Convention Call 2020

To:      Executive Council
           Alternate Regional Vice-Presidents
           Local Presidents
           Labour Relations Officers

Greetings!

In accordance with By-Law 9, Section 1 (2), (3) and (4), your Executive Council decided to convene the Eighteenth Triennial National Convention in Winnipeg, Manitoba from Wednesday, July 15 to Saturday, July 18, 2020.  The Fairmont Winnipeg Hotel, 2 Lombard Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba has been selected as Convention Headquarters.  Overflow rooms will be reserved at the Radisson Hotel Winnipeg Downtown, 288 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba.  Rooms at each hotel will be assigned by the UTE National Office.   The Convention Committees will meet prior to the Convention at the Delta Hotel, 101 Lyon Street in Ottawa from May 1st to May 3rd, 2020.

1. REPRESENTATION AT CONVENTION

By-Law 9, Section 1 (5)       For the purpose of representation at a Convention, each Local shall:

(a)       be entitled to one (1) delegate with full voting rights for each block of two hundred (200) members in good standing or fraction of this number during the calendar year preceding the Convention taking into account the month during which the number of members has been the highest for each UTE Local.  Hence, the month may be different depending on the Local.  Every delegate shall be a member in good standing of the Local.

(b)       for the purpose of replacing delegates at Convention, submit to the National Office the name and ranking of the alternate delegates.  Every alternate delegate shall be a member in good standing of the Local.

Convention Committees (By-Laws, Finance, Collective Bargaining and General) will meet in Ottawa as noted above.  Each Local in accordance with Regulation 4 will be able to send a delegate to one of the Committees. All delegates attending the Committees must be delegates at Convention.

As soon as we receive membership data for all 12 months of 2019, we will advise all Locals of their delegate and paid observer entitlement.  It should be by the mid-February 2020.

February 28, 2020 – Delegates to Convention Committees

Locals must provide to the National Office through their RVP by *February 28, 2020, the names of their Convention Committee delegates.  At the same time, please indicate what Committee they would like to sit on, as well as, their second choice of Committee.  You should note that these individuals must be Convention delegates*This deadline also applies to Convention Committee observers.

March 21, 2020 – Delegates and observers to Convention

Locals must provide to the National Office by March 21, 2020 by 5:00 p.m. EST the names and Registration certificates of all their Convention delegates and observersObservers should be ranked in order of priority to determine replacement of delegate(s) if necessary.  The ranking must be identified to the right of the observer’s box on the form.

Registration for Convention will take place at the Fairmont Winnipeg Hotel, Tuesday, July 14, 2020 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15 with the opening session of Convention commencing at 9:00 a.m.

March 21, 2020 - Credentials

Credential Certificates will be sent electronically to allow for delegates, observers and other participants to complete the form electronically and download a copy for their own records.  These certificates must be signed by the President and Secretary of the Local and be hand delivered, or sent either by mail, by fax or by email (including the scanned form) to the UTE National Office.  They must be RECEIVED in the National Office by March 21, 2020 by 5:00 p.m. ESTThere is no late registration for delegates or observers.

While you are not limited to the number of observers that you may submit, we remind you that observers will be accepted on a first come basis and also subject to space limitation on the Convention floor. In the past, some Locals have named an excess number of observers in order to have contingency plans should some observers be unable to attend. On the forms provided, there will be an area for you to advise of hotel accommodations required. Please note that Locals are responsible for the hotel expenses for their observers and therefore, accommodations should only be requested for those observers whom the Locals truly intend to send to Convention. Should those observers who the Locals have identified as needing rooms be unable to attend, another named observer may be substituted for the reserved room.

However, any observers who submit their credential after this date shall be treated as a "guest" and be subject to space availability as well as a late registration fee of $150.00.  In addition, while reasonable measures will be taken to accommodate all Convention participants, observers who registered late may not be guaranteed hotel accommodations, a Convention kit, a Host Committee gift bag, a banquet ticket or other such related amenities or services.

2. TRANSPORTATION, TRAVEL AND WAGES - DELEGATES

Most delegates from Locals are expected to travel to Winnipeg on Tuesday, July 14, 2020 and to return home on Sunday, July 19, 2020.  Expenses such as loss of wages, hotel accommodation and per diems will only be paid for the authorized period.  Exceptions will be identified on an individual basis by the President or the 1st National Vice-President.

All delegates will be individually responsible for payment of their own room charges, applicable taxes, parking and incidental charges at the time of check-out. A credit card or full payment for the room nights, plus taxes and a One Hundred ($100) Dollar cash deposit for each delegate’s room reserved for incidental charges is required.  The deposit will be refunded upon check out.  Delegates wishing to have their expense claim reimbursed before leaving, must provide a zero ($0) balance receipt prior to 12:00 noon Friday, July 17.

By-Law 9, Section 1 (7) Travel expenses of delegates, named by a Local, shall be paid by UTE in accordance with Regulation.

Note:  Each delegate will be responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the Convention.

Please sign up to our Air Canada corporate account, if you haven’t done so. This will enable you to take advantage of our Air Canada corporate discount. This should to be done prior to booking your trip with Air Canada. There is also a promo code for this event which will offer greater savings (promo code EKJ43GN1). 

To sign up, all you need to do is go to the web links indicated below and follow the instructions.  Your name must match your official ID (i.e. Passport, Driver’s Licence).  Don’t forget to enter your Aeroplan number if you are a member of Aeroplan as the miles flown are yours to earn. 

Please go to the following address link:

https://corporaterewards.aircanada.com/register.html?token=dxNHFQYGJnWcM9WRQsqUfJE79&locale=en_CA

By-Law 9, Section 1 (8) - The cost of accommodation and per diems of the delegates at Conventions and all loss of salaries incurred as a result of attendance at the Convention shall be paid by UTE at the rate and under conditions determined by the Executive Council. Delegates missing a session of the Convention shall not be reimbursed for loss of salary for the period absent unless the Executive Council, after reviewing the circumstances, decides to authorize payment.

By-Law 9, Section 1 (9) – Each Officer of the Executive Council shall be considered a delegate and entitled to attend Conventions with full voting rights as provided in By-Law 9, Section 1 (5). Their expenses, including traveling expenses, shall be paid by UTE.  Regional Vice-Presidents shall be considered delegates from the region they represent.  The President and Vice-Presidents shall be considered delegates from the region in which they resided immediately prior to their initial election to the national position.

3.  TRANSPORTATION, TRAVEL AND WAGES – OBSERVERS

All observers from Locals paid by UTE are expected to travel to Winnipeg on Tuesday, July 14, 2020 and to return home on Sunday, July 19, 2020.  Expenses such as loss of wages and per diems will only be paid for the six-day period.

By-Laws 9, Section 1 (12) - UTE shall pay the transportation costs in accordance with By-Law 9, Section 1 (7) for one (1) observer per Local in order to attend the Convention.

By-Law 9, Section 1 (13) - UTE shall pay the transportation cost in accordance with By-Law 9, Section 1 (7) as well as accommodation costs, loss of wages and per diem for one (1) observer to the UTE Convention from each Local having two hundred (200) or less members in good standing.

Each observer paid by UTE missing a session of the Convention shall not be reimbursed expenses for the period of absence unless the Executive Council, after reviewing the circumstances, decides to authorize payment.

LOCALS WILL BE ENTITLED TO ONE OBSERVER UNDER SECTION 12 OR SECTION 13 BUT NOT BOTH.

4.  ELECTIONS

By-Law 11, Section 8 - Election to any office shall be by simple majority vote of the total votes cast.  Where only two (2) nominees remain, or where only two (2) nominees are standing for election for the same office and a tie vote results, the Chairperson of the Nominations Committee will declare no ballot and a new vote be taken immediately.

5. AMENDMENT TO BY-LAWS

By-Law 15, Section 1 - These By-Laws may be amended at any Convention by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the votes cast.

6. ACCOMMODATION

All hotel accommodations will be made by the National Office.  Any delegate or observer requiring other than standard accommodation should indicate so using the credential form under special requirements, it being understood that anything over and above standard accommodation will be at the delegate's or observer's own expense.

  • Fairmont Winnipeg Hotel - The room rate for standard accommodations is $169.00 plus applicable taxes for a total of $198.15 from single to double occupancy. An amount of $30.00 per night will be charged per extra adult in the guest room up to a maximum occupancy of four (4) per room.  There will be no charge for children up to and including the age of 18 years who share a room with their parents.  This rate will be available from July 8th to July 21st inclusively. Guests must also maintain a $100.00 deposit for incidental room charges.  Valid ID is required at check-in.

  • Radisson Hotel Winnipeg Downtown - The room rate for standard accommodations is $149.00 plus applicable taxes for a total of $174.70 from single to double occupancy and a $20.00 per night will be charged per extra adult in the guest room up to a maximum occupancy of four (4) per room.  There will be no charge for children up to and including the age of 18 years who share a room with their parents.  This rate will be available from July 11th to July 21st inclusively. Guests must also maintain a $100.00 deposit for incidental room charges.  Valid ID is required at check-in.

7.  CONVENTION RESOLUTIONS – March 21, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. EST

Convention resolutions are a means by which the membership can formally propose policy and procedure changes, direction, suggestions and ideas on matters which affect or are of concern to them.  Resolutions that are applicable only to UTE come into effect when they are adopted during our Convention unless otherwise stated. Resolutions that require some action by the PSAC are referred to their next Convention for consideration and debate.  Adopted resolutions establish official policies for the guidance of and/or instruction to the governing bodies of the organization.

THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF CONVENTION RESOLUTIONS FOR INCLUSION IN THE OFFICIAL AGENDA FOR CONSIDERATION AT THE JULY 2020 CONVENTION IS MARCH 21, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. EST.

As many Local Executive Officers may find this a new experience, the following are suggested as guidelines for the preparation and submission of resolutions:

  1. Appoint a Convention Resolutions Committee of three to five members.  More than this number may be unwieldy.

  2. Instruct all Executives and members to submit resolutions to the Committee. The Committee should also be encouraged to submit resolutions of its own. Allow the Committee sufficient time to prepare its report.

  3. Establish a date for a general meeting of the members to study the Committee's report and any additional resolutions.

  4. The membership should be given ample opportunity to debate each resolution and to endorse, amend or reject same.

  5. Each resolution adopted by the meeting is to be submitted to the National Office by March 21, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. EST.

  6. Depending on the size and activities of any given Local, it may be more suitable or expedient to appoint several Committees to deal with the individual subject matters and have each Committee report to the membership meeting.

A resolution should be concise and deal with one matter only.  A maximum of 150 words is a good rule to follow.  The WHEREAS clause(s) is used as an introduction and explanation of the subject matter and the BE IT RESOLVED clause is the "meat" of the resolution; it should specify the objective of the resolution.

  • Each resolution must be clearly written on a separate form. 

  • Amendments to By-Laws and Regulations should be clearly identified either in bold, italic or in some other manner clearly signifying the change.

Examples of resolutions are attached for your guidance and blank resolution forms are also enclosed.  Each resolution should be numbered, and the total number being submitted indicated e.g. No. 2 of 5.  All Locals must submit the enclosed certificate which specifies the number of resolutions your Local is submitting.

The Local President may submit the scanned resolution documents by e-mail to Sister Sylvie Bastien:  basties@ute-sei.org.

Note: The deadline for receipt of all resolutions is March 21, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. EST.

Remember that your delegates should be prepared to understand and provide the rationale for your resolutions at the Convention Committees and/or the Convention.

8.  CONVENTION REGISTRATION

Each delegate and registered observers are required to pay a Convention registration fee of $75.00 by Friday, June 5, 2020.  Cheques should be made payable to: Union of Taxation Employees and mailed to Sister Sylvie Bastien, at the National Office, along with the names of the delegate(s) and/or observer(s) for whom the registration is payable.

            Any registration fee received after June 5, 2020, will be subject to the
Late Registration Fee of $150.00.

In Solidarity,

Marc Brière's signature

Marc Brière
National President

Encl.
c.c.: National Office Staff