MEETING DATE
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
MINUTES: TORONTO LEC MEETING
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Approved by e-vote: Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The meeting commenced 9:30 am
PRESENT: Michael D’Souza (President); Tony Germin (Vice President); David Bongard (Recording Secretary);; Claryse Boulineau (Director-SRC); Glen Guerin (Director-Events and Care); Rob Barlow (Chief Steward); Beverly Brown (Director-Mobilization and Education); Ellen Armstrong (Chief Steward); Alice Hopton (Director-New Members);
Absent: Naomi Robinson (Chief Steward); Corey Martin (Treasurer); Rob Krbavac (Director-Communications); Edwin Terry (Director-Diversity); Mac Skelton (Director-Health and Safety);
1. Adopt agenda:
Moved Tony Germin
Seconded: David Bongard
Approved Unanimously
2. Minutes of September 9 meeting.
Moved David Bongard
Seconded Tony Germin
Resolution: Approve minutes of the meeting of September 9
Approved Unanimously
3. President’s report: Michael D’Souza
a) Local Joint Committee:
Report of Thursday, October 27 meeting.
Minutes of August 18 meeting
b) Local Grievance Committee: No outstanding local grievances
c) Local General Membership Meeting: November 3. This was the second general meeting held in 2011. Elected and staff officials briefed the membership on the pending budget of the federal government and it’s possible effects on the CBC. The union is working on ameliorating those effects.
d) Election by law: Under the CMG by laws the Local Executives must hold election by February 28, in every year ending with an even number. National elections are held every three years and usually held at the end of the year. That means that every six years there are national and local elections within two to three months. This leads to much confusion. The Toronto Executive wants to deal with that confusion and suggests that these elections be held at the same time. It is therefore asking for a change in the by laws.
Moved: Glen Guerin
Seconded: Rob Barlow
Resolution: That we propose a by-law change to the next convention, that when the National / Branch elections occur within six months of a Toronto Location election, the Toronto election shall be combined with the National / Branch elections.
Passed 7 – 0 (Tony Germin abstains)
Election 2012: As noted above the Toronto location must hold general elections by February 28, 2012. Also, the CBC Branch Executive must hold a by-election in January. The Toronto Location agreed to hold its election with the branch by-election. The likely dates for this on-line vote would be January 25 and 26.
Moved: Ellen Armstrong
Second Beverley Brown
Resolution: That we combine our Toronto LEC election with the online CBC Branch by-election in January with a maximum contribution of $2,500 towards the costs.
Passed 6 – 0 (Claryse Boulineau & Tony Germin abstain)
4. Vice President’s report: Tony Germin reported on outstanding issues concerning certain members. He also spoke about the pending meeting of the new Local Joint Committee for SRC, the French services of the CBC in Toronto.
5. Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer Corey Martin was not at the meeting and the Executive reviewed his financial report.
6. Committees reviews: Naomi Robinson was not at the meeting but the Toronto Executive adopted her report on the selection and structure of committees. The report, as adopted, is attached.
Moved: Tony Germin
Seconded: Ellen Armstrong
Resolution: The Toronto LEC adopt the policy on committees.
Passed unanimously
7. Directors Reports:
a) SRC: Claryse Boulineau reported on the continuing problems with SRC. The CBC has agreed to set up a new joint committee with the union to address these and other issues. This committee was scheduled to meet on Tuesday, November 29 at the offices of the CMG.
b) Events: Glen Guerin reported on plans to observe Black History Month with a Film Festival at the Graham Spry Theatre and an art show in the Atrium of the Broadcasting Centre.
8. Communications: Rob Krbavac was not at the meeting. But the LEC discussed the web site, cmgtoronto.ca. The executive also agreed to ask the CBC to include the union’s web site on the new video display panels installed near the banks of elevators. The union will also ask the Corporation about the maintenance of CMG bulletin boards in the Broadcasting Centre. These issues will to be taken up at the next meeting of the Local Joint Committee.
9. Mobilization and Education: Beverley Brown agreed to co-ordinate the week-long workload campaign starting on Monday, November 28. The campaign includes the distribution of leaflets, bookmark and CMG stress dolls.
10. Health and Safety: Mac Skelton was not at the meeting. Glen Guerin reported on coming changes to how computer generated materials are printed. This work is to be centralized and that will mean changes to locations where there are printers and photocopiers so that these installations are properly vented.
11. New Members: Alice Hopton said she would be holding a meeting for new members on Friday, November 18. The executive agreed that serving pizza and pop was appropriate at this meeting.
8. Stewards: Ellen Armstrong reported that planning for the Holiday Party on December 8 was going well. She also suggested serving coffee, cookies etc. for the staff working the early shift because these members can’t come to the evening party. The executive agreed.
9 Other business Honoraria. The Toronto LEC had reduced the honoraria paid to the executive to meet a financial crunch. The finances are in better shape and the Executive reviewed that decision and wishes to restore the honoraria to their historic rates. But changing the honoraria needs with a referendum with two thirds voting for the change. The Executive also agreed to reduce the number of face-to-face meetings it holds during regular working hours. Executive members have to be released from their jobs to attend these meetings and those releases cost the union about $3,500 per meeting.
Moved: Ellen Armstrong
Seconded: Tony Germin
Resolution
WHEREAS The Toronto LEC reduced the honoraria paid to the executive by 30 per cent when the locations finances were stretched.
AND WHEREAS those finances are now back to normal
Therefore be it resolved that the Honoraria paid to the LEC be restored to its previous levels of:
President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer $1,800 each
Directors & Chief Stewards: $900 each for the ten positions.
Resolution passed 6 – 2 (Rob Barlow, Dave Bongard opposed)
NOTE: UNDER THE THIS RESOLUTION NOW GOES TO A GENERAL REFERENDUM. THIS WILL BE HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ELECTION FOR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE TORONTO LOCATION OF THE CBC BRANCH OF THE CMG.
To offset this cost the executive has voted to hold at least two of its meetings in off hours. When the union’s executive committee meets during regular working hours it must pay for the executive to be released for this union work. Those releases cost about $3,500 per release for the full executive. That’s a reduction of $7,000 in usual expenses.
Moved David Bongard
Seconded Beverley Brown
The Toronto LEC hold at least three meetings in off hours.
Resolution passed
Amendment proposed to reduce 3 meetings to 2 meetings.
Amendment passed 4 – 3 with 1 abstention.
Moved David Bongard
Seconded Beverley Brown
AMENDED RESOLUTION The Toronto LEC hold at least two meetings in off hours.
Passed unanimously
11 Next meeting. The next meeting of the executive would have been within three weeks and the executive there wouldn’t be sufficient business to justify a meeting. And elections are expected in January 2012. This then was the last meeting of this executive.
12 Adjournment: The executive meeting adjourned at 2:30 pm
Moved: Rob Barlow Seconded: Glen Guerin
Passed unanimously
COMMITTEE COMMITTEE RECCOMENDATIONS ON TORONTO LOCATION EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
COMMITTEE SELECTION GUIDELINES
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Submitted by Tony Germin, Ellen Armstrong, & Naomi Robinson
Approved and adopted by the Toronto LEC, Saturday, November 12, 2011
TERMS… Each committee will face a review by the LEC no later than midway through the LEC’s term… At that time, the LEC will ask the committee members who wishes to remain, and afford an opportunity to replace members. It will also be an opportunity for the committee to assess it’s needs and make requests of the LEC. The LEC may also wish to assess the need for a committee’s continuation. An ideal size for a committee is 5 CMG members.
APPLICATIONS… When the LEC solicits interest from within the general membership for participation in committees, all applications should be emailed in writing to a generic cmgtoronto.ca address (such as committees@cmgtoronto.ca). The President would be responsible for gathering all applications for review by the entire LEC during the selection process. Individual applicants will be discussed by the LEC in camera.
OBSERVERS… The LEC should budget annually for wage replacements for at least 6 days @$300 to enable potential new members to attend various committees. This would afford those members a sense of how that committee works, and they would have the experience to step in as an alternate when needed. This is one way to address succession planning.
LEC MEMBER ON EACH COMMITTEE… There should be at least one member of the LEC on each standing committee. The LEC member will be responsible for delivering the minutes of the committee meetings back to the LEC. Each committee should select it’s own chairperson to then be approved by the LEC.
LOCAL JOINT COMMITTEE… The Joint committee should be comprised of the LEC president, vice-president, & SRC representative (uncontested), as well as 2 other members who would apply and be chosen by the LEC.
BRANCH POLICY ADOPTIONS… The LEC concurs with the recently adopted Branch Policy Manual (revised May 2010) section detailing committee selection, (Section 3 a-f), and seeks to use that as a guiding principle in LEC’s management of local committees. (see attached)