WRH-MRT Executive Meeting - April 3, 2023
Present: Angela Logan, Jacky Jacques, Jennifer Stones and Tina MacDonald
Meeting started at 630 pm. Minutes taken by Angela Logan
- Review of previous Minutes – no action items.
Note: Executive Meeting Minutes will get posted on the PIPSC website under our Group. We have specific criteria for the style of the notes because they must be translated by PIPSC. Arial 12 font and no indents, fancy work, etc.
- Tina very appreciative of the commitment from the Executive members and the Membership
- One-on-One with the CEO – Union invited to meet with CEO of hospital to discuss “What is working? What is not?” etc.
Union discussion/Ideas may include – Effect on services rendered due to equipment delays; lack of recognition for PIPSC members in the Radiation Therapy Department; Employer forcing bargaining into conciliation; recognition by employer that we are the lowest paid MRTs in Ontario Cancer Centre’s yet treat all sites plus brachy plus ortho
ACTION: Tina and Jacky set up a meeting with CEO
- Grievance Forms – currently waiting for forms to be updated to meet Cancer Centre needs. Title of form plus timelines, etc. A lot of work is being done by PIPSC office to improve the PIPSC website so this is a slower process then what had hoped.
ACTION: Tina touch base with IT PIPSC contact for status
- Current Grievance matters include – defining serious illness; no pay for shift change; employer failing to recognize submission of new recruits/bonus to submitter; after 2018 hire – vacation picks (going to arbitration); no on call pay for holiday on call work
- “Close the Loop” meetings with employer – Discussed at Labour Management that the Union needs to be involved in these meetings.
- Vacation Selection – “Special Requests.” Tina created and submitted a form for members to complete and submit back to her – detailing what the member was unable to get for vacation – with their seniority – and what effect it had on them. The data will be put together to approach the Employer.
- Bargaining Update – awaiting conciliation date
- Health and Safety – Tina has completed her 2 years as worker co-chair of the hospital JHSC but is still supporting the new worker co-chair. Tina is currently the only fully certified member on the JHSC; hence, more responsibility for Ministry visits and critical injuries, etc.
New e-learn coming to staff for Workplace Violence (WPV) Policy. Specific to outpatient areas of hospital.
- Weekend Treatments - using weekends to treat additional patients – plus definition of on call. – Union invited employer to consult on this subject. Agenda created by Union. Excellent open discussion by both parties.
Tina emailed the members prior to see who would be interested in weekends. Many interested but not every weekend. Rotation only. Information shared with Employer.
Both Employer and CCO do not support weekend treatment or working past our current hours of treatment, 6 pm. This is due to machine capability. Employer not wanting to define when we would go to weekends. Clearly a machine down is one situation, however – Union stating. Day needs to run structured so start time would be decided.? 9 am and support would be on site (doctors, etc.), per employer. Would run as December 27th, 2022, did. Employer committed to ensuring that RT RX is updated prior to weekend treatment. Lack of on call policy discussed - Employer keeping this subject at bargaining.
There is currently NO plan to start weekend treatment. Union argument is that weekend treatment is ADDITIONAL/CHANGE in hours of service. So, seniority matters. Union asking for double time payment for weekend treatment with no promises. Further discussions needed on this with Employer.
Action: Discussion of what part timers would be paid for weekends because they would not have worked 37.5 hours. Agreement to take to next Labour Management (LM).
Action: Union to meet to discuss the following: LM discussion of above item; what about members who took LOA that week prior to the weekend, etc – including discussions with other cancer centres.
Action: Tina to reach out to other cancer centres about these items, also.
- On-call – Members working on call could expect to be at the centre for the full 4 hours. If wish to go off on call list then member needs to finish out the year and get their shifts assigned to others.
- PIPSC Communication –
(NEW) Presidents can get laptop and/or cell phone paid by PIPSC. Tina is
not in need of this right now.
Family Balance Policy – reminder that if a member gives up 2 days of rest
(total) for attendance at a Union event, then they can submit for one day paid
salary though Concur.
Education eLearn is being created for Treasurers.
PIPSC office staff and EROs now meeting with cancer centre Presidents every 90 days or so; confirmation that ERO are to acknowledge email correspondence within 24 – 48 hours. EROS meet with office staff to review issues – looking for patterns now.
Separate Group/ Small groups (SEG) – meetings every other month; Tina attends virtually usually; 8 hours long; discussions on lack of monies which small groups like ourselves get from PIPSC for AGM
Advisory Council (AC) – generally correspond with SEG next day; 8 hours long; this meeting is consultation with Presidents and Board of Directors meeting.
Bill 124 Updates – Waiting for ONA to get their decision and then we will get direction. Our bargaining is still open. We will just get back to the table and start from there. Other cancer centres will have to reopen to discuss financials.
Ontario Regional Council (ORC) – This is the governance of Ontario PIPSC. 110 delegates will attend and vote on Resolutions presented. Tina attending as Ontario Regional Executive is the planner of the event. Tina running for her role again as Branch Liaison. There are no provincial delegates because it is the branches which decide who gets their 1 or 2 seats (votes).
Action: Tina to discuss at ORE fact that there are no provincial delegates.
Steward Training – New Steward Training in October. Ang hoping to attend. Advanced Steward Training in May. Open to all our current stewards. Only Tina has chosen to attend this year. Jen has attended in past.
National AGM November 26 – 29, 2023 in Montreal again – more days for AGM than in past; voted by membership at last year’s AGM; opportunity to do more training.
WRH-MRT should have an additional seat. Tina to attend AGM as ORE seat.
Action: Discuss our additional delegate seat at next Executive.
Essex-Kent Branch AGM, May 2023 – all members in WRH-RT encouraged to attend. Tina is a “Member at Large”.
Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) – Tina is the Ontario PIPSC rep for this group. This group is mostly provincial and PIPSC members being a part of this allows training for us plus a HUGE advocate for Bill 124. Tina will participate with HS and WSIB committees.
- Contracting out of dosimetry services – information given verbally to dosim staff vs Labour Management discussion is different. Impression from dosim staff was that Yes – the dosim staff could do the dosim work on contract. Discussion at a later LM – Employer not agreeing to our dosim doing the contract work. Union comments - money is much better than OT and that member could go home …eat dinner and pick up the plan to work on it. This is more favourable for workers then OT. Breast and prostate are now the only sites “remote” workers will be doing. 24 – 48 hours turn over.
Union approached employer regarding failure to communicate the first remote patient was starting treatment. Employer acknowledged.
Action: Union discussion with ERO regarding contract work and members not allowed to do remote work.
- Operational Requirements (definition) – Tina shared a document with Executive members, from negotiator.
- Consultation President vs Branch President – Branch Presidents are not involved in bargaining because there is a larger national group which has that role; Consultation Presidents (Cancer Centre Presidents, for instance) are at the table for bargaining.
Meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.