Canadian Union Podcast for Employees

Only if you want it. Dependents welcome as well. It is unclear if you will have to get a perscription, but my information is that if you have level 2 coverage you will be able to get the covid booster or shot covered for resonable and customary charges. This is just another area that your benefits are making it easier to get the things the UCP won't cover. Changes to your MEBAC Benefit Plan in 2026  You told us you wanted more flexibility in your wellness options, and we listened! The City and the Municipal Employees Benefit Association of Calgary (MEBAC) and are excited to share some significant updates to your benefit plan coming in 2026 and 2027. Changes were made to the Extended Health Care (EHC) Level 2, Dental Level 2 and 3, and effective January 1, 2026, we're introducing a new, more flexible wellness account benefit.  These changes come at an important time, as MEBAC members will have the opportunity to review and adjust their benefit levels during the enrolment window from November 17 to December 7. Highlights of Benefit Changes Effective January 1, 2026 Over the years, employees have told us that wellness looks different for everyone. Some of you told us that services you needed for wellness weren't covered; others said they wanted more flexibility in where and how you exercised. We listened. Up until now, you have had a $300 Health Spending Account (HSA) and could also apply for $200-$250 credit towards annual memberships at partner or City facilities through the Active Living Program. While these programs certainly provided value, they had limits as two separate accounts. Starting January 1, 2026, we're combining these into one streamlined, more impactful benefit: a $900 Wellness Account. This is an improved version of what you already had, designed to give you greater flexibility. You will now be able to choose how to allocate your funds between a: • Health Spending Account (HSA): This is non-taxable, covering medical/dental costs not included in your regular plan. • Personal Wellness Account: This is taxable, covering wellness related expenses. For more details on what qualifies under your Personal Wellness Account and how to allocate the $900, click here. Important: you must decide how to split the funds in your wellness account by December 7, 2025 or the full amount will become part of your Health Spending Account. Please refer to frequently asked questions on the new wellness account here.  Extended Health Care - Level 2 Updates • Custom made foot orthotics -The annual maximum has doubled, increasing from $200 to $400 per person per calendar year. • Hearing aids (Audio) - Coverage has increased from $600 to $1,500 per person every five years. In addition, cochlear implants are now included under audio benefits. • Medical items - Includes a coverage limit of $130 every 12 months. Cold Therapy Machines, often used to reduce inflammation, are now eligible. Dental Benefits - Level 2 and 3 Updates • Medical mouth guards (bruxism appliances) are now included under Major Services and subject to co-insurance and annual maximums. Highlights of Benefit Changes Effective January 1, 2027  Starting in 2027, employees can also look forward to improved vision and dental coverage. Extended Health Care - Vision Coverage • The vision care maximum will increase from $400 to $500 per person. • Coverage remains every 24 consecutive months, or every 12 months for children aged 13 and under. Dental - Annual Maximums • Level 2 Basic and Major Services combined maximum will increase from $1,500 to $1,750 per person, per calendar year. • Level 3 Basic and Major Services combined maximum will increase from $1,750 to $2,000 per person, per calendar year. The City and MEBAC negotiate benefit agreements for City employees. "MEBAC is an important advocate for employee benefits," says Mike Mahar, President of MEBAC. I'm proud of what we collectively accomplished to bring meaningful improvements to members over the next few years." Chris Arthurs, General Manager of People, Innovation and Collaboration Services said, "These improvements are about getting the right benefits to support the health and wellbeing of our people. Working with MEBAC ensures that employees' voices are heard, and together we continue to modernize our benefits plan to reflect their evolving needs." We hope you agree that these changes reflect The City's ongoing commitment to provide a modern, flexible, and inclusive benefits plan that supports you, and if applicable, your family's needs. Robust benefit plans are an important way to support your physical and mental wellbeing. More information will be found in the Benefit Enrolment Brochure which will be emailed to you on November 17. Please review these so you can decide whether you will change your benefit level for 2026 and allocate funds within your wellness account. Changes may only be made during the enrolment window from November 17 to December 7, 2025. [Side panel] Did you know? Effective October 20, 2025, COVID vaccinations will be covered under our benefit plan's "serums, vaccines and toxoids."  Our plan will pay 90% up to a maximum of $250 per calendar year for those who selected Level 2 Extended Health Care. For employees in Level 1, the expense for a COVID vaccination can be submitted to their Health Spending Account. 

The final day of Convention. My thoughts. 

Lots of business was done, and lots of emotions were had. CUPE convention was a great experience even from my desk in Alberta as I watched it online. 

If you have ever wanted to watch CUPE today would have been the day to do so. Congrats to Mark, and Candice they won their seats for another two years. A general resolution at the end of the day nearly broke the convention. At the very least it shows that trauma over resolutions are real and need to be managed properly.

Challenge the chair!!! Happened again. Overall a great day of convention business.

Convention Floor Business Starts!!! 1 Constutional and 1 General Resolution were actually voted and passed at convention. Good start to a long week. Looks like Mark and Candice will be keeping their positions. No one is running against them.

Lets prep for the convention. Have you downloaded the app? Are you going to watch online. Check out the resolutions and look at the app for all your convention needs. I won't be there this year but I want to watch online. My views on the Constitutional Resolutions.

This episode covers the L37 grievance procedure. It isn't a solve every problem sort of process but it is offical and it is part of the agreement. Lets talk about the clause. Thanks for listening!

My comments on how the Alberta teacher strike and the postal strike is going to end if you're gonna support them listen to this.

Children Christmas Party will be a bit different this year. Our venue cancelled on us short notice. MEBAC changes are coming. You have to declare some numbers for Health Spending Account and the new Wellness Account. We have an Exec-at-Lrg position to be elected in October.

What sort of NSFW goes on at work? Are you doing it now? Should you be aware of it? I have examples.

This episode is about out of scheudle rates of pay.

1.      4.07 – On-Call employee 2.      5.10 – Inability to Report 3.      5.17 – Overtime Distribution. 4.      Pay notes 2 and 4. 5.      Letter of Understanding 8. I would open these up for bargain these in a heartbeat.

1.      Section 3 Grievance Procedure 2.      5.02 – Standard Hours of Work 3.      5.18/5.20 – Overtime paid or banked at 2x wage. 4.      6.17 Bereavement Leave 5.      7.05 Vacation Entitlement

What do you do when you have a collision. Listen and I will guide you.

Here is my report on the Convention, the election, and Chris Smalls. For Reference, Cori Longo ran without a rival, and Gil McGown beat Gregg Mady 60/40 split. I also speak about Chris Smalls and I included an echo track of his talk. Chris spoke to us about Amazon and the Labour Union he helped co-found. Whatever you think of him, it was important, and I think worth publicizing. I tried to increase the audio. Apologies but I do think it was worth playing. I sped up the entire episode (a tiny bit) if your wondering.

We are talking about vacation. 7.03 - 7.08. Employees don't really take a look at this clause. I wanted to take a moment and dive into it. If there are any errors please correct me. I am always going to defer to the union leadership for their interpretation. Enjoy.

Hey lets talk about CUPE Alberta, the CLC, the coming AFL convention, and Tarrifs.

I was successful in the election. I was elected to the position of Exec-At-Large which means I am on the executive. Looking forward to the join the team. Greg Mady joined us at the start of the March General Meeting. Convention is this week. Maybe the education workers have a deal? Lots of news. I talk about the AFL and CUPE AB

This is an audio version of the youtube video on the same topic. The Attendance Suport Program is advertised as a great program that recently was able to reduce the amount of hours to get on the program from 50 a quarter to 36 hours. Why does this matter? It matters because innocent absenteeism is a fancy way of saying we can't get the stuff we want from the culpable system. This system will help us with other programs and hopefully get people to work. The problem is the system is always correcting. The better employees, the less time you can miss to be on the program. We are at a point in time where one week off is more time than is required to bring in a note from a doctor. In S/A land this is a non-culpable claim where the program starts without any suspicion there would be an issue.  Not even thinking of the grieveances.

Short of quorum. Was everyone buying valentines gifts? Some good things in this episode even though we didn't have a meeting. I talk about Local 829 and CUPE Alberta.

We have an election. You have your ballots in the mail, and I encourage you to vote and mail it in. I and others running are counting on you! Feb 27 is the deadline for being at the box office. If you miss it, you can come to the hall to vote. Also what is going on with Local 829? Medicine Hat News says they are under administration just prior to voting on a deal... very interesting since getting a deal to vote on is not a reason to be put under adminstration.

Elections are happening. Vote for me. Please.

Last epsiode before the new year. Thanks for listening everyone.

No Quorum. Means no meeting but we did have a discussion. Thanks for listening. Just an FYI I got my meetings in and can run for a position.

Short and sweet. This is the second last meeting before the Jan elections.

Get your Health Spending Account for 2024. Two ways. If these links work click on them... https://youtu.be/fMn92hb0V3g?si=ATU629AQN6JHEdo1 or https://youtu.be/QQX_BW8wvuU?si=6pFHOlu7OL1Obwwy or Search out HSA H&DP 2021 5min or HSA H&DP 2021 12min

Fred Hahn is the President of CUPE ON. He is in the media for many reasons. Currently it is about something he posted and what that makes him according to people who don't know him, or what CUPE is fighting for. As complicated as this is. There is a reason why we won't see him step down. It has everything to do with what the Convention Resolution allows him to do and how a person who makes mistakes can apologize, learn from the mistake and move forward. It also has to do with how the NEB is formed and why removal of any NEB member is nearly an impossible ask. Just like asking for your Preimere to step down. 

Deal struck. 3, 3.25, 3.25. Everything else was the same except for stronger language on the seasonal recall. Thanks to everyone that came out to vote.

Information is working its way down the chain. What I can share is in the episode. This is a yes for me. I hope you can find it in your selves to vote yes as well. Compounded this deal is 9.8% over three years. I am told what was offered and accepted in principal is 3, 3.25, 3.25. Some language changes around seasonal recall but all the other negotiated items were included as well.    Looking forward to signing this deal, and thanks to the Union officers who took a good offer, listened to the membership, went back and squeezed out a bit over 0.5% including the other monitary items. 

Strike mandate on the horizon. My thoughts. Some may think we are in a zero sum game, or a win-win. At this stage we are hovering near a lose-lose.  We are in a cooling off portion. Call the hall if you have questions. 

L37 is being offered 3%x3 over 3 years. L38 is being offered 3%, 3%, 2%. They are asking for 4%, 3.5%, 3%. Compounded from both the difference is about 1.59%. They are dealing with other issues that L37 are not concerned with, but L37 have got in writing some things they have been looking for going back many contracts. My support for L38 and my desire to move forward with our proposed contract are important in my dedication. 1.59% may not be much but sometimes it is not entirely the monetary that keeps contracts from being signed. 

Waiting on the Bylaws but this is what I submitted to the Executive in March of 2023. Not sure if any of it was different. The Proposal Also if you haven't put in for the remaining of your Health and Spending Account. Do it before end of Feb. HSA H&DP 2021 12min

HSA 2021 Video Every year you have to claim it to get it or you lose it. Follow the information and get back the health spending account back from the last year. You have until Feb to do this. Must be able to sign into GSC and must have your last pay advice of the fiscal year.

The only thing I would add is that The President, Treasurer, and Administrator are not from the same Province. Constitutional Resolution for the NEB and Committee/Working Groups. Be it resolved that CUPE National will be comprised of 28 National Executive Board Members. 3 of whom will handle the day-to-day workings of the labour organization, 13 Provincial/Terrtitory Orientated Regional Vice Presidents who will elect internally 6 General VP's. These positions will be called the President, Secretary Treasurer, National Administrator, with 6 GVP's and 7 RVP's. The remaining 12 positions will be comprised of titled Diversity roles as devised by the National. These positions will be voted on by the entire delegation of CUPE members off the floor and will be selected to represent not only their Diversity counterparts. These Diversity VP's will also be linked by election to a specific Province/Territory. At minimum two representatives from each Province will sit on the NEB. To qualify as a candidate these roles will require the backing of each caucus through article 11.2 of the Constitution. They do not require to have the specific Diversity role they represent but do need to have the full caucus support of their respective equity seeking committee. These candidates will also require the full support of their Provincial Division. They will be expected to sit on their Provincial Division in some capacity. They must qualify as a delegate. As per our commitment to the Canadian Labour Congress, Candidates cannot be over 65 years of age, and need to have a dues paying position waiting for them in their home local. In the case of the Territories, if no Provincial Division exists, their roles will be distributed to Provinces that have fewer representatives. The National Administrator as a new role will be given duties that assist in the day-to-day operations. Watching over the Trial Procedure, advising on bylaw compliance, new member recruitment, and advancing the National could be some of the duties for the position. Voting on these positions will be either a Ranked-choice vote or first past the post by every delegate who chooses to participate in the Convention. Each person who runs for these roles must primarily reside in the province for which they are representing. Diversity VP's will be required to submit for approval if the equity seeking committee has been formed. If approval is granted, the caucus choice will be communicated at Convention. All NEB meetings except for up to four a year will be run online and through virtual methods. Committee meetings will also be limited to two in person meetings. Technology will be provided to the successful candidates elected to the positions. Technology will be returned at the end of their terms in office. Terms of Office will be no more than 5 terms of office, in any combination including previous terms off office on the National Executive Board. This means sitting on the NEB is at maximum a 10-year commitment. All referencing constitutional clauses referring to the previous makeup will be reworked to manage the structure proposed here through a committee that will report back by the next convention or by a special called convention. Including the Full-time Position, the changes and definitions will be identified and labeled. The NEB will be comprised of 28 members as elected as stated previously in this resolution. Because CUPE National is run by a very complex organization of representatives, and staff that are tasked with the betterment of CUPE members. It should never be a position where elected officers are comfortable in their roles representing the National membership. Returning to their past roles if they so choose. If an elected officer can reach 10 years in office, their contribution to CUPE should be able to be felt upon their return to their Local. The position should be able to pass their torch to the next candidate. For the Local should be in the mind of the NEB member, who is seconded to the National. Their contributions should push forward the movement in such a way as the responsibilities, and rewards provided by the position not being a given but a reward for the right to represent those who dues are to be respected. Because the NEB has pushed for an increased presence of Diversity roles but does not take into consideration the parliamentary structure it ascribes. In order to be more Diverse, the structure needs to be realigned. This structure is similar to the previous provincial model. The difference being their roles must be representative of Diversity positions as a primary and Provincial representation being secondary. The cycle of leadership will be forced to change because of the respective timelines. This increase in Diversity positions allow CUPE to lead by example while constraining what used to be Regional VP roles. Because CUPE allows their affiliated Locals to be autonomous if they follow the National Constitution. This should help with aligning the Locals to a National body that ascribes to both a provincial and equitable diversity solutions.  

Speed on Green and Red Light Camera Tickets are now the repsonsibility of the Employer. You can thank an arb in Edmonton for this.

I can say I am both extremely happy and mad at this recent meeting. You can be that when you are a member. Next meeting is the second tuesday of every month.

No quorum makes for a rough update. Apologies for the lack of publishing. I have been working and there just hasn't been a lot I can officially speak to. The letter of understanding on rest for 8hr in between shifts is a go. Big news since the next day would be paid for the full shift even though you may not make it with the required rest in between. Next episode we find out the new executive.

Once again we have another year of time that has passed and you may not have used your health spending account. Let me know you how you can upto any amount owing with some simple yet usually forgotten methods of putting it back in your pocket. Please watch the video linked in the description. https://youtu.be/fMn92hb0V3g Or simply just search out Scott Cush on YouTube, and look for the video titled "HSA H&DP 2021 12min" Easiest 12 min of your life to get your HSA in your pocket.

We are nearly into November and the union is still plugging away. Thanks for listening to the October 2022 update. We did not have quorum.

For those of you thinking of retirement. There are some deadlines approaching fast. Here are the rules to getting the right outcome. Employees will be eligible to receive the Retirement Allowance provided they submit their Notice of Intent to Retire and their last day of work is on or before the date of ratification of a new collective agreement. Example A: Last Day Worked by employee June 30, 2022 – employee using their outstanding vacation and Lieu time as time off until September 1, 2022.  First day of retirement September 2, 2022 Ratified Union Contract  July 1, 2022 Employee would be eligible for the retiring allowance provisions which would be payable to the employee on their last pay cheque with The City in September 2022   Example B: Last Day Worked by employee June 30, 2022 – employee using their outstanding vacation, lieu time and retiring allowance as time off until October 31, 2022.  First day of retirement November 1, 2022 Ratified Union Contract July 1, 2022 Employee would be eligible for the retiring allowance provisions; there would be no payout's of any balances as employee has chosen to take all as time off.     Example C: Last Day Worked August 1, 2022 – which was approved and submitted to Payroll on Intent to Retire Form on November 15, 2021 Ratified Union Contract July 1, 2022 Employee would NOT be eligible for the retiring allowance provisions (either chosen to be paid or as time off whichever they had chosen and articulated on the Intent to Retire Form).

Quick update.  Local 37 to vote sometime in July. TBA. Local 38 Ratifed. 

I'm back in Local 37. CBA language is finalized, going to be voted on soon. Can't say much, but it is likely going to be good for those that are not red circled.  Probably should thank L38 for failing to acheive an monetary agreement, and choosing to go through mediated settlement. Everyone else was able to get what was mediated.

Today I speak to how CUPE Alberta is handling Bill 32. We speak about Jason Kenny, the UCP, attacks, and the NDP. This is my first ever interview style conversation on this podcast. I got to speak to Rory Gill. President of CUPE Alberta. We go back aways when I was working on the Executive of CUPE Local 37 and when I was sitting in the CUPE Alberta Executive. Please enjoy and thanks for listening.

While we remember the day of Mourning on April 28, 2022. I wanted to share one of the moments I realized why it is important to report product failure.

Want to highlight the amazing accomplishment of the ALU. Amazon Labour Union seems to have done the work, and now in the process of bargaining their first collective agreement.

Another year, another election.

The Greenshield portal has changed and so too has the ways in which we can redeem last years remaining Health Spending Account. There are deadlines on this. Usually the end of Jan/Feb of the following year.  I made a video which can be found at https://youtu.be/fMn92hb0V3g or https://www.cityworker.ca 

Super excited to find out that there is another CUPE podcast in the ether. CUPE Cast from Ontario has three CUPE member anchors that speak on CUPE and many other things union. I really like the episode on the CLC. And of course my brief comments on CUPE National Convention.