Archive for the ‘insideAESES’ Category
insideAESES – February 2025
Wednesday, February 5th, 2025
Welcome to February! We are still working on what works best for our members, so there might be a few hiccups along the way. If you have any questions or comments about the new format, please email contact@aeses.ca.
With that being said, here’s what you might find interesting for this issue:
- President’s Message
- Contract Admin
- Coldest Night of the Year Fundraising Walk 2025 – Donate to Chris McCann’s Crew: Team AESES!
- AESES Appointments – February 2025
- New Faces
- Can You Tell Me: How Seniority Plays a Role in Vacancy Selections
- Save the Date – Annual General Meeting – April 8
- Call for Volunteers – Committees and the Board
- Safety and Health Corner – February 2025
- Spring Education Seminars Coming Soon
President’s Message – February 2025
Monday, February 3rd, 2025
February is upon us, and with it, the hope of an early spring since Manitoba Merv did not happen to see their shadow – if you believe in that sort of thing. While the winter solstice is behind us and the days are getting longer, there are still cold days ahead.
And nights.
Indeed, the coldest night of the year will be here on February 22! I know, I know – I am no meteorologist, and even good ones cannot forecast this far in advance. I am referring, of course, to the Coldest Night of the Year Fundraising Walk, and Chris McCann’s Crew: Team AESES. The team will walk in support of the St. Boniface Street Links program. Chris was an ardent supporter of this event and had been pivotal in AESES’ involvement since 2023. We felt naming the team after him would be a fitting tribute. Our very own Colleen Thompson is Team Captain, please get in touch with her if you would like more information. If you are ready to join the walk, please visit the signup page. If you would rather donate from the comfort of your home, please visit this link. We truly appreciate your support for this worthy cause.
If walking in the cold is not your cup of tea, we have a variety of other activities coming up in the next few months that may interest you, including our popular bowling night and annual Members’ Day Lunches. Keep watching for more details on these and other entertaining and educational activities.
AESES hosted a surprise retirement party for outgoing Executive Director Lisa McKendry on December 16, and it was well attended by colleagues, friends, family and even professional adversaries from past and present. The diversity of the attendees stands as a testament to how beloved and respected Lisa was at AESES, the universities, and the entire labour community. Lisa will be missed around the business office.
Colleen Thompson is settling nicely into her new role as Executive Director, which means the business office is still down one staff member. We have posted for a new Member Services Officer, and interest has been encouraging, with many applications coming in. The posting closed on February 2, so I hope to have an update in the next edition.
AESES has also been working hard advocating for you and protecting your rights under our collective agreements. Our excellent Labour Relations Team remains busy and vigilant ensuring that your rights and entitlements are protected. Please don’t hesitate to contact them at labourteam@aeses.ca if you feel like you are being unfairly treated or your rights under our collective agreement are being compromised. Any discussions with the AESES Business Office are confidential and handled discreetly.
The University of Winnipeg members of AESES will begin bargaining with the employer imminently, and while recent federal policy changes regarding International Student Enrollment have caused great concern for the fiscal outlook of the institution, our members deserve to be paid what they are worth. We are expecting a robust series of negotiations.
You will notice that these missives will be coming a wee bit more frequently but will also be markedly less lengthy. This is in hopes of doing our very best to keep you informed in a timely fashion. We hope you like the change!
In Solidarity,
Rob
Can You Tell Me: How Seniority Plays a Role in Vacancy Selections
Monday, February 3rd, 2025
Seniority and Vacancy Selections
Seniority may play a significant role in vacancy selections, as outlined in the collective agreements of both the University of Manitoba (UM) and the University of Winnipeg (UW). Specifically, Article 6.3 of these agreements mandates that employees with greater seniority be given preference in filling vacancies, provided their qualifications are “relatively equal” to those of less senior candidates.
The term “relatively equal” refers to the need for qualifications to be sufficiently comparable, rather than identical. For instance, if a position requires an undergraduate degree and two years of experience, a senior employee with a comparable combination of education and experience should be given preference. The core consideration is that the qualifications must be demonstrably relevant to the role in question.
In situations where a junior employee holds higher qualifications, but these qualifications are not directly applicable to the position, the senior employee’s qualifications—more aligned with the role’s requirements—should take precedence. However, seniority preference does not imply that a senior employee will be automatically overlooked if a junior employee holds qualifications that are more directly suited to the position due to prior experience in a similar role. Ultimately, the priority remains on the relevance of an applicant’s qualifications to the specific requirements of the position.
The collective agreements mandate transparency in the selection process. If a junior applicant is selected over a more senior candidate, the employer might expect a request to provide a rationale for the decision, as outlined in Article 6.3.1 at the UM and Article 6.6 at the UW. Senior applicants have the right to discuss these reasons with the relevant administrator, and the union may request access to this information through Human Resources.
Should a grievance arise regarding the selection, the appointment is deemed temporary until the grievance is resolved. If the grievance results in a reversal of the decision, the employee initially appointed will return to their prior position or a comparable vacancy, as per Article 6.3.4 at UM or Article 6.6.1 at UW.
If concerns arise regarding the application of seniority or qualifications, AESES can provide support and clarification. A good first step would be to start by asking the hiring manager for the rationale and, if insufficient, follow up with the AESES Labour Team at LabourTeam@aeses.ca. Phone calls can also be directed to the Business Office at 204-949-5200.
Call for Volunteers – Diversity Committee and the Board
Monday, February 3rd, 2025
Help shape the future of AESES by filling an open position in these important roles!
- Diversity Committee
- Education Committee
- University of Manitoba, Districts 4, 5, 30, and 34.
- The University of Winnipeg, Districts 52 and 56.
- St. Andrew’s College, District 61
New members would be appointed for a two-year term ending on April 30, 2026.
Contact the AESES Business Office at 204-949-5200 or aeses@aeses.ca to learn more.
Spring Education Seminars Coming Soon
Monday, February 3rd, 2025
We have a large selection of seminars taking place in April, May and June which include:
- Kombucha SCOBY Making Seminar
- Pysanka (Easter Egg) Decorating Seminar with a Tour of the Ukrainian Labour Temple
- Wooden Spoon Carving
- Ballroom Dancing
- Paint Night
- Labour Relations Topics
- Indian Cuisine Cooking Class
The dates, locations, and registration information will be sent to members soon.
Save the Date – Annual General Meeting – April 8
Monday, February 3rd, 2025
Tuesday, April 8, 7:00 PM
All signed* AESES union members are invited and encouraged to attend this year’s virtual AESES Annual General Meeting (AGM). In 2024, we had many members join us for the evening.
The AGM allows our executive team and committee chairs to review AESES financials with attendees, speak about the union’s activities, explain how our programs can benefit our membership, and preside over a question period.
Join us on April 8 to meet the people behind the decision-making process for spending your union dues and learn more about our programs and services. There will also be time for asking questions to members of the Executive Council and the Board.
Registration details and the 2024 AGM Annual Report will be available in March.
* Please note that only signed AESES members can attend the AGM and vote on any issues that arise. If you are interested in attending the AGM but not yet a signed member, please visit aeses.ca/membership to fill out a membership form.
Safety and Health Corner – February 2025
Monday, February 3rd, 2025
Safety & Health Committee Update
The Committee held its first meeting on October 22, 2024. The Committee members appreciated this new forum to be able to get together and discuss the similarities and differences of the various university safety and health committees’ endeavours and operations they sit on. As a result, the AESES Business Office on behalf of the committee is looking at ways to better ease communications and information sharing between meetings. The Committee’s next meeting is planned to be held in early 2025.
Please watch for updates on the Committee’s activities regularly in the newsletter. For more info on UM Local Area Safety and Health (LASH) Committees, visit the UM Intranet website. For more information on the UW Workplace Safety & Health Committee, visit the UW Human Resources website.
UM Fort Gary Campus November 19, 2024 Incident – Report of an Individual with a Knife
In response to the incident, the AESES President, Executive Director and Labour Relations Officer met with the UM President on November 26 to bring forth concerns shared with us by the membership regarding the communication and response during the incident. Following feedback received from AESES and the university community, and as outlined in UM’s Emergency Response Plan, the UM leadership and Emergency Response Team reviewed the relevant protocols following this incident. The review was completed in late December with several areas of improvement identified, some of which have already been implemented. The UM Emergency Procedures and Response Plan is available online: umanitoba.ca/security/emergency-procedures
Campus Security Tips
Both UM and UW have Working Alone policies and procedures, Safe apps, Safe Walk and Safe Ride programs. Please familiarize yourself with these policies/programs if you think they will be of help to you.
If you have any workplace safety and health items which you would like to bring to the committee’s attention, please email: labourteam@aeses.ca.
Coldest Night of the Year Fundraising Walk 2025
Monday, January 13th, 2025
Donate to Chris McCann’s Crew: Team AESES!
Join us as we honour the legacy of our beloved former president, Chris McCann, by continuing the tradition he started: participating in the Coldest Night of the Year fundraising walk on Saturday, February 22, 2025. This marks our third year supporting this cause, and Chris McCann’s Crew: Team AESES is walking in his memory to raise funds for St. Boniface Street Links. Help us celebrate Chris’s dedication to helping others by contributing to this meaningful cause.
Team donations can be made here.
insideAESES – December 2024
Tuesday, December 10th, 2024
Welcome to December and in a blink of an eye we will be in 2025! But before we think ahead to the new year, let’s enjoy the upcoming winter break! Here’s our December issue, which lives on the website just like our October issue. We are still deciding on what works the best for our members, so there still might be a few hiccups along the way. If you have any questions or comments about the new format, please email contact@aeses.ca.
With that being said, here’s what you might find interesting for this issue:
- President’s Message
- Contract Admin – There are no contract admin updates for either university.
- AESES Appointments – December 2024
- New Faces
- 2025 Proposed Budget
- Can You Tell Me? Modified Work Hours
- Coldest Night of the Year Fundraising Walk 2025 – Donate to Chris McCann’s Crew: Team AESES!
- AESES 2024 Children’s Winter Holiday Extravaganza
- Members Events, Community Events and Initiatives
Enjoy the winter break!
AESES Announces New Executive Director – Colleen Thompson
Friday, November 8th, 2024
The Executive Director Hiring Committee is pleased and excited to announce that Colleen Thompson is the successful candidate in our search for a new Executive Director.
As most of you will know, over the last six years of employment with AESES, Colleen has become an important member of our Labour Relations Team and a crucial member of our outstanding business office staff. Her knowledge of our collective agreements and bargaining processes as well as her experience with appeals, grievances, and championing our membership is extensive.
Before joining the University of Manitoba, Colleen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Victoria. During her time with Security Services, she served as an AESES Board Representative, contributed to numerous committees, and held a position on the Executive Council as the UM Contract Administrator. Colleen’s deep understanding of AESES operations and knowledge of university dynamics will serve her well as she takes on this leadership role. Her longstanding commitment to our members and dedication to the university community reflect a passion for fostering growth and support across AESES and the University of Manitoba, The University of Winnipeg, and St. Andrew’s College.
As President of AESES, I rely heavily on the support and direction provided by the Executive Director, and I’m confident Colleen will be an exceptional colleague to work with. Colleen is currently shifting into the role with Lisa’s help.
A thank you also goes out to the hiring committee (Robert Dvorski, Joan Duesterdiek, and Karen Simpson) for their excellent work and to Lisa McKendry for her patience and superb guidance in the process!
Please join the hiring committee and me in congratulating Colleen on her exciting new role at AESES!
Rob Parker
AESES President