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BTS Student Hours Bulletin

August 19, 2020

 

TO: ALL BTS LOCALS AND NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

 

 

Brothers and Sisters,

 

RE: STUDENT HOURS

 

On our last provincial update call held on July 30th 2020, we explained a number of issues we were having with the Company regarding students receiving hours of work that they were not entitled to work under the terms of the Collective Agreement. Additionally, we are aware now that a number of students have graduated since April of this year and will continue into December, some of which have now become RPT employees via the recent postings around Ontario.

 

We continue to discuss the issue of what was done and our view that damages should be paid  to RPT employees in the province where this has happened. The Company is currently reviewing what we have put forward to them and have not yet came back with a final position. We asked on the call that those Locals who have students, look within your respective Locals to identify if this happened and to quantify any potential damages your members would be looking at.

 

Having said that, it appears to the Committee that the Employer is stalling out discussions with the Union as a potential delay tactic and as such we suggest that the Locals who have identify grievable issues in relation to the student hours to proceed with the filing of these grievances.

 

When the Company has gotten back to us and discussions have concluded we will advise you of their final position.

 

In Solidarity,

Your Bargaining Committee

 

c.c.       Chris MacDonald

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Unifor urges Trudeau to escalate tariff response

August 17, 2020

Canada’s aluminum workers welcomed the federal government’s initial response to unfair U.S. tariffs but say more can be done.

“It was encouraging to see swift action from the government in response to Trump’s bogus tariffs,” said Marty McIlwrath, president of Unifor Local 2301. “But a bully only understands force, and Canada’s final response to unfair tariffs must inflict maximum damage on U.S. industry to get Trump’s attention.”

U.S. tariffs on Canada’s export of P1020 aluminum are set to be implemented on August 16. On August 7, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland announced that the government would respond with countermeasures soon. Details on the counter-tariffs are limited so far, but Unifor insists the Government of Canada must take an aggressive position.

“The objective is to get Trump’s unfair tariffs removed immediately, so our response must be tough,” said Renaud Gagné, Unifor’s Quebec Director.

Unifor has published detailed review of the issues behind the ongoing dispute, which goes back as far as 2017.

Without any direct evidence to support their claim, the American Primary Aluminum Association (APAA)— which represents only two aluminum companies—claims a “surge” in Canadian aluminum imports has caused aluminum prices to collapse.

In reality, the Canadian share of U.S. primary aluminum imports has been falling. Canada’s share of domestic US consumption of primary non-alloyed aluminum has fallen from nearly 50 per cent in 2010 to 43 per cent in 2019, while the share of non-Canadian foreign imports has skyrocketed. Unifor says that global economic conditions have eroded the American capacity to produce aluminum, and massive increases in Russian and Chinese imports have made up the difference.

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Time for a cautious return to air travel

Thu, 08/13/2020

The world is emerging, slowly and carefully, from almost six months of pandemic-enforced isolation. We’re expanding our bubbles – a phrase few of us would have understood only months ago – and seeing relatives we’d dared not visit until just recently.

How open our communities depends on which province we live in – and beyond that which country or region. Travel between regions, and especially across international borders, remains limited.

We’ve come to rely on Zoom, Webex, Stage 10 and other platforms few of us were familiar with before COVID-19. But technology can only take us so far when communicating with others. At some point, you just need to go there.

Going anywhere is obviously difficult these days, however, and action needs to be taken to ensure travel and tourism return.

Air travel was hit hard and fast by the pandemic as international and domestic travel ground to a halt.

Today, we need all levels of government to get behind developing a detailed plan for opening up the travel sector, and strong funding support for the industry.

To do otherwise will put at risk an industry that moves millions of Canadians across the country and around the world, and employs thousands.

The first priority needs to be passenger safety. There can be no air travel industry and no tourism and hospitality industries if passengers don’t feel safe getting on a plane.

There are several measures that can be taken to achieve that, including passenger screening that includes rapid testing and temperature checks, masks, PPE, stringent and visible cleaning protocols and strict measures to limit contacts on and off aircraft.

We also know that not all jurisdictions are recovering at the same rate. As much as we look in horror at what is unfolding with our nearest neighbour to the south, parts of Europe are returning to the beach and gathering in cafes in ways that seemed unimaginable only recently.

Perhaps travel could return to places that have controlled the virus as much as we have, without needing to quarantine on return, including travel between provinces.

Blanket travel restrictions no longer make sense as parts of the world open up. Other countries are ready to accept Canadian travellers. If they can show that they have controlled the virus, travel should be allowed.

This is not to say that we should throw open the borders, of course. Travel restrictions to the U.S. continue to make sense. For other countries, there are several options that are worth exploring, including a negative COVID test before leaving and/or on return and safe travel corridors directly to other countries that have the virus under control.

Other countries are beginning to implement such measures, and Canada should follow suit. Automatic 14-day quarantines make no sense when we have science-based alternatives.

None of this will come cheap, and none of it can be fully absorbed by an industry that was already operating on tight margins before the pandemic. Government assistance will be needed.

Air travel was shut down as part of a public health emergency, which made sense, but at enormous cost to the airlines and the travellers and workers who rely on it. Reopening air travel is no less a public health concern – and a viable Canadian air industry is as much a vital part of our economic well-being as it has ever been.

Restoring the industry is a public must, and about much more than getting workers – including Unifor members – back on the job.

It’s about enabling business people to make the trips they need to help ensure we build back our wider economy. It’s about helping ordinary Canadians visit relatives abroad and reconnect with children and parents.

We all know the heartbreak of not being able to visit elderly relatives in long term care homes. Imagine not even being able to have a window visit for six months.

So much of our modern society has come to rely on relatively easy access to air travel.

While no one is saying we should return immediately to what we had back in March, we do need to begin the important work of rebuilding this industry – and we need to start now.

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Bell doubling rural Internet download speeds with Wireless Home Internet, service expanding to rural Atlantic Canada

  • First 300,000 households to access 50/10 speeds starting this fall
  • Wireless Home Internet also expanding to rural regions of Atlantic Canada
  • 5G rural Internet access to launch following federal spectrum auction

MONTRÉAL, July 23, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ – Bell today announced its Wireless Home Internet (WHI) service for rural Canada will increase Internet download speeds to up to 50 Megabits per second and uploads to 10 Mbps (50/10) this fall while also expanding to rural communities throughout Atlantic Canada this fall.

“Leading the way in delivering broadband Internet access to rural Canada is a core part of Bell’s goal to advance how Canadians connect with each other and the world, and we’ve made remarkable progress in narrowing the digital divide with Bell Wireless Home Internet. We’re pleased to take this unique technology further by doubling Internet download speeds available to rural communities while also beginning our rollout of WHI service throughout Atlantic Canada,” said Mirko Bibic, President and CEO of BCE Inc. and Bell Canada.

“Bell’s continued investment in building the best networks has been critical to Canada’s management of COVID-19’s impact and will be key to the country’s ongoing recovery. The intense usage of Wireless Home Internet and positive feedback from our rural customers throughout the COVID-19 crisis underscored how important fast and reliable broadband connections are to ensuring communities both large and small will be part of Canada’s move forward. To meet the needs of our rural customers, Bell accelerated our service rollout in response to the unprecedented demand, bringing WHI service to 137,000 more households than anticipated by the end of April,” said Mr. Bibic.

The new 50/10 WHI service will initially be offered to approximately 300,000 homes in 325 communities in Ontario, Québec and the Atlantic provinces starting this fall. Some of the first communities that will receive 50/10 service include: Selwyn, Trent Hills and Wilmot in Ontario; Dunham, Messines, Saint Adolphe d’Howard and Sutton in Québec; Doaktown, New Brunswick; Guysborough, Nova Scotia; Kensington, PEI; and Burgeo, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Fully funded by Bell, the Wireless Home Internet program is designed to bring broadband Internet access to homes in rural communities and other hard-to-reach locations by leveraging the scale of Bell’s high-performance wireless networks – which will include upgrades to 5G service as necessary wireless spectrum is made available by the federal government.

“As the key builder of Canada’s network infrastructure, Bell developed Wireless Home Internet specifically to ensure that rural Canada can share in all the opportunities of our digital future,” said Stephen Howe, Bell’s Chief Technology Officer. “Wireless Home Internet is ready to enable all the speed and capacity capabilities of fixed 5G Internet access in future by leveraging additional 3500 MHz spectrum following the federal wireless spectrum auction in 2021.”

Already available to approximately 400,000 households in Ontario and Québec with download speeds of 25 Mbps, Bell’s Wireless Home Internet service is expected to ultimately reach 1 million homes in smaller towns and rural communities across Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Québec, Ontario and Manitoba. Please visit Bell.ca/FastInternet to learn more.

 

https://www.bce.ca/news-and-media/releases/show/Bell-doubling-rural-Internet-download-speeds-with-Wireless-Home-Internet-service-expanding-to-rural-Atlantic-Canada-1?page=1&month=&year=&perpage=25

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Bell Let’s Talk launches new fund to support mental health and well-being of Canada’s Black, Indigenous and People of Colour communities

  • $5 million Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund now accepting expressions of interest
  • Inaugural funding for Black Youth Helpline and National Association of Friendship Centres
  • Building on other Bell Let’s Talk funds focused on Canada’s diverse communities

MONTRÉAL, July 30, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ – Bell today announced the launch of a $5 million Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund to support the mental health and well-being of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities across Canada. Building on earlier funds to address clear needs in Canadian communities, the new program is focused on supporting initiatives that increase access to culturally informed mental health services for racialized Canadians.

“Bell has taken a strong stance against racism and social injustice and we’re taking meaningful action to address the impacts of systemic racism on Black, Indigenous and People of Colour within our company and across our communities,” said Mirko Bibic, President and CEO of BCE Inc. and Bell Canada. “As part of this commitment, I am pleased to announce the new $5 million Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund specifically focused on supporting BIPOC communities.”

“Working with expert advisors and partners, the Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund will offer grants to organizations working to make a positive and lasting difference for BIPOC communities in every region of the country,” said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let’s Talk. “As our mental health initiative evolves, Bell Let’s Talk continues to embrace new opportunities to deliver culturally informed community supports addressing the mental health needs of racialized Canadians.”

Inaugural partnerships

The Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund is launching today with inaugural donations of $250,000 to these organizations:

  • Black Youth Helpline, a volunteer-driven initiative founded in Winnipeg that supports Black youth and their families across Canada with a focus on education, health and community development.
  • National Association of Friendship Centres, the network of more than 100 local Friendship Centres and Provincial/Territorial Associations throughout Canada providing culturally enhanced services for urban and off-reserve Indigenous people.

“With funding from Bell Let’s Talk, Black Youth Helpline will build on its successful history of services and resources to promote access to professional and culturally appropriate support for youth,” said Barbara Thompson, Founder and Executive Director, Black Youth Helpline. “Now more than ever, the importance of having mental health supports and services available to Black youth across Canada is crucial.”

“The National Association of Friendship Centres is excited to begin a partnership with Bell Let’s Talk to support the mental health and well-being of urban Indigenous communities,” said Jocelyn Formsma, Executive Director of NAFC. “We are thrilled that this funding will help to ensure our communities have access to culturally-specific mental health supports.”

The Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund will provide grants of up to $250,000 for organizations that offer culturally informed and evidence-based mental health and wellness programs for BIPOC communities while also aligning with the 4 action pillars of Bell Let’s Talk: Anti-Stigma, Care and Access, Research and Workplace Leadership. Registered charities and not-for-profit groups wishing to apply for grants can learn more about the fund and submit expressions of interest at Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

Expert advisors and partners

Bell Let’s Talk is engaging with a wide range of advisors from BIPOC communities across Canada including mental health experts and people with lived experience. These leaders will provide guidance, including on direction and priorities, as well as the review process for expressions of interest received by the new fund.

“Mental health has long been one of the top priorities for the Black population of Canada,” said Dr. Kwame McKenzie, Director of Health Equity at CAMH, Professor and Co-Director of the Division of Equity Gender and Population in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and CEO of the Wellesley Institute. “The impacts of COVID-19 have made mental health even more important. I am delighted that Bell Let’s Talk has recognized the specific mental health needs of the Black population of Canada with this new initiative.”

“As a Friend of Bell Let’s Talk and a member of the Inuit community in Iqaluit, I am thrilled that this fund will help provide much needed mental health supports and services for the BIPOC community,” said Melynda Ehaloak, Registered Nurse and mental health advocate. “Funding for culturally specific programs is so important to supporting the mental health of our communities and will help ensure the well-being of future generations.”

“Recent events, including COVID-19, which has taken a heavy toll in Black communities, and the international awareness of the effects of systemic racism, have highlighted the importance of the availability of mental health care for Canada’s Black population,” said Dr. Myrna Lashley, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University. “The Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund’s aim of promoting and supporting the mental health of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, is one I am very happy to endorse.”

“Indigenous communities across Canada are engaged in reclaiming and expressing traditional and cultural ways of knowing, being and doing that support our peoples’ mental health and wellness,” said Dr. Arlene Laliberté, a psychologist in Timiskaming First Nation. “I am pleased that Bell Let’s Talk is committing to combat systemic racism that impacts Indigenous peoples’ wellness every day.”

“Experiencing mental health and addiction issues as a member of the Black community makes getting appropriate and timely support even more difficult,” said Paulette Walker, Peer / Community Support Worker at CAMH. “I applaud Bell Let’s Talk for putting a spotlight on the mental health and well-being of racialized and marginalized communities and investing to create positive change.”

In addition to the broad national Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund supporting a diverse range of grassroots mental health initiatives in every province and territory, Bell Let’s Talk has launched funds for Indigenous mental health initiatives in Canada’s northern territories and in Manitoba, which have provided grants to leading organizations such as Embrace Life Council, Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, Ogijiita Pimatiswin Kinamatwin, Bear Clan Patrol, Behavioural Health Foundation, Strongest Families Institute and Peguis Foundation.

The largest-ever corporate commitment to mental health in Canada, Bell Let’s Talk is focused on 4 key action pillars – Anti-stigma, Care and Access, Research and Workplace Leadership. Since its launch in 2010, Bell Let’s Talk has partnered with more than 1,000 organizations providing mental health supports and services throughout Canada, including hospitals, universities, local community service providers and other care and research organizations. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

Bell is Canada’s largest communications company, providing advanced broadband wireless, TV, Internet and business communication services throughout the country. Bell Media is Canada’s premier content creation company with leading assets in television, radio, out of home and digital media. Founded in Montréal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.