Hello Members,
This email may seem like a lot at first glance, but I encourage you to star it or mark it unread until you have a few minutes to sit down and go through it. It’s an important communication, and you, as a member, deserve to be informed and involved.
As we wrap up 2024, I want to share where each unit stands and highlight what’s coming up:
Wood’s Homes
After bargaining for parts of the year, the collective agreement is ratified. We’re looking forward to site meetings, steward elections, and more engagement with staff. This bargaining process showed us the need to strengthen the relationship between the Union and members at Wood’s. I recently visited the Fort McMurray site and met the amazing staff there, and I’ll be visiting Lethbridge with our National Rep, Colette Singh, in the early new year.
FearIsNotLove
We’ve been in bargaining most of the year, with strong language added to the agreement. We’re in mediation over a monetary impasse and plan to meet the employer again in late January to work toward a deal that works for everyone. Until then, the committee has been reaching out and engaging with members on the bargaining and mediation process.
Workers Resource Centre
The bargaining committee is set and ready to negotiate in the new year. Member involvement has been great so far.
Alpha House
After months of bargaining, members ratified the agreement with strong gains on the wage scale and language in the collective agreement. There was a ton of member engagement, which made all the difference.
Trinity Place Foundation
It’s been a busy year for this unit. Member engagement has grown significantly, and we’ve built a solid bargaining committee. We’ll exchange proposals with the employer on January 14, 2025, and look forward to the process.
True North
Bargaining their first collective agreement started slow, but we’ve made big progress over the last few months. Over 70% of articles are tentatively agreed on, with monetary items left to tackle. We’re optimistic about finalizing the agreement in the early new year.
This year has shown us where work needs to be done and how much potential we have as a Local of nearly 1,000 members. We’ve seen bargaining gains, over 60 grievances submitted and settled across the Local, and more members practicing their rights under the collective agreement by standing up for themselves and seeking union support. These are positive steps forward, but there’s much more work to do!
Next year is all about mobilization. With all agreements planning to expire in 2026, we need to stand united as a strong Local to secure the wages and working conditions we all deserve.
One of our goals for 2025 is increasing member involvement in education opportunities like week-long schools, conventions, and conferences. We’re focusing on balancing attendance at these events, ensuring members across the Local have more opportunities to participate and learn alongside executive members. The knowledge and experience gained at these events is critical to building our Local’s strength and ensuring everyone feels empowered and supported.
Member engagement remains our main priority. Significant steps have been taken in this area, including the creation of the Lead Steward position during our executive restructure. This position is solely focused on steward engagement and fostering stronger connections between stewards and members to increase overall participation. I’ve attached the Local 4731 organizational chart for your viewing.
Another major advancement this year was the complete overhaul of our bylaws, a significant step forward thanks to the work of our newly created Bylaw Committee. These changes have brought us up to date, aligning with thriving locals and positioning us to better serve our members. In addition to the Bylaw Committee, we’ve also formed a Grievance Committee, which has been instrumental in ensuring our grievance process is consistent and effective without spending members’ money on cases with no merit.
I’ve attached the 2025 schedule of meetings to this email. We hope to see more of you attending and participating in your Local to learn more about how it’s operated and where your Union dues go. It’s your Union, and you deserve to be a part of it.
If you’re interested in getting involved in the Union, attending meetings is a great first step. You can also reach out to your Unit Vice President, a Union Representative from your site, or myself directly. We’re always here to answer questions and help you find ways to participate.
We’re also excited about being more active and informative through different communication channels like our Facebook page (going public in the New Year!) and website (www.CUPE4731.com). These tools will allow us to engage with members in new ways, share important updates, offer draws and prizes, and foster stronger connections across the Local.
We’ve made great progress this year, launching our own domain and new communication tools, and developing our website to improve transparency and engagement. The executive restructure will bring a more balanced structure for all. Last month’s Social Committee event was fantastic, and it was great to meet so many new faces.
Thank you to the Executive for stepping up and adapting to changes this year. A big thank you to our National Rep, Colette Singh, for her guidance. And thank you to all of you for the work you do every day. It matters, and your Union has your back.
Looking forward to what’s ahead for CUPE Local 4731.
In Solidarity,