Dear Fellow TCHC Member of Local 79:

TCHC has hired a new CEO, Gene Jones, currently the head of Detroit’s public housing body. He will officially begin as President and CEO of TCHC on June 18th. Local 79 will try to schedule a meeting with the new CEO and the TCHC Executive as soon as possible to discuss a number of pressing issues facing Local 79 members.

On May 9th, 2012, the Executive of Local 79 hosted a telephone town hall meeting for members who work for TCHC. This well-attended town hall gave members an opportunity to ask questions and to discuss issues affecting members, including:

• Bargaining – Notice to Bargain has not been served by either TCHC or Local 79 within the required notice period of 90 days prior to the termination of the existing Collective Agreement. The effect of this is that the existing Collective Agreement has been rolled over until December 31, 2012. Local 79 will consult with members during this year as part of the preparations for the next round of bargaining.

• The Auditor’s Reports of 2011 and 2012, Local 79 has repeatedly stated that there would be greater control, accountability and transparency if it was directly managed by the City.
• Contracting out – Local 79 will address the issues that arise from the 2500 standalone units being contracted out, including deletions and redeployment. The Tenant Service Coordinators raised concerns about being redeployed into buildings that are currently at-risk of being contracted out. Local 79 is forming a “Contracting Out Committee” to deal with the concerns of all of our members.
• Workload Issues, which continue to be a prime concern for members. Local 79 will keep trying to have management address this issue.

If you haven’t already, members are encouraged to register for the Members’ Portal on our website, at www.cupelocal79.org. Thousands of Local 79 members already have, and have told us that it is a great way to stay well informed!

Premier McGuinty added funding for child care in the provincial budget after NDP leader Andrea Horwath made this funding a condition of NDP support. I would like to thank the hundreds of members across Local 79 who emailed and phoned the Premier and MPPs regarding the budget. Your actions helped make a difference!

Although child care funding is now in the budget, we still do not know the exact amount of money earmarked for child care in Toronto, nor do we know what the implications are for child care centres and programs. I have written to the City requesting Local 79’s engagement in the process of allocating provincial funding for child care and I shall provide updates to you on this issue.

The month of May provides several occasions to celebrate the rich diversity of Local 79 and our city. May is Asian Heritage Month, Jewish Heritage Month in Ontario, and May 17th is the International Day Against Homophobia.

Applications are now being accepted for the Rudy Draxl Memorial Scholarship and the Stan Dalton Memorial Scholarship. These two scholarships for $500.00 each, sponsored by the legal firm CaleyWray, will be awarded on the basis of written essays submitted by the applicants.

The theme for the Rudy Draxl Memorial Scholarship is “Why is a Union Necessary in the City of Toronto, TCHC or Bridgepoint Hospital?” The theme for the Stan Dalton Memorial Scholarship is “Why is a Steward a Positive Addition to the Workplace?” Essays must not exceed 2,500 words and the submission deadline is August 3, 2012. Please send your request for an application, in writing, to the Education Committee, c/o the Local 79 office. Please include your name, address, home and work telephone numbers, employer, division, and employee number in your request.

Local 79 invites you to a Spring Dance celebrating Local 79’s 70th anniversary, on Thursday June 14th at the Lithuanian Community House, 1573 Bloor St. West (Dundas and Bloor, Dundas Subway Station), from 6:00 p.m. until midnight. Dinner will be provided, and there will be a reasonably priced cash bar, a band, DJ, spot dances, and prizes. Come and meet other Local 79 members, and have a great time dancing to excellent music. Tickets will cost $5.00 each and you can reserve up to two tickets (no children) by calling 416-977-1629 extension 508 (8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Please call between May 22nd and June 7th as the space is limited.

Attention all Local 79 members aged 30 and under! On Saturday June 23rd, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be a Local 79 Young Workers’ Education Day. (Please see the Local 79 website for more details and watch for flyers in your workplace.)

Keep these dates open! Local 79’s annual Summer Picnic will be on July 18th and 19th on Toronto Island. All members are invited to bring their families; it’s one of Local 79’s most popular summer events.

In Solidarity,

Tim Maguire
President, CUPE Local 79