Building our new CUPE 5441 union at Unity Health Toronto (UHT) is an exciting prospect. With more than 3200 clerical, service/RPN and chaplain/spiritual care members working at three separate UHT sites (St. Joseph’s, St. Michael’s and Providence hospitals) in different corners of the city, it will also be a unique challenge.
LET’S BUILD AN INCLUSIVE, ACTIVIST UNION WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF.
Please plan to attend the inaugural meeting of CUPE 5441 on Tuesday, November 12 at 6 p.m. at Providence Healthcare UHT campus, 3276 St. Clair Avenue East, Room C3302.*
Can’t make it to the meeting in person? Join us November 12 on the phone by calling: 1-877-229-8493 Access code: 114211#
(*Until there are new CUPE 5441 by-laws in place, the site location for future CUPE 5441 membership meetings will alternate between the three UHT hospital campuses.)
Join the Toronto health care rally on November 9 in the City Hall square.
On November 9 at 12 noon in Nathan Philips Square (Toronto City Hall), there is a pro-public health care rally organized by the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC). Thousands of GTA hospital and health care workers and activists, including hundreds from our union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), will be there.
We urge you to attend and make this the first OHC rally that we participate in as our own union local, CUPE 5441.
Here is some more important information
Although chaplains, clerical and service staff working at the three UHT hospital campuses, on paper, still have separate contracts, we are moving forward as one collective union – CUPE 5441. This unified approach is key as we negotiate new contracts with the employer.
- A new structure that works for all CUPE 5441 members and that ensures representation from each of the bargaining units, as well as each of the hospital sites, is being developed.
- To create a new structure that works for everyone, we’re planning meetings with the existing CUPE locals’ executives, clerical representatives, chaplain representatives, and some of the previous SEIU-elected stewards, along with newly elected Service members from St. Mike’s, who wish to participate in a working group.
- It’s important that this process be inclusive and transparent.
- Once this working group has come to a consensus on what the new structure should look like, it will be brought to the CUPE 5441 membership to be voted on, along with a common union dues rate.
- Once the structure is in place, elections for the executive of CUPE 5441 will take place for the new local.
- In addition, new local by-laws will need to be established and voted on by the CUPE 5441 membership. Before we get to that vote, we will need to elect a by-laws committee. Elections for this important committee will be held in the near future. Check the CUPE 5441 website for updates.
Union dues – what you should know.
- Any union dues that were normally remitted to SEIU will now be held in trust by CUPE National until a new CUPE 5441 treasurer is elected. Following the election of a CUPE 5441 treasurer, CUPE 1590 and CUPE 1144 monies will be transferred to CUPE 5441. Those members who were previously non-union members and not paying dues, will start remitting dues once the composite collective agreement is in place in the next few months.
- Look for a bargaining-specific member newsletter update later this month.
We want to hear from you
- If you are a member that is new to CUPE and you work at St. Mike’s in either Service or Clerical, you can contact any of the stewards posted on the bulletin board, or you can contact your CUPE National Representative Barbara Frey (bfrey@cupe.ca) if you need further assistance after working with a steward.
- If you work at St. Joe’s, you can contact Mike Brito (canadianwolverine@gmail.com), the Chief Steward at St. Joe’s, or any of the CUPE 1144 executive or stewards.
- Those members working at Providence, please contact CUPE 1590 president Daniel Callaghan (president@cupe1590.com), or any CUPE 1590 executive member or steward.