CSRA Newsletter Summer 2022

CSRA Newsletter Summer 2022

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Has the CSRA Call for Nominations arrived in your mail box? Many thanks to Carole Lefebvre, Berni Conn and Danielle Jennings and the print and mail room crews at CUPE National for getting it all in the mail.

The term for all positions on the Association executive ends December 31. You can nominate any member in good standing, including yourself. Just be sure to get your nomination form in the mail by July 25. Last year, the CSRA Executive Board approved by-law changes to streamline the election process. You’ll see on this year’s form that we ask if the person being nominated is willing to accept the nomination. In the past, we have had cases where members were not aware of their nomination.

Once nominations are received, the Elections Committee — Berni Conn, Lise Gauvreau, Mary Catherine McCarthy and Jane Stinson — will contact the nominees and prepare the ballots for mailout. Thanks to these sisters for assisting with the election.

Our Treasurer Barry Thorsteinson and BC Chapter Rep Timon Azmier have informed us that they do not intend to stand for election again. Thank you both for your work on behalf of CUPE retirees and seniors in general. Barry will continue in his current position on the executive of the National Pensioners Federation. Timon will remain as retiree rep with the CUPE Employee Assistance Program. If you have questions or need assistance from EAP, you can contact Timon at tazmier@shaw.ca.

Other Business

One side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic was our temporary move to Zoom for executive meetings. As a result, Association expenses have been lower than usual. At our meeting in April, the executive committee decided to put some of those funds to good use with a $500 donation to the Humanitarian Coalition for its work in Ukraine.

We also donated $1000 to the Canadian Federation of Pensioners, which has been waging a long-term campaign to protect defined benefit pension plans. The private member’s Bill 228 has now gone to committee with all-party support. One component of the bill would give super-priority to pension plan members in cases of company bankruptcy instead of leaving them behind as happened in the past in workplaces like Nortel and Sears.

Comings and Goings

Please join us in welcoming the following new members:

QC

Amessan Gnawa

Charles Fleury

National

Wendy Barry

Danielle Jennings

Kari Rudd

ON

Gilles Bouffard

Stephen Kenney

Linda Merkac

Joseph Matasic

Christine Lang

SK

William Cronin

AB

Victoria O’Dell

BC

Robert Hewitt

William Lee Mossman

Lynn Falk

Kelli Lawrence

William Pegler

With condolences to colleagues, friends and family, we also bid farewell to:

NB

Guy Arseneault

Qc

Georges Landry

National

John Spence

AB

Cliff Letendre

Negotiations

CSU retiree rep Cheryl Colborne has informed us that both CSU and CUPE have ratified a tentative agreement with a term running from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2025. There are no changes to benefit coverage or to the pension plan, with the following included: “The parties agree that any discussions regarding the CUPE Employees Pension Plan (CEPP) shall be conducted, as necessary, during the life of the Collective Agreement.”

Don’t forget — nomination forms must be in the mail by July 25, 2022.

In solidarity,

Pat Daley, President

Shelly Gordon, Vice-President

Barry Thorsteinson, Treasurer

Carole Lefebvre, Secretary