SECTION 13 – COMMITTEES
A) Special Committees:
A special ad hoc committee may be established for a specific purpose and period by the membership at a meeting. The committee members shall be elected at the same or another membership meeting or may, by specific authorization of the Membership, be appointed by the President or Executive Board. One member of the Executive Board may sit on any special committee as an ex officio member.
- Bargaining Committee:
This shall be a special ad hoc committee duly elected by the Membership; established at least six (6) months prior to the expiry of the Local’s collective agreement, and automatically disbanded when a new collective agreement has been signed. The function of the Committee is to prepare collective bargaining proposals and to negotiate a collective agreement. The Committee shall consist of the President as Chair, and the following representation from the Local: minimum of one member from each classification – Clerical, Operations, and Education Assistants, preferably including representatives from remote District sites. The CUPE National Representative assigned to the Local shall be a non-voting member of the Committee and shall be consulted at all stages from formulating proposals, through negotiations, to contract ratification by the Membership.
B) Standing Committees:
Members of Standing Committees shall be elected by the membership at a regular or special meeting. The Chairperson of each committee shall be elected by the members of the committee. The President and the Executive Board may appoint other members to serve on a committee where the election process has not been successful in filling committee vacancies. The President shall be a member, ex officio, of each committee. Standing Committees will hold meetings on a regular basis at a time and place convenient to the majority of the active members of the committees. Each Committee Chair to provide a written report at each regular membership meeting.
- Grievance Committee:
The Grievance Committee shall comprise Shop Stewards and the Executive Board. The elected Chairperson of this Committee will fill the role of Chief Shop Steward.
Shop Stewards are to be elected by the Membership and shall:
- Be prepared to take a CUPE Shop Steward course within a year of assuming office.
- Define, investigate, prepare and present grievances at the initial level in consultation with the Chief Shop Steward.
- Generally know and monitor the application of the collective agreement and Provincial or Federal legislation affecting labour standards and practices.
- Make themselves and the role of the Shop Steward known to members in the workplace.
- Upon request, accompany a member to a meeting with management where issues of discipline may be raised.
It shall be the function of the Grievance Committee to examine all grievances. Grievances must be in writing on the forms provided by the National Office and be signed by the complainant(s) as provided for in the collective agreement.
This Committee shall meet when necessary.
(2) Lay-Off and Recall Committee:
This committee to be elected at a membership meeting and consist of at least three members, one from each classification within the local. The function of this committee is to monitor layoff and recall procedure and a recall list.
a) Education Assistants Selection Day Committee:
This special sub-committee shall consist of the President or designate and two Education Assistants, at least one to be a sitting member of the Layoff and Recall Committee. It is the function of this committee to meet with the Joint Selection Day Committee to review Education Assistant positions for the following school year, and to support members through the selection day process.
(3) Hospitality Committee:
This committee shall be elected by the Membership and consist of not less than two and not more than five members to arrange and conduct any social and recreational activity of the Local. The Committee shall be responsible for the administration of the CUPE Local 788 Hospitality Fund bank account at Island Savings Credit Union; the records to be available for Trustee inspection and audit. The Committee shall submit a verbal and written report of all activity to each regular membership meeting.
(4) CUPE Education Committee:
This committee to be elected at a membership meeting and comprise at least two members of the local.
It shall be the function of this Committee to:
- Distribute union education literature re workshops, etc. to the workplaces.
- Assist delegates in preparation of reports to the Membership on seminars and conferences and maintain a reference file of these reports.
- Cooperate with the Education and Public Relations Department of CUPE, and with the Regional Education Representative in applying both the Local’s and CUPE’s policies in these fields.
- Give a verbal and written update to membership at regular membership meetings.
(5) Pro D Committee:
This committee to be elected at a membership meeting and comprise at least three members of the local.
SD 64 (Gulf Islands), and CUPE Local 788 contribute to the fund which is administered by the Joint Committee in accordance with a jointly developed policy [CA 26.06(b), 26.06(c)].
It shall be the function of this Committee to:
- Approve a list of Professional Development activities
- Review all applications/requests for funding for professional development activities; approve applications and recommend payment to members as appropriate, within the annual funding allocation.
- Give a verbal and written update to membership at regular membership meetings.
(6) Labour Management Committee:
This committee (CA Article 9) to be elected at a membership meeting and comprise the President and/or Vice-President, and a representative from each classification within the local. The Committee will meet with Management to discuss issues which are of concern to both parties in order to try and resolve matters in a fair and equitable way.
(6) Job Evaluation Committee:
This is a joint committee with representatives of School District 64 (CA Article 28.05). The CUPE members of this committee to be elected at a membership meeting, and shall include one member of the Executive Board (excluding the President) and three representatives, one from each classification within the local.
The working committee will meet with Management to evaluate or re-evaluate, through the use of a gender-neutral plan, all positions within the Collective Agreement as necessary. Committee members will be elected for a two (2) year term, retaining a minimum of one (1) member from the previous Job Evaluation Committee, for continuity. The Committee will receive all requests for reclassification, review the requests and take the steps necessary to ensure continuing parity and gender neutrality.
(7) Bursary Committee:
This committee shall comprise not less than two members, to receive and review applications and select the recipient of the annual Local 788 Bursary.
(8) Occupational Health and Safety Committee:
This committee shall comprise at least two members.
This committee to recommend initiatives to improve health and safety in the workplace, act as an information exchange for local members and to report H & S concerns to the District H & S Committee. At least one member of the Local 788 H & S Committee shall sit on the District O H & S Committee
Workplace H & S Site Reps: Members of the H & S Committee shall recruit a Site Representative in each work site and maintain a list of these reps.
(9) Supplemental Benefit Bank Committee:
This committee shall comprise at least three members including one Executive Board member. It is the function of the committee to receive and review all applications for Supplemental Benefit Bank benefits according to the current guidelines.