Members,

We hope that you and your family are well. We are coming to the end of our 3rd week in quarantine – thank you for doing your part to help flatten the curve on COVID-19.

Our employer has extended facility closures until May 4th. To you, as a Local 1882 member, this means it is status quo until otherwise notified (continue working from home, coming into the office or waiting at home for call back or redeployment).

LATEST NEWS FROM EMPLOYER:
Part-time non-union staff and summer temp positions (roughly effecting 440 people), will be laid off effective April 13th.  The federal government has put funding in place to help those affected by this pandemic which these staff will have access to (CERB or EI).

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING:
April membership meeting is cancelled. Given the current environment, all CUPE Education, Conferences and Conventions are cancelled until the end of May. There have been no Employee Relations meetings since December, and the current deadlines for the 2020 Job Evaluation Maintenance Cycle (Corporate Enterprise and Office of the City Manager) are postponed with no new date given for JAQ submission. All events that the Executive was going to participate in or sponsor have been cancelled, or will be rescheduled.  Current grievance timelines are suspended and grievance procedures are paused for now.

BARGAINING UPDATE:
Negotiations scheduled for March and April were cancelled, however, the Bargaining Team has been successful in bargaining and have moved to the next phase with the exchange of the monetary proposals. Your Bargaining team is still working hard on this front to continue the process.

Your Union Executive understands the stress and struggles that you are going through, whether in self-isolation, working from home without the usual comforts of the office environment and trying to look after kids, or caring for a sick or loved one who is affected by COVID 19 as we too as experiencing the same things.

As an employee of the City of Cambridge, there are tools that you can access if you need help to cope with the stresses that you and/or family may be experiencing:
https://cupe.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5f31a995858622d85bee1f00f&id=2c6c5acad6&e=b4c2fda8d3

Lastly, Your Union is here for you, so please reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Stay safe and be well!

In Solidarity

The Q1 Spring 2020 OMERS Quarterly contains important information that you should be aware of concerning proposed changes to your OMERS plan.

Click on the link and be informed on proposed changes to your pension plan:

https://view.digital.omers.com/?qs=65a8bd0e012510422883a4aeb6b49071733a12c82be5cf2ee4ec81f61caded83b32e4c86aabb3a439f8d1a5b5dbdeb5428170c3c0bdf66bf476be0c5c17329893dec877f266e847bd25bee53adbb6c9d

Take care,
On behalf of CUPE Local 1882

Members,

In case you do not have access to your work email, please see the email from David Calder copied below.

We will continue to pass along information as we are made aware.

Stay safe,
On Behalf of Local 1882
————————————————————-
From: David Calder
Sent: Wednesday, April 1, 2020 9:58 AM
Subject: Message from the City Manager – April 1, 2020

Good morning everyone

This is a quick note to let you know that we will be officially announcing the extension of the closure of municipal facilities and cancellations of programs and events until May 4. This is in line with the provincial announcement yesterday to extend the closure of public schools. The attached news release will be issued to media shortly.

This decision was reached jointly with our neighbouring municipalities in an ongoing effort to be consistent across the Region.

Additionally, the provincial government issued a new emergency order to close all outdoor recreation spaces and amenities across Ontario. For us, this includes all sports fields, basketball and volleyball courts, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, community gardens, and the dog park on Maple Grove Road. I understand closure signs are being placed in these areas today.

I know this is difficult news. Many of you are juggling work duties with life at home with children and other family members. This is not easy. Even with your individual situations, concerns and a changing world, you have continued to provide quality public service in these difficult times.

Please make sure you are reaching out to your supervisors and managers to keep updated on all the changes – which seem to be by the hour! – and to be in touch with your colleagues, even over a virtual coffee. Just because we are physically apart does not mean you can’t stay connected.

Again, please keep checking the intranet page. Q&As are updated frequently.

Stay safe, practice physical distancing and wash your hands.

David
Media_release_COVID-19-April 1-2020

All City of Cambridge staff, including those who don’t have employee benefits, and their family members, are eligible for Homewood Health’s Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP).

In addition to general tips for managing the impact of anxiety, EFAP offers access to self-paced, web-based solutions designed to treat anxiety and/or mild cases of depression, with structured programs to help manage anxiety using cognitive behavioural therapy.

See your personal email from CUPE1882 (dated March 25) or your work email (dated March 24) on how to access i-Volve, and other support services.

To Local leaders in OMERS,

Thank you for all you are doing to keep our province safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Below, you will find a copy of a letter CUPE Ontario sent to OMERS yesterday. During this time, CUPE Ontario believes the last thing our members and leaders should have to be focus on is a threat to their pensions.

We’ve communicated as much to OMERS, asking that the June vote on a proposal to get rid of 100% inflation indexing be postponed. We will update you as soon as we hear back from OMERS.

Stay safe and don’t hesitate to reach out to CUPE Ontario for any help needed.

In Solidarity,

Fred Hahn, President, CUPE Ontario

Letter_OMERS_2020_03_25

As additional prevention guidelines continue to come from all levels of government, it’s normal to experience feelings of anxiety.

All City staff, including those who don’t have employee benefits, and their family members, are eligible for Homewood Health’s Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP).

In addition to general tips for managing the impact of anxiety (links below), EFAP provides you access to i-volve, a self-paced, web-based solution designed to treat anxiety and/or mild cases of depression, offering structured programs to help manage anxiety using cognitive behavioural therapy (a current best-practice treatment approach for these conditions).

See your personal email from CUPE1882 (dated March 25) or your work email (dated March 24) on how to access i-Volve, and other support services.

Homewood Health – Anxiety Support Programs

Homewood Health – Managing the impact

With COVID-19 top of mind for everyone, online scammers are taking advantage of public fear by sending malicious emails.

Some of the scams to be on the lookout for:
Emails that appear to be from organizations such as CDC or WHO; the emails contain malicious phishing links or dangerous attachments.
Emails that ask for charity donations for victims affected by COVD-19.
Emails with “new” or “updated” list of COVD-19 cases in your area. These emails could contain dangerous links and information designed to scare you into clicking the link.

Remain cautious! Never click on links or download attachments from an email that you weren’t expecting. If you receive a suspicious email that appears to come from an official organization such as the WHO or CDC, report the email to the official organization through their website. If you want to make a charity donation, go to the charity website of your choice to submit your payment. Type the charity’s web address in your browser instead of clicking on any links in emails, or other messages.

Are you snapping at others? Feeling irritated? Trouble sleeping? These are signs that you are overwhelmed and struggling with your stress and anxiety.
The same is true if you are on opposite end (hopelessness, cynicism, helplessness).
Its okay to seek help.
As the situation with COVID-19 continues, it is important to consider your psychological health and safety. Here are 2 resources to assist you:

* The Canadian Mental Health Association http://ontario.cmha.ca offers tips to support mental health amid concerns of COVID-19 pandemic
* Homewood https://homeweb.ca is our Employee and Family Assistance Program provider. Their services remain available.

This morning the Ontario government declared a state of emergency in the province and a series of new actions to combat the spread of COVID-19 and prevent coronavirus from overwhelming the health-care system. As well, yesterday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau advised that “all Canadians as much as possible, should stay home” and that “it’s time to take every precaution to keep people safe.”

Closure of Municipal Offices, Satellite Offices and Facilities:
Effective 4:30 p.m. on March 17, 2020, all remaining City of Cambridge municipal facilities currently open to the public will be closed, up to and including April 5, unless public access is required to deliver critical services.
See your work or personal email for work details. Please take some time to discuss further with your immediate supervisor or manager to clarify any questions.

Check out www.cambridge.ca/covid19 for the most up-to date information on City of Cambridge- related cancellations and closures, news releases,and general information.