| Present: |
Denis Lalancette Chair |
| Absent (guest): | Gaby Lévesque PSAC Negotiator |
1. Adoption of the agenda
The committee members adopted the agenda.
2. Review and follow-up of the report from the Standing Bargaining Committee of September 2011
The committee members reviewed the report from the Standing Committee’s meeting of September 2011.
3. Review of the 2012 Bargaining Calendar
The committee members reviewed the calendar for the 2012 pre-bargaining and bargaining process. The calendar appears on the UTE site and will be updated as dates are confirmed.
4. Preparation of the presentation for the March 2012 Presidents’ Conference
The members worked on a first draft of the briefing document prepared by Sister Paquette. This document will cover, among other things, the locals’ responsibilities in the bargaining process. The document will be finalized and translated, and the members decided to share the presentation duties during the March 2012 Presidents’ Conference.
5. Review of the “Notes to Speakers”
The committee members reviewed the speaker’s notes prepared for the union representatives pertaining to bargaining. This “Notes to Speakers” document was prepared for various union activities such as the AGM. For now, there are no changes to be made.
6. Discussion and decision for the promotional item
The committee members also chose the promotional item, namely a card case (pocket), that workers will be able to slip their ID cards into at work. On the back of the card case will appear the slogan for this round of bargaining. The members will also be able to wear it with the UTE cord.
This promotional item will be able to be worn at all times. Also, during bargaining team support activities, the card case can be flipped around to reveal the bargaining slogan. If we have specific messages for management, we can consider stickers that can be stuck to the back of the card case. These proposals will be presented to the PSAC and the UTE, and we hope to have their consent.
7. Choice and publication of the slogan for the 2012 campaign
The committee members also chose the slogan for the 2012 bargaining campaign, from among the proposals received during the Presidents’ Conference in September 2011. The name of the winner will be disclosed at the March 2012 Presidents’ Conference.
This slogan will be promoted during communications with the locals and members; it will also be visible during the various campaigns, when considered necessary. The winning slogan should appear on the back of the card case.
8. Information pamphlet, or other, for informing the locals about the principle of no-concession bargaining
Further to a proposal from an Executive Council member, the committee drafted a document on bargaining (booklet). We opted for a Q&A style relating to the reasons why the union needs to keep the conditions of employment the same as they were negotiated in the past.
This document deals with, among other things, severance pay. Before this document is published, it will be presented to the National President and the Communications Committee.
9. Tool Box - proposal
Sister Paquette also proposed a tool box for the UTE site. Sister Paquette will work on the project.
10. Electronic collective agreement - proposal
Sister Paquette presented a plan for an electronic collective agreement. The advantage of this electronic collective agreement would be including links to reference documents, such as: arbitral awards summary, CRA policies and guidelines, the CRA’s interpretation bulletin, UTE documents, etc. If possible, this document could be posted on the UTE website to assist union representatives.
This proposal was readily accepted by the committee members, and we congratulate Sister Paquette, who initiated this project and who should be its champion.
Brother Lalancette will make a recommendation for adopting this project at the next Executive Council meeting.