President's Reports

April 2014 President's Report (City)

10 April 2014

Dear Local 79 Sisters and Brothers:

At the end of last month, Local 79 sent more than a dozen members to the Municipal Political Action Conference. Organized by the Toronto and York Region Labour Council, the event focused on the importance of electing City Councillors in October who will support, and advocate for, strong public services, healthy communities, and good jobs. Local 79, along with other Unions, can have a significant impact on the composition of the next Toronto City Council.

A Provincial Election is still a distinct possibility in the upcoming months and I hope that all Local 79 members will help to elect a government in Ontario that supports public services, respects bargaining rights, and gives people a clear path out of poverty. We’ve heard from our members, especially those working in Toronto Employment and Social Services, that the Torontonians they take care of on a daily basis are increasingly concerned about insufficient welfare rates and low minimum wages. Local 79 will be putting together information for our members, if and when an election is called, so please check our website regularly.

Local 79 has been holding workplace meetings on the “Stand-Up for Fairness” campaign since May 2013. Ask your Union Steward to contact the “Stand Up for Fairness” line at (416) 977-1629 extension 510, or contact the line directly for more information.

As part of Local 79’s on-going engagement with our city’s communities, we sponsored the recent 2014 City Ball Hockey Tournament. While delivering some remarks, I was pleased to see so many young people from the diverse communities across Toronto enjoying the event. Local 79’s involvement with this exciting sports initiative helped provide a fun and safe environment for Toronto’s children to further develop their athletic and life skills.

April 28th is the National Day of Mourning, when we pause and remember all workers who have been injured, made sick, or killed on the job. The 2014 service will be held on Monday, April 28th at 12 noon at Larry Sefton Park, Bay and Hagerman Street. (Behind Toronto City Hall)

Canada’s National Nursing Week for 2014 is May 12th – 18th. (see the Local 79 website)

Congratulations to all our members in Toronto Public Health for the recent award from RNAO. The RNAO in the Workplace Award award acknowledges excellence in nursing practice and will be presented at RNAO’s Annual General Meeting in May. Winner of the award will also be recognized in a future edition of the Registered Nurse Journal.

Local 79 has a dedicated investigation meetings line. If the employer asks you to report to an investigation meeting, please contact Local 79 immediately. All requests for investigation meetings should be directed to the Local 79 investigation meetings line at (416) 977-1629 extension 500.

We work hard at Local 79 to get our members special offers and savings from different businesses in Toronto. Please visit the Members’ Portal from the Local 79 website to find out the latest information on companies that want Local 79 members as customers, and are offering us discounts as an incentive.

The month of May provides several occasions to celebrate the rich diversity of Local 79 and the City of Toronto. May is Asian Heritage Month, Jewish Heritage Month in Ontario, and May 17th is the International Day Against Homophobia. (see the Local 79 website)

Applications for the 2014 Alex Gregory Memorial Scholarship will be accepted for students who are in their final year of secondary school in Ontario, and are registered in a post-secondary institution this fall. Five scholarships for $500 each will be awarded to children of current or retired members. Please contact (416) 977-1629 extension 250 for more information.

Tired of the winter cold? Be sure to mark these events in your calendar and don’t miss the summer fun! WorldPride 2014 Parade on Sunday, June 29th, Local 79’s second “Old-Fashioned” Picnic on Saturday, June 21st at High Park, the Local 79 Annual Picnic on July 23rd and 24th at Wild Water Kingdom, Scotiabank Caribbean Festival on Saturday, August 2nd, Labour Day on Monday, September 1st. Keep a look out for more details in the next President’s Report and on our website.

In Solidarity,

Tim Maguire
President