2019 Ontario Regional Steward Council Meeting
Hyatt Regency Toronto
Friday September 20 to Saturday September 21, 2019
The Ontario Region Steward Council will be held on Friday September 20 and Saturday September 21, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency Toronto. The Council will be one and one half [1 ½] days, starting on Friday at 1:00 p.m., with registration beginning at 12:00 p.m. The Council will continue on Saturday starting at 9:00 a.m. and will conclude at between 4:00 to 4:30 p.m. No scheduled events will take place on Saturday evening.
The intent of this meeting is to provide training and information, as well as an opportunity to expand your network. Workshops are being planned to assist you in further developing your skills as a steward and promote discussion concerning current issues.
You must be a steward in good standing to attend the Ontario Steward Council OR considered a steward in waiting if your steward application has been approved and you will be attending Basic Steward Training on October 17 to 19, 2019.
ON-LINE REGISTRATION
The on-line registration will close at 5:00 p.m. on Monday August 12, 2019. Registration will not be accepted by telephone. This year, we will be offering a variety of topics to choose from. You will have the opportunity to attend TWO (2) of these sessions, one on Friday and the other on Saturday. Please select TWO (2) topics on your registration form in order of importance.
ACCOMMODATION
The meeting and hotel coordinates are:
Hyatt Regency Toronto, 370 King Street, Toronto, Ontario M5V 1J9 Tel: (416) 343-1234.
Early Departure Fee: the hotel will charge PIPSC an early departure fee of the full room rate for all nights reserved if a delegate checks out prior to the confirmed check out date. This fee will be charged to the member’s credit card.
No Show Reservation: any reservation which fails to materialize and has not been cancelled a minimum of 48 hours prior to arrival will be charged one night’s room and tax to the Institute. The Institute will recover the cost from the member’s next travel claim.
Once you receive your confirmation email, the Toronto office will reserve your hotel room. Accommodation will be provided on Thursday night for delegates who would have to leave their home before 7:00 a.m. on Friday September 20, 2019 to arrive at the meeting by 1:00 p.m. All delegates are entitled to a room on Friday night. Accommodation will be provided on Saturday night for delegates who cannot arrive home by 8:00 p.m. travelling by the most direct route including a 1 hour meal stop.
In such cases where the member requires accommodation on Saturday, the member shall be reimbursed per diem expenses for dinner and incidentals on Saturday and breakfast and incidentals on Sunday.
In accordance with the Policy on Balancing Union Activity and Family Life, a member who lives more than 16 km from the meeting location, who requires accommodation on the Friday of a Steward Council and who is accompanied by their spouse or significant other and/or their immediate family, will be entitled to accommodation on Saturday night for themselves and their spouse or significant other and/or their immediate family.
Hotel guests are required to present a valid credit card upon check-in at the hotel to process your room reservation and cover incidentals and/or any miscellaneous room charges, which are the responsibility of each guest. Check in time is 4:00 p.m. and check out time is 12:00 p.m.
The hotel does not permit pets on the property and standard internet is complimentary in hotel rooms.
The entire hotel is non-smoking. Bedrooms that have been smoked in or smell of smoke, will be assessed and charged a cleaning fee of $250.00, which will be charged to the delegate’s credit card.
The cost of the hotel will be paid by the Institute through a master account. Please be aware that PIPSC may be charged in full for any rooms cancelled after Tuesday August 20, 2019. We ask that you be mindful of this fact when completing your registration form.
If you need to cancel or make any changes, please contact me immediately at 416-487-1114 or 1-800-668-3943, Ext. 7727. Should you have to cancel your attendance on Friday September 20, please call the hotel directly to cancel your room and leave a message for me at the hotel. Do not leave a message at the regional office on the Council dates, as it’s unlikely that we will be able to check messages. Failure to do so may result in you being charged directly for your accommodation.
REGISTRATION
Registration will begin at 12:00 p.m. on Friday September 20, 2019 outside of the King ballroom.
MEALS
Friday lunch - per diem (delegates only)
Friday dinner - PIPSC (member plus spouse/significant other or child, as per Institute policy)
Saturday breakfast - per diem (delegates only)
Saturday lunch - PIPSC (delegates only)
Saturday dinner - per diem (delegates only)
Sunday breakfast - per diem (if a member has Saturday accommodation, the member shall be reimbursed per diem expenses for breakfast the next morning).
IMPORTANT: any food allergies or special dietary requests must be noted on your registration form. Although we will advise the hotel of your request, you will need to advise your server during meals.
TRANSPORTATION
Once you receive your confirmation email, please call BCD Travel at 1-866-768-7624 and quote Tan #24633 to arrange your plane or train tickets. Car rental requests require pre-approval through the Toronto PIPSC office. Please call BCD Travel and ask for a rental estimate and email that information to my attention.
SELF PARKING
Parking is located underground and will be billed to our master account for 1 vehicle. As per policy, valet parking is not covered. Please provide your vehicle information to the front desk when checking into the hotel. Please note: the underground parking can accommodate vehicles up to 6’ 6” high.
COMPENSATION FOR LEAVE
Institute policy allows for compensating participants who use vacation leave, compensatory leave or union leave without pay for attendance at a Steward Council. The participant must complete the PIPSC Compensatory Salary Claim form which can be found on the PIPSC website. The Institute will reimburse reasonable travel and salary expenses incurred to attend the Council.
OTHER
Observers are welcome, but no expenses, including the Steward Council lunch, will be paid by the Institute. Costs for observers may be paid by the Region, the observer’s Branch, or by the observer. If the observer is sponsored by a Branch and requires hotel accommodation, the Branch will be billed by the Institute. To ensure sufficient space and seating arrangements, names of all observers are required by Monday August 12, 2019.
Observers are responsible for booking their own travel and accommodation. Please request the PIPSC rate when booking your accommodation.
Dependent and/or child care expenses will be paid by the Institute where receipts are provided, in accordance with the PIPSC Travel Policy.
Any special requests for travel outside of these guidelines must receive prior approval by Finance. All requests should be emailed to me at hkohli@pipsc.ca
STEWARD OF THE YEAR AWARD
We encourage all members in the Ontario Region to come forward and provide their nomination(s) for Steward of the Year. If you feel there is a Steward in the region that deserves this award, please review the criteria and nomination form INSERT LINK. Your completed form should be emailed to me by Monday August 26, 2019.
RETIRING STEWARDS
If you are aware of any stewards retiring this year, please complete the Citation nomination form http://www.pipsc.ca/about/awards/citation-guidelines and email it to me by Monday August 26, 2019.
As always, I remain available for any questions or comments that you may have. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any additional information.
Best regards,
Heather Kohli
Office Administrator
PIPSC Toronto Office
(416) 487-1114, Ext. 7727