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CAW Ontario Health Care Council
Local 229 Representative: Barb Maki, Vice President
The CAW National Council meets
three times per year, with hundreds of elected representatives from across the
country, and the Ontario CAW Health Care Council has the opportunity to meet
each time. The Executive may meet more often as needs arise.
Eleven CAW Locals in Ontario
represent over 20,000 health care workers in various work places. Guiding
principles for the CAW Health Care Council include but are not limited to:
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Ensuring all levels of
government continue to be challenged to provide quality universal public health
care and to improve working conditions of CAW members in hospitals, nursing
homes, homes for the aged, ambulance, and community health care agencies.
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Promoting the coordination and
cooperation of campaigns in the health care industry.
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Promoting and exchanging ideas
of common interest to the health care sector membership including common
bargaining issues and/or relevant strategies.
Additionally, we meet regularly
with the Nova Scotia Health Care Council, and we have worked on mutual projects
with the CAW Retiree’s Council, the Ontario Health Coalition, and the National
Union. Overall, health care in Ontario and in Canada has faced what has seemed
like insurmountable challenges in recent years. Ontario Health Care workers
chose the CAW because there is always hope in a union that fights back. Our
National Union was the only Union in Canada to convince major employers to
jointly sign letters in support of the public, not-for-profit, universal
medicare system.
You may not necessarily think
CAW when you think of health care, but we’re hoping to change that.
Local 229 Health Care Committee
Executive Board Liaison
The Local 229 Health Care
Committee has been very active since our first meeting in March, 2002. Current
projects include:
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Supporting the “Save Medicare
Campaign”;
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Developing a proposal for
better RPN utilization;
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Researching and responding to
flu shot issues;
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Minimum staffing standard for
Long Term Care facilities and a recent focus on the upcoming hospital
bargaining.
Future goals include dealing
with violence in the workplace and excessive workload issues.
Education Committee
Chairperson: Kari
Jefford
The Education Committee is
small in numbers however, large in ideas. Our main focus since being created in
February 2002 is to provide a way to educate our members on union issues that
they find useful. So far we organized a 3 day educational for all our stewards,
unit chairpersons and Executive Board members in the Spring. We combined this
with the new unit training offered by the National. Recently we adopted the
Education Policy that is produced by the National, set up dates for future one
day weekend schools based on the topics the members have indicated to be useful.
We also have developed policies and procedures for members to apply for
education and Paid Education Leave Programs. Our chairperson is Kari Jefford and
she can be reached through the Local office.
Request for Education Form
Grievance
Committee
Each unit of Local 229 has a
grievance committee which in many cases is the stewards of the unit and the unit
chair. The grievance committee meets as needed to review any grievances
that are beyond the final stage before arbitration.
Request for Grievance
Investigation Form
Communications Committee
Chairperson
The Communications Committee is
responsible for maintaining the Local 229 Web Site and for developing and
distributing the newsletter, Local 229 Express. Suggestions can be sent to the
committee to the Local 229 office through the President, Barb Maki, at
bamcaw229@tbaytel.net or by leaving a
phone message on the general mailbox. Newsletters are posted on the web site in
the news section.
WSIB
Committee
Chairperson: Jason Cummings
Local 229 formed the WSIB
Committee after an initial week long training session in November of 2002, where
all 10 member participants became certified to Level 2. The WSIB committee
advises members on WSIB issues and provides representation for appeals. Most
unions do not represent their members on WSIB although Local 229 offers support
to members during these periods in numerous ways. Members on WSIB are not
required to pay dues but are still considered members in good standing. The
Chairperson and WSIB Representative for the local can be contacted by email at
jccaw229@tbaytel.net or via telephone
at 807.474.4229. (Please note we also have a toll free number for the
convenience of our outlying area members 1.866.554.7229)
Health &
Safety Committee
Chairperson:
Ian Moorfield
The Local 229 Health and Safety
Committee had been initially formed in January of 2003. The Committee encourages
input from all Local 229 workplaces, and will work on issues that are forwarded
by the membership. Ian Moorfield the Chairperson is a recent graduate of the
four (4) week paid education leave program. This important committee is looking
for new members with new ideas about approaching workplace safety issues. They
can be contacted through the local office by phone with messages to the general
mailbox or by email to
jccaw229@tbaytel.net.
Women's Committee
Chairperson: Kathleen Swerhun
The Local 229 Women's Committee
continue meeting monthly on the first Wednesday of the month at 5:30 pm prior to
the general membership meetings. They provide the local units with valuable
information pertaining to women's issues and liaison with women's groups in the
community. This is an extremely active committee which initiated the Undercover
Project in conjunction with the Clothing Assistance Mission. There are ongoing
events to raise funds for projects ranging from breast cancer awareness to
regional food drives in the area. A deputation to city council was presented
which resulted in a letter of support for the campaign to strengthen the Ontario
Occupational Health & Safety Act by including workplace violence prevention. The
union is calling on the Ontario Ministry of Labour to amend the Act to ensure
that employers are held accountable for creating safe workplaces so that workers
are protected from both incidents and threats of violence. Recently the Ontario
Ministry of Labour released a consultation paper calling for discussion on
workplace violence with the possibility of amending the Act as it pertains to
violence prevention in the workplace. In addition to workplace protections, the
union is also recommending the inclusion of a Code of Conduct, which would apply
to all workers, management personnel, clients, patients, family members,
volunteers and any other person on the employer's premises.
To send a letter to Ontario
Premier Dalton McGuinty, Ontario Minister of Labour Peter Fonseca and your MP
(Ontario residents), visit:
http://petition.web.net/caw/node/1
To read the CAW's submission to
the workplace prevention consultation process, visit:
http://www.caw.ca/en/4591.htm
Union in Politics Committee
Executive Board Liaison
The federal election on October
14, 2008 was one of the most important in memory. Many issues that will have a
significant impact on working families will be dealt with by the next Parliament
- including health care; free trade with Korea, Japan and South America; good
pensions; child care; and the environment. The most important decision you can
make during an election is to take the time to go to the polls and vote for the
candidate or political party that you believe will act in the best interest of
you, your family and your community. Dissecting the Canadian political system
was the primary focus of the 2008 CAW Women's Conference, with the goal of
empowering women to push for change. The conference was held on August 17 -20 at
the Family Education Centre in Port Elgin, Ontario. This year's theme was 'Is
this what equality looks like?' with workshops geared towards fostering direct
involvement in the political system. On the first day, participants examined the
functions and the impact different levels of government have on socio-economic
policies, especially as they relate to women. The workshop focused on how
government decisions affect the every day lives of women -especially on issues
of childcare, housing, poverty, all of which disproportionately impact women.
The second day was action-oriented where women could choose from eight different
workshops meant to hone skills for political engagement -such as lobbying,
communicating to the media, public speaking and others -all developed around
specific real-life scenarios. The conference also featured a networking session
where women formed action groups across different sectors according to their
region.
Retirees Committee
Chair: Marg Arnone
Retirement is not the end of
union activity for CAW members. Every local union with at least 25 retired
members can form a Retired Workers Chapter. Local 229 formed their 1st Retiree
Chapter on June 19, 2006. The committee meets at 2 P.M. on the third Monday of
each month except for July and August. In addition to the social aspect of these
meetings, members discuss and lobby on issues important to the Local and the
National Retirees Advisory Executive. In September 2007 Sister Arnone was
elected to the National Retirees Advisory Executive for a three year term. For
more information and to join the Local 229 Retirees Committee please contact
Marg Arnone at 474-4229 or macaw229@tbaytel.net. Everyone welcome.
“Retired from the job, not
the fight”
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