1. No category

Spring 2015
pring is in the air and so are the thoughts
of new beginnings. The long, dark days of
winter are soon behind us.
offered to our members through ‘Star 12’ at
no cost to you. You will also receive
information about optional Heart and
Cancer insurance available to support staff.
Our world seems to be full of plans: student
learning plans, budget plans, personal
growth plans, financial plans, family plans,
retirement plans, professional development
plans, vacation plans, etc. etc. etc.
We hope you take advantage of pension
or benefit information seminars that are
offered by Edmonton Public Schools to
support your immediate or long term plans
for retirement. CUPE Local 3550 has plans
to offer sessions on other topics useful to our
The Executive discussed plans at our
Think Tank on different ways to support the members, and would love to hear other
membership of CUPE Local 3550. Our goal topics of specific interest to you.
is to offer sessions on various aspects of
planning that may be useful to many of
Congratulations to our members who have
you.
chosen to retire and begin the next chapter
of their lives. CUPE Local 3550 Annual
The March Communicator package included Retirement Celebration will be held on
information on an RRSP Payroll Deduction
Friday, June 12. Posters and ticket order
Plan. If you did not receive this information, forms are going out in the April
please contact the office for a copy.
Communicator Package and will be posted
on our website.
The March Communicator Package also
Retirees will be mailed a package to their
included a Bargaining Survey. Thank you
home address as we receive notice from
to everyone who completed and returned
the survey to the office. We hope to hear Edmonton Public Schools on their intention to
retire. We want to honour the many years
from each and every one of our support
of hard work and dedication that each of
staff members. If you did not receive the
these members have provided to our
survey, please contact the office. The
District. Please join us on June 12 to
Bargaining Committee will review your
celebrate the end of another school year
priorities as part of the planning for
bargaining proposals. These proposals will and the new beginnings for our retirees!
be presented to membership for approval
at a special meeting before entering into
negotiations with Edmonton Public Schools.
As of this writing, a date for the Special
Meeting has not been set but I will let you
know as soon as I know! Please plan to
Happy
attend. The Collective Agreement belongs
Spring!
to all of us.
April Communicator package will include
information on how to access personal and
professional development opportunities
In solidarity,
Carol Chapman,
Your Executive
President
Carol Chapman
1st Vice President
Janis Zielke
2ndVice President
Janice Kube
Recording Secretary
Mabel Ong
Treasurer
Linda Harris
Chief Steward
Gloria Lepine
Executive Board
Members
Karen Parks
Erna Yeboah
Pat Gallivan
Angele Wasyliw
Shelly Lavallee
Inside This Issue
1
2
3-4
6-7
from the President
Did You Know That…..
Educational Opportunities
Stress Awareness/
Acknowledgement
Self-Trust/Need to Know
8-9
Support Staff Retirement
5-6
10-12
Membership/Steward’ Corner/
CUPE 35550 in Communities
Did you know that…………
Statistical evidence demonstrates that women continue to earn less than men in Canada. This is the case
despite the fact that women are catching up with men in labour force participation, and have caught up
with men in educational attainment. The gap between what women earn and what men earn is known as
the gender wage gap.
All employees
Employees with union
coverage
Total employees
Employees without union
coverage
All employees
Employees with union
Permanent employees
coverage
Employees without union
coverage
All employees
Employees with union
Temporary employees
coverage
Employees without union
coverage
Males
Females
Ratio
25.91
22.00
0.849
26.96
25.28
0.937
25.42
20.18
0.794
26.38
22.24
0.843
27.17
25.53
0.926
26.00
20.46
0.786
21.01
19.75
0.940
24.85
23.29
0.939
18.94
17.26
0.911
Source: Table prepared by the author using data obtained from Statistics Canada, “Labour force survey
estimates (LFS), wages of employees by job permanence, union coverage, sex and age group, annual
(current dollars),” Table 282 0074, CANSIM (database), Using
E-STAT (distributor), 10 September 2010.
2
Educational Opportunities
You need new skills and information
You don’t have time to waste
We understand that
In today’s super-competitive workplace, there is absolutely no substitute for knowledge and skills. With
STAR 12 you get the continued learning and development you need to thrive in todays business environment. The skills you learn will help you become more effective, more motivated, and a little less
stressed at work. You’ll be able to easily find answers to almost any workplace question, learn new
skills to keep pace in a dynamic business landscape, and solve problems quickly with expert training.
Star 12 offers: one- and two-day seminars, live webinars, archived webinars and audio conferences and
online Learning Center courses.
A few of the upcoming one day seminars are:







April 2, 2015 - The Manager’s Role in Developing People
April 23, 2015 - Managing Multiple Priorities and Projects
April 30, 2015 - The Basic of Writing Policies and Procedures
May 14, 2015 - Management Skills for First-Time Supervisors
May 27, 2015 - Decision Making & Problem-Solving Skills with Analytical Thinking
June 19, 2015 - Developing Trust & Respect in the Workplace
June 25, 2015 - How to be an Outstanding Communicator
Additional live webinars, archived webinars and audio conferences and online Learning Center
courses can be viewed on the Star 12 website at :
http://www.nationalseminarstraining.com
Local 3550 has purchased three
Star 12 memberships to be used by
our members. Please contact our
office at 780 455-1435 for more
information on how take part in
these training sessions.
“There are two types of education... One should teach us how to make a living, And the other how to live."
- John Adams
3
The Prairie School for Union W omen
offers trade union women an intensive
four days of learning and sharing in a
supportive environment.
The goals of the school are to develop
women’s personal and leadership skills
and to build solidarity among women
workers. The school provides on-site
child care and is committed to childfriendly attitudes.
Check the following website for specific
information and course offerings:
http://www.sfl.sk.ca/events/schools
Local 3550 will sponsor 2 members to attend this valuable and worthwhile school. Please call our
office or check our website at: 3550.cupe.ca for information on how to request funding for educational
opportunities.
Facts on retirement and pension…….
Canada Pension Plan CPP is the Canada’s Public Pension system. All working Canadians
and their employers pay into the plan equally. The money you pay comes back to you upon
your retirement.
CPP is fully portable across all provinces and workplaces no matter where you work or the
number of times that you change jobs.
Is there a crisis?
Potentially yes!
Canada’s population is aging! The number of seniors will double by 2036, and by 2041, one in four Canadians
will be seniors. Over 3.5 million are expected to retire between 2013 and 2022.
The average CPP retirement benefit in Alberta is $511.30 per month. Old age poverty is set to increase due to the
low retirement benefits.
How can we avoid a crisis?
The only answer is to double the CPP from the current 4.95% to 7.95% (a modest 3% increase) to be phased out
evenly over 7 years that would greatly benefit all age groups—this could make a difference!
4
Age
Years until retirement
Monthly CPP with
Labour’s Plan
Monthly CPP without
Labour’s Plan
45
20
$1038
$519
35
30
$1558
$779
25
40
$2077
$1038
pril is National Stress Awareness month,
making it a good time to assess the sources of stress
in your life, learn about effective coping skills, and
figure out if you’re dealing with stress properly.
Take action over things you can control
Taking action in the aspects of your work life you
control is key. Focus on what you can do to improve
things rather than what you can’t. It will make you
feel much more empowered. Do what it is in your
Statistics show that 1/3 of Canadians feel that they power to do.
are constantly under stress trying to accomplish
more than they can handle, that 2% of Canadian
Keep your eyes on the prize
workers reported that they were on the verge of a Focusing on your common goals and negotiation will
breakdown, and that 50% of Canadian workers
get you much further than whining about a colages 25-44 worry that they do not spend enough
league or manager or their way of doing things.
time with friends and family.
Establish boundaries
Stress is your response to the world around you –
Focus on your boundaries to keep stress at bay like a situation or an event. Stress management
this means not letting your external work environstarts with identifying the sources of stress in your
ment overly affect your internal mood.
life. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Your true sources
of stress aren’t always obvious, and it’s all too easy Learn to deal
to overlook your own stress-inducing thoughts, feel- It’s important for employees to have coping strateings, and behaviors.
gies. Deep breathing and brief periods of alone
time can also help.
Focus on your actions
It is important to remember that stress is a reaction
Adapted from HealthGuide.org and Admin Pro Today
and isn’t inevitable, and it is our response to the
world around you. To develop a stress-free mindset
at work, it’s important to focus on taking action rather than worrying, or actually thinking more positively about things so you no longer feel
aggrieved by them.”
Acknowledgements
A card is sent to members who are:
 celebrating the birth or adoption of a grandchild.
 celebrating a marriage of a child or grandchild.
 off work for an extended length of time due to
illness.
 have had a death in their extended family.
Due to FOIP concerns, a motion was passed at
May 2012 Membership Meeting, that members’
names will not be published in the newsletter.
NOTE: We require member to provide their name
when reporting an acknowledgement. This will
A card and flowers are sent to members who are: allow the office to confirm the acknowledgement.
 celebrating their own marriage.
 celebrating the birth or adoption of their own
Please email Sharon Meinke, sameinke@telus.net
child.
or the office, cupe3550@telus.net
for an acknowledgement.
A card and flowers or a donation to charity are
made when:
Sharon Meinke
 a member has experienced a death in their
Acknowledgement Chair
immediate family - ie. spouse, child, child's
spouse, grandchild, parent, spouse's parents,
brother or sister, member’s brother-in-law or
sister-in-law.
 a member has passed away.
5
The Importance of Self-Trust
How well do you trust yourself, I mean really trust
yourself?
Be willing to take risks, go for it, and make mistakes. So often we don't try things because we think
we might fail. I love Michael Jordan's quote about
For most of us, self-trust can be tricky. We have a
this, he said, "I missed 100% of the shots I never
tendency to second-guess ourselves, not listen to our took." While it can be scary for us to take risks in
gut, or hang onto negative memories from the past life, one of the greatest ways we can build our cawhen we've made mistakes or "bad" decisions.
pacity for self-trust is to go for it... even if we fail.
These things and others make it difficult for us to
As we build up our ability to take risks, we also
trust ourselves and thus create challenges in our
grow our capacity for courage, which in turn exrelationships, our work, and our lives.
pands our ability to trust ourselves.
Forgive yourself! This is a life-long process and is
vital as it relates to self-trust. One of the main reasons we don't trust ourselves is that we haven't forgiven ourselves for mistakes we've made, pain
we've caused, or regrets we have. These "demons"
Like appreciation, authenticity, or many other imfrom our past haunt us and we use them as eviportant aspects of our life and growth, the first step dence to not go for things and not trust ourselves.
in our process of expansion is to notice and tell the
truth about why it can be difficult. In the case of self As we enhance our capacity to forgive ourselves,
-trust, once we're able to honestly acknowledge our we heal from the past and breathe new life into our
challenge with it (and have some compassion about experience. This creates a genuine sense of enthusiasm for both the present moment and for our future.
it), we can start to consciously choose to trust ourAnd, as we're able to forgive ourselves, we can let
selves in a more real way.
go of our attachment to being "perfect" and having
What makes it difficult or challenging for you to
to do everything just right... which then
fully trust yourself? Take a moment to consider this. allows us to trust ourselves more freely.
The more aware of this we can be, with empathy,
the more likely we are to move beyond it and let
Think of something important in your life right now go of our "story" about why we can't trust ourselves. a decision you've been on the fence about because
Here are a few things you can do to enhance your you're worried about making the wrong choice (i.e.
ability to trust yourself:
not trusting yourself). Given what we've been discussing here, if you fully trusted yourself in this moListen to your inner wisdom. We all have inner
ment, what would you do in
wisdom. Some of us refer to this as our intuition,
regards to this important issue? I bet if you listen to
others call it our gut, and still others relate to it as
your inner wisdom, allow yourself to take a risk,
our higher consciousness. Whether you call it one or and know that you can forgive yourself no matter
all of these things (or something else), I believe that what happens - the answer to the question "what
we're all very intuitive and that we each have a
should I do?" in this situation is quite clear.
deep sense of what is true and right for us in most
situations. As we practice listening to this inner wis- Adapted from Mike Robbins, author of Nothing Changes Until You Do
dom (through meditation, prayer, quiet time,
breath, conscious thought, and more), we begin to
trust ourselves on a deeper level.
Lack of self-trust, while debilitating in many ways, is
quite common. There's nothing wrong with us for not
trusting ourselves... it isn't something we've been
specifically encouraged or trained to do.
Memorable Quotes by Martin Luther King
Conflict
A riot is at bottom the language
of the unheard.
Freedom
Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be
demanded by the oppressed.
6
Strength
The ultimate test of a man is not
where he stands in moments of
comfort and moments of convenience, but where he stands in
moments of challenge and moments of controversy.
Human Rights
A right delayed is a right denied.
Love
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate
cannot drive out hate; only love
can do that.
Measles Immunization and Business Related Travel for Staff
February 19, 2015 - Staff will not be permitted to
conduct business related travel (professional learning,
meetings, field trips, etc.) to California (or areas where
there is an outbreak) without proof of measles
immunization if they were born in 1970 or later.
The Public Health Agency of Canada reminds travellers
to make sure their measles vaccination is up-to-date.
Travellers who are not immune to measles (those who
have not been fully vaccinated or have not been
infected with the disease) have an increased risk of
infection. For example, travel through international
airports, including those in Canada, may increase your
chance of exposure to the disease.
If you are uncertain whether you need the measles
vaccine before travelling, please call your local
community health centre to discuss. If you are not sure
how to reach your local community health centre, you
can also call Health Link Alberta at 1-866-408-5465.
Further information: Lynn Norris, Manager, Employee
Health, 780-429-8072.
March 5 is Change your Password Day
February 20, 2015 - District Technology has
identified Thursday, March 5, 2015 as Change Your Password
Day. All staff are asked to take a few minutes on or
before March 5 to change and strengthen their password
used to sign on to a computer, or into StaffZone and
SchoolZone.
PLEASE NOTE: If you do not change your password on or
before March 5, you will be reminded and then forced to
change your password as of March 12, 2015.
Your password must be at least eight characters in length;
however, a longer password is preferred. Consider using a
pass-phrase such as “RedRosesAreNice”, which is easier to
remember if meaningful to you (rather than a cryptic
combination of letters, symbols and numbers) and will
significantly increase the security of District information
(length=strength).
Service Password Reset on your account.
A Q&A is available on District Technology’s website. Please
note that if you have already changed your password within
the past 30 days, you are not required to change it again
before March 5.
Further information: Patrick Miller, 780-429-8051.
***
Self Service Password Reset
February 20, 2015 - District Technology has provided a new
feature within StaffZone called "Password Reset".
Password Reset allows you to reset your network password if
you have forgotten it, without contacting the ITS Help Desk.
This can be done from any location using any Internet
enabled device at any time of the day or night. You only need
to set it up once!
For more information on how to activate this new feature, go
to StaffZone, sign in with your current password, select
To change your password go to https://staffzone.epsb.ca, sign "Account" from the menu on the left side of the screen, then
in with your current password, select "Account" from the
click on the "Password Reset" tile and follow the instructions.
menu on the left side of the screen, and then click on the
The reset feature requires you to provide an alternate/home
"Change Password" tile. Once you have changed your
email address which is used in the notification process.
password, logout of StaffZone and log back in again using
This self-service feature will enable staff to reset forgotten
your new password.
passwords at their own convenience and at any time of the
day or night. Our expectation is to reduce and eventually
***If you use a mobile device to access District Resources
remove password reset calls to the ITS Help Desk.
(email, wireless, etc.), don’t forget to update your password
Further information: Patrick Miller, 780-429-8051.
on those devices as well. It is also a good time to set up a Self
7
Retirement
Banquet
2015
June 12th
Santa Maria Goretti
Community Centre
11050 90 Street
(by Commonwealth Stadium)
Doors open at 5:00 PM
Dinner at 6:00 PM
Program and entertainment to follow
Tickets $35.00
for more information
email Karen - social35@telus.net
Great Prizes!!!
Raffle Tickets
$2.00 each; 3 for $5.00 or
Arms Length $20.00
Proceeds to WIN House
8
Friday, June 12
Santa Maria Goretti Community Centre
11050 90 Street, Edmonton
(by Commonwealth Stadium)
Send your ticket order form and payment to:
Karen Parks c/o CUPE Local 3550
#200, 11903 111 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB T5G 0E4
Deadline for ticket orders is May 29, 2015.
No ticket purchases at the door
Phone: 780-455-1435 Fax: 780-452-1462 E-mail: social35@telus.net
(EPS truck delivers to your union’s office on Mondays only)
Name(s):
Tickets: ____ @ $35 = ______
Cash
Cheque Please make cheque payable to CUPE Local 3550
Send tickets to:
Work Location
___________________________________
 Home Address:
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Each retiree receives
2
COMPLIMENTARY
TICKETS.
Please provide your
guest’s name.
Additional tickets
may be purchased if
you choose.
Phone: ___________________
E-mail: ___________________
Seating Arrangement Request
Name of Retiree(s):
Seating requests will be honoured on a
first come, first served basis. If you have
any questions or concerns, please do not
hesitate to contact your union office.
9
Membership
As an employee of Edmonton Public Schools,
Your CUPE Local 3550 Membership Card
you have the opportunity to become a card car- entitles you to the following privileges:
rying member of CUPE Local 3550, which is the  ability to run for a position on your
exclusive bargaining agent for EPS Support
 Executive.
Staff.
 become a delegate of your union and attend
conferences, workshops, and education opFor a $2.00 initiation fee, you are entitled to
portunities.
have full voice and vote on union decisions.
 voting rights on the decisions of your local.
These decisions are made at general or special
 the opportunity to be fully informed about
meetings held throughout the year.
your union/local and what it does.
 invitations to monthly and/or special memYou will receive your card when you attend a
bership meetings where decisions, which
membership meeting and are sworn in.
directly affect Support Staff, are made.
 attend CUPE Local 3550 special events such
Meetings are usually held on the first Tuesday
as the Kids’ Christmas Party.
of the month, from September to June, at the
For more information please
Central Lions Senior Recreation Centre (11113 call the union office at
113 Street) at 7 p.m.
780 455 1435 or email
cupe3550@telus.net
Check out the CUPE Local 3550 website at 3550.cupe.ca for Education
requests,, information about upcoming events, etc.!!!
Mark your calendar:
2014—2015 GENERAL
MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Support Staff Retirement Event - June 12, 2015, Santa Maria Goretti Hall
Kid’s Christmas Party - December 5, 2015, Fantasyland West Edmonton Mall.
7:00 P.M.
Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
10
Central Lions Senior
Recreation Centre
11113 - 113 Street
(Tuesday)
Mar. 3
Apr. 7
May 5
June 2 (Elections)
Employee Health
Services and You
If you have been away from work due to
accident of injury for 3 or more
consecutive days, you will be contacted
by a Health Recovery Consultant. If you
are expecting to be away for a longer
period of time, health recovery
consultants can provide you with
assistance and information on the
following topics:
 Health recovery strategies
 Work accommodations for health
reasons
 Return to work issues following
injury or illness
 Reporting and recording of injury/
illness, and
 Sick leave, extended disability
benefits (EDB) and workers’
compensation benefits (WCB)
Steward’s Corner
If your sick leave entitlement ends before
90 calendar days, you will be placed on
an unpaid Leave of Absence – Health and
EPS keeps your benefits in place for the
first 90 days. Remember that you can
apply for Medical Employment Insurance
if you wish. If you have been approved by
WCB, you will continue to receive your
salary from EPS. If you are not on an
approved WCB claim and you continue to
be absent for more than 90 calendar
days, extended disability benefits will be
paid, if you are eligible, through the
Alberta School Employee Benefit Plan.
Once you are ready to return to work,
you may have some restrictions or
limitations and accommodations may be
put in place by your doctor. If you have
been away for an extended period of
time, or if you return to work with
Your health recovery consultant will be
restrictions or limitations, a return to
contacting you on a regular basis to
provide you with support and answer any work meeting will be set involving you,
your administrator or DU supervisor,
questions you have. Your union can
provide you with advice and assistance in your health recovery consultant and your
union representative. In this meeting, a
the Health Recovery process.
plan will be developed to support you in
Your responsibilities during your
your return to work process. After a few
convalescence is to:
weeks, there may be another meeting to
 Follow the advice of your doctor
discuss your progress and/or a change in
 Submit a medical certificate when
any restrictions or limitations.
requested


Communicate with Health Recovery
Actively participate in rehabilitation
and return to work planning
 Submit appropriate forms and
information to ASEBP should
extended disability become
necessary
While you are off due to sickness, you
can expect to receive your pay cheque
for a period of up to 90 calendar days or
until your sick leave benefits are
depleted, whichever comes first.
stew3550@telus.net
780-455-1435
© 780-866-5660
If you have any questions, you can
contact your Union at 780-455-1435 or
your Health Recovery Consultant at
Edmonton Public Schools Health Services
780-429-8102.
Executive
President
Carol Chapman
pres3550@telus.net
© 780-887-3552
Chief Steward
Gloria Lepine
stew3550@telus.net
© 780-886-5660
1st Vice President
Janis Zielke
1vpr3550@telus.net
2nd Vice President
Janice Kube
2vpr3550@telus.net
Treasurer
Linda Harris
tres3550@telus.net
© 780-918-4212
Recording Secretary
Mabel Ong
anak6868@hotmail.com
EXECUTIVE BOARD
MEMBERS
Shelly Lavallee
Sergeant-at-Arms
shelly.lavallee@telus.net
Pat Gallivan
pgallivan@shaw.ca
Karen Parks
kparks@shaw.ca
Angele Wasyliw
awasyliw95@gmail.com
Erna Yeboah
grater.cake@hotmail.com
UNION TRUSTEES
In solidarity,
Gloria
Lepine
1 Year
Susan Woo
2 Year
Marianne Andresen
Chief Steward
Stewarding
Committee
3 Year
Colleen Cooper
11
CUPE 3550 in Communities
The membership of CUPE Local 3550, as always,
continues to support our broader community in many
ways. In the past, Kitchen Kits have been collected and
its time to do it again!
Fill a laundry basket with NEW kitchen items including small
appliances, e.g. scissors, soap dish, towels, cleaners, utensils,
dishes, linens (singles & doubles), coffee pots, toasters, lamps.
Heal the World
There’s a place in your heart
And I know that it is love.
Heal the world
Make it a better place
For you and for me
And the entire Human Race
There are ways to get there
If you care enough for the living
Make a better place for you and for me.
Michael Jack-
Put a laundry basket or box in the
staff room and start collecting.
CUPE Local 3550 is proud to support
The City of Edmonton initiative FIND
to help families get a new start.
Bring your collection of items to the June 2, 2015 General
Meeting at the Central Lions Association, 11113 113 Street
NW OR you can drop items off at the CUPE Local 3550
office, Unit 200, 11903 111 Avenue NW.
If you need help with delivery, please call the Union office at
780-455-1435.
Need a replacement Membership card?
Call your union office at 780.455.1435 or email us at cupe3550@telus.net for assistance!
Check your site CUPE 3550 Communicator Board for updates, upcoming events, etc.
12
40052158