The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
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4900 Yonge SP Sub-Group 2022 AGM - December 21, 2022

Time: 12 pm to 12:55pm

Virtual Meeting

  1. Roll Call

At time of roll call, 22 members of the 4900 Yonge SP Sub-Group representing PSPC and TC were present at the AGM held virtually over MS Teams from Toronto

Executive Members in Attendance:

Lynn Kumita (LK): President

Jeremy Craigs (JC): Vice-President

Aman Gill (AG): Secretary/Treasurer

Quorum was established.  Current membership is 40 members based on membership list obtained from PIPSC (December 2022). 

It was noted that other member joined following roll-call, with final attendance of 25 members documented.

  1. Approval of Agenda

Motion to approve the 2021 AGM Agenda made and seconded.  Agenda approved.

  1. Adoption of the Minutes of 2021 AGM (held March 2022)

Lynn provided the minutes in advance of the 2022 AGM. Lynn provided an overview including an update from Enzo on the status of the Employee Wellness Program.  The program has been shelved due to TB wanting to change the terms of the discussions. No changes to sick leave are being discussed. 

Motion to adopt the March 2022 meeting minutes was made and seconded. Meeting minutes adopted.

  1. Business Arising from the 2021 AGM Minutes

No new business identified from the 2021 AGM Minutes (meeting held March 2022).

  1. Report of the President

Lynn Kumita shared updates from this past year (2022).  Due to the on-going COVID pandemic, sub-group activities of the past year have been limited, however, a number of PIPSC Annual General Meetings were held that Lynn and/or Jeremy attended virtually. 

The detailed President’s Report has been appended to these meeting minutes and summary of the events attended includes:

  • Sub-group Executive Meeting – February 21, 2022
  • Sub-group 2021 Annual General Meeting – March 2022
  • SP Sub-group Presidents/Vice-Presidents Meeting – April 30, 2022
  • Ontario Regional Council AGM – May 13 & 14, 2022
  • SP Annual General Meeting – June 4, 2022
  • Sub-group Executive Meeting – September 22, 2022
  • SP Sub-group Presidents/Vice-Presidents Meeting – November 3, 2022
  • Sub-group Executive Meeting – December 6, 2022
  • SP Sub-group Presidents/Vice-Presidents Meeting – December 8, 2022
  1. Annual Financial Report for 2021

Aman Gill presented the Financial Updates:

Opening Balance - January 2021: $XXX.XX

Spending in 2021: $XXX ($XXX was withdrawn by PIPSC in error)

PIPSC Allowance for 4900 SP Subgroup: $XXX.XX (reduced due to funding cap)

Interest earned in 2021: $XX.XX

Closing Balance - December 2021: $XXX.XX 

Aman noted that the error of the removal of an additional $XXX by PIPSC was credited back to our account in January 2022.

It was proposed to those in attendance that similar to last year, the sub-group make a donation of $XXX to a local food bank (Daily Bread Food Bank).  Vote was held and by show of hands – all were in favour.  Aman to request this donation be facilitated through PIPSC.

Motion to approve the 2021 budget was made and seconded. 2021 Budget adopted.

  1. Report of the Elections Committee

Two Executive positions were open for election this year, based on current membership: all for a two (2) year term, per the Sub-Group By-laws.  JC ran the election.

  • Lynn Kumita and Aman Gill provided written intention to run ahead of the AGM
  • No nominations from the floor

No objections from the floor – Lynn and Aman are acclaimed to the Executive.

  1. New Business
    • Bargaining Update – LK identify that PIPSC has been sending out high level bargaining updates to members personal email addresses and that position papers were available for download/review from the PIPSC website.  Sub-group Executive will reach out to Enzo Barresi (Bargaining Team Co-ordinator) to provide an update “lunch and learn” in January 2023
    • Sub-Group Engagement moving forward
      • The Executive is looking for feedback from the membership on what activities and comfort levels are for holding in-person activities given the recent Treasury Board guidance for return to the office
        • Member raised a question on if additional information on Overtime and how that work within the Collective Agreement versus NJC Travel Directive could be provided in order to gain a better understanding
          1. LK and our local steward (also a member of the sub-group) will reach out to the member to get additional information/context and see how we can best assist
        • Bargaining Updates and if hybrid work is being included in this current bargaining
        • How PIPSC is addressing/dealing to respond to Treasury Board hybrid work directive
          1. Member who is a steward identified there is a PIPSC Consultation Team for each department and there is a departmental representative who is actively engaging with management.  Members can pass on any questions/concerns to this member steward and they will pass along to the Consultation Team.
      • Member steward identified that they along with LK arrange for outreach to new hires to go over PIPSC, the sub-group and union stewards. Generally for PSPC but open to including TC
        • Currently planning a session in January 2023 as there have been a number of new hires within PSPC
  1. Round Table
    • Member inquired if PIPSC reaches out to new hires directly or is this something HR does or is it something supervisor’s should be informing new hires about?
      • Recently hired member identified PIPSC reached out directly to them
      • Another member indicated that HR usually shares contact information with PIPSC
      • LK identify that the Executive requests membership lists from PIPSC to ensure we are including all members. This list identifies members who have not yet registered with PIPSC and the Executive reaches out to those members
    • Member who is also a steward provided some overview to the group as there were a number of new members.  Identified we are all PIPSC and there are many opportunities for members to get involved/volunteer and contribute.
      • LK also raised that PIPSC has lost a number of stewards across the organization. If anyone is interested in becoming more involved and would be interested in becoming a steward, PIPSC is looking
        • Our local steward also identified they are open to those interested reaching out to get more information on what being a steward involves

ANNEX A – 2022 AGM Agenda

ANNEX B – President’s Report for 2022

ANNEX A

AGM 2022 – December 21, 2022

Agenda:

·       Roll Call

·       Approval of the Agenda

·       Adoption of the Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting

·       Business Arising from the Minutes

·       Report of the President

·       Annual Financial Report

  • Donation to local foodbank
  • Adoption of Financial Report/Budget

·       Report of the Elections Committee

·       Two Positions (President & Treasurer) - Nominations may be submitted in writing or may be made from the floor of the Sub-Group AGM.

·       New Business, including by-law amendments

  • Sub-group Events for 2023 – Input from Membership
    • Topics of interest
    • Method of event delivery - In-person/virtual and/or hybrid?

·       Bargaining Update (subgroup executive)

·       Round Table

ANNEX B

SP 4900 Yonge Street Sub-Group

President’s Report

2022 AGM

December 2022

Summary of Activities

  1. Sub-Group Executive Meeting – February 21, 2022

The sub-group Executive held a meeting to discuss the upcoming sub-group AGM. Topics discussed included AGM Agenda and scheduling of the AGM.

  1. Sub-group 2021 Annual General Meeting – March 2022

Due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, the AGM for the sub-group was postponed until March 2022 in hopes of in-person meetings, however, public health measures were still in place and the AGM was held virtually.

Ben Smith and Jeremy Craigs were acclaimed to the roles of Treasurer and Vice-President respectively for two (2) year terms.

  1. SP Sub-group Presidents/Vice-Presidents Meeting – April 30, 2022

This meeting was held virtually and Lynn attended.  Lynn provided an update on the sub-group along with an overview of our membership, the work we do along with sharing the lates updates on return to the workplace for the SP 4900 Yonge Street Sub-group membership. Lynn also raised the question on whether Professional Development Leave will be re-evaluated during this upcoming bargaining round as our membership continues to not be utilising the leave.  A sub-group in NCR from PSPC also had similar concerns.  Other items that were raised on behalf of the membership included:

  • Will the Bargaining Table be looking at cost disparity between regions, particularly with inflation.  Large urban centres face higher rents and standards of living (pre-COVID) and these have been amplified by the pandemic
  • Will PIPSC be re-evaluating how the structure of sub-groups is done now that members physical job locations no loner matter or will matter less moving forward. We are seeing departments hiring people who doe not live in the region where they work
  • Membership acknowledge the important step PIPSC took in ensuring member can observe the National Day of Truth & Reconciliation, however, members identified that it would be good if PIPSC could more actively communicate what PIPSC as an organization is doing to honour the day (as leader to the members) and also promote activities that members could participate in on the day and in general for the advancement of truth & reconciliation throughout our organization and membership
  1. Ontario Regional Council AGM – May 13 & 14, 2022

PIPSC held the Ontario Regional Council AGM in Windsor, Ontario with a hybrid option. Due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, Lynn attended virtually. On the first day, there were guest speakers: Steven Greenhouse (US Labour & Workplace Journalist, New York Times and the Guardian UK) and Patty Coates (President of the Ontario Federation of Labour). On the second day, the sessions were focused on the activities of PIPSC as a whole & the new President, Jennifer Carr introduced herself to the group.

President Carr’s background is that she comes from the SP sub-group.  She provided an overview of the status of PIPSC currently and what PIPSC does for its members. Topics discussed by President Carr included:

  • Steward Recruitment – over pandemic, PIPSC lost 200 stewards
  • Return to the Workplace
  • Vaccination Policy
  • Front Line Health Care Professionals
  • Strategic Review
  • Defending our Pensions
  • Defending Public Science
  • Next Generation Pay System
  • IT Services – GoC Contracting Out vs In-house capacity building
  • Equity, Diversity & Inclusiveness
  • Growing the Union/Mobilization & Digital Engagement
  1. SP Annual General Meeting – June 4, 2022

The SP sub-group held their Annual General Meeting in Montreal, QC with a hybrid option. Lynn attended virtually. President Carr gave a presentation that was similar to the topics presented in the Ontario Region AGM in May 2022. 

Enzo Barresi (Bargaining Team Coordinator) provided a bargaining update – the Bargaining Team were in the process of finalising our demands to present to Treasury Board. Dates for meetings with TB were provided in late August/early September 2022.

Update from the Strategic Bargaining Committee (SBC) – SBC is made up of 6 groups (Presidents of groups and bargaining rep) with the purpose of presenting a united front to TB. SBC was proposing a Central Table to discuss: telework, right to disconnect, greening government, equity & diversity, and harassment.  Bryan van Wilgenburg is our representative at the Central Table & Marcel Beaudoin is the back-up.

  1. Sub-group Executive Meeting – September 22, 2022

The sub-group Executive held a meeting to discuss bargaining updates, return to the office concerns & changes to the sub-group Executive.  At this meeting Ben Smith informed the Executive that he will be resigning his position as Treasurer as he accepted a one-year assignment resulting in him becoming a member of PSAC during this time.

  1. SP Sub-group Presidents/Vice Presidents Meeting – November 3, 2022

Virtual meeting was held and Lynn attended.  Our new SP Sub-group Coordinator is Morgan Cranny.  Morgan confirmed that in 2023, the SP sub-group will re-commence having regional in-person President’s meetings.  Information shared included:  new sub-group formed in the NCR and lead by Bryan van Wilgenburg.  Lynn presented that the membership is keen to hear about bargaining updates and that the challenge for the Executive is keeping track of who’ leaving/joining the sub-group as assignments/secondments being taken by the membership has increased with the flexibility of Work From Home (WFH).  Morgan noted that PIPSC is looking into how sub-group membership will be defined moving forward given the WFH scenario seems to be persisting, but for now it is still based on where your office will be.  Remainder of meeting was each sub-group sharing what their respective sub-groups were doing/concerned with.

  1. Sub-Group Executive Meeting – December 6, 2022

The sub-group Executive had a meeting to go over the planning/co-ordination of the upcoming 2022 sub-group AGM and backfilling of the Treasurer role.  General discussions were also had about bargaining and return to the office.

  1. SP Sub-Group Presidents/Vice-Presidents Meeting – December 8, 2022

Lynn and Jeremy attended the virtual meeting.  Morgan confirmed the June 2023 Regional Presidents/Vice-Presidents meeting with Western Region and will confirm with Central and Eastern Regions later. Information shared by those on the call were general updates from each sub-group.  A number of sub-group Presidents received the same email from PIPSC identifying the need to hold an AGM in the 2022 calendar year in order to receive the allowance – Lynn shared that the SP 4900 Yonge Street Sub-group was in this situation and would be holding our AGM on December 21st virtually in order to ensure best possibility of quorum – a few other sub-groups are in the same position.  Morgan noted that if quorum is not reached – the budget can be approved at an Emergency Executive Meeting.

 

Published on 4 January 2023