The Ontario Region Steward Council will be held on Friday September 15 and Saturday September 16, 2017 at the Westin Prince, Toronto located at 900 York Mills Road, Toronto. The Council will be one and one half [1 ½] days, starting on Friday at 1:00 p.m., with registration beginning at 12:00 p.m. The Council will continue all day Saturday starting at 9:00 a.m. and will conclude at 5:00 p.m. No scheduled events will take place on Saturday evening.
The intent of this meeting is to provide training and information, as well as an opportunity to expand your network. Workshops are being planned to assist you in further developing your skills as a steward and promote discussion concerning current issues.
You must be a steward in good standing to attend the Ontario Steward Council OR considered a steward in waiting if your steward application has been approved and you will be attending Basic Steward Training in October.
ON-LINE REGISTRATION
The on-line registration will close at 5:00 p.m. on Friday July 7, 2017. Registration will not be accepted by telephone. This year, we will be offering a variety of topics to choose from. You will have the opportunity to attend TWO (2) of these sessions, one on Friday and the other on Saturday. Please select THREE (3) topics on your registration form in order of importance in case one of your courses is not available. We will try to accommodate all requests; however, based on break out room sizes that may not be possible.
WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GUARANTEE YOUR HOTEL ACCOMMODATION IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE YOUR ON-LINE REGISTRATION FORM BY FRIDAY JULY 7, 2017.
ACCOMMODATION
The meeting and hotel coordinates are:
Westin Prince, Toronto, 900 York Mills Road, Toronto, Ontario M3B 3H2
Tel: 416-444-2511
http://www.westinprincetoronto.com
Early Departure Fee: the hotel will charge PIPSC an early departure fee of $50.00 if a delegate checks out prior to the confirmed check out date. This fee will be deducted from your travel claim.
The Toronto office will reserve your hotel accommodation after your on-line registration has been approved. Accommodation will be provided on Thursday night for delegates who would have to leave their home before 7:00 a.m. on Friday September 15, 2017 to arrive at the meeting by 1:00 p.m. All delegates are entitled to a room on Friday night. Accommodation will be provided on Saturday night for delegates who cannot arrive home by 8:00 p.m. travelling by the most direct route including a 1 hour meal stop.
In such cases where the member requires accommodation on Saturday, the member shall be reimbursed per diem expenses for dinner and incidentals on Saturday and breakfast and incidentals on Sunday.
In accordance with the Policy on Balancing Union Activity and Family Life, a member who lives more than 16 km from the meeting location, who requires accommodation on the Friday of a Steward Council and who is accompanied by their spouse or significant other and/or their immediate family, will be entitled to accommodation on Saturday night for themselves and their spouse or significant other and/or their immediate family.
Hotel guests are required to present a valid credit card upon check-in at the hotel to process your room reservation and cover incidentals and/or any miscellaneous room charges, which are the responsibility of each guest. Check in time is 3:00 p.m. and check out time is 12:00 p.m. While every effort will be made for guests to have access to their rooms when they arrive, this may not be possible and your room may not be available until 3:00 p.m. Late check-out is provided based on availability through authorization from the Front Desk.
The cost of the hotel will be paid by the Institute through a master account. Please be aware that PIPSC may be charged in full for any rooms cancelled after August 28, 2017. We ask that you be mindful of this fact when completing your registration form.
If you need to cancel or make any changes, please contact me immediately at 416-487-1114 or 1-800-668-3943, Ext. 7727. Should you have to cancel your attendance on Friday September 15, please call the hotel directly to cancel your room and leave a message for me at the hotel. Do not leave a message at the regional office on the Council dates, as it’s unlikely that we will be able to check messages. Failure to do so may result in you being charged directly for your accommodation.
REGISTRATION
Registration will begin at 12:00 p.m. on Friday September 15, 2017 outside of the Prince ballroom. The Council will start at 1:00 p.m.
MEALS
Delegates will claim per diem for meals not provided by the Institute. Saturday lunch will be provided for delegates only.
IMPORTANT: any food allergies or special dietary requests must be noted on your registration form. Although we will advise the hotel of your request, you will need to advise your server during meals.
TRANSPORTATION
If you require plane or train travel, please call BCD Travel at 1-866-768-7624 and provide them with TAN #22244. Car rental requests require pre-approval through the Toronto PIPSC office. Please call BCD Travel and ask for a rental estimate. Please email that information to my attention.
SELF PARKING
As per the travel policy, PIPSC will cover the parking charges of one vehicle. Valet parking is not covered under the travel policy.
The hotel offers parking for registered guests. Please provide the front desk with your license plate number upon arrival. Parking charges will be billed to the PIPSC master account.
COMPENSATION FOR LEAVE
Institute policy allows for compensating participants who use vacation leave, compensatory leave or union leave without pay for attendance at a Steward Council. The participant must complete the PIPSC Compensatory Salary Claim form which can be found on the PIPSC website. The Institute will reimburse reasonable travel and salary expenses incurred to attend the Council.
OTHER
Observers are welcome, but no expenses, including the Steward Council lunch, will be paid by the Institute. Costs for observers may be paid by the Region, the observer’s Branch, or by the observer. If the observer is sponsored by a Branch and requires hotel accommodation, the Branch will be billed by the Institute. To ensure sufficient space and seating arrangements, names of all observers are required by Friday, July 7, 2017. Observers are responsible for booking their own travel and accommodation. Please request the PIPSC rate when booking your accommodation.
Dependent and/or child care expenses will be paid by the Institute where receipts are provided, in accordance with the PIPSC Travel Policy.
Any special requests for travel outside of these guidelines must receive prior approval by Finance. All requests should be emailed to me at hkohli@pipsc.ca
STEWARD OF THE YEAR AWARD
We encourage all members in the Ontario Region to come forward and provide their nomination(s) for Steward of the Year. If you feel there is a Steward in the region that deserves this award, please review the criteria and nomination form. Your completed form should be emailed to me by Tuesday August 1, 2017.
RETIRING STEWARDS
If you are aware of any stewards retiring this year, please complete the Citation Certificate and email it to me by Tuesday August 1, 2017.
As always, I remain available for any questions or comments that you may have. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any additional information.
Best regards,
Heather Kohli
Office Administrator
PIPSC Toronto Office
(416) 487-1114, Ext. 7727
hkohli@pipsc.ca