Quick Note for All R/C CSW's

There are NO more call ahead.....No you don't need to call your favorite client. Red Cross had acknowledged that they are responsible to call the client. In fact it is now a disciplinary action if you call the clients. If you are disciplined 3 time you will be terminated and under our new collective agreement this can be done. Clients phone numbers will no longer be issued out to CSW just location and address when a new client or fill in is required/scheduled....

NSNF-Not Seen Not Found - don't worry....all you need to do is once you have determined that the client is not home for the scheduled visit. Call into scheduling report the NSNF. R/C must then either rebook for the hour or pay you for the hour up to a max of three (3) hours for that visit for the same day. Not the following week...!

If you are STILL unsure what to do call your Stewards

Petition on HST Tax

The HST TAX Petition to the Ontario Government--CLICK ON LINK for more info and to SIGN!!!...... it only takes 1 minute and will save you increased taxes in the future

Given the enormous pressures we face as Personal Support Workers with in a political structure that defines us as not essential which means not essential for fare or better pay, benefits, travel, sick time or sick pay or deserving of a pension. We have to fight this... Our government feel that mega organizations should have a bailout and bonuses packages to keep them afloat during these hard times. But for workers like us we are to pay the price with the biggest tax grab ever seen in Ontario.

Please take 1 minute to fill in the attached and make your voice heard!

http://www.andreahorwath.com/unfairtaxgrab/home.html

pass this email along to your fellow Workers and Ontarians!

Here is a posting by The Red Cross I thought you all should also be prepared and remember incase of a disaster:

Red Cross offers Emergency preparedness Week tips:

If a disaster such as a fire happens in the middle of the night, you may not have time to collect any belongings,” says Ramsey. “Having a grab-and-go kit containing items such as identification, mortgage and insurance documents, prescriptions and cash can ensure you have what you need for the immediate well-being of your family as well as provide peace of mind in a very stressful situation.” A home disaster kit should include: flashlight and batteries; one change of clothing and shoes; radio and batteries; blankets or sleeping bags; toilet paper and personal supplies; extra car keys and cash; important papers such as identification, personal documents; a whistle to attract attention; canned food and bottled water; a manual can opener; first aid kit; and medication. Food and batteries should be replaced once each year.

A note to Cathy on the travel issues- from a worker

Sent June 7.2009 @ 4:16 pm to:

Cathy,
I would like to ask how you figure that we will get paid for travel time. The changes proposed that will take place will cut even our 32 cents per hour. When the blocks are set up the clients will be less than 1 km apart and since we don't get our km if it is less than 1 km between clients we lose our 32 cents. Since we won't get any km. we won't get travel time. I don't see how your reps could sit there and say there was no point in explaining the block system as it was too complicated for us to understand. I know the staff in Woodstock had it figured out. That is why most of Woodstock voted against the contract.
The weekend setup means they can require us to work not only a ten hour shift on friday but also be available to work another 5 hours friday evening. You also set it up that we will be on call 10 hours sat. and sun. without pay.
I really can't find anything that improves our working conditions. You also set it up that as union stewards we have to have 3 hours open without pay for disciplinary meetings. I don't know about the rest of the stewards but I can't afford to lose 3 hours pay per week.
You kept telling us in the conferance calls that you were bargaining for better pay, hours and working conditions but you had already agreed to the changes back in May of 2008. Your letter states that CCAC were going to give the contract to another company in Toronto. Perhaps if you hadn't led the staff to picket at their office this would not have happened. Of course since they didn't have a contract yet the other company was probably one that had put in a bid and would have hired the Toronto staff and the union would have lost a lot of dues.

****Now this email was never answered as of todays date...Hum are you thinking what I'm thinking? Loss of dues for the union, I've been thinking that is the first and formost important issue that the union has. When this is answered by "Cathy" I will post it.******REDSHADOW

Here is our very own Blog Page for Red Cross workers. Now we can freely communicate with each other. So Blog away.

Red Shadow.