2025 AGM Minutes

2025 Annual General Meeting

Minutes

March 25, 2025, 3:30 PM Cornett A120

Welcome, Territorial Acknowledgement, Equality Statement, and Roll Call of Officers & Staff

President: Greg Melnechuk Treasurer: Paul Emme Recording Officer: Sarah Obee

Equity Vice President: Angie Reamer Communications Rep: Şansal Gümüşpala

Vice-Presidents (C1): Sharan Gopalan (C2): Hailey Vanderhaeghe (C3): Brock MacLeod

Members at Large (C1): Vacant (C2): Vacant (C3): Matthew Koch

Staff: Melissa Pritchard, Member Advocate

Approval of Agenda

Moved: 3:40pm Seconded: 3:40pm Carried: 3:40pm

Adoption of Minutes of SAGM October 30, 2024

Moved: 3:40pm Seconded: 3:41pm Carried: 3:41pm

President & Component Vice-Presidents’ Reports

President – Greg Melnechuk

Labour Relations Report
Focused this year on building up steward ranks as connection between union members and exec members; strong, encouraging numbers and reconfigured steward orientation to provide more information
Working on communications, making web site more accessible, first year of one Communications Rep
Difficulty of quickly identifying new union members; thinking of moving Comp 1 new member orientation to its own day
Staff Benefits Committee, talking about how to create more sustainable pension plan & Comp 3 pension plan
Working to solve issue of union certification that excludes members who are temporarily PEA employees
TA Tri-Local Meeting (UVic, SFU, UBC) in January
Victoria Labour Council meetings
Campus Solidarity meetings, focusing on new proposed UVic budget model
Academic Writing Requirement proposed changes
CUPE BC University Committee Co-Chair (10 CUPE locals across province), bringing resolutions to CUPE BC convention in April, discussing political elections and impact on members
CUPE National Task Force, bringing forward resolution to create Canada Post-Secondary Education Act
Ongoing RA organizing, waiting on postponed Labour Board decision
Organizing CAL employees
Bargaining: Comp 3 expires in a month, Comp 1&2 expires end of August; finished Comp 3 bargaining survey, will soon decide bargaining principles and elect bargaining team; Comp 1 and Comp 2 surveys will go out soon; waiting for announcement of wage increase mandate
Issues of reduced gov’t funding, reduced numbers of international students, university administration

Component 1 VP – Sharan Gopalan

Report as read
Attended Tri-Local Meeting

Component 2 VP – Hailey Vanderhaeghe

Report as read
ResLife working on safety issues

Component 3 VP – Brock MacLeod

Administration has proposed radical changes to Academic and Technical Writing Program, but may have underestimated work involved
PD money has moved to being administered through HR

Motion to approve President’s and Vice Presidents’ reports:

Election of Officers – chaired by Acacia Lee
a) Motion: To approve appointment of Acacia Lee as Returning Officer M/S/C 4:00pm

b) Nominations from the floor, brief spiels, and 5 minute members’ Q & A session for contested positions

	Elected:
President (2 year term)	Greg Melnechuk
Recording Officer	Sarah Obee
Communications Representative	Şansal Gümüşpala

c) Component caucuses to elect the Component specific positions with 1 minute spiels and

members’ Q & A sessions for contested positions

	Elected:
Vice President (Comp 1)	Riley Campbell
Vice President (Comp 2)	Hailey Vanderhaeghe
Vice President (Comp 3)	Brock MacLeod
Member at Large (Comp 1)	Hayle Dambrowsky
Member at Large (Comp 2)	Ella Winslow
Member at Large (Comp 3)	Erin Nuckols
Trustee (Comp 1)*	Ted Grosson
Trustee (Comp 1)*	Teagan Parkin
Trustee (Comp 2)*	Pamela Westinghouse
Trustee (Comp 2)*	Melissa Carroll
Trustee (Comp 3)*	Jianping Yu
Trustee (Comp 3)*	vacant

*note – Trustees do not sit on the Executive

Motion to destroy the ballots M/S/C 4:44pm

Bylaw Amendments

Amendments as circulated

#1 Add managing Stewards to component Vice Presidents’ duties. Bylaw 6.4 Duties of the Officers M/S/C 4:47pm

#2 Give Trustees a $50 honorarium. Bylaw 11.3 (Finances – Honoraria in Recognition of Outstanding Volunteer Service) M/S/C 4:49pm

#3 Reduce the membership grace period from 12 months to 2 semesters. Bylaw 2.2(c) (Members of the Local – Membership status) M/S

Proposed amendment: Change “2 semesters” to “2 sessions” (to reflect UVic’s language)
- Friendly amendment: Change “2 semesters” to “8 months” M/S/C 5:04pm
Failed 5:15pm

#4 Update the Per Diems and Travel Expenses Bylaw to Provide Direction around Hotels. Bylaw 11.6 (Finances – Per Diems and Travel Expenses) M/S/C 5:18pm

#5 Delete Redundant Term of Office Reference. Bylaw 10.3(b) (Nomination Election and Installation of Officers – Installation) M/S/C 5:20pm

#6 Change budget to being presented at SAGM, not AGM. Bylaw 11.2 (a) (Finances – Voting of Funds) M/S/C 5:21pm

#7 Remove 2 references to the CUPE initiation fee. Bylaw 2.2 (a) (Members of the Local – Membership status) and Bylaw 6.3 (d) (Duties of the Officers – the Treasurer). M/S/C 5:22pm

#8 Chief Returning officer appointment approved at AGM, not SAGM. Bylaw 10.2(a) (Nomination Election and Installation of Officers – Elections) M/S/C 5:23pm

#9 Repeal bargaining team compensation. Bylaw 11.7 (Finances – Bargaining Team Compensation) M/S/C 5:25pm

Matters Arising from the Minutes

Addressed.

New Business

Bargaining this year.

Treasurer’s Report – Paul Emme

2024-25 Financial update (as circulated)

– Fiscal year is October 1 to September 30; everything until March 23 is covered here

2024-25 Budget Amendment (as circulated)

Motion to approve change to 2024-25 budget: To amend the 2024-25 budget as follows: increase the Communications Campaign Cost Share budget from $0.00 to $2000.00. M/S/C 5:37pm

Financial Update Approval M/S/C 5:40pm

Equity Action Committee Report – Angie Reamer, Equity VP

General Review of 2024

Focused on campus and community networking, relationship building

Volunteered on campus and in the community
Provided consultation on the UVic Better Data Questionnaire and the UVic Equity Action Plan
Consulted with EQHR
Provided 2 sets of English courses for immigrants and refugees
Organized meetings with the CUPE National Diversity VP for feedback and guidance
Volunteered with the Victoria Pride Society

Formed 2 equity sub-committees

Persons with Disabilities and LGBTQIA2S+
- How to improve accessibility on the CUPE 4163 website
- Developed a Mentee Resource Guide

Collective Agreements

Provided suggestions to the CUPE 4163 Office on how to improve inclusive language in the collective agreements for Components 1, 2 and 3

Participated in professional development opportunities on EDIA to continue to learn and practice inclusive leadership

Example: Our Time Together: A National Space for Indigenous, Black and Racialized CUPE Members and Allies (Nov. 16 – 3 hours)
Highlighted the importance of providing safe spaces to share and support one another

Primary Goals for 2025

Increase committee members
- Although we have a core group of members, due to the nature of a volunteer committee, members have come and gone as life circumstances have changed for them.
  - We would like to encourage new members to join and will send a call out in the fall.
- Continue with campus and community relationship building and engagement
- Educational workshops to be offered in the fall/winter and spring of 2025/2026
- Working Titles: Intro to Accessibility; EDIA and Women in Leadership; Intersectionality; Culture in the Classroom
- Provide socials to engage with members: in spring and the fall
  - May 12
    - Information booth in front of the library
    - Provide information on CUPE 4163 and the Equity Action Committee
    - Engage with members of the campus community
  - Review the EAC terms of reference

Labour Relations Report

As circulated

Motion to accept Staff Report as circulated

Social Justice Fund Nomination & Vote

Nominees –

Intimate Access – Nominated by Alison Barnett, Component 1, PHSP

One-minute speeches
Social Justice Fund goes to: Intimate Access

Good of the Union

Last AGM with Matthew Koch

Adjournment of Meeting

Moved Seconded Carried at 5:52pm