In the Know

Are you a JHSC member in your organization? If so, there are requirements. For more information, please contact your Units Health and Safety committee. The information below has been taken from the Occupational Health and Safety regulations. it outlines the minimum training requirements

3.27 Minimum training requirements for new joint committee members
(2) The employer must ensure that each member of the employer’s joint committees who was selected on or after June 1, 2017 to be a member receives, as soon as practicable but no more than 6 months after becoming a member, a total of at least 8 hours of instruction and training, as set out in subsection (4). (7) For greater certainty, the instruction and training required under subsection (2) or (3) of this regulation is not educational leave as set out in section 41 of the Workers Compensation Act. Note: The 8-hour mandatory training requirement — “new joint committee members must receive the instruction and training required under section 3.27 of the Occupational Health & Safety Regulation (OHSR)” — is separate from the existing annual 8-hour educational leave assigned by section 41 of the Workers Compensation Act, “Each member of a joint committee is entitled to an annual educational leave totaling 8 hours […]”.

* New committee members are eligible to receive 16 hours of education in their first year.*

The spring school is taking place in Kamloops on May 29–June 3 2022. This is an in-person week of training. Topics include Health and Safety, Human rights, Mental Health, and the Steward Learning Series. We had approved 10 spots for our members and these spots were quickly filled. As the year progresses, we hope to provide more training, and we are hoping for the return of the Retirement Planning course. The months are quickly passing, and your Education Committee will soon be putting out an email to all members for applications for our yearly Education Bursaries—please watch your emails. There are numerous courses posted online at CUPE Education. Anyone interested in taking any Education course, please get in touch.

May 1 is the celebration of Workers Day. This day was originally born from the protracted struggle for worker rights and social justice of the late 1800’s. International Workers Day, is a day that honors all workers. On this day, those who fought for these rights are remembered. The hard work and dedication of all workers have helped to build our nation. It is only through labour and effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things. We respect the hard work and dedication of all workers. On May 1, we thank you all for your labour and dedication.

May 5 is the National Day of Awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two
Spirited people. This day is also known as Red Dress Day.

This day began as “an aesthetic response to more than 1000 missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada” by Jaime Black. The red dresses act as a visual reminder of all the missing women, girls, and Two-Spirit people. The legacies of residential schools, the 60s scoop, and ongoing colonization including resource theft and socio-economic conditions like poverty, sexism, racism, and discrimination often fall the hardest on women and gender diverse people.

In May 2019, a 1,200 page report from Canada was released on the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). It includes over 230 recommendations and concluded that the murder and disappearance of Indigenous women and girls is an ongoing genocide. We must move forward to end the violence against MMIWG2S+. The day is about building awareness of this ongoing harm and honouring those we have lost and their families. You can mark the day by:

• Wearing red and posting it to social media. Use hashtags such as: #MMIWG, #MMIWG2S, #RedDressDay, #WhyWeWearRed, and #NoMoreStolenSisters
• Hang a red dress in your window or your yard.

The day can be triggering for those affected by MMWIG2S+ loss.

You can connect with the MMWIG2S+ support call line at 1-844-413-6649. This line is available free of
charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

May 7 is the annual Kamloops Walk for Peace, Social Justice and Environment. This year’s event takes place at the Farmers Market on St. Paul Street, in front the Stuart Woods School, starting at 10:30 a.m. This year, there will be many activities for all ages to enjoy. The walk will start at 12:30pm.

May 12 is this year’s Moose Hide Campaign. This is a ceremony that was started 11 years ago by a small gathering of men and boys, with the intent to raise awareness of the crisis of violence against Indigenous women and children. The Moose hide Campaign is a day of ceremony. It is a day where all Canadians are called to join together to take part and take a stand against violence towards all women and children, and to take practical steps for our collective journey of reconciliation. There are pins available at the CUPE office for anyone wishing one.

The CUPE BC annual convention was held in Victoria on April 27th- April 30th. This was the first in person CUPE event since 2019 with over 400 delegates attending from around the province. Local 900 was able to send 7 delegates, all of whom represented your local with pride. For more information on resolutions passed and events that occurred please attend the General Membership meeting on May 25 at 6pm. A zoom invite will be sent to those members wishing to join.