Local 3396
Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board Education Support Workers
December 2013
SITE VISITS
All sites have received a schedule
with their date. Visits are scheduled
between 10:45 am and 1:30 pm in
order to give everyone time during
breaks or lunch.
Contact Us At:
207- 1130 Barton Street E
Hamilton, ON L8H 7P9
Tel: 905-388-2425
Fax: 905-388-2071
E-mail: cupe3396@cogeco.net
Visit Our Web page at:
www.3396.cupe.ca
Facebook us: CUPE 3396 or
send us a tweet @cupe3396.
Follow the links on our website.
MEMBERSHIP MEETING
MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
September 18th, 5:00 p.m.
Next Mtg. - November 6th, 5:00 p.m.
February 5th, 12th 5:00 p.m.
April 2nd, 5 p.m.
June 11th, 5:00 p.m.
Regular meetings are held at
1130 Barton St. East, Hamilton
Please note:
Meetings now begin at 5:00 p.m.
Please note – Our next membership meeting will be on Wednesday, February 12, 2014. Originally scheduled for
Wednesday, February 5th we’ve had to change the date in order to attend the upcoming Ontario School Board
Coordinating Committee Conference which is schedule then.
SITE VISITS
All visits have been schedule to coincide with scheduled breaks and lunches. Christine Bartnik and Linda Durkin
have started visiting schools and administrative buildings and will be at your workplace between now and April
2014. A complete schedule has been sent to all sites and we’ve asked principals/managers to post these on your
workplace CUPE bulletin board. Please check to see when we’ll be at your site. We hope to be able to talk to
each and every member to help answer questions, address your concerns and to get your support behind our
Stand Up for Fairness Campaign.
AMENDMENTS TO EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE REGULATIONS
Stand Up for What’s Right – Scrap the Changes!
Right wing lobbying groups have now joined the discussion. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation have been in
the newspapers with OpEd stories about how they envision EI reform and it isn’t looking like they are thinking of
helping out those in our society who may need to rely on Employment Insurance Benefits from time to time.
CUPE National President Paul Moist has written to all major Canadian newspapers to shout down this push but
we cannot expect him to be our sole voice in the media. Take action! Right now! If you haven’t already then
 Write a letter to your local newspaper telling Hamilton readers how changing EI should reflect what society
needs in order to bring living standards up for more people not just for the ones who won’t likely ever need EI.
 E-mail your MP and tell them you can’t live without EI. Don’t know who your MP is? A complete list of MPs
can be found at (http://www.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx).
 E-mail Stephen Harper and let him know how you feel (stephen.harper@parl.gc.ca).
 Get yourself ready to stand your ground and take to the streets in protest.
If you wait for others to fight your fight you’d better be busy saving your money because you’ll need it
come summer lay-off.
LOCAL NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE
The local Negotiating Committee is: Sophia Cascioli (ECE), Cathie Botelho (EA Elementary), Linda Alaimo
(EA Secondary), Linda Lechowicz (Clerical Elementary), Joanne Altenburg (Clerical Secondary), Kelly DuffyKariam (Social Worker), Joanie Ceci (Speech Pathologist), Marion Stoneman (Admin. Clerical/Support
Staff/Technical Staff). The local President, Linda Durkin also sits on the committee along with our CUPE
National Staff Representative Vickie Houston. A vacancy still exists for Clerical Casual/Temporary.
Please contact us if you are a casual/temporary clerical and are interested in representing that job classification.
PROVINCIAL BARGAINING
CUPE Education Sector begins working on central bargaining proposals at our upcoming Ontario School Board
Coordinating Committee Conference, February 4th to 8th in Niagara Falls. The membership is sending a large
delegation from our elected Negotiating Committee and members-at-large who will be your voice in developing
the proposals we want to see bargained provincially
Be sure to respond to the second call to the Members Survey. These responses will be very important
provincially and locally in giving both our provincial and our local Negotiating Committees the information they
need to prioritize what’s important to you. You have until December 12th to respond by going to
http://survey.cupe.ca/limesurvey/index.php?sid=88192&lang=en.
As in the past, we will fill you in on all our bargaining progress via e-mail bulletins. IF YOU HAVE NOT provided
us with your personal e-mail address you’ll miss out on the updates. Don’t be left behind – send us an e-mail at
cupe3396@cogeco.net or complete the tear-off at the bottom of this newsletter and send it in via the Board mail.
CONFUSED ABOUT LIEU TIME?
If you are an educational assistant who accompanies students for Instructional experiences outside of the
classroom (during the regular school day) you may be eligible for lieu time IF you are not able to pre-arrange for
uninterrupted lunch AND you have been pre-approved by the school principal. Non-curricular events such as
dances, BBQs, after-hour activities are considered by the employer to be VOLUNTARY, therefore they are not
subject to Article 16.05 of the collective agreement. If you sign up for these you will be doing so on your own.
WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS AND WSIB ENTITLEMENT
IMPORTANT INFORMATION about WSIB Form 7 – Employer’s Report of Injury/Disease
The HWCDSB will object to entitlement of your claim based on the following WSIB practices and policies:
In order for proof of accident to be established the WSIB has specific criteria which must be met in order for
allowance of any work-related injury claim. The onus is on the worker to prove a workplace injury actually
occurred. All of the following must be met:
 immediate reporting of injury to the employer
 Compatibility between the accident history and
the medical diagnosis given.
 immediate health care
 immediate lay off and/or need for modified duty
If you are injured, need time to heal, seek medical addition do it IMMEDIATELY – Wait and you may be too late!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR LOCAL RETIREES
Several members have recently announced their retirement from the HWCDSB. Our local extends our deepest
congratulations to all who have moved or will be moving into a new and exiting phase of their lives. Wishing each
of you a long and healthy retirement.
WISHING EVERYONE
A JOYFUL AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!
YOUR LOCAL EXECUTIVE BOARD
__________________________________________________________________________________________
YOU ARE “THE UNION” Provincial and local bargaining for our next contract is starting soon.
Get the news as it happens. Send us an e-mail today from your personal e-maill address
(cupe3396@cogeco.net) or complete the form below and drop it in the Board mailbag.
______________________________________________
Name
______________________________________
Personal E-mail Address (not First Class)
_______________________________________________
Home Phone
Cell Phone
______________________________________
Job Classification