October 1999

September 1999

July 1999

June 1999

April 1999

March 1999

WHAT'S NEW?

REP'S COUNCIL

STEWARD'S CORNER

ABOUT NASA

TRUST TOPICS

UNION COMMITTEES AND REPORTS

SOLIDARITY!

SITE INDEX

CONTACT US

Last updated: 03/18/01

From the President

Jaimie Miller Joins Executive

Please welcome Jaimie to his new position and offer him your support.

The NASA Office will be closed from December 24^th to January 3^rd inclusive. Anyone requiring assistance may contact Effie Woloshyn, Chief Union Steward, at 454-3155.

Upcoming Union Activities

January 19, 2000  4:45 p.m. , CAB 235
General Meeting

Bargaining 2000 is the only scheduled topic of discussion for this meeting. Your bargaining team will present a set of proposals for discussion and confirmation.  Plan to attend. Your input is important.

January 18, 2000 Noon - 1:00 p.m., ED 165 (Education South)
Claiming your Benefits on Campus

An information session has been scheduled to let you know what your health benefits are and how to access them. The NASA executive and labour relations staff will be present to hear your comments and answer your questions.

The topics to be discussed include:

• General illness
• Long-term disability
• WCB, accommodation and stress leave processes
• Doctors’ letters and the various forms required
• Your relationship with your office, Human Resource Services and insurance companies

January 22 & 23, 2000  9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., NASA Office, 7-50 Extension
Level I Steward Training Course to be Offered

A Level I training course for stewards and other interested members will be held early in the New Year. Call Marg (439-3181) to register.

Stewards needed

Effie Woloshyn, Chief Steward (effie.woloshyn@ualberta.ca)

or Nancy Furlong, LRO (nancy.furlong@ualberta.ca).

The last few months have signaled some extreme changes for NASA members in Physical Plant. I don’t have to tell you about the removal of several senior managers from this area. Through the efforts of the Internal Audit Department of the University, the Auditor General of the Alberta Government, the University of Alberta and NASA, an environment was provided to NASA members and managers to speak up. Exposed was the tyranny that our members suffered while watching the inappropriate activities around them.

Exposing this information and ensuring the University responded to the problems has been NASA’s role in this story. Members in large numbers have supplied their Union with information substantiating the truth of the auditor’s report. NASA, in turn, has supplied legal counsel to those members who had concerns about their employment security if they gave the information to the employer. NASA has a commitment, from the most senior levels of the University administration, that members will be protected from retaliation if they participate in the ongoing investigations.

The Future

The employer has told NASA and the members they want to move on and address the problem practices and poor employee relations within the Plant. In order for NASA to continue to represent the members, we have established a task force of members and stewards who will be providing NASA with advice regarding what changes are necessary. The former Physical Plant structure and attitudes have to change in order to establish an environment where people are pleased to come to work and feel free to make suggestions to enhance the efficiency of the workplace. We will be meeting with the foremen and project managers to review contracting out practices and work toward encouraging the employer to hire employees to do the employer’s work. Two NASA members have been appointed to assist the employer in examining the necessary qualifications and attitudes the new Physical Plant Director should have to meet that goal. All physical plant staff will be contacted for their input. NASA has a commitment from the employer that they will LISTEN to all our concerns and that we will be consulted in correcting those problems. Although our members have been told this before, I remain cautiously optimistic that the most senior managers have seen the cost of not listening to support staff, and are now prepared to HEAR what we have to say and RESPOND.

The Silver Lining

We have already had some significant successes. Some problem managers have been removed while others have had a clear message of change and expectations given to them. We anticipate locksmiths, painters and drywallers will be hired to allow the University to do more of its own work. Our members have been promoted to supervisory positions, rather than hiring from outside or contracting out.

The number of members who have rallied to push this agenda for change; the number of members who have come to their Union to assist us in pushing for change; the number of new stewards that have been elected as a result of this turmoil and the opportunity to meet our members and work together have all been major steps in reviving our Union activity in the Plant. There used to be a muzzle on our members in the Plant. Now the expectation is to speak up. We will do that. Whether individual members speak their minds, or they do it through their Union, the days of silence are over.

That’s good for the workers ……. and it’s good for the employer.

Best wishes for a healthy, happy and restful holiday season.

Barbara Surdykowski
Business Manager

Health and Safety Concerns on the Rise

In early November, NASA got a call complaining about air contamination in Supply Management Services. The University health and safety officer, Gordon Weir, had inspected the site, under construction for some time, two days earlier. It appears that no action was taken. NASA intervened. The project manager arrived within five minutes, agreed that the situation required attention, and ordered the erection of barriers to control the air contamination.

Earlier this fall, an alert Union member contacted NASA about the air quality at Athabasca Hall. Chemical fumes from the construction site west of Athabasca Hall were drifting directly into the air intake. Because of NASA involvement, workers left Athabasca Hall while the chemical was dissipated. From then on, the chemical was used only after the building was closed.

With the amount of construction activity on campus, we expect to see many more health and safety situations arise. Contact the NASA office (439-3181) immediately if you believe your work environment is unsafe and/or unhealthy. You have a right to a safe and healthy workplace.

Nancy Furlong
Labour Relations Officer

Doctors’ Notes and Your Right to Privacy

Article 24.10 of the contract outlines your obligations to your employer when you are away due to illness. If you are away for more than three days, you must provide a medical certificate stating that you are unable to work. This information can be provided to your supervisor.

For absences of 10 days or more, you are obligated to present a doctor’s note that provides specific information:

• The diagnosis and specifically why you cannot work;
• The treatment plan for your recovery;
• A prognosis for recovery should be included, as well as information on when you should be able to resume your duties. If that is not defined, then information should be included that states when the physician will be seeing you again.

This information should be forwarded to the University of Alberta’s Health Recovery Support Unit (HRSU) who administers the benefit plan. This unit is part of the Human Resources Department and is located in Assiniboia Hall. As this information is private, it is their obligation to protect your privacy. It should not be shared with anyone in your workplace. The only thing that your supervisor or administrator needs to know is when you are expected back to work.

Article 24.10(a) states that you shall provide a medical certificate to your department head. However, the HRSU has clarified the administration of this clause and has stated that this article should only apply in situations where the HRSU has not been involved in your case.

The protection of your private medical information is of utmost importance. This can be best done when the HRSU is the only department handling the information.

Lee Stowell
Labour Relations Officer

Are You A Witness?

In RCMP investigation relating to alleged wrongdoing within construction management at the University is presently underway on campus. Constable Marj Benson (412-5127) is heading up the investigation.

If you have direct evidence relating to this matter, contact Marj. She has assured us that your information will be kept completely confidential until, or unless, it is needed at trial. She has also said that any information you provide as a witness will not be used against you.

NASA has concerns whether these promises can be kept. We recommend that you contact NASA for more details and before going to see Marj. NASA will provide you with any necessary legal information and will also provide you a Union Rep in any meetings if you wish it.

In an effort to enhance our communication with you, we are currently in the process of determining the locations of NASA bulletin boards around campus. Early in the new year, NASA reps will visit each of these locations to officially designate those boards. On a regular basis, NASA-related information will be posted on these boards.

Watch for them – if your area is missed, please call our office at 439-3181.

The Focus Group will be meeting in the New Year on January 12, 2000, from 4:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the NASA Office. If you have any questions regarding this group, please contact the Chair, Joy Correia by e-mail (joy.correia@ualberta.ca).

NASA to Hire new Staff Member

Labour Relations Officer, Lee Stowell, will leave NASA on December 31^st to begin a challenging new career with Issues Management, Alberta Human Resources and Employment. We wish him all the best in his new endeavors.

As a result of Lee’s departure, NASA is now recruiting a Labour Relations Officer (LRO).

Reporting to the Business Manager, the successful applicant will perform the following functions:

The LRO works independently with little supervision, identifies areas of concern within the membership, works effectively to solve problems and possesses well-developed labour relations, research and interpersonal skills. The successful applicant will have experience with and a general understanding of volunteer committees, elected activists and the steward system. The successful candidate will possess excellent written and oral communications and conflict resolution skills.

The successful candidate will possess extensive experience in the labour relations field. In addition, s/he will have experience in identifying the communication needs of an organization and in organizing effective communication strategies through a variety of media. S/he will have direct knowledge of public relations and production of written and electronic publications.

We offer a challenging work environment and an attractive compensation and benefits package. The salary begins at $47,900.00 annually. The staff are represented by Local 1158 of CUPE.

Please submit written applications by mail or by fax in confidence no later than January 6, 2000 to:

Barbara Surdykowski, Business Manager

Fax: (780) 433-5056

E-Mail: Barbara.Surdykowski@ualberta.ca