CUPE Local 1479

A motion was passed at the General Membership meeting in 2022 to hold a lottery each year for children of CUPE 1479 parents who were graduating in the 2022-2023 school year and going to college, university or a certified trade in 2023-2024.

What is Bill ​124?

On November 8, 2019, the Ontario legislature passed Bill 124 “Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019″. This legislation limited compensation increases to 1.0% per year for a three-year moderation period for unionized employees in the Ontario public sector. For employees who were members of the CUPE union, this three-year period was from September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2022.

A number of unions within the Province subsequently chall​enged the constitutionality of Bill 124 and on November 29, 2022, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released its decision and ruled Bill 124 unconstitutional – “void and of no effect”.

A settlement was reached between the Crown and the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (“OSBCU”), representing CUPE, increasing all compensation amounts in the original 2019-22 collective agreements as outlined below:

1. September 1, 2019: additional 0.75% (i.e., a total of 1.75% increase)
2. September 1, 2020: additional 0.75% (i.e., a total of 1.75% increase)
3. September 1, 2021: additional 2.75% (i.e., a total of 3.75% increase)

These increases will be compounded annually and therefore, will also impact the wage schedules in the 2022-26 collective agreements.

The Letters of Agreement (LOA) require School Boards to ensure the grids are adjusted and all retroactive payments made by June 8, 2024.​

Monetary Resolution to Bill 124​

How are my payments being calculated?

Please see below an example provided by the Ministry as to how Bill 124 retroactive percentages are to be applied to regular salary.

For illustrative purposes only;

• A person earning $45,000 per year as of August 31, 2019 whose salary was increased by 1% (or $450 for a total of $45,450) on September 1, 2019, should be updated to reflect a 1.75% salary increase (or $787.50 for a total of $45,787.50) retroactively to September 1, 2019.

• Similarly, the earnings should be updated to $46,588.78 as of September 1, 2020 ($45,787.50 + 1.75% or $801.28).

• Finally, the earnings should be updated to $48,335.86 as of September 1, 2021 ($46,588.78 + 3.75% or $1,747.08).

• The earnings for September 1, 2022 will be increased based on the cumulative effect of the Bill 124 impact to wages mentioned above.

• The earnings for September 1, 2023 will also be increased based on the cumulative effect of the Bill 124 impact to wages mentioned above.

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​CUP​E Staff

How do I know if I am entitled to any retroactive payments?

If you were an employee of ALCDSB and a CUPE member during the retroactive period starting September 1, 2019 to the present date and you received payment through Payroll during this period, you are entitled to receive retroactive compensation.

Even if you are now an inactive employee you are still eligible for retroactive payment.

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I am an inactive or retired employee and I have moved or changed banking since I worked at the board – what do I do to ensure I receive the payment?

Please send your updated full mailing address, phone number, and a Void Cheque or Direct Deposit Form to payrollservices@alcdsb.on.ca. To ensure there is no delay in receipt of payment please submit this information on or before March 15, 2024.

When can I expect to receive my retroactive payments?

ALCDSB will be paying CUPE staff one school year per pay period. The current schedule for payments is listed below with the understanding that the deadline for payout of all amounts is June 8, 2024. This schedule is subject to change if any issues arise that may cause delay.

• 2019/2020 school year retro will be paid March 28, 2024
• 2020/2021 school year retro will be paid April 15, 2024
• 2021/2022 school year retro will be paid April 30, 2024
• 2022/2023 school year retro will be paid May 15, 2024
• 2023/2024 school year retro will be paid May 31, 2024

How will I receive my retroactive payments?

Your payment will be issued via direct deposit to the bank account that is currently on file with the Payroll Department at ALCDSB.  For current employees this deposit will be part of your regularly scheduled pay(s).

How is the vacation accumulation being paid out for 10-month employees related to the Bill 124 retro?​

1.      The vacation pay related to the 2019-2020 retroactive period was paid out on the March 28th, 2024 pay to all employees.
2.      Inactive employees and employees who are currently on a leave of absence will be paid the vacation accumulation related to their retroactive earnings on each scheduled Bill 124 payment.
3.      All Active employees will receive a vacation accumulation payout on May 31, 2024.   This payment will include all vacation earnings related to regular pay up to and including May 31st as well as Bill 124 retroactive adjustments not yet paid for the additional retroactive periods..
4.      A second payout of accumulated vacation will be paid to active employees on the June 15th pay for the regular pay period earnings of June 1-15th.

When will the Salary Grids be updated or provided?

Current/Active employees can access the updated salary grids in the Human Resources Department section of the ALCDSB portal, by selecting their Union button and under the Collective Agreements section.  All other employees can contact their Union for copies of the updated salary grids.

How do I know how much I will be entitled to receive?

We are unable to provide estimates or calculations to employees related to Bill 124. The Payroll Department is working very hard to ensure all payments are processed on schedule and accurately. Paystubs will also reflect retroactive payments (see question below).

You will be paid retroactive increases on all wages paid to you during the retroactive period.

The rates of retroactive increases are as follows:

1. September 1, 2019: additional 0.75% (i.e., a total of 1.75% increase)

1. September 1, 2020: additional 0.75% (i.e., a total of 1.75% increase)
2. September 1, 2021: additional 2.75% (i.e., a total of 3.75% increase)

These increases will be compounded annually and therefore, will also impact the wage schedules in the 2022-26 collective agreements.

These increases will also apply to the following (this is not an exhaustive list):

• Regular pay (salary and/or hourly)
• Overtime
• Shift Premiums
• Maternity Payments
• Upgrades
• Allowances
• Vacation pay
• Days Not Paid
• Short Term Illness Deductions​

What other payroll deductions will be taken from my retroactive pay?

The deductions taken from your retroactive pay will vary depending on what your status was during the applicable retroactive period.

• CPP/EI/Tax – These will be applicable to all retroactive payments and be taken at the 2024 rates as per CRA legislation.
• CUPE Dues – CUPE dues will be deducted from all retroactive earnings.
• OMERS – If you were an OMERS member during the retroactive period, OMERS will be deducted from your retroactive pay. There are some circumstances where OMERS would not be deducted (for example if you were on an approved OMERS waiver for a full year).  If you are currently on an OMERS waiver, OMERS would be deducted from the retroactive amount.
• LTD – If you currently have LTD coverage through ALCDSB, your deduction will increase in proportion to your retro pay.For employees who are no longer covered under the LTD plan, OTIP has communicated that we will not be required to deduct retroactive contributions/premiums.

  If you had an approved LTD claim during the retroactive period, you will have retroactive increases to your LTD premiums and your LTD claim may be adjusted by OTIP to reflect the additional salary/earnings.  

Can Payroll override the tax amount on my pay so I don’t have to pay too much tax?

The Bill 124 payments will be issued as per the payment schedule above along with your regular pay. The Board’s payroll system will calculate the taxes based on your current TD1 Tax Form settings. The tax withheld cannot be overridden.

How will this impact my OMERS pension plan?

All retroactive payments will have related OMERS deductions if you are currently an OMERS member and/or were an OMERS member during the retroactive period. The earnings and contributions will be reported to OMERS as retroactive pay to be reflected in the calendar year during which they apply to.

If you have more questions about how this will affect your OMERS pension plan please contact OMERS Member Experience at 1-800-387-0813.

How can I verify that the retroactive payments I have received are accurate?

Your paystub will reflect all retroactive payments. You can review your paystub in the ESS portal for each period. Keep in mind if you were paid in another Employee Group during the retroactive period you may have multiple pay stubs. The retro pay will be paid in each group that you had earnings in. You will need to use the dropdown menu to see all related pay stubs. You can also review the updated CUPE Collective Agreement for new rates once they are published.​

Salaried Employees

You will see a line on your pay stub coded to ‘Retro’. This retro is calculated based on the difference between your salary at the time of payment versus the new salary grid rates. This line will be the adjustment for the total of all salary adjustments for a specific school year.

Timesheet Employees

You will see a line on your pay stub coded to ‘Retro’. This retro is calculated based on the difference between your hourly rate at the time of payment versus the new hourly rate. This line will be the adjustment for the total of all timesheets for the specific school year.

You will also be able to review all of your timesheets in the ESS portal. Each individual timesheet that has been adjusted in our payroll system will be listed. This will be in addition to any timesheets that you have related to the current pay period.

What if I receive my retroactive pay and I believe there is an error or something has been missed?

If you believe there has been an error, please reach out to payrollservices@alcdsb.on.ca with specific details of what you believe the error to be. We appreciate your patience during this time as the volume of requests may be high.

Will I be getting a revised T4 slip for retroactive years?

No. All earnings are being paid in 2024, therefore all earnings will be reported on the 2024 T4 slip as per CRA legislation.

If you are no longer an employee of ALCDSB, please ensure the mailing address that we have on file is up-to-date and accurate so that your 2024 T4 slip is mailed to the correct location.

My banking information has changed – what do I do?

If you are a current employee, please visit the ESS Portal and use the secure link under Employee Self Service to update your banking information.

If you are a former employee, please send your updated mailing address and a Void Check or Direct Deposit Form to payrollservices@alcdsb.on.ca. To ensure there is no delay in receipt of payment, please submit this information on or before March 15, 2024.

I am a 12-month employee who is potentially eligible for a vacation payout related to March 31, 2024 balances remaining – what rate will this be paid out at?

All March 31st vacation payouts will be paid on the April 15, 2024 pay and will be calculated at the new updated rates of pay which include the Bill 124 settlements.

When will my new rate of pay show in the ESS Portal?

After the final payout of Bill 124 retroactive pays on May 31, 2024, your new rate of pay will be reflected in the ESS portal.

I was on an Employment Insurance Leave during the retroactive period – will this affect my EI payments?

Please contact Service Canada at 1-800-622-6232 to discuss whether or not this will impact your current or previous EI benefit claim.

I was on Long-Term Disability (LTD) during the period – how will this affect my claim?

Please contact OTIP at 1-800-267-6847 to discuss how this might affect a current or previous LTD claim.

I am no longer employed with ALCDSB therefore I no longer have access to the ESS (Employee Self Service) portal – how do I get my pay stub?

Happy New Year to everyone!  We wanted to share some pictures from our social event in December.  It was great to see so many people out, even during such a busy time of year.  Thank you to everyone for all your hard work this school year.  It definitely has been very busy!

We want to wish all those who are retiring during the break or within the last few months the best of adventures ahead!  You deserve time to take a break for yourself!

There was a motion passes at the June. membership meeting to sponsor two teams, one made up of executive/stewards and one from the general membership.  There was also a motion to sponsor a $500 sponsorship plan.  A Google Form was sent out to members and there were 8 members who applied to be on the team member team.

Date: Thursday, August 17, 2023
Venue: Trillium Wood Golf Club
Location: 1281 Hwy 37, Corbyville, Ontario K0K 1V0 – Just off the 401 in Belleville.

Times: Registration begins at 11:00 a.m., barbecue lunch served at 12:00 p.m., tee off at 1:00 p.m.

Cart providing water to golfers:

Liz James – President

Marrianne Merrithew – Treasurer

The following people will be playing on the executive/steward team will be:

Lisa Wolsey – Chief Steward

Jennifer Connor –  VP West

Lori Coulter – Steward IT/Clerical

Pam Turcotte – Bargaining Committee 2021

The team made up from members who put their names into the draw:

Kevin French

Doug Garlick

John Swoffer

Chris Veley

CONGRATULATION to all who made the team and thank you to all those who entered the draw.

It was a great day on the golf course!  The teams played great and we supplied 6 cases of water compliments of CUPE 1479.

On January 16 your local bargaining team will be meeting with our employer back at the bargaining table.  We will update you at the end of the meeting whatever the outcome is and if we need another date.

If we are able to get a tentative agreement then the General Membership Meeting will start with the ratification information first and then go into the membership meeting.  We know there is a lot going on for people so we understand that you may not be able to stay on the entire meeting.

Please wear your CUPE gear on Monday to support your bargaining team at the table.

If an agreement is not reached then we will be proceeding with just the General Membership Meeting.

We has wanted to try and do a hybrid meeting, but if we are going to reach a tentative agreement we wanted to make sure that there are no glitches.

Doc

EN_Vote_yes_email_poster-1

Hi everyone,

Please watch your personal email over the summer as we have provincial bargaining days in July with the Crown and CTA.  We will be sending updates out as we get information.

We are also looking for Mobilizers to help out as well.  Please contact mobilizer@cupe1479.com for more information.  We really need leads in all areas so please reach out for information.

We are hoping to plan a couple of community events over the summer as well. Please watch Facebook and your emails for information- we would love to see you!

This year CUPE 1479 voted to have $500 bursaries given to students who are children of CUPE members, graduated high school and going to post secondary in the fall of 2022.

Initially there were 16 applicants, but one was disqualified for not having all the information, one was late and two were submitted twice- so in the end there were 12.  We had to do one redraw as this person entered twice and it wasn’t caught before their name was drawn.

Congratulations to our first year winners! Good luck in post secondary