IT Ottawa West Subgroup
MINUTES
Regular Executive Meeting December 1, 2022 18:00
Casa Mexico Restaurant, 1491 Merivale Road, Ottawa
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Present in Person: Daniel Shen (President), Blair Mason (Treasurer), Steve Anderson (Secretary), Junaid Fazal (Member at Large), Charles Dugas (Member at Large) Present Virtually: Beverley Miranda (Vice-President), Lisa Chau (Member at Large), Zhidan Guan (Member at Large) With Regrets: Sylvia Suska (Member at Large) Guest: David Chin (an active member at 25 Fitzgerald) |
The President of the Ottawa West IT Subgroup, Daniel Shen, called the meeting to order at 6:21 PM. AGENDA The draft agenda was presented.
MOTION M/S Steve/Charles. To adopt the amended draft agenda. Carried.
PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES The draft minutes of the November 3, 2022 meeting were presented.
MOTION M/S Steve/Daniel. To adopt the amended meeting minutes. Carried.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
• Daniel reported that the PIPSC AGM seemed shorter this year. No more single-use plastics at future PIPSC events. Next year’s AGM will be 4 days in Ottawa. Now, all salary claims need to be processed within three weeks.
VICE-PRESIDENTS REPORT
• Beverley suggested that the VP not give a report in this or future meetings. There was consensus among those present that this was a good idea.
TREASURER’S REPORT
• We currently have approximately $30K in our bank account and have spent approximately 29% of our budget.
• Blair obtained the necessary signatures and distributed Executive expense cheques at the beginning of this meeting (after having previously received the necessary expense receipts).
ACTION ITEM Blair to provide financials to Lisa – to be provided to our members prior to the PIPSC-announced mass mailing cutoff of December 5th.
EXISTING BUSINESS
YEAR END SOCIAL EVENT / Tail Gators, December 8, 2022
• 110 participants signed up before the cutoff. The PIPSC President, Jenn Carr, will attend (no registration required for her). The list of participants has been given to the Tail Gators manager.
• Also provided to the Tail Gators manager was the list of special diet requirements for some participants (examples; 10 vegetarian, 4 hallal). Daniel asked to have the various foods sectioned off so that the risk of cross contamination can be minimized.
• Approximate cost for the entire event will be $6K.
• Daniel asked for volunteers and the following assignments were made:
Registration desk – Lisa, Beverley
ID stickers for Exec members – Beverley (will supply tags, Sharpie pens)
Distribute promotional items – Sylvia, Charles
Distribute 2 drink tickets to each participant – Charles
Offer free Uber rides to any participants unable to get home safely after the event – Charles To watch the levels of food available – Charles
Testing AV equipment supplied by Tailgators – Junaid
Photographs of the event - Zhidan
• It was determined that the drink tickets will be given to both the members and their guests, but that the CS hats will only be given to the members.
• Tony Goddard has registered and will be attending as the guest speaker. He will be given a $25 gift card in appreciation for giving a bargaining update.
• After the event, a list will be compiled of those who registered for the event but then didn’t show up.
ACTION ITEM Daniel is to provide Lisa with the list of registered participants.
ACTION ITEM Lisa is to communicate back to those who registered that they have been accepted to attend the event. She will remind them that members can only bring one guest, and that those guests must be over 19 years of age.
ACTION ITEM Lisa is to get the $25 gift card for Tony Goddard.
CREATION OF THE NEW GENERAL ITOWSG MAILBOX
• Until the upcoming year-end social event is held, the csowsg@pipsc.ca mailbox will continue to be used. After the Social event the new itowsg@pipsc.ca mailbox will be used.
TIDY UP OF OUR SHARED DRIVE
• Daniel would prefer that it be generally ordered by year. However, he suggested a separate folder be created for Administrative items that don’t fit neatly into a yearly structure – for example, our subgroup policies.
ACTION ITEM Lisa will continue to work on the cleanup of the shared drive.
ACTION ITEM Daniel will change the permissions in the Agenda and Minutes folders so that the Secretary is able to move and delete items from them.
COMMUNICATION REIMBURSEMENT AND IT EQUIPMENT POLICY UPDATES
• Blair communicated that new policies are coming from PIPSC that will likely override our local Subgroup policies on these topics. We will have to wait on PIPSC to communicate the official changes, which are likely to take effect on January 1, 2023.
MOTION M/S Blair/Charles. To rescind the current ITOWSG Communications and IT Equipment Policies on December 31, 2022 should new PIPSC policies be mandated for all Subgroups on January 1, 2023. Carried.
MISSING IT DEVICES
• Blair reported that he hasn’t received a response back from the email he sent to PIPSC about this topic. This matter will be dropped by the ITOWSG if anticipated PIPSC governance changes concerning older equipment occurs in the near future.
RETRIEVAL OF THE (CS) ITOWSG BANNERS
• The three subgroup banners have been retrieved; one is currently with Zhidang and two are with Daniel. SHIRTS
• Daniel has received a quote from Red Planet. The vendor would prefer an order be placed before samples are provided.
• Zhidang bought a vest at Costco and had a logo printed on it much cheaper than obtaining similar quality from a traditional supplier of subgroup clothing.
ACTION ITEM Daniel is to follow up with Red Planet after the December social event.
ACTION ITEM Daniel is to further investigate the Costco option.
DND CARLING REPRESENTATION
• Daniel reported that Douglas Carter is the potential DND Carling rep, and that he will be at the upcoming year end social event.
ITOWSG 2022 AGM INCOME STATEMENT CORRECTIONS
ACTION ITEM Blair and Lisa will work on the ITOWSG 2022 AGM income statement, this weekend. ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AT ITOWSG EVENTS
• After examining the email received from PIPSC, and after a brief discussion, it was decided to offer free UBER rides to anyone unable to get home safely after ITOWSG events - starting with the upcoming year-end social event. While the meeting was in progress, Charles managed to set up an Uber group account for the ITOWSG.
FINANCIAL LAUNCHPAD TRIAL EVENT
• Lisa reported that the date is still set for January 12, 2023 – but that the start time has been changed to 5:00 PM
• Lisa requested that all present try to invite more people to attend
ACTION ITEM Lisa is to circulate the (revised) link for the trial event to the ITOWSG Executives again. Lisa is to send out a broadcast email to all ITOWSG members before the PIPSC broadcast email cutoff date of December 5th.
DONATION ON BEHALF OF BRANDON WILSON
• Blair reported that the cheque has been signed and that the donation is being made.
ITOWSG EXECUTIVE TRAINING
• Daniel reported that he is waiting to see if we are getting a new Executive member in the coming weeks, and also to find out if there is any interest in the Ottawa West Branch executive joining in with us. Ongoing.
NEW BUSINESS
DONATION TO THE LEGACY FUND AND THE FOOD BANK
• The consensus was to donate the maximum 2022 amount allowed under PIPSC guidelines, but to re-evaluate our charitable giving in upcoming years
MOTION M/S Blair/Charles. To donate $2K to the PIPSC Legacy Fund. Carried.
MOTION M/S Blair/Charles. To donate $1K to the Algonquin College Student Food Cupboard. To donate $1K to the Kanata Food Bank. Carried.
GEORGE CHAIRMAN TO SING AT THE UPCOMING YEAR-END SOCIAL EVENT
• After some discussion it was the consensus of the group that having someone singing in that venue may not be ideal due to the elevated background noise, and it may prove to be distracting for the performer. It was agreed to revisit this idea for future ITOWSG events (example; for an outdoor family fun day).
PIPSC “BETTER TOGETHER” BANNER HANDOVER
• Steve presented a pop-up banner in good condition that he has been using at PIPSC information events for a number of years. It was handed over to Junaid to bring to the upcoming year-end social event and ITOWSG future events.
FORMAT OF MEETING MINUTES
• Daniel and Steve compromised on a format that captures the main wants of both.
ROUNDTABLE
EVENT FUNDING FOR FITZGERALD EVENT
• David explained his plans for an event on December 9th to meet n greet members connected to his work location at 25 Fitzgerald in Bells Corners. He indicated that about 25 members have already signed up for it.
• There was a discussion about this event and some suggestions were made; that this event is to re-engage members post-pandemic, that any quiz questions to win prizes involve some degree of union content, that any prizes given out be clearly stated as coming from PIPSC and the ITOWSG, and that further thought and flexibility be given to whether the event would be best held in the workplace (and in that case only if specific permission is obtained from the employer), or in a restaurant.
• Due to the short time frame, rather than arrange for a guest speaker, a ITOWSG Executive be invited to attend.
MOTION M/S David/Junaid. To provide up to $500 for a member event to be held in 2022 for those working at 25 Fitzgerald. Carried.
PURCHASE OF IT POWER PACKS
• Steve provided a sample of an IT power pack that the IT Ottawa Metro Subgroup recently distributed to its members. After circulating the unit the consensus was to purchase a quantity of them stamped with the ITOWSG logo, if the price is acceptable – ideally before the end of the calendar year.
ACTION ITEM Steve was to contact Brian Murray (ITOMSG Treasurer) and invite him to reach out to Daniel (this was completed at the end of the meeting). Daniel is to work with Brian to see if an order can be made.
ITOWSG 2023 AGM
• Blair suggested that the ITOWSG AGM be held next Spring, rather than next Fall, so that the allocation of approximately $6-7K for the event be easier to plan for. It was the consensus of those present that this was a good idea.
NEXT MEETING It was agreed that the next meeting would be virtual-only on January 5, 2023. ADJOURNMENT M/S Daniel/Blair. Carried. 8:30 PM
ACTION ITEM SUMMARY
Daniel is to provide Lisa with the list of registered participants for the year-end social event.
Daniel will change the permissions in the Agenda and Minutes folders so that the Secretary is able to move and delete items from them.
Daniel is to follow up with Red Planet after the December social event.
Daniel is to further investigate the Costco option.
Steve was to contact Brian Murray (ITOMSG Treasurer) and invite him to reach out to Daniel (this was completed at the end of the meeting). Daniel is to work with Brian to see if an order for power packs can be made.
Blair is to provide financials to Lisa – to be provided to our members prior to the PIPSC-announced mass mailing cutoff of December 5th.
Blair and Lisa will work on the ITOWSG 2022 AGM income statement, this weekend.
Lisa is to communicate back to those who registered that they have been accepted to attend the year-end social event. She will remind them that members can only bring one guest, and that those guests must be over 19 years of age.
Lisa is to get the $25 gift card for Tony Goddard.
Lisa will continue to work on the cleanup of the shared drive.
Lisa is to circulate the link for the Financial Launchpad trial event to the ITOWSG Executives again. Lisa is to send out a broadcast email to all ITOWSG members before the PIPSC broadcast email cutoff date of December 5th.