May 7-13 is the Canadian Mental Health Association's (CMAS) Mental Health Week. Every May for the last 67 years, Canadians in communities, schools, workplaces and the House of Commons have joined forces to #GETLOUD by speaking out and challenging the stigma and discrimination that too often accompany mental illness.

One in five Canadians experience a mental health issue or illness each year. That impacts all of us, in our communities, at home and at work. Countless Canadians aren't getting the care they need and then end up in emergency rooms looking for help.

With most adults spending more of their waking hours at work than anywhere else, addressing mental health in the workplace is especially critical. For many years, Canadian unions have been involved in building workplaces that support mental as well as physical health and safety.

What unions like PIPSC are doing

We:

• Promote awareness of mental health and negotiate access to mental health benefits and employee assistance programs to ensure workers get the help they need. Unions also help ensure workers with mental illnesses are accommodated at work.
• Work to address workplace harassment and bullying, directly with employers and with courses for members.
• Challenge discrimination at work, recognizing that sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia and ableism are risk factors for poor mental health.

What you can do

You can:

• Download your copy of PIPSC Mental Health Resource Guide! The Guide is a comprehensive tool-kit that will help you recognize the signs of mental illness, provides advice on starting these difficult conversations and includes information on where to access resources for support. 
• Speak up. Talk openly about mental health. Talking openly about mental health, with people you feel safe with, can end the silence and shame around mental health problems.
• Be a friend to someone you know is struggling. You can be the friend who opens up a conversation.
• #GETLOUD on social media: check out the CMHA toolkit for shareable images and sample posts and tweets.

We all have an important role to play in ensuring that our workplaces are mentally healthy and with this guide you will be better equipped to deal with what is quickly becoming the mental health epidemic.

Together we can break the stigma!

Delegate Count by Group and Region as of December 31st 2017 - Regular and Retired Members

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Delegates: Regional 200, Group 200, Retired Members Guild 8, Board of Directors 15. Consultation Team Presidents 35. Total Delegates: 458

DATE – November 2-3, 2018

LOCATION – NCR, Gatineau, QC  

HOST HOTEL / MEETING LOCATION – Hilton Lac Leamy – The Hilton will be filled on a first come, first served basis, by the first 300 registered delegates. All observers and remaining delegates will be booked at the Ramada Plaza, le Manoir du Casino Hotel (in Gatineau), overflow property.

http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/quebec/hilton-lac-leamy

OVERFLOW HOTEL – Ramada Plaza, le Manoir du Casino Hotel (in Gatineau)

http://ramadaplaza-gatineau.com

ONLINE REGISTRATION – May 7^th to August 3^rd, 2018 – Once notified as having been selected to attend the AGM, all Delegate and Observer have to complete the online registration form. Please note that the deadline for registration will be strictly enforced.

Delegate Selection Process

Group Presidents and Regional Directors must submit their list of approved Delegates/Observers to Julie Gagnon at jgagnon@pipsc.ca, taking into consideration the close of registration on August 3^rd.  Group Presidents and Regional Directors will also need to advise us of their ancillary meetings early (for delegate registration purposes).

Once the lists are received, the National Office will communicate with each Delegate/Observer by e-mail inviting them to register online. Please note that Delegates/Observers will not be able to register until an approved list has been received from the Groups and from the Regions. 

All expenses incurred by Observers (travel, accommodation, salary replacement, all meals and incidentals) are the responsibility of the sponsoring Group or Region.

The number of delegates for the AGM is defined in By-Law 13 and in accordance with the 2018 delegate count.

Changes to Institute By-Laws

By-Law 13.7.1.2 states "No By-Law shall be enacted, repealed or amended by a General Meeting unless details of proposed changes were submitted to the Office of the Executive Secretary no later than twelve (12) weeks prior to a General Meeting." Proposed amendments to the Institute By-Laws must be submitted by August 10, 2018, by email at jgagnon@pipsc.ca.

Resolutions

By-Law 13.7.2.1 states "Resolutions, in writing, must be received at the Office of the Executive Secretary not less than twelve (12) weeks before the commencement of a General Meeting." Resolutions must be submitted by August 10, 2018, by email at jgagnon@pipsc.ca.

AGM resolutions are first received by the Resolutions Sub-Committee (RSC), which is comprised of the following members:

N. McCune – Chair and Chair BLPC

G. Maxwell - AC Director

S. O’Reilly - Chair Finance Committee

E. Gillis – (COO & Executive Secretary, Staff Resource)

J. Gagnon – (EA to COO, Staff Resource)

The mandate of the RSC is to consolidate, monitor and clarify resolutions for submission to the AGM. The RSC is available to help and to provide advice to sponsors regarding wording to ensure clarity and compliance with Institute By-Laws and Policies. If there is a cost associated with resolutions (financial resolutions), sponsors should submit related numbers with their resolution, for review by the RSC.

To assist in the process of writing resolutions, please refer to the pocket guide “Write that Resolution”, found on the Web site or contact a member of the RSC.

As directed by the 2013 AGM, motions presented on the AGM floor will be prioritized as follows:

• Ones brought forward by the Board of Directors, Groups and Regions will be dealt with first
• Those brought forward by Branches and SubGroups be dealt with next
• Finally, those presented by individual members

Institute Fees

Pursuant to By-Law 14.2.1, which governs fees, notice is hereby given that a change in the basic monthly fee may be proposed at the 2018 Annual General Meeting.