1. Call to order

0930 hrs.

Action Item: None

2. Introduction of Officers and Guests:

Brian Randall, Staff rep

3. Minutes of Previous Meeting

March 15: M/S/C

Action Items:

4. Business Arising From Minutes

Action Item: None

5. Correspondence

1. Letter from ESRA Aug 20 -to make ESRA more visible to membership they have made some magnetic book marks and rulers to hand out. Samples included.
2. Letter from AUPE Pension Comittee: copy of letter sent to all pension stakeholders outlining the AUPE convention resolution to move to a full 2% accrual rate defined benefit plan.
3. Labour education school application: school runs from March 16th -20th, 2003.
4. Letter to Bob Glover from Dan MacLennan inviting him to convention to receive long service pin. Similar letter to Wayne Edwards.
5. Letter from VP Lynne Gingras inviting all Locals to donate item or cash for celebrity auction the Women's committee is holding on October 24th.
6. Convention Call letter: convention will commence 9 a.m. October 24th to 3 p.m. October 26th.
7. Letter from a Forest Officer with concerns about working with Agrologists. Concern is about supervising someone who is the same pay grade as they are.

Action Item:

6. Report Of Officers

Chair – Verbal report. Uplift in number of grievances filed by Local 5 staff. More of this in New Business. M/S/C

Vice Chair - N/A

Secretary - Verbal report. AUPE convention prep completed.

Treasurer - Verbal report with Treasurer's report handed in. We have a balance in chequing of $37,141.91 Including deposits, we have $85,234.36.

Q: Do we need this much money in our account? A (Doug): Historically, we aren't usually this healthy. We can spend money very fast if we end up in a binding arbitration dispute, which costs the Local. Q: Can't we put more money into bursaries? A: We should look at this. Observation: some discussion ensued on the merits and disadvantages of sending more people on training and courses. We need to do some long range planning. We'll put this on the agenda.

Treasurer's Report: M/S/C

P.E. - Did not have a rep at June 26 meeting. Provincial office will pay all costs associated with negotiating. Meeting in Leduc Sept 25/26: audited financial statement was revealed. We are well in the black. Discussion on whether we need to get back into the House of labour. Doesn't look like it will happen soon. Reviewed policies and procedure manual. Some changes will be made. There is a formal election procedure now written down. A procedure for merging chapters was revealed. Two life memberships were given out. Motion: Local 5 to reaffirm the email vote to grant life membership to Bob Glover M/S/C

Q: Where does PE get money to pay for negotiations? A: Because we are not spending money on FED and CLC, and increase in membership, they are willing to assist Locals in these costs.

Report: M/S/C

7. Committee Reports

EMAC - Review of minutes. Q: will there be a memorandum of understanding permitting LFD people to work for FPD on fires. A: Problem - the management reps on EMAC are not high enough in the organization to be very effective.

Some discussion on the status of restructuring in CD. Concern with CO 11's acting as 111's for a year, but only paid as a 11. Reluctance to pay appropriately because "restructuring is in progress".

Issue: indemnification...we are waiting for response from HR on coming out with something better for us.

Issue: SRD staff reduction...have goals been met? No action taken.

Issue: CD restructuring. No decision made.

Issue: Cost of Living. No action required at this time.

Issue: Shift schedule issues (managers negotiating hours of work in violation of MA). HR will follow up to see if changes need to be made in directives and regs. Much discussion ensued, including forced moves.

Issue: What if employee is asked to do something that he/she thinks violates code of ethics of prof organiation? A: there is a process in place to deal with employee's who are disciplined for refusing to violate the code of ethics.

Issue: recertification process for CO's in CD. Information update expected at next meeting.

Issue: status of summer staff. HR is currently identifying all wage and temp salaried staff in response to the Union's request. Much discussion on definition of wage and temp sal definitions. If you get holidays and sick leave, you are temp sal.

Note: Error in EMAC minutes. Under item 11, Status of Summer Staff, AUPE did not agree to the circumstances described by Doug (2nd line of second paragraph).

EMAC minutes: M/S/C

Action Item: we need a replacement for Wes Nimco on the committee. This will be dealt with later in the meeting.

8. NEW BUSINESS

Motion: Wayne Bowles would like to move we purchase a gift of $100 for Bob Glover, from Local 5, in appreciation of the time he put into AUPE over the years. M/S/C

Motion: Michelle S. would like to move that the Local president be authorized to purchase retirement placques and pins as required, for every chapter. M/S/C

1. PREP: There was a meeting on Sept 18 where AUPE met with Personnel on which way prep was going. Was originally called HAYS, then Modified HAYS, now it is PREP. Why change? Management believes it is needed as most job descriptions have changed, it is more modern and easy to use. Benchmark jobs will be completed first. The benchmarks are compariters to describe the job. Step 1: gather and evaluate job data, creating draft benchmarks. Step 2: validating benchmarks. Step 3: confirm plan structure and move into Phase 2 - implementation. Local 5 will be done very soon. Locals should maintain their identities. Wage people will still be a problem. How do you do FA series?

Q: How are points assessed to the benchmarks? When does the document get taken to the Union for our input? We need lead time in order to prepare our own committee that will evaluate this.

Q: Can we have a staff rep go to management to find out more details? A: Mike Boyle is a staff rep who is doing this.

Comment: (B Randall)It should be easier to get raises based on job descriptors. Worse thing that could happen is that you could be frozen over range. People may not gain. This happened in Local 6. If your job is important, you could get a raise. Remember: there is an appeal process if you think you are not being recognized for all your descriptors.

Comment: Why isn't the benchmark determination a group exercise? Too easy to leave important information out if it is left to one individual.

Comment: if one is not comfortable in doing a benchmark PREP "under the gun", with a short time to do it, he/she should put a comment in about this document not necessarily reflecting all of the complexities of the job.

Q: (Doug) Who can afford 2 weeks per month for 4 months to get involved in PREP training? (This is an actual serious question.)

Comment: We need to put something up on the website on PREP to inform our members.

2. Do we need to do anything about Wes Nimco now? We'll wait until the next EMAC mtg.

3. Kim showed us a draft letter he wants Dan M. to send to the Minister requesting a meeting with him regarding anti privitisation. Motion to support the letter: M/S/C

4. Towerman's extra pay: concerns about long season settlement towers not getting high hazard pay because of the requirement for 1/3rd of time at high hazard. Did any tower get high hazard pay? Brian will look into. No answers from EMAC on this one.

5. Motion: to increase Hospitality rooms supplies: to $800 (from $600). M/S/C

6. Replace Bob: he was vice chair of Local and chair of Negotiating committee.

Vice chair of Local: nominations: Mike Benedictson (nominated by Mike Dempsey, 2nded by Norm Hawkes). Mike will let his name stand. Mike B. is acclaimed.

Member of negotiating team nomination: Mike Maximchuk nominated by Kim B. 2nded by Mike B. no other nominations.

Mike lets him name stand, in by acclimation.

Kim has been elected as Chair of Local bargaining committee, and rep on GBSC.

Action Items:

1. Brian Randall will do some follow up investigation of PREP and the implications to us.
2. Brian will look into some details with the high hazard pay problems.
3. Doug to make chapter lists available at Convention.
4. Contact Wes Nimco on his status with EMAC.
5. Doug will check on Cold Creek to see which chapter it is in (pull a boundary list)

9. GENERAL DISCUSSION

Mike B: Successional Planning...how do we get more people involved in the union? Should we bring them to a Local council mtg. to see what a meeting involves? Answer: yes.

Kim B.: Need a process to collect info on gradual privatization of our Local. Kim wants us to send him info regarding this.

Doug G: direction on finances. Won't be solved in 15 or 20 minutes. Michelle and Wayne B. have suggested an info session or dinner meeting to educate rank and file on directions we are going. We will pursue this in greater detail in the next meeting.

Doug G: need a list of staff with 30+ years for dinner planning at Xmas. Doug will get the list.

Action Item: We should all consider bringing in new people as guests to Local Council mtgs. to learn about what we do in the union.

Action Item: Consider ideas on the use of the money in our bank account, (e.g; should it be slotted into specific end uses? Or will this constrain us too much?)

10. DATE OF NEXT MEETING

29 November

Action Item: None

11. ADJOURNMENT

M/S/C at 1530 hrs.

Action Item: None