As we find ourselves in a COVID-19 Hotspot, we have had to adjust to meet the current Ottawa Public Health Guidelines and Provincial Directives when it comes to how we conduct our business at CUPE 503.

CUPE 503 Office Operations: We have scaled back our 503 Office Operations having our staff work from home during this period of climbing cases in the National Capital Region. Staff are available to provide services to members seamlessly and can be reached by calling our general office number at 613-230-2456 or you can email [email protected]. If you require a Shop Steward for representation meetings please contact Heather at our office and she can connect you with a steward.

October General Membership Meeting: Due to restrictions on gatherings under COVID-19 Directives our October General Membership Meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday, October 20th has been cancelled. We are proceeding with our Shop Stewards Council meeting through a Telephone Town Hall and stewards have been contacted to register for the call.

Negotiations for City of Ottawa Inside/Outside Collective Agreement: Negotiations with the City of Ottawa and our CUPE 503 Bargaining Team continue. With the use of our Training Centre and our Large Boardroom we are able to convene the Bargaining Team and exchange packages with the Employer through video-conferencing. We have dates scheduled until mid-December and will provide the membership with updates if there are any changes in this table progressing.

We will continue to provide updates to the Membership using our CUPE 503 Website as timely as possible. COVID-19 does result in the current landscape shifting every few weeks (and days) and we continue to strive to be agile. We wish you and your families health and wellness during these very difficult times.