OPSEU Local 596

New Salary Grid

jnaughto — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:21:19 +0000

Due to the Pension Plan Contribution Rate Increase Effective January 1st, 2012 (please see memo) base salaries will increase as of January 1, 2012 by 1.5%. Please note that this is to compensate for the short fall of pension funds that are presently available. The new salary grid is available under the documentation tab.

All salaries have increase but please note that your pension contributions have also increased. This is explained within the HR Memo circulated to all Ryerson employees. To summarize, prior to Jan 1, 2012 pension contributions were calculated as per:

8.0% on the first $3,500 of eligible earnings,
6.2% on eligible earnings above $3,500 up to the Year’s Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE) ($50,100 as of 1/1/12)
8.0% on eligible earnings over the YMPE

From Jan 1st, 2012 onward pension contributions will be calculated as follows:

9.5% on the first $3,500 of eligible earnings,
7.4% on eligible earnings above $3,500 up to the YMPE ($50,100 as of 1/1/12)
9.5% on eligible earnings over the YMPE

How does this effect you well let’s take a example. If you were Grade 10, Step 6 on the salary grid you would be making $60,388.05 as of Dec 31, 2011. You would have paid:

8% on the first 3500 which would be: $280.00
6.2% on the next $46,600.00 (i.e. 50,100 – 3,500) which would be: $2889.20
8.0% on the remaining 10,288.05 (i.e. 60,388.05 – 50,100.00) of your salary which would be: $823.04

So your total contribution to your pension would have been $3992.24 so your net salary before taxes would have been 56,395.81

With the new calculation and taking into account the 1.5% increase your new gross salary as of Jan 1st, 2012 would be 61,293.87. Using the new pension contribution calculations:

9.5% on the first $3500 which would be: $332.50
7.4% on the next $46,600.00 (i.e. 50,100 – 3,500) which would be: $3,448.40
9.5% on the remaining 11,193.87 (i.e. 61,293.87 – 50,100) of your increased salary which would be: $1,063.42

So now your contribution to your pension would be $4,843.82 so your net salary as of under the new pension contribution calculations would be $56,450.05.

This would mean that you would be ahead $54.24 by the end of 2012 using the new pension calculations.

Staff Star Breakfast

jnaughto — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 16:36:32 +0000

Hello Fellow OPSEU Members

Just to remind you the Staff Star Breakfast is November 3rd, 2011. Please register through the link below. And do not forget the nominations are open until October 17th for the Award. Here is the link for the online registration system https://www.runner.hr.ryerson.ca/training/

PLEASE NOTE ONLY REGISTERED PERSONS WILL BE ACCOMMODATED AT THE BREAKFAST AS SEATING IS LIMITED

Social Justice Week

jnaughto — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:14:08 +0000

Re-Imagine Social Justice Oct 17th

: Ryerson Social Week, from Oct 17th through to Oct 21nd :- A week of events, speakers, exhibits and cultural events to transform Ryerson into a hub of social justice and solidarity in Toronto

Indignenous Peoples Resistance : - Oct 18th

International Dialogue Oct 18th

Music and Words on the Steet Oct 20th

RALLY EXCITEMENT BUILDING

jnaughto — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:21:49 +0000

Leaflets are flying, phone lines buzzing, and social medial is sizzling with excitement over the giant rally planned for Monday, September 26th, at Toronto City Hall. Groups are organizing in neighbourhoods across the city, union members are mobilizing, tenants, daycare parents, library users, TTC riders and students are all expected to turn out in great numbers.

It kicks off at 5:30 pm, down on the Queen Street end of Nathan Phillips Square. But if you can get down before then, why not visit the Council chambers and bear witness to the debate between the Ford team and those Councillors who are listening to their residents about cuts to services and good jobs. If you want flyers in Spanish, Tamil, Chinese or English, they are all available at www.labourcouncil.ca

Liberal Platform Factsheet

jnaughto — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:58:22 +0000

On September 5, the Ontario Liberals released their election platform. Central to their promises was the announcement of a $430 million investment into grants for most (but not all) college and undergraduate university students. What does this announcement mean? Here is an explanation to use when speaking to media who may contact you, to train your volunteers and to share with your members. Keep in mind that the Liberal Party seems to want to fight this election out on education and if we work hard enough we can probably pressure them to improve their promises.

THE FACTS:

A grant worth $1,600 for undergraduate and $730 for college students will be given to eligible students whose parents make less than $160,000 per year. This should make new grants available to more than 300,000 students.
Students who attend an institution that charges more than the average tuition fees will still receive $1,600. If a student attends an institution that charges less than the average, they will receive $1,600.
Students who do not take a 100 per cent course load but who are still considered full-time as defined by the government should still receive $1,600.
The grant will not be renewed for students who drop from clear standing (presumably as defined by each institution) or who move from full-time to part-time status.
Grant eligibility should be automatic; students don’t have to apply for the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) to receive it. It’s unclear as to how the government would determine students’ family income, though, in absence of an OSAP form.
Nothing about the Liberal announcement will affect OSAP eligibility or administration. Debt can still rise to $29,200 per student and Ontario Student Opportunity Grants will still be distributed.
The Liberals say that there will not be any changes announced during the campaign to reform or improve OSAP.
There will be no announcement made to improve graduate student education, research or funding. There was no money promised for research at all.
There was no announcement about hiring more faculty or reducing class sizes.
Satellite campuses were promised in Barrie (Laurentian), Milton (Laurier) and Brampton (a York, U of T, Ryerson supercampus). These campuses will offer undergraduate teaching only.

IS THE PROMISED GRANT A TUITION FEE REDUCTION?

No. The Liberals have promised an up-front grant to students which will amount to $1,600 for undergraduate students and $730 for college students. This grant will not stop tuition fees from rising and the Liberals have said they will not announce their plan for tuition fees until after they’re elected.

IS EVERYONE ELIGIBLE FOR THE GRANT?

No. The following is a list of students who will not be eligible for the grant:

Students in professional programs, who pay the highest fees, are not eligible for the program. In fact, their fee increases will be subsidizing the grants in part. Because the highest cost programs won’t be included, the least accessible fields of education will remain further out of reach for low- and middle-income students.
Students who fall from clear standing will lose the grant.
International students are not eligible for the grant.
Part-time students are ineligible for the grant and students who move from full-time to part-time status will lose the grant.
Students whose parents make over $160,000 annually will also be ineligible, even if their parents do not subsidize their education.

Graduate students are ineligible for the grant, even though they have less access to provincial student financial assistance and pay higher fees.

I HEARD THE GRANT IS WORTH 30 PER CENT OF THE COST OF TUITION FEES. IS THIS TRUE?

No. The Liberals have excluded tuition fees from professional programs in their average calculation, which are higher than other programs. The average undergraduate tuition fee is $6,300, according to Statistics Canada, but the Liberal Party says it is $5,400. This is problematic because professional programs have the highest tuition fees, and excluding them from the calculation skews the average to be lower, and denies students enrolled in them from needed financial aid. For example, if you were a student in business administration at the University of Toronto, this grant would only comprise 13 per cent of your fees. This grant also does not cover ancillary fees.

DOES THIS GRANT MAKE EDUCATION MORE AFFORDABLE?

The best way to increase the accessibility of college and university is to reduce tuition fees. This grant will help many students afford the high cost of tuition fees, but it may also justify more tuition fee increases, and more student debt. Up-front grants like this are good and students have long been calling for more grants, but real accessibility means reducing and eliminating all financial barriers.

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT SATELLITE CAMPUSES?

Existing satellite campuses in Ontario have been plagued by low educational quality and confusing governance structures where local autonomy is trumped by decision makers in another region of the province. Students have been highly critical of any plans to expand undergraduate education while at the same time not hiring more professors or guaranteeing that all the courses students require to finish their degrees will be available at all campuses. The Liberals are also promising that these campuses will be undergraduate-only; there will be no graduate education or research opportunities. This could mean that students will have lower quality professors, as most professors try to work where they can teach and research together.

IS THIS THE BEST POLICY IN THE ELECTION?

This is going to be a hard promise for the other parties to beat. While it would have been best to target the up-front costs by reducing tuition fees, this is still a significant investment into up-front student grants. Check out the political party report card when it is available and make sure you are communicating updates to your members. Things could change at any time.

THE LAST WORD

The Liberals have indicated that this is supposed to be the final platform policy but, as we have seen time and time again, updates, changes and clarifications are common when an election is underway. This document contains what has been made clear so far, but stay tuned for possible updates and share anything you learn with the Ontario Executive.

(Documentation taken from the Canadian Federation of Students pamphlet )

GET ON THE BUS!!

jnaughto — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 23:32:25 +0000

RALLY:
Queen’s Park Toronto
Tuesday, September 13, at 12 o’clock

NOW is the time we can make a real difference

www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca

The following people may be contacted in order to secure a place on a bus:

Please call to book your seat. No bus(es) from your area? Please let us know if you can organize a bus from your community at ohc@sympatico.ca or 416- 441-2502

Sarnia/Lambton Helen 519-882-0357
Windsor Katha 519-974-6431
St. Marys Gayle 519-284-8072
Chatham/Kent Shirley 519-677-4474
London Jeff 519-473-6191 or Shirley 519-842-3498
Niagara Niagara Health Coalition 289-271-6581 niagarahealth coalition@yahoo.ca
Kingston Dan 613-549-8399
Ottawa Marlene 613-222-8392
Cornwall/Stormont/Dundas Louise 613-932-1943
Peterborough Roy 705-745-2446
Northumberland Peggy 905-885-4005
Oshawa Charlie 905-728-5715
Brampton Jagtar 416-879-0963
Hamilton Tom 905-547-1646
Toronto-Davenport Kathryn 416-656-8025 x247
Kitchener-Waterloo Bill 519-585-3160
Guelph Emelina eramos@uoguelph.ca

OPSEU Mental Health Survey Results

jnaughto — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 20:51:46 +0000

Please see the results of the OPSEU Mental Health Survey which highlight how mental health issues affect us all. This will certainly help frame future campaigns to lobby our union, the government and the employers to minimize those affects. We could not have completed this project without your help.

The Mental Health Division
and the
Select Committee for the: Walk the Talk on Mental Health Survey.

International Youth Day

jnaughto — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 20:24:31 +0000

The Provincial Young Workers Committee is pleased to announce the upcoming International Youth Day, August 11 & 12, 2011 to be held at the Membership Centre in Toronto.

Download tentative conference outline and registration form (pdf document). All applications are to be emailed to equity@opseu.org or fax to 416 – 448 – 7419 by June 27th to apply.

TFC Tickets!! Silent Auction

jnaughto — Fri, 27 May 2011 23:39:41 +0000

The Delta Chelsea has graciously donated four (4) Toronto FC tickets to OPSEU, which we will be using toward a silent auction for the Live and Let Live Fund.

The bid is for the tickets only, any other costs incurred is the sole responsibility of the winning bidder.

Date: Saturday, June 18th , Toronto FC against Seattle Sounders, at the BMO field. The seats are located in Section 106, Row 17 (near midfield).

Website: www.torontofc.ca

Silent auction bids are starting at $250.00

Please submit your bids to Andrea Bowden, Assistant to the First Vice-President/Treasurer at abowden@opseu.org and Cc: Smokey Thomas, President, at wthomas@opseu.org and Eddy Almeida, First Vice-President, at ealmeida@opseu.org

Submissions will be received no later than June 9th, at 3:00 pm, and the winner will be announce on June 10th.

In solidarity

Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida
First Vice-President/Treasurer
Ontario Public Service Employees Union/Syndicat des employés de la
function publique de l*Ontario

416-443-8888 x 8303 or 1-800-268-7376 x 8303

2010 Total Compensation Statements Available Online!

jnaughto — Thu, 26 May 2011 20:37:10 +0000

We’re pleased to announce that this year your Total Compensation Statement is online! Making it paperless saves time and trees, and allows you to access your personal information from anywhere, for example while you’re with your financial advisor. You’ll also notice that the statement has a new look this year too!

Your total compensation is more than just your annual salary. It also includes the integration of programs and benefits that Ryerson provides to you in recognition of your contribution to our success. This statement includes your personalized information to give you a snapshot of your total compensation in 2010.

To access yours, visit http://www.ryerson.ca/hr/benefits and click on the “Your Annual Statements” icon. Log in with your my.ryerson username and password and then click on “Total Compensation Statements.”

If you encounter problems logging in, please contact our Client Services Team at hr@ryerson.ca or (416) 979-5075.

If there are any issues with the content of your statement, please contact Harsharan

Upal at h2upal@ryerson.ca or (416) 979-5000 ext. 4146.