President's Update 
  

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Michelle LoGullo | President
Mount Royal Staff Association
mlogullo@mtroyal.ca

Labour Relations Officer Update

Bargaining Update:

I provided a thorough bargaining update on February 23, 2022.  We aren’t publishing the entirety of that update here, as our newsletters are available publicly.  However, please let us know if you were missed and we can send that information to you directly.  Our last bargaining date was February 4, 2022.  We will be meeting again with the Mount Royal Board of Governors committee on March 18, 2022.  You can review our bargaining process here.

Grievance Update:

Policy grievances as follows are in abeyance (on hold) pending bargaining:

• Casual Staff Policy Grievance,
• Remote Working Policy Grievance, and
• Outsourcing Policy grievance.

Remote Working - Individuals who wish to have remote working allowances/agreement with the University on an ongoing basis can make those requests to their managers.  I recommend you include reference to items noted in Article 20.9 (f) to express how a remote working agreement will support the operations of the University, the department and you as an employee.  Please make requests in writing.  Should you be denied, you may want to file an individual grievance.  

In addition, employees who have any human rights accommodations due to protected grounds (mental and/or physical disability, family status, etc.) may request accommodation.  The University must review these requests in a timely manner and must accommodate where the human rights protected ground requires accommodation. 

Please reach out to me for any questions or advice regarding these matters.  I can be reached at lro@mrustaff.ca.  

Labour Relations Education:

We continue to work to improve resources and information available to the membership, so that you feel educated and empowered to enforce your collective agreement rights.  Thank you to everyone who has attended our Lunch n’Learns - MRSA 101 & OHS. In March we will have a Lunch n’Learn regarding Workplace Bullying and Harassment and in April, Human Rights and EDI.  To register please scroll down to the links in the Events section.  

Please also feel free to write to me at lro@mrustaff.ca to inquire or suggest resources and information you would like to see produced/provided.

Confidential Email Addresses:

The MRSA has been working to ensure we are sustainable and secure to represent your interests.  To achieve this, the MRSA has recently purchased our own google workspace at our domain mrustaff.ca.  We continue to be in our testing phase, but we do have email addresses active:

president@mrustaff.ca  - Michelle LoGullo, President
vp2@mrustaff.ca - Crystal Koch, VicePresident
treasurer@mrustaff.ca - Craig Baskett, Treasurer
execadmin@mrustaff.ca  - Christine Pepper, Executive Assistant
lro@mrustaff.ca  - Laine Fowler, Labour Relations Officer
mrsa@mrustaff.ca - General email address

Should you wish to email the MRSA without using the mtroyal.ca addresses, we are now  able to ensure a greater degree of confidentiality and independence from Mount Royal.  Please note, we are maintaining all of our mtroyal.ca addresses to ensure continuity of service.  We have no current plans to stop using any of the available mtroyal.ca addresses.

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Stay safe,

Laine Fowler
Labour Relations Officer

Joint Occupation Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC)

You can now reach out directly to the committee by emailing JOHSC@mtroyal.ca. 

Here are the minutes from the last meeting JOHSC Minutes.

Remember that you have rights as an employee:

• The right to know,
• The right to participate, and
• The right to refuse dangerous work.

MRSA Events

MRSA Coffee Chat

You are invited to join us for coffee and conversation on March 29 from 10:00-10:30 a.m. via Google Meet. Please click this link or copy and paste this URL in your browser:
https://meet.google.com/ztq-suvd-uts?hs=122&authuser=0
We hope you’ll join us!

MRSA Social Committee

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Positive Notes Campaign during the month of February.  At the time of writing this newsletter, we have sent over 700 messages and I’m sure there will be more by the end of the month. We hope if you received one, it brightened your day.

This is the month some people pull out their green shirts, tights, nail polish - okay not everyone, but on the 17th some people will be enjoying a green beer this month.  Yes, St. Patrick’s Day is coming and this is a reminder that the MRSA Social Committee is holding a contest between March 1 - 17, 2022, you’ll have multiple opportunities to enter. Send all entries to the mrsasocial@mtroyal.ca email account.

1. Take a selfie with a leprechaun! Look for our colourful (red, orange, green, yellow, blue, purple) leprechaun images posted around campus and take your selfie with each one.  For every selfie you send us with one of these leprechauns, you’ll be entered into the draw.

2. Find a digital leprechaun image within this newsletter, or on the MRSA website and take a screenshot of it (find multiple images).  Paste your screenshot into the email and send it to us. For every separate screen shot of a digital leprechaun you find, you’ll be entered into the draw.

A draw for a $50.00 e-gift card will be held on March 18th.  Open to all MRSA members. The winner will be notified via email and they must inform Christine Pepper of which e-gift card they would like to receive.

Also watch for a digital leprechaun image in your inbox on the 17th, if you get one, please send it along to another two colleagues. Let's spread some cheer that day and see how far our leprechauns go throughout the membership.

The MRSA Social Committee would like to recognize the following important events for the month of March: Maha Shivrati (Hinduism), Ninteen Day Fast (Baha’i), Ash Wednesday (Christian), Lent (Christian), International Women’s Day, Purim (Judaism), Holi (Hinduism/Sikhism), Lailat al Bara’s (Islam), Naw-Ruz (Baha’i), Norooz/Nawruz (Zoroastrian, Islam), World Down Syndrome Day, Otara (Wicca), Trans Day of Visibility.  Best wishes to all who are recognizing and/or celebrating these occasions!

Watch for details about an MRSA Olympics coming soon! Start thinking about who you’ll want on your team…

In an effort to become more inclusive, the Social Committee would like your feedback to help us become aware of any events or special dates that you celebrate that you would like acknowledged by the Social Committee.  Fill in this form to let us know. Submissions will be anonymous unless you would like to provide your name to help with an event.

If you would like to contact the Social Committee, you can reach us at mrsasocial@mtroyal.ca. 

Lunch n' Learns     

 As mentioned in the previous newsletter we have several Lunch n' Learns beginning this semester.  All Lunch n' Learns will be from 12:00-12:50 p.m. and are hosted virtually.  Shortly before the date you will receive a link to join.

• Bullying and Harassment - Tuesday, March 22, 2022 
• Human Rights and EDI - Tuesday, April 19, 2022  

To register please fill out this form.

 For more detailed descriptions of the Lunch n' Learn sessions.

 These topics are considerable, so these Lunch n' Learns will be a quick touch into these important areas of interest.  The goal of the Lunch n' Learn is to arm you with some vital information and resources so that you can feel empowered to exercise your rights, access process and support you in your workplace. Hope to see you there!

 Thanks to everyone who was able to join us. on Feb 3 for the EDT Lunch n’Learn. If you missed the session, you can access recordings or the recording and a copy of the slide deck here.

2022 PD Days: Save the Dates

The PD Committee has been working hard to secure speakers and schedule sessions for the 2022 MRSA PD Days. This year PD Days will be split into two weeks, offered in two separate months; the first sessions were held in February. We hope this staggered schedule will provide more opportunities for you to engage.

 Please hold these dates in your calendar:

• April 26 - 28, 2022

We will offer a variety of morning, lunchtime, and afternoon sessions each week; the second week is not a repeat of the sessions held in February. We encourage you to attend any sessions that are of interest to you.

 All sessions will be offered virtually this year in order to accommodate as many members as possible and maintain a safe environment.

 We look forward to sharing details with you soon!

General Announcements

Masking on Campus

Employees can pick up a box of rated surgical masks at the rapid testing area in G100 (the old library on Main Street). Show your OneCard or ID to receive a box, which should last approximately 45 working days. If supplies last, you can then pick up a new box.

Planning for your retirement? 

It’s never too early to plan for your retirement. Mount Royal runs a two-day course titled Planning for Personal Freedom facilitated by a Financial Counselor who has been practicing in the industry for over 15 years. This hands-on workshop is designed for participants (and their partner/spouse) who would like to evaluate their ability to maintain their lifestyle at a chosen retirement date.

There are three basic objectives to the workshop: 

1. To identify and address any immediate issues with respect to your retirement plans, 

2. To provide a planning framework to help you plan long term goals, and 

3. To provide specific information in the key areas of lifestyle, finance and estate planning. 

A minimum of 30 employees are needed to run the workshop. If this is of interest to you please add your name to the waitlist and indicate your preferred time of year for the workshop (three choices). 

MRU Student Massage Therapy Clinic is Open - support students and get a massage!

Appointments are now available for you to book at a reduced rate while supporting students. The experience they gain in the clinic is a critical piece of their education and we are proud to provide this vital service to our community. Whether you need a relaxation massage or have a condition that requires therapeutic treatment, our students are trained to the highest standards nationally and can meet your needs. Book Now The $30 fee for one-hour massage treatments supports our student scholarships. Present your MRU OneCard for a special MRU Advantage rate of $20. Please bring exact change or a cheque.

For more information, visit our website: mru.ca/bookamassage.

Winter EDT Application Period Now Open

Winter EDT Application Period now open

If you have any professional or personal development courses that begin between January 1 - April 30, you can apply for funding through the MRSA EDT Committee. 

 Applications are submitted via the EDT database; MRU login credentials are required to access. The winter application period closes on April 30, 2022.

If you have any questions, please contact the EDT Committee at edtmrsa@mtroyal.ca