University of Western Ontario Staff Association

Dear Members,

The deadline for Nominations is quickly approaching! Please ensure that you have your nomination form in by January 31st.

Here is the link to the Nomination Form: http://uwosa.ca/content/submitting-nomination

For more information, click on the "UWOSA Election Page" link under the Main Menu to the left.

Jennifer Brace, Chair
UWOSA Elections Committee

Over 5,000 people braved the cold on Saturday to support locked-out employees of Electro-Motive here in London. UWOSA was there!

Calling all UWOSA Members!

Please come down to Victoria Park this Saturday, January 21st to show that UWOSA supports the locked out employees of Electro Motive, here in London.

We will be meeting at the Cenotaph at 10:45 am, near the corner of Wellington and Dufferin Streets. Look for the orange UWOSA vests - you won't be able to miss them!

UWOSA's Spring Luncheon

The annual UWOSA Valentine’s Luncheon will be held on Tuesday February 14th in the Great Hall, Somerville House. There will be two sittings - 12:00 noon and 1:00 pm. Please note that there are a limited number of tickets for each sitting.

Ticket Pickup Dates
UWOSA members may pick up their free tickets to the luncheon at the UWOSA office (UCC Room 255) on either of the following dates:

- Friday February 3rd from 12:00 to 2:00 pm
- Monday February 6th from 12:00 to 2:00 pm

Please bring your staff card with you. If you are not able to pick up a ticket, a co-worker or friend may pick it up for you. NO TICKETS WILL BE SENT OUT BY INTER CAMPUS MAIL.

We are pleased to have the George Laidlaw Quartet playing Jazz for us once again this year. As always, we will be accepting donations of non-perishable food for the London Food Bank, and a donation jar will be available for those who wish to donate cash.

Also, door prizes will be on display at the front of the Hall, with a draw bin for your entries.

JLC Discounts

Please check the Member Area under the Main Menu for the latest discounts available through the John Labatt Centre. You must be logged in to access this area of the UWOSA website. If you do not have your login information, contact Mary Hay at mary.hay@uwosa.ca.

Photo Contest

The deadline for the Photo Contest has been extended to January 31st. If you have not submitted your entries yet, you now have more time do so. Remember, this year's contest has a Winter Theme!

Please contact me at dfarr@uwosa.ca if you have any questions or would like any more information.

Denise Farr
Membership Services Officer

UWOSA supports the efforts of the CAW members at Electro-Motive. Please join your union representatives in attending the London Day of Action Against Corporate Greed rally on Saturday, January 21st at 11:00 am in Victoria Park. We believe this is a very important event and encourage all UWOSA members to attend and hear the issues firsthand.

Members of CAW at the Electro-Motive plant on Oxford Street East are standing together on picket lines after being locked out for rejecting employer demands of a 50% wage cut and major changes to their pension plan and benefits.

This is a highly profitable company which in 2010 enjoyed a 31% increase in sales and a 44% increase in profits and in 2011 has had multi-billion dollar profits and a 20% boost to production. Rather than share this with the workers who made it possible, this company has proposed slashing wages at Electro-Motive and rolling back hard-won benefits.

This is a key dispute and one where the outcome may have a significant impact on unionized workers, like ourselves, and contract negotiations in the future. Caterpiller -- CAT has a history of confronting and breaking union power, and there are fears that, having acquired the technology and market share from Electro-Motive, CAT intends to move production to a non-union plant in the U.S. If this is allowed to happen, it will not stop with the CAW employees, or even with union members – it will affect everyone – either through cuts in salaries and benefits or through loss of businesses!

Other ways we can help:

- join the picket line at 2021 Oxford Street East
- invite friends to attend the rally with us
- contact our MPPs to demand anti-scab legislation

Here is a list of local MPPs:

London Fanshawe: Teresa Armstrong

Queen's Park
Room 159, Main Legislative Building, Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A5
Tel 416-325-1872 / Fax 416-325-1912
tarmstrong-qp@ndp.on.ca

Constituency
Unit 16 - 771 Southdale Road East
London, Ontario N6E 2C6
Tel 519-668-1104 / Fax 519-668-1941
tarmstrong-co@ndp.on.ca

London West: Chris Bentley

Ministry
Ministry of Energy
4th Floor, Hearst Block - 900 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario M7A 2E1
Tel 416-327-6758 / Fax 416-327-6754
cbentley.mpp@liberal.ola.org

Constituency
Unit 8 - 11 Baseline Road East
London, Ontario N6C 5Z8
Tel 519-657-3120 /Fax 519-657-0368
cbentley.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

London North: Deb Matthews

Ministry
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
10th Floor, Hepburn Block
80 Grosvenor Street
Toronto, Ontario M7A 2C4
Tel 416-327-4300/ Fax 416-327-3679
dmatthews.mpp@liberal.ola.org

Constituency
Main Floor
242 Piccadilly Street
London, Ontario N6A 1S4
Tel 519-432-7339 / Fax 519-432-0613
dmatthews.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

You can read more about this dispute on the CAW website at www.caw.ca.

There are currently two committees requiring UWOSA representatives:

Lab Safety Committee
This committee will be responsible for reviewing the operational safety of both teaching and research laboratories at the University, and for recommending policies and procedures to improve health and safety in these areas. It is intended to provide a mechanism whereby knowledgeable input from laboratory practitioners and others is received, reviewed and utilized to advise the UHSC on health and safety matters specific to laboratories and the environment.

Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee
This committee provides a forum whereby representatives of all Employee groups and the Employer can identify workplace health & safety hazards and make recommendations to reduce or eliminate such hazards.

More information on both of these committees can be found here.

If you are interested in being the UWOSA representative on either of these committees, please download and complete the Committee Appointment Request Form found here and send it to the UWOSA office by campus mail to UCC Room 255, by email to info@uwosa.ca or by fax to ext 82180 (519-661-2180). All forms must be received by Monday, January 23, 2012.

The Stewards Council will appoint members to these committees at the next meeting. All applicants are expected to attend this meeting, which will be held at 12:00 pm on Wednesday, January 25th in UCC room 379.

If you have any questions, please call Mary Hay at ext 85089 or email mary.hay@uwosa.ca

Members of CAW at the Electro-Motive plant on Oxford Road East in London are standing together on picket lines after being locked out for rejecting employer demands of a 50% wage cut and major changes to their pension plan and benefits.

In 2008 the Conservative government gave Electro-Motive millions of dollars in tax breaks and subsidies, then just two years later, in 2010, approved the sale of the plant to U.S. based Caterpiller -- CAT. This is a highly profitable company which in 2010 topped the Dow Jones Industrial Index with a 53% increase in its share values. Last year, sales were up 31% and profits soared 44%. Nevertheless, the company has proposed slashing wages at Electro-Motive and rolling back hard-won benefits. CAT has a history of confronting and breaking union power, and there are fears that, having acquired the technology and market share from Electro-Motive, CAT intends to move production to a non-union plant in the U.S.

This as a key dispute, the outcome of which may have a significant impact on unionized workers, like ourselves, and contract negotiations in the future.
UWOSA supports the efforts of the CAW members at Electro-Motive and direct our members to the CAW website at www.caw.ca for further information on this dispute.

Stephanie Macleod
Vice President

Dear Members,

As you finish your last couple of working days in 2011, I’d like to draw your attention to the upcoming UWOSA Elections for 2012 – take a few minutes to visit the following UWOSA site locations to learn more:

Call for Nominations - 2012 Election:
http://uwosa.ca/content/call-nominations-2012-election

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) - UWOSA Elections:
http://uwosa.ca/content/faqs-elections

Link to Nomination Form:
http://uwosa.ca/content/submitting-nomination

Initial Introduction/Contact Information:
http://uwosa.ca/content/2012-uwosa-election

As the Nomination date (Tuesday, January 31, 2012) approaches, please feel free to contact me to learn more about how best you could serve your working community. If you’re looking for a good challenge in the new year, you’ll discover that being involved with UWOSA is a rewarding experience!

All the best to you and your families this Holiday Season!

Jennifer Brace, Chair
UWOSA Elections Committee

Congratulations to the following members who were the first five individuals to correctly complete and return the Trivia Quiz in December's newsletter:

Chris Fleck
Meagan Seale
Clara Fernandes
Tom Crones
Sharon Story

Each winner will receive a lovely UWOSA water bottle.

Well done!

2012 UWOSA Photo Contest
WINTER THEME
Submit your entries now!

The UWOSA Photo Contest has begun! This year’s contest has a WINTER THEME, so please ensure that your submissions have something to do with this wonderful season.

There are 3 categories: People, Places and Things. Each member can submit one winter-themed entry per category. The deadline for submissions is January 17, 2012.