DRAFT AGM MINUTES of
Vancouver Sub-Group of SP Group, PIPSC
Wednesday, January 24 2018 5:30- 8:30 pm
White Spot Restaurant, 405 Dunsmuir St. Vancouver BC
Executive:
Simon Cowell, President; Jan 2019
Denis Semail, Vice President; Jan 2019
Timothy Powers, Treasurer; Term of office expires Jan 2018 - Regrets
Kathy Kerr, Secretary; Jan 2019
Sammy Li, Member at large; Jan 2019
Tanya Evans, Member at large; Term of office expires Jan 2018 – Regrets
Guest Speaker (pre-AGM)
BC Yukon Regional Director (Rob MacDonald)
Provided overview of ongoing problems with Phoenix & summarized highlights of PIPSC strategy to address Phoenix:
- notify local PIPSC ERO of problems with Phoenix – as PIPSC is tracking issues;
- Lionel Sinyoguruza, ERO –Phoenix
- Lionel monitors PIPSC site (currently over 1000 cases)
- PIPSC is filing grievances about Phoenix & escalating
- PIPSC is providing interest free loans to members in financial difficulty;
- PIPSC website provides details about these interest free loans;
- PIPSC has been at the forefront of media campaign about Phoenix;
- PIPSC President (Deb Daviau) has been pushing to look at alternatives & use PIPSC CS’s
- In PIPSC view – Phoenix is an example of “contracting out” gone bad;
- Utilizing tools of collective agreements, in addition to individual grievances to address Phoenix
- PIPSC has filed policy grievances;
- PIPSC is seeking more time for Stewards to represent members;
- Accolades to Eddie Gillis & his staff and to our PIPSC President, D Daviau ;
- if you have problems, go to the PIPSC website & to PIPSC ERO.
1) Call to Order @ 18:15 hr
2) Introductions by S Cowell of:
a) SP Sub Group Executive (listed above)
b) Guest Speakers:
Rob MacDonald, BC Yukon BC Regional Director (pre-AGM presentation) – Phoenix
Thomas Landry, President, SP Group – Bargaining Strategy for upcoming round
c) Elections Committee:
Dennis Semail (Chair) Sammy Li, Kathy Kerr
3) Approval of Agenda m/s J Hartman/ S Li; Carried
4) Approval of draft minutes of January 25 2017 SP SG AGM:
Motion to approve draft January 25 2017 minutes; m/s K Hall/D Semail ; Carried
Action Item: K Kerr to request that PIPSC post Jan 25 2017 SP SG AGM minutes
Dennis Semail announced the # of positions available for election for SP Sub Group Executive;
He made the first (of 3 calls) for nominations:
There were two nominations from the floor:
Tim Powers, retired member (who had accepted nomination, as not present tonight)
Tanya Evans; Health Canada Burnaby (who had previously accepted nomination, not present tonight)
5) Business Arising from the minutes: By law changes
Simon Cowell followed up with PIPSC By law’s Committee for the status of the changes approved a couple of years ago at a SP Sub group AGM. Those changes to the By laws have not been implemented yet;
Action Item: Simon Cowell to follow up with By laws Committee, and will copy our SP Group President, Thomas Landry;
6) Report of the President of SP Sub Group– Simon Cowell
Attached is the “2017 President’s report – SP Vancouver Sub Group AGM” provided by Simon Cowell. Summarizing some of the highlights such as: a) New SP Collective agreement in 2017; b) Frustration with Phoenix expanded to include errors made when implementing new collective agreement; c) this year (2018) is start of the next round of negotiations for SP collective agreement; d) the local events, Lunch & learns and Coffee, were successful and Simon encourages our members to arrange for more of these type of events in their work place; e) a new SP Sub Group was formed last year at 401 Burrard Street last year; and f) Simon thanked the Stewards; PIPSC staff; President Debi Daviau; Regional Director, Rob McDonald; Vancouver branch president, Karen Hall; and his SP Sub Group Executive; and the SP Group Executive.
Dennis Semail , Chair Elections Committee made a 2nd call for nominations from the floor;
Two additional names were nominated:
Jacqueline Oddi, Health Canada Burnaby (accepted nomination) ; and
Eric Crawford, Transport Canada (accepted nomination)
7) Treasurer’s Report:
Simon presented the Financial Statement and the Budget (2018)
m/s: Jacqueline Oddi/Dennis Semail ; Carried
8) Report of Elections Committee – Dennis Semail, Chair
Semail made a 3rd and final call for nominations from the floor;
(no additional nominations)
Dennis Semail declared that the following members were acclaimed to the SP Sub Executive:
Tim Powers, retired member
Tanya Evans; Health Canada Burnaby
Jacqueline Oddi, Health Canada Burnaby; and
Eric Crawford, Transport Canada
9) Other business: none
SP SG Group AGM ADJOURNED at 7:07 pm m/s Andrew Robinson/Sammy Li; Carried
Guest Speakers:
Janice Boyd – provided presentation for Bobby Sekhon on new sub group formed last year at 400 Burrard Street
Thomas Landry, President SP Group:
- A new wellness package is being negotiated;
- Sub groups are critical to SP Group;
- Conference calls are held on a regular basis with Presidents & Vice President’s of sub groups to convey information about bargaining, and subjects discussed at SP Group Executive meetings;
- Bargaining (last round) – new articles on Scientific integrity; and derail the attack on sick leave;
- This round he suspects bargaining will include focusing on the issue of “de-professionalism”
- Thomas summarized some of the highlights of the new Collective Agreement negotiated last year;
- For the new round of negotiations, the SP Group may be considering an option of a short expedited bargaining round to conclude prior to the fall 2019 elections.
- PIPSC President, Debi Daviau, has been taking time to develop relationships with Treasury Board and politicians; (lobbying);
- SP Group will have a bargaining team which will, based on our Negotiator Suzelle, have the same # of members on it as last year; Enzo is the bargaining co-ordinator; there will be a call for the negotiation team; a new bargaining team for SP will be selected in mid- April ;
- Elections are upcoming for National pool – 2 for NCR and 3 across Canada
- Thomas answered members questions about the collective agreement; the bargaining process; and the proposed new wellness program being negotiated; and the extended medical and dental (NJC)
- Thomas encourages members to check the SP Group PIPSC site on a regular basis, and to attend Lunch & Learn and other events put on by their local SP Sub Group.