Attention CEAs,

The Union has received a few phone calls from CEAs who have attended staff meetings at their schools and thought they were being paid to attend the meetings because of the SIA (Service Improvement Allocation) Fund.

The SIA Fund does not take effect until July 1, 2020.  The fund will only cover 1 staff meeting per month up to one hour held outside of school hours.

For other departments, please also note that the date the SIA Fund takes effect is July 1, 2020.

The following MSP information is from the School District and was emailed to ALL STAFF today just to give you a heads up about the changes in MSP and the new process.  This new process will start in 90 days and SD23 will email  information to ALL STAFF closer to that date.  Until then, all changes are made through the Payroll Department at SD23.

Last Friday, all employees received an email to inform you that the District processed your last MSP premium deduction in November 2019.

To further explain, MSP premiums will be eliminated January 1, 2020, however the MSP program will continue to provide provincially insured health care benefits for eligible BC residents.  Those employees with existing MSP coverage do not need to re-apply.

The District plans to cancel their Group MSP Plan in the coming weeks but the process will take up to 90 days to complete.  As our District’s Group Plan is cancelled, the Ministry of Health and Health Insurance BC (HIBC) will automatically transfer you and any existing dependents to a self-administered MSP account.  Until you are notified, contact the District’s payroll department for any changes.

As HIBC begins this transfer in the spring, each individual will be notified and will become personally responsible for keeping their individual MSP accounts up to date.

• To update your address at any time, visit www.addresschange.gov.bc.ca;

• To make the following changes, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/managingyourmspaccount;

• Update your personal information, or information for other individuals on your account (including name, date of birth, or gender);

• Add and/or remove a spouse (including Common-law) or child(ren); and/or

• Update your status in Canada (e.g.: obtain a new work permit, study permit, or confirmation of permanent residence).

More Information:

1 – Questions re: your MSP coverage, visit www.gov.bc.ca/MSP or contact HIBC (1-800-663-7100);

2 – To request an MSP Account Confirmation letter that will verify MSP enrolment status for one or more individuals on your MSP account, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/confirmMSPaccount;

3 – Any further questions, visit https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/msp-premium-elimination-jan-1-2020

Hello everyone,

We hope you are all safe and well as we head into April.  We know these are trying times.

Many members are asking why the Union isn’t giving direction as to whether to work or stay home.  Our Union members are to take all direction from School District 23 who are in constant contact and receiving their direction from the BC Government.

By the end of this week, the Union will hopefully have more information moving forward.

Stay safe and take care of your families.

David

The April 18th CUPE General Meeting is cancelled and we are not sure yet if the May 23rd and June 13th meetings will also be cancelled due to the pandemic.

If you are a new member and need to be sworn in, don’t worry.  You can be sworn in when we are once again holding regular general meetings.

If this pandemic continues into the next school year, we will be looking into alternate ways to hold general meetings as we will be in discussions with CUPE BC.

Due to the pandemic, all Union Education workshops have been cancelled by CUPE BC until June 30th, which would include the June 4-6 Retirement Planning Workshop.

We are taking registrations for the November 5-7, 2020 Retirement Planning Workshop  – which will be held at Hollywood Road.  If you registered for the June 4-6 workshop, we have added your name to the November registration list.

Please note that members must have their supervisor’s permission in order to attend.

Registrants wages are paid for the Thursday & Friday attendance but please note that your relief is not paid by CUPE.

Spouses are welcome so please indicate in your email if your spouse will be attending.

To register, email our office at office@cupe3523.ca.

FALL DATE:  November 5-7, 2020

President:  David Tether – president@cupe3523.ca

Vice President:  Teri Wishlow – vice.president@cupe3523.ca

Recording Secretary:  Julie Melia – recording.secretary@cupe3523.ca

Secretary Treasurer:  Kieran Fahy – secretary.treasurer@cupe3523.ca

Shop Stewards:

Sergeant-At-Arms:  John O’Flaherty – sergeant.arms@cupe3523.ca

General:  Ronn Dunn – general.steward@cupe3523.ca

Clerical:  Shelley Yost – clerical.shelley@cupe3523.ca

Custodial:  Colleen Elder – custodial.steward@cupe3523.ca

Indigenous Advocate:  Simone Gauthier – advocate@cupe3523.ca

Operations:  Ron Hoekstra – operations@cupe3523.ca

Student Support Services:  Denise Mott – denise.mott@cupe3523.ca

Student Support Services:  Michelle Price – michelle.price@cupe3523.ca

Transportation:  Duane Wheatley – transportation.steward@cupe3523.ca

Collective Agreement 2014-2019 pdf