Dear Members,
During our last round of bargaining, we recognized the under-representation of employees with Indigenous ancestry in our local compared to our community and student population. The Union and Employer took a significant step by reaching an agreement on a Letter of Understanding to establish a joint Employment Equity Committee with specific objectives. This agreement can be found in your Collective Agreement in LOU No. 18.
Over the last eighteen months, the joint committee has worked hard to fulfil its mandate. CUPE’s human rights and legal specialists have supported us to ensure we are building a process that, in the spirit of truth and reconciliation, will address the issue of under-representation in our workplace and protect the fundamental rights of all CUPE 441 members.
I am excited to inform you that we have now reached an agreement in principle on a new Employment Equity Agreement. We believe this will be a major step forward on this issue and fulfil the specific objective of LOU No. 18. This new agreement is the first of its kind not only in CUPE Locals in British Columbia but also across Canada and may set the stage for others to follow in our footsteps.
While the joint committee and the union executive are unanimous in support of this new agreement, we also believe in transparency and collaboration with the membership on this important issue. We want to answer your questions and hear your feedback before finalizing it.
Accordingly, we are holding two special meetings to present the new agreement on September 17, 2024. The first meeting will be at 1 p.m., and the second at 5 p.m. Both meetings will be held online via TEAMS. Further details about how to join these online meetings will be released soon. We will also present the agreement at the General Membership Meeting on Saturday, September 21st.
I hope you will be able to take some time on September 17th to learn more about the new agreement and share your feedback. I look forward to seeing you then.
Sincerely,
Candace Whitney and the Employment Equity Committee
CUPE Local 441