Chapter Executive Meeting
Professional Employees Association
Thursday, June 3rd, 1999, beginning at 10:21AM.
Virtual meeting, by e-mail.

Participating: Tom Gore (chair), Glen Darling, Jane Kovach, Maggie Cooper Little, Ian Thornton, Berenice Wood, Susan Corner and Vincent Connor.

On June 3, 1999, beginning at 10:21 am, Tom Gore proposed that a virtual Chapter Executive meeting be conducted by e-mail to conduct a single item of business. This was in response to a note received from CUPE 917 with the result of a strike vote of 90% in favour taken at a June 2nd meeting. The following motion was circulated, and a majority of votes were received by 3:20 pm to approve the motion.

MOVED (Gore/Darling) That the Chapter Executive offer the support of the UVic chapter of the PEA to CUPE 917. CARRIED

Directors who had not yet voted at the time the motion was approved subsequently voted in favour, making the approval unanimous.

Meeting adjourned at 4:56 pm.

Chapter Executive Meeting
Professional Employees Association
Wednesday, June 9th, 1999, beginning at 12.30 PM
Classroom Building, Room C114

Present: Glen Darling (President), Vincent Connor, Susan Corner, John Forde, Tom Gore, Jane Kovach, Maggie Cooper Little, Ian Thornton and Berenice Wood

1. MOTION (Gore/Thornton) That the agenda be approved as amended. CARRIED

2. MOTION (Connor/Kovach) That the minutes of the June 3, 1999, virtual meeting be approved as circulated. CARRIED

3. Urgent Business.

3.1 Thornton reported on matters affecting benefits. Human Resources has made little progress in dealing with performance review, reclassification changes, and the benefits information package. An increase in members’ premiums for the Long Term Disability Plan were recently made without input from the Benefits Committee. There is a need to clarify the mandate of this committee, and Chapter representatives on the Association/University Committee (A/U) will raise this and other questions regarding benefits at the next A/U meeting.

4. Chair's Remarks and Correspondence

4.1 July 1st will see collective agreement changes being implemented. These include:
* CSI’s differential severance provisions will end;
* salary progressions;
* increase in annual professional development allowance to $250 per member.
Darling will send out a message on the A&AP listserve to bring the changes to the attention of members.

4.2 A message was recently circulated on the A&AP listserv to encourage member involvement.

5. Reports

5.1 Staff Officer Report (Forde)

Forde has been preparing for an arbitration involving the Faculty of Business. This has now been scheduled for July 31, 1999. He also reported on:

* termination of a term position in Environmental Studies;
* changes to a position in Co-op Education;
* the first meeting of the Job Evaluation Committee;
* changes to a member’s position in Fine Arts;
* a CUPE 4163 position in the McPherson Library being reclassified as PEA. This position will be posted.

5.2 Provincial PEA Executive (Gore)

Report from the May 17, 1999, meeting:

* The recommendations of the Re-structuring Conference were endorsed. Referendum ballots have been circulated to all members and the ballot closes on July 1, 1999.
* A presentation was made by Merrill Lynch on the PEA investment portfolio.
* Recommendations of the Policy Committee were approved. Grants and donations for sports and cultural activities may now be approved at the chapter level.
* A new staff officer will be hired in the Burnaby office if a new unit is certified at SFU.
* Tom Gore’s paper on the MAI was accepted and has been submitted as a brief to the provincial and federal governments.

5.3 Council of Unionized University Employees (CUUE) Meeting (Darling/Gore)

The next meeting is scheduled for June 14, 1999. Items for discussion should be sent to Darling or Gore.

5.4 See Chair’s Remarks

5.5 Seminars Committee (Cooper Little)

* A seminar on emergency preparedness is scheduled for June 16, 1999, with Donna Bouchard of UVic’s Emergency Social Services.
* The public speaking skills course is still ongoing and concludes on June 21, 1999.
* Videos will be scheduled for August.
A series of collective agreement information sessions is being organized by the Seminars Committee and members of the former Bargaining Committee.

5.6 Equity Working Group (Cooper Little)

Report of June 8, 1999, meeting:
* Six equity plans were reviewed:
School of Nursing (approved), Housing, Food and Conference Service (referred to third reader), McPherson Library (approved subject to minor revisions), School of Environmental Studies (approved subject to minor revisions), Counselling, Financial Services, Health Services, Student Employment Centre, International and Exchange Student Services, Services for Students with a Disability (approved subject to minor revisions), Facilities Management (approved subject to minor revisions)

* Plans have still not been received from several units and ways to encourage compliance were discussed. The next step will be to support and monitor implementation of unit equity plans.

Appointments to this committee are renewed on July 1 and representatives should be confirmed.

MOTION (Corner/Gore) That Maggie Cooper Little continue as the Chapter representative on the Equity Working Group of the Human Rights Committee July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2000. CARRIED

5.7 Harassment Working Group (Gore)

Report of May 26 meeting:
* Implications of B.C. Human Rights Commission were discussed in relation to expansion of the policy to include discrimination. There is a need for commonality of language addressing procedures in the various collective agreements at UVic. A working group consisting of Susan Shaw, Michael Prince, Lyman Robinson, and Peter Sanderson was formed to draft a policy.
* Susan Shaw expressed concerns about informing new employees on the Harassment Policy.

The Executive discussed possible ways to inform new employees of UVic policies, union matters, etc. It was suggested that orientations for new PEA members be arranged. It’s not clear what information is presently given to new employees. This will be raised at the Association/University Committee. The CUEE representatives will also investigate what is done at other institutions.

5.8 Occupational Health and Safety (Kovach)

Jane Kovach and Dick Chappell recently attended a one-day symposium sponsored by the B.C. Federation of Labour and Provincial Labour Councils on Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. Topics covered were ergonomics, violence, indoor air quality, chemicals, biohazards, appeals, Bill 14 and the Royal Commission report. A binder of materials is available for reference by contacting Kovach.

6. Business Arising.

6.1 Unfinished business

Gore has now ordered the Chapter banner.
Joint UVic/PEA proposal to Senate: Tabled to next meeting.

7. Other Business.

7.1 Financial Report (Connor): there is presently a defecit in the Chapter’s EASY account.
MOTION (Corner/Wood) That $1,600 be deposited to the Chapter EASY account. CARRIED

8. MOTION (Connor)That the meeting be adjourned. CARRIED

Meeting adjourned at 1:45 pm

Next meeting: Wednesday, June 23, 1999 HSD Room A264