Record of Proceedings Meeting - Ontario Regional Executive - November 20, 2021

Meeting Date

November 20, 2021

Time

9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Members 

(Present)

Peter Gilkinson, Regional Director and ORE Chair, Labour Day parade co-ordinator, and Provincial Employers Group Liaison Lead

Din Kamaldin, ORE Vice-Chair, and Labour Day parade co-ordinator

John G. Purdie – Ontario Regional Council Chair, Resolution Sub-committee member and Provincial Employers Group Liaison assistant, and Training Committee Recording Secretary 

Tom Yantsis – Ontario Region Treasurer

Paul Tsuji – Newly elected Executive

Christopher P. L'Estrange – Recording Secretary, Training Committee member and Events Co-ordinator

Judy Chow – Social Media Manager and Branch Liaison Lead

Bridget Brawley – Newly elected Executive

Members 

(Virtual)


 

Tom Z – ORC Vice-chair, and Resolution Sub-committee member, and Training Committee Chair

Kuini Chuen - LGBTQ2S+ co-ordinator, Social Media Manager, Labour Day parade co-ordinator and Young Professional Liaison Lead

Members (Absent)

Jeremy Mayer – Newly elected Executive

Alternates

None

Invitees/Observers

None

Presenters

None

Secretariat

Christopher L’Estrange

 

 

Discussion Summary

1. 

Call to order 

 

Motion to begin the meeting promptly at 9:28 am (technical difficulties with AV delayed the start)

Moved by: Chris L’Estrange

Seconded by: Paul Tsuji

Motion Carried

2.

Approval of Agenda 

 

Discussion regarding the agenda.  

For the newly elected Executive members, Peter explained how the meeting is structured.

Tom Zaharopoulos asked if we can bring his report on the OSC forward in the agenda, as he has to leave early.

3.

Approval the October 21, 2021, Minutes

 

Corrections were made to the October 21, 2021.

Motion: to approve the minutes of the October 21, 2021, ORE meeting.

Moved: by: Peter Gilkinson

Seconded by: Tom Yantsis

Motion Carried

4.

Action Items from the October 21, 2021, ORE Meeting




 

Action Item: Peter Gilkinson to send a letter to Eddy Gillis to enquire the use of the Legacy Funds. What are the plans.   

 

This will be handled later in the meeting as a separate item.

Action Item: For Peter to contact Marcia and ask the staff for a response regarding availability for the 2021 staff appreciation dinner. This will be handled later in the meeting as a separate item.

5.

Training Update

 

Tom Z provided an update on the TEC committee.

Training and meetings have been virtual. The National TEC has not met in person since the start of the Pandemic.

PIPSC is pushing for more virtual training. 

Motion To hold Ontario Steward Council on September 9 and 10, 2022, at White Oaks Conference Centre.

First: Peter Gilkinson 

Seconded: Din Kamaldin

Carried

6.

Portfolio Reports

 

Treasurers Report – Tom Yantsis gave an update regarding the 2021 Financials. 

Motion: To accept the Treasurers Report.

First: Tom Yantsis 

Second: Peter Gilkinson

Carried

Legacy Foundation – vacant

No report

Elections Committee – Chris L’Estrange

National Elections are concluded and congratulations to the candidates who were successful. 

Human Rights Committee – Din Kamaldin

Nothing to report at this meeting; see the previous minutes for the October report.

ORC – John Purdie

Logistically the hybrid was difficult to organize and yet hugely successful. 

The next ORC is scheduled for May 11 to 15, 2022. The Finance section has recommended that Ontario Region has had the October 2021 ORC and that we shouldn’t have one in May 2022.

However, there is already a signed contract. The contract was signed by national PIPSC Finance.

There is likely a penalty to cancel. We don’t have, nor have we seen, the contract with the hotel for May 2022.

In January 2022, John Purdie, as Ontario Director will address this with the first BOD meeting of the year. It makes no sense to cancel the ORC in May. We have everything in place including speakers etc.

Additionally, the October 2021 ORC was forced upon us, as a committee, because Covid-19 delayed the April 2021 ORC. We also did not have an ORC in 2020 due to the pandemic.

For April 2023 ORC we look at the last weekend in April, we discussed three venues. Fern Resort was the one we prefer. 

Motion: That we book the Fern Resort for April 26th, to the 30th, 2023 for the 2023 ORC.

First: John Purdie

Second: Peter Gilkinson

General discussion.

Vote:

Carried: 7 to 1

OSC – Tom Zaharopoulos

See above as a separate agenda item.

ITPS Committee – vacant

No report

Young Professionals Committee – Vacant

No report

Social Media – Judy Chow

This will be discussed as a separate agenda item.

LGBTQ2S+ – Kuini Chuen

No meetings have taken place.

Discussing the roles, we have vacancies and there is a motion as follows:

Motion: to defer the allocation of roles to the next meeting because Jeremy is not present for this meeting.

First: Bridget Brawley

Seconded: John Purdie

The motion is amended as follows:

Motion: To allow the decision on voting to allocate the two roles (OSC and ORC chair) decided today, while deferring the decision to allocate the roles of remaining portfolios to the next meeting.

Motion: To amend the motion:

First: Tom Yantsis

Second: Bridget Brawley

Discussion re this amended motion. 

Vote to amend the motion:

Carried: 6 to 4 with no abstensions.

The motion is amended. The original motion is replaced with the amended motion.

Amended Motion: To accept the motion as amended.

First: Tom Yantsis

Second: Bridget Brawley

Discussion re this amended motion. 

Motion: Call the question: 

First: Chris L’Estrange

Second: Bridget Brawley

Carried

Vote to accept amended motion:

Carried: 6 to 4

We will pick the Chairs of the ORC and the OSC.

Tom Zaharopoulos - Acclaimed as the chair for the 2022 OSC.

John Purdie - Acclaimed as Chair of the 2022 ORC.

7.

Set date for the next meeting:

 

The next ORE meeting will be Saturday February 5, 2022. 

Action Item: John Purdie to follow up with inviting guests to the February 4, 2022, dinner. 

8.

Director’s Report - Peter Gilkinson

 

Our successes as a Committee (ORE) in the last few years.

Resolutions supported at the PIPSC AGM:

CLC selection process is now in the By-laws.

In-person meetings are happening now.

PT VP salary has been addressed in the By-laws

Other successes and things to celebrate include:

Ontario Region Facebook page has in excess of 200 members

The Young Professionals Committee

Labour Day Parade.

Phoenix issue

Death Benefit is over funded with a huge surplus. 

The Executive had previously discussed donating to the legacy fund.

However, we have an alternative idea. Rather than putting the funds in the legacy fund, we could donate the funds to the Food Bank.

Motion: That the ORE make a donation to the Food Bank in this current calendar year.

First:Peter Gilkinson

Second: Bridget Brawley

Carried.

Motion: That a donation be made to a Food Bank in an area with a focus on Indigenous needs.

First: John Purdie

Second: Judy Chow

Carried.

Committees of the Board:

The ORE didn’t receive any information. 

Motion: That the ORE go in Camera to discuss a confidential matter.

First: Peter Gilkinson

Second: John Purdie

Carried

Motion: That the ORE come out of Camera.

First: Peter Gilkinson

Second: John Purdie

Carried

Judy asked about recognizing our thanks for the PIPSC staff, who were unable to attend tonight’s dinner.

Motion: To have a dinner at our next ORE meeting in February, for recognizing PIPSC Ontario staff, Peter Gilkinson, and Tim Azab, and Yvonne Snaddon. 

First: Judy Chow

Second: Din Kamaldin

Amend the motion: That we invite the Ontario Region PIPSC staff, Peter Gilkinson, Tim Azab, and Yvonne Snaddon, and one guest to a dinner on February 25, 2022.

First: John Purdie

Second: Din Kamaldin

Vote to amend the motion:

Carried (with Peter recused) 

Vote on the amended motion.

Carried.

Motion: To provide a taxi chit to anyone we have invited for dinner.  

First: Paul Tsuji

Second: Judy Chow

We discussed cost and unknown variables in a general discussion.

Amend the motion:

Amended Motion: To reimburse the cost of a taxi ride home, for invited guests.   

First: John Purdie

Second: Judy Chow

Vote to amend the motion.

Carried.

 

The motion is amended.

Vote on the amended motion.

Failed 4 to 2 (Peter recused himself). 

Starting at 9:00 (meetings have started late).

Judy voiced her concern that meetings start late due to technical difficulties.  She hopes that going forward the meetings will start promptly at 9:00 am.

Peter and Din spoke to the technical AV problems encountered at the last meeting where we started at 10:30 am, while we were all there virtual and in person, however we had issues with the connection. Feedback with sound, and not being able to hear the virtual attendees. This was being addressed by the hotel staff who were working with our equipment, and also Zoom connection and sound issues, and the AV equipment supplied by the hotel. It took a lot of trial and error to resolve the connection issues.   

9.

Round Table

 

Bridget is excited to work with us on the Executive.                                                                                                                                                                                

John gave thanks to Peter for his time and dedication to PIPSC as this is Peter’s last ORE meeting. As John will be the incoming OR Director he hopes to have everyone’s support and confidence in his leadership.

Chris welcomed the new ORE members and thanked those who have come and gone in the time during Peter’s leadership over the last 7 years. While we have seen challenges and made huge gains for the Ontario Region over Peter’s tenure.

Paul, thanked everyone for our policy to allow ORE members to stay over the night before the meeting. He will endeavour to choose to stay the night before to ensure he is always on time for the ORE meeting.

Din, thanked everyone and especially Peter for his leadership over the last two terms.

Peter thanked everyone for our time and dedication in the interest of benefiting our Ontario Region PIPSC members.

10.

Meeting adjourned at 5:49 pm

 

Motion to adjourn at 5:49 pm

First:

Seconded: 

Carried