Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of November 10, 2022
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Quebec City NR Sub-Group (QC NR SG) was held at the Le Rascal restaurant (5050 Boulevard Wilfrid-Hamel) in Quebec City.
- Welcome, Call to Order, Verification of Quorum and Opening Remarks
At 5:32 p.m., the President, Patrick Lacoursière, after verifying the quorum, declared the meeting open. He welcomed the other twelve (12) members present.
The President introduced the three (3) members of the Executive Committee present, namely Omar Kali (Vice-President), Jean-Luc Bédard (Treasurer) and Bernard Michaud (Secretary).
Other members present:
- Robert Durocher
- Hugo Buttau
- Pierre Richard
- François Veilleux
- Samuel Bruneau-Dubuc
- Alex Tourigny-Plante
- Antoine Grégoire
- Jacob Bélanger
- Pierre Nadeau
2. Review of the Notice of Meeting
Since the notice of meeting was sent to all members by email, the President suggested not reading it, and no member objected.
3. Review and approval of the Agenda
As the agenda was sent to all members by email, the President asked that it not be reviewed. On a motion by Jean-Luc Bédard, seconded by Omar Kali, the agenda was adopted unanimously.
4. Review and approval of 2021 AGM Minutes
Since the 2021 AGM minutes were emailed to all members, the President asked that the minutes not be reviewed and asked the members present if they had any comments or corrections. On a motion by Omar Kali, seconded by Jean-Luc Bédard, the minutes were approved unanimously.
5. Presentation of the latest developments in the negotiations for the new agreement
Two (2) members of the NR Bargaining Committee, Mr. Buttau and Mr. Richard, made a presentation regarding the update of the negotiations for the new NR collective agreement which expired on September 30, 2022. Once the presentation was completed, Mr. Buttau and Mr. Richard answered questions from members.
6. President’s Report
Patrick Lacoursière gave a brief overview of the reasons for creating the Sub-Group and presented a summary of the events that have taken place since the last meeting in 2021:
- Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA): The current collective agreement expires on September 30, 2022;
- Discussion regarding the job description for ENG-4 and ENG-5 as it relates to the Standard Job Description (SJD);
- Discussions on the willingness to organize social activities for the Sub-Group, e.g., bowling night planned for this fall.
The goal for 2022–23 is to continue to address job classification inequity and implement a professional development and career progression plan for NRs. On a motion by Pierre Nadeau, seconded by Omar Kali, the President's report was adopted.
7. Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer Jean-Luc Bédard presented the financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2022. The amount will change as we will have a bowling activity before December 31, 2022. The Sub-Group is in excellent financial health so there are no concerns at this level.
The financial statements presented were proposed by Omar Kali and seconded by Bernard Michaud.
8. Appointment of a Budget Auditor
Regarding the appointment of an auditor for the year 2022, after checking with PIPSC over the past few months, it appears that there is no requirement for the financial statements to be audited by an independent auditor.
After discussion, it was decided to proceed with a vote to determine if an auditor should be appointed to audit the 2022 financial statements. A vote was conducted by show of hands. Results: For the appointment of an auditor: 0 votes. Against the appointment of an auditor: 13 votes.
It was unanimously decided that no auditor be appointed.
9. Invitation to members to join the Executive
The President asked the floor if there were any other members interested in serving on the Executive Committee, but no new members came forward.
The Executive Committee for the coming year will be composed of:
- Patrick Lacoursière, President
- Omar Kali, Vice President
- Jean-Luc Bédard, Treasurer
- Bernard Michaud, Secretary
- Robert Durocher, Executive Member
10. Career Development and Progression
Jean-Luc Bédard briefly presented the results of his work and the file he presented to the senior management of Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC-Valcartier) concerning professional development and career progression.
Jean-Luc is awaiting a response from DRDC-Valcartier regarding his request. We still do not know when we will receive a response.
It was discussed that it would be useful to present the file prepared by Jean-Luc to the DND Consultation President to try and move the file forward.
11. New Business
Discussions regarding the possibility of virtual participation at the 2023 AGM. It was decided that virtual participation in the 2023 AGM would be feasible in order to encourage the greatest possible participation in the AGM.
Steps will be taken to have the virtual mode in place for the 2023 AGM.
Mr. Bédard proposed a plan to reward members’ involvement in the Executive to attract more people. Members would receive a sum of money based on their involvement in the Sub-Group, as Stewards, participation in various events, etc.
12. Vote on activity date
An activity for all members of the Quebec City NR Sub-Group and their families is planned for the fall of 2022. The chosen activity is a bowling night at the Frontenac bowling alley.
A vote was held to determine the date of the activity. Two (2) dates were proposed, either Friday, November 25 or Friday, December 2, 2022, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The vote established the date as Friday, December 2, 2022.
13. Adjournment
On a motion by Omar Kali, seconded by Bernard Michaud, the meeting was adjourned at 9:29 p.m.