Atlantic Young Professionals Committee Meeting Minutes - Delta PEI, Charlottetown, PEI - May 25-26th, 2017
Atlantic Young Professionals Committee Meeting Minutes
(formerly the Atlantic Youth Advisory Committee)
Delta PEI, Charlottetown, PEI, May 25-26th 2017
CHAIRPERSON:
Marcus Peck
COMMITTEE:
Christine Newhook
Josh Fox
Nicholas Isenor
Leslie Nasmith (Secretary)
REGRETS:
Colin O’Brien
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE REGIONAL EXECUTIVE:
Kimberley Skanes
Cathy Hebert (liaison with Executive)
STAFF
Catherine Pinks
1. Welcome and Opening Comments
Kimberley Skanes called the meeting to order.
2. Approval of Agenda
The Agenda was reviewed. The following item was added to the agenda: 11. Logo.
3. Round Table of Introductions
Members of the Committee introduced themselves and discussed their backgrounds and reasons for wanting to be on the committee.
4. Overview of Committee Inception
K. Skanes outlined the inception of the Youth Committee and detailed the support for it from PIPSC. She noted that it was a goal of the Regional Executive to strike the Youth Committee and they were able to achieve that goal. She introduced Cathy Hebert to the group as their liaison with the Executive. A Terms of Reference (ToR) and a meeting Agenda, prepared by the Regional Executive, were tabled. The budget of the committee and reporting requirements were outlined by K. Skanes. The composition of the Committee was discussed and it was noted that there was no representation form PEI on the Committee. There was a discussion about the demographic of the Atlantic Region and if that information was available. K. Skanes volunteered to request that information. After this stage of the meeting, K. Skanes, C. Hebert, and C. Pinks gave their regrets and departed to attend other meetings.
ACTION: K. Skanes to request PIPSC demographic information for the Atlantic Region. Update: Demographics provided to the Committee.
5. Review of Terms of Reference
The Committee reviewed the Terms of Reference.
- Name. The Committee disliked the use of the term “youth” in the name. It was felt that youth was not an appropriate descriptor. It was noted that “young professional” was already used in the ToR (e.g., in the Objectives), and the use of “professional” would parallel well with the name of the union. It was decided that “Atlantic Young Professionals Committee” would be a better name.
- The Mandate was discussed. It was felt to be sufficiently broad as to cover a lot of activities.
- Membership. Although this is a pilot project, consideration was given to how to get new members on to the Committee if it extends beyond the pilot stage. A schedule for Call of Interest will need to be decided in such a case. There was discussion on how the Atlantic Region demographics could potentially be used to improve the Membership Criteria.
- Objectives. The Objectives were approved.
- Potential meeting schedules were discussed. With respect to quorum, it was clarified that the quorum would be a simple majority of members present at a meeting. It was also determined that in the unlikely event of a tie vote, that the Regional Executive liaison would have the deciding vote.
- Budget. There were questions about what the fiscal year was for the committee’s budget, and what training would be available to the committee.
- Friends of the Committee: It was determined that the ToR should include a section on Friends of the Committee.
ACTION: L. Nasmith – request approval from the Regional Executive to change the name of the Committee. Update: Request sent via email to C. Pinks for the Executive for consideration at their May 28th meeting. This was not addressed at the meeting and M. Peck followed up on the request and it was granted.
ACTION: L. Nasmith – edit TOR to add section about Friends of the Committee, to be tabled at next Committee meeting. Update: A section was added and sent to the Committee members for comments.
ACTION: M. Peck – seek clarification on the fiscal year for the Committee. Update: Clarification from C. Pinks is that the Committee should operate on a calendar year fiscal year for the time being.
ACTION: M. Peck – investigate training opportunities.
6. Administration – Contact List, Email Group
Preferred email contact information was collected amongst the members to be forwarded to C. Pinks. There was discussion about creating a PIPSC email account for the Committee, as well as potential social media accounts (i.e., twitter). The email account and other media depend on the name of the committee. The procedures for posting to social media were discussed and it was agreed that members would seek approval from the Committee before posting anything to the AYPC account.
ACTION: L. Nasmith –forward contact list to C. Pinks Update: Contact list sent on May 31 2017.
ACTION: N. Isenor – create PIPSC email account and twitter account, after committee name is finalized. Update: email: aypc_cjpa@pipsc.ca, Twitter: @AYPC_CJPA
7. Selection/Election of Committee Chairperson and Secretary.
L. Nasmith self-nominated for the Secretary role and was unchallenged. There was fulsome discussion about the Chairperson role. In the end, it was decided that a) the Committee needed a single point of contact for ease of communications and planning with the Executive, and b) there was interest in the training opportunity that being a meeting Chairperson allows. Therefore, one Chairperson was chosen as a point of contact and the responsibility for Chairing individual meetings will be rotated amongst Committee members.
M. Peck was nominated (N. Isenor) for Chairperson and seconded (L. Nasmith).
8. Friends of the Committee
The Committee Members were in agreement that Friends of the Committee (FoC) were an important component to the initiative. Given the geographic realities of the membership in the Atlantic Region, the Committee could never represent all possible workplaces or areas. Friends will play an important role in bringing Outreach initiative to those work places, as well as reporting issues back to the committee. PEI was identified as a specific area in which representation was lacking. Some potential FoC were identified in the meeting, and plans were made to reach out to them.
Friends will be encouraged to attend meetings in their area, if they occur. No reimbursement for travel is available for Friends. The Committee wants to set up conference calling for the meetings so that FoC have the option to call into meetings they could not attend in person. This option will also be useful for Committee members as well.
ACTION: M.Peck – Request contact information for members that has expressed interest in the Committee during the initial Call. Update: DONE.
ACTION: All – recruit FoC during the Atlantic Regional Council Meeting. Update: DONE.
9. and 10. Plan Outline to Fulfill Committee’s Mandate and Goals and Objectives for the Current Committee’s Mandate
These two agenda items were discussed in tandem as they informed each other. A meeting schedule and Chair for each meeting was determined. Whereas the Committee members were not already selected as delegates to attend the AGM in November, and whereas it was felt by the Committee that this would be an important event for the Committee Members to attend in their inaugural year, it was decided that an application would be made for approval to send the remaining Committee members to the AGM as observers.
|
Date |
Associated Event |
Location |
Meeting Chair |
|
August 2017 |
None |
Conference Call |
M. Peck |
|
October 2017 |
Steward Council |
Halifax |
J. Fox |
|
November 2017 |
PIPSC AGM |
Ottawa |
C. Newhook |
|
December 2017 |
Halifax Branch Holiday Social |
Halifax |
C. O’Brien |
|
May 2018 |
Atlantic Regional Council |
Moncton |
N. Isenor |
The Objectives of the Committee are outlined in the ToR:
- Identify barriers for young professionals in the Public Service and PIPSC
- Raise issues specific to young professionals
- Foster relationships with like-minded groups
- Outreach to young professionals in the workplace
- Educate youth on the union and its benefits
1 & 2. To address the first two objectives, the Committee agreed on a survey of members in the Atlantic Region. The Quebec Region has a survey listed as a future plan as well, citing a CUPE survey as a template. The Committee agreed that a survey would be a good way to have members self-identify issues and to collect current demographic information. The result of the survey will help to inform future Committee objectives and actions.
It was a commitment of the group that by the next meeting they would have a survey ready, or the framework for a survey. Work will be done on this via email between meetings.
3. To address the third Objective (Foster relationships with like-minded groups) a number of potential groups, committees, and organizations were identified. Addressing this Objective will be an on-going commitment, and given the nature of the unions, will in some cases be area- or department-specific. The initial steps were discussed in terms of connecting and sharing information.
4 & 5. The final two Objectives were discussed with respect to the geographic spread of the committee. The budget allows for an Outreach Event, and the demographic information will help inform where such an event might have the greatest impact. The production of promotional and informational items was also discussed. The connections made with like-minded groups will also work to address these Objectives (e.g., outreach and education through DFO’s new employee Orientation).
The role technology plays in the lives of young professionals was also discussed as a barrier to their engaging with the union. The planned social media presence is one avenue to address this. There was also discussion around a PIPSC app, online treasure hunts, ways to make union involvement easier, how to welcome new members to the union.
ACTION: C.Newhook – Submit request and rationale for sending non-delegate members of Committee to the AGM. Update: Request submitted May 31 2017.
ACTION: N. Isenor – contact Quebec Region Young Professional Committee about their survey.
ACTION: N. Isenor – try to access CUPE survey.
ACTION: N. Isenor – connect with the Public Service Inter-Union Youth Caucus.
ACTION: N. Isenor – connect with the Halifax-Dartmouth Labour Congress.
ACTION: L. Nasmith – connect with DFO’s Science Early Career Network. Update: L. Nasmith spoke to the local co-chair of the Network in her workplace. There is the opportunity to participate in an upcoming Orientation session for new employees.
ACTION: L. Nasmith – connect with PSAC’s Young Workers Committee.
11. New Business
On the second day of the meeting Greg Scriver, Chair of the National Capital Region Regional Executive and NCR Director attended for a short time. He engaged the Committee in a discussion of the work doing by the NCR Young Professionals Committee and other youth organizations.
12. Logo
The committee wanted a logo to put on promotional and visibility material. Options were discussed and it was decided that the Atlantic Region’s lighthouse logo would be incorporated into it. Production of the logo is conditional on the name of the committee. It was a commitment of the Committee that we would have a logo decided for the next meeting. Logo will need approval of the Regional Executive.
ACTION: M. Peck – lead on Logo development, by next meeting.
Next Meeting: A conference call in late August/early September, date TBD.
Appendix 1.
Summary of Action Items from Atlantic Young Professionals Committee Meeting Minutes
May 25-26th 2017
|
# |
Action |
Item/Deadline |
Completed/Progress |
|
1 |
K. Skanes |
Request PIPSC Atlantic Demographics |
DONE |
|
2 |
L. Nasmith |
Request approval for name change |
DONE |
|
3 |
L. Nasmith |
Edit ToR to include Friends of the Committee, by next meeting |
DONE |
|
4 |
M. Peck |
Seek clarification on the fiscal year |
DONE |
|
5 |
M. Peck |
investigate training opportunities |
|
|
6 |
L. Nasmith |
Forward contact list to C. Pinks |
DONE |
|
7 |
N. Isenor |
Create PIPSC email account and twitter account, after committee name is finalized |
DONE |
|
8 |
M. Peck |
Request contact information for members that has expressed interest in the Committee |
DONE |
|
9 |
All |
recruit FoC during the Atlantic Regional Council Meeting |
DONE |
|
10 |
C. Newhook |
Submit request and rationale for sending non-delegate members of Committee to the AGM |
DONE |
|
11 |
N. Isenor |
Contact Quebec Region Young Professional Committee, by next meeting |
|
|
12 |
N. Isenor |
try to access CUPE survey, by next meeting |
|
|
13 |
N. Isenor |
connect with the Public Service Inter-Union Youth Caucus |
|
|
14 |
N. Isenor |
connect with the Halifax-Dartmouth Labour Congress |
|
|
15 |
L. Nasmith |
connect with DFO’s Science Early Career Network |
DONE |
|
16 |
L. Nasmith |
connect with PSAC’s Young Workers Committee |
|
|
17 |
M. Peck |
lead on Logo development, by next meeting |
|