irene, Catharine and Brittany

Your bargaining committee met with the Employer on 5 occasions since February.  Unfortunately, an agreement could not be reached therefore, we have filed for conciliation.

The next step is to hold a strike mandate vote which will take place on Monday June 20th.  Prior to the vote, information sessions will be held via Zoom to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed choice.  Meetings will be held in a drop in style taking place at 7am-9am, 2pm-4pm and 6pm-8pm.  Please make every effort to attend on of these sessions.

The results of the vote will be shared once the vote closes the night of June 20th.

We’re excited to launch this new site, to help keep members informed about what’s going on in the locals.  Let us know if you’ve got any feedback, or if there’s anything in particular you’d like to see.