PRC Meeting Minutes ( January 2017)

PRAIRIE REGION COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

January 19-20, 2017 Fairmont Hotel, Winnipeg, MB

Present: Marianne Hladun, Regional Executive Vice-President (REVP) Prairies Sam Akinsanya, Racially Visible Persons Rep Satinder Bains, Regina Area Council Rep Shannon Blum, Prince Albert Area Council Rep Deanna Getz, Southern Saskatchewan Rep Alec Goertzen, Calgary Area Council Rep Timothy Hunt, GLBT Rep Janette Husak, Aboriginal Peoples Rep Valerie Illingworth, Northern Saskatchewan Rep Frank Janz, Alternate REVP Prairies Glen Johnston, Westman Area Council Rep Gloria Kelly, Regional Women's Committees (RWC) Rep Deb Kosteniuk, Southern Alberta Geographical Rep Gregory Krokosh, Lethbridge & District Area Council Rep Michelle Lang, Directly Chartered Locals (DCL) Rep Darlene Lewis, Edmonton Area Council Rep Gus Mardli, South-East Manitoba Geographical Rep Jackie Nettleton, Saskatoon Area Council Rep Brenda Skayman, Northern Alberta Geographical Rep Matt Tijani, Winnipeg Area Council Rep Michael Weisgerber, North-West Manitoba Geographical Rep Jeffrey Vallis, Regional Political Communications Officer - Prairies Alison Davis, Assistant to REVP – Prairies Tracy Thor, Acting Regional Coordinator - Prairies

Regrets: Kim Haynes, Persons With Disabilities Chad Kemery, Separate Employer Locals Rep

Absent: Nathaniel Angus-Jackman, Young Workers Observers: David Neufeld

1. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Sister Marianne Hladun at 9:06 a.m.

2. Alternates Introduced Sister Marianne Hladun welcomed and introduced new PRC members Sr. Brenda Skayman and Sr. Darlene Lewis and administered the Oath of Office.

3. Adoption of Agenda The agenda was adopted.

4. Hours of Session The hours of session were adopted.

5. Opening Remarks Sr. Marianne Hladun introduced Sr. Tracy Thor, Acting Regional Coordinator while Sr. Lisa Garnier is away. She advised that the PSAC Harassment Policy is in place for the duration of the meeting and Sr. Thor will be the Harassment Coordinator. The Scent Policy is in effect and the meeting is being recorded but will not be released or posted, it is for internal use only.

6. Approval of Council Reports There is a requirement in the PRC By-Laws for all Representatives to submit a report. The reports are attached as they are received. The reports submitted were circulated and approved by the Council and can be found on the Prairies website Additions: Marianne Hladun: • Treasury Board tentative agreement for the PA group. Sr. Gloria Kelly asks if the other tables don’t come to an agreement are we looking at doing the PA table on their own? Sr. Hladun confirms that we will not hold back the ratification process for other tables. • Bargaining updates from what was reported. We have a tentative agreement with the Winnipeg Protective Service Officers at the Mint. The University of Winnipeg Academic Capacity sector and Research Assistant unit had conciliation this week and we are expecting a board decision by the end of next week where they will impose a first collective agreement. • Sr. Deanna Getz asks what would happen if the Winnipeg Human Rights Museum goes on strike and we’ve planned an event there. Sr. Hladun assures that we will not cross a picket line and explains that when we negotiate a contract, it includes a clause that allows us to back out in the event of a strike or lockout. Sam Akinsanya: • Had some attachments to his report from the conference and the CLC conference, provided at the meeting. Deanna Getz: • Nothing to add. Gloria Kelly: • Nothing to add. Gus Mardli: • In November, we had activists in the Winnipeg area volunteer at Siloam Mission. This was organized by Sr. Sheilagh Hansen newly elected chair of the Regional Women’s Committee and Br. Frank Janz. Br. Mardli shared the card that Siloam Mission sent to the Winnipeg Area Council. Rep reports are found at Appendix A.

 Committee Reports

By-Laws Committee No report submitted.

Communications Committee No report submitted.

Education Committee No report submitted. Finance Committee The Committee met yesterday at the Regional Office with the exception of Sr. Kim Haynes. The committee put forward recommendations which are found in the Committee report found at Appendix B.

Recommendation 1 - Scholarship fund in memory of Judy Shannon to send a sister to the Prairie School for Union Women. Finance Committee recommendation to not establish the scholarship was defeated. Recorded Vote #1 Motion to reconsider the vote on the finance recommendation. Carried. Recorded vote #2 Motion to table the revote on Finance Recommendation #1. Carried. Recorded vote #3 Recommendations 2 A-C will be discussed under the Convention agenda item. Recommendation 3 – Funding for Finance Committee meeting Recommendation to fund up to $9,000 from Deferred Revenue for the 5 members of the Finance Committee to meet for 2 days to prepare recommendations to the REVP on allocations for Committees/Councils. Carried with 2/3 majority. Recorded Vote #4. Recommendation 4 – Proposed Budget for Convention Following debate, PRC amended the budget as presented by the Finance Comittee . Amended budget to be presented to the Convention Finance Committee is in Appendix C. Carried. Recorded vote #5. Sr. Kelly recorded against. The committee presented the January 1 – December 31, 2016 Income Statement and a revised January 1 – December 31, 2015 was provided. Income statements can be found in Appendix D Health & Safety Committee The committee met Wednesday evening, January 18, 2017. Committee report found in Appendix E. Committee presented draft Terms of Reference for the Regional Health and Safety Committee. Defeated. Recorded Vote #6 7. Agenda Items

(a) Establishment of a Scholarship Fund – submitted by Sr. Marianne Hladun Original recommendation to Finance Committee as submitted by Sr. Hladun was defeated. Motion from the floor that PRC take $30,000 from the deferred revenue to establish a memorial scholarship fund in Sr. Judy Shannon’s name and that up to $3000 per year be used in funding one participants’ expenses (who shall be a PSAC prairie member in good standing) to the Prairie School for Union Women and that the registration fee be paid for out of this $3000. Further to this the selection of participant will be made by PRC Regional Women’s Committee Rep, the chair of the PRC Education Committee or their alternates, if the reps are applicants, and the Prairies REVP as has been the practice for other conferences and special events. The selection process is to be based on the applicant’s qualifications, experience, etc. as outlined on the application which will be developed by the REVP’s office. Further to this, the memorial scholarship will be established as soon as possible to facilitate the participation of one member to the 2017 Prairie School for Union Women and subsequent years forward. Should the funds be depleted, the Prairie Region Council shall revisit this funding model to ensure the continued existence of the scholarship in Sr. Shannon’s memory. Moved by Sr. Skayman, seconded by Sr. Lang. Carried unanimously. Recorded vote #7. Action: REVP, RWC Chair and the PRC Education Committee Chair develop the application criteria.

(b) Denied (WSF) World Social Forum’s funding for – submitted by Br. Gus Mardli Item was discussed in the last PRC meeting. Feel that the decision to deny this fund with the rationale was unfair. This budget line item was submitted last year in April from the Winnipeg Area Council. Finance committee requested a business case be submitted. The business case was submitted after the event due to some delay and misunderstanding about requirements. WAC was advised on Apr. 25/16 of approved budget. Attached was the spreadsheet, in approved column was no amount, in the tentative was no amount, comment was “please submit a business case”. Based on the sheet, it was not approved or tentatively approved. There was no request to find out what was required in a business case until August from the Vice-Chair of the Winnipeg Area Council. Br. Greg Krokosh said it was decided by the finance committee that any amount over $500 would require a business case. Financing for events must be pre-approved prior to expending the funds. Br. Mardli feels that this case deserves special consideration as the members who attended felt tentatively approved and as he was away in April due to a family emergency he was unable to follow up with the business case submission in a timely manner. Br. Krokosh points out that other members of the council could have contacted the REVP to find out what they needed to do. The proposal was submitted to the REVP in November and sent to the finance committee. Sr. Hladun clarified here was no tentative approval, the request was for a business case as we did not know what the World Social Forum was. When the initial proposal was received in November, the request clearly specified using funds from deferred revenue that the REVP and Finance Committee are not able to approve and the response was that this would have to go to the PRC for a vote. Br. Mardli motioned that we use deferred revenue to subsidize the two members who attended the World Social Forum each $500. Concern was raised about setting a precedent for members to attend any event and expect funding from the PRC after the fact. Br. Frank Janz suggested we clarify the timeline to clear confusion. Sr. Jackie Nettleton asks for information about the World Social Forum, and Br. Krokosh asks for a breakdown of what the money will cover. Sr. Hladun asks if the motion is to pay the members directly or to provide the funds to the Area council. Br. Mardli clarifies, the motion is to pay $1000 to the Winnipeg Area Council so they can reimburse the two members $500 each out of deferred revenue. Br. Sam Akinsanya asked if the two members paid their own way to attend the WSF. Br. Frank Janz clarifies that USGE component partially funded their members to go. They were funded for three out of the five days and paid their expenses. What they are missing is two days’ salary. Br. Glen Johnston asks if the members are being reimbursed for two days’ salary, does their salary equal $500 for those two days. If they are out of pocket for their salary, why aren’t they submitting a request for their salary. Sr. Brenda Skayman asks if the request for the funding came in prior to attending the event or after. Br. Mardli confirms that the request for this funding came in March through the Area Council Budget. The event took place in July. Br. Mardli withdraws his motion. Sr. Shannon Blum proposes a new motion. Recognizing that the members felt that funding was approved via the area council budget request and that procedures may require clarification in the future that in this instance only, the two members be provided reimbursement for their salary through the usual procedures, and that it comes from deferred revenue. Br. Mardli seconded. Motion requires a two-thirds majority to use deferred revenue was defeated. Recorded vote #8. 8. Convention All deadlines on the convention timeline passed at the November 2015 PRC meeting, have been met. March 16th is the deadline for the Prairie Voice Award. Sr. Hladun went over Convention Committee selections. Convention Committees: Convention committee member list re-circulated to include new PRC members and to move one member between committees to distribute the number of members more evenly. Br. Janz asked to remove himself as the chair of the Finance Committee. Br. Krokosh nominates Sr. Kelly to chair the Finance Committee. Sr. Kelly agreed to let her name stand. Convention committees as amended unanimously ratified. Recorded vote #9 Sr. Hladun looks to the PRC for opinions on whether we should organize a rally when everyone is here for convention so the staff can start making arrangements. Consensus of PRC to plan a rally for Friday noon of convention. Host Committee Report: Br. Janz reported that they had their first host committee meeting. Talked about the Prairie Voice Award. Possibly a general strike tour. Quick meeting to get an overview of the roles for the committee members. Finance Committee: The finance committee recommendation #2 had three recommendations for discussion under the Convention agenda item. As of December 8th there were 222 delegates on behalf of locals. The full convention funding that we get from Ottawa is put toward subsidy. Minimums that were promised are Alberta and Saskatchewan $650; Manitoba over 100 kilometers $400; Manitoba within 100 kilometers $250; Manitoba north of the 53rd will receive the same subsidy as out of province. Seven locals have registered one more than their allotment according to the member data from Ottawa. Those locals were asked to provide their mud sheets for us to ensure that RAND members aren’t being counted. If it’s close and it’s a Phoenix issue they will be allowed, all of the regions agree. Recommendation 2a – Full funding of 1 delegate each from U of S and U of W Sr. Hladun presented a recommendation to the Finance Committee to fully fund one delegate each from the Univ. of Sask. and the Univ. of Winnipeg. Estimated cost is $1,930 for the Univ. of Sask. delegate and $300 for the Univ. of Winnipeg delegate. Sr. Hladun clarified this is the same process used last convention where DCL’s not yet colleting dues were funded for one delegate regardless of their actual entitlement. Finance Committee recommendation as presented: While the committee recognizes DCLs who are not yet paying dues are members in good standing, it is the recommendation of the finance committee that they be treated like all other members in good standing and receive the same subsidy as dues paying members attending the 2017 PSAC Prairie Region Convention. Sr. Lang, spoke against this recommendation. They are members in good standing and the locals have no money to cost share sending their delegates and they are unlikely to be able to participate if they aren’t fully funded. Finance committee recommendation to not fund DCL delegates was defeated. Recorded vote #10. Finance Committee Recommendation 2b – Funding of registrations from Deferred Revenue Discussion about the recommendation to provide subsidies to all the delegates regardless of whether they registered by the posted deadline. The committee reworded the recommendation to allow for all delegate registrations to be covered. The finance committee recommends that the registration fees for all delegates registered for the Prairie Region Convention be paid out of unallocated surplus for a maximum total of $45,500. Recommendation which required 2/3 majority was carried. Recorded vote #11. Recommendation 2c – Live feed for 2017 convention Committee received the estimate for up to $18,000 to do a live feed on convention floor. Committee recommended the amount of $18,000 from deferred revenue. Recommendation which required 2/3 majority was carried. Recorded vote #12. Concludes the recommendations from the Finance Committee. Convention Subsidies Sr. Hladun presented proposed convention subsidy amounts for delegates registered by the December 8th with subsidies being: Alberta and Saskatchewan $1000 per delegate, Manitoba above the 53rd $1000 per delegate, 100 kilometers outside Winnipeg, $750, and within 100 kilometers of Winnipeg, $350. Recommendation carried. Recorded vote #13. Sr. Skayman motions that three delegates from the University of Saskatchewan be fully funded for convention out of unallocated surplus not to exceed $2500 each ($7500 total) taking into account the subsidy approved for one of these delegates out of approved convention subsidies and that three delegates from the University of Winnipeg be fully funded for convention out of unallocated surplus not to exceed $500 each ($1500 total), taking into account the subsidy approved for one of these delegates from convention subsidies. This action is to be considered a one of that there is no monies in the PRC budget to support this in the future. The total amount from the unallocated surplus not to exceed $7650. Motion carried with the 2/3 majority required. Recorded vote #14. All recorded votes at Appendix E.

Meeting adjourned.