Hi everyone,
Over the past few weeks members have been sending in questions and concerns about the potential of a strike by employees who are members of The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). This was on the agenda at the March 31st President’s Conference agenda and local presidents were told at the time that central NSTU would provide guidance to members once a strike was imminent. Many local presidents, myself included, have asked for an update as it appears the Centre is setting in place their contingency plans for a possible CUPE strike.
Members with concerns, in the interim, are asked to reach out to their local NSTU staff officer. Our NSTU staff officer is Wally Fiander and his email is wfiander@staff.nstu.ca please make sure to email Wally from a non-employer email and it would be beneficial to include your school. Members can also call central office at (902)477-5621 (toll free 1-800-565-6788) and ask to speak to Wally or another staff officer in Member Services.
Wally has been responding to many member’s questions these past few weeks regarding members questions on duties/expectations that may be asked of them in the event of a strike. Any member with a specific concern should reach out to him directly.
Educational workers in the Valley and South Shore were on strike, or threatening to go on strike, and central NSTU was able to assist members with similar questions and concerns during that job action by support workers. This may be similar, but on a somewhat larger scale.
Again, I know this is a stressful situation with a lot of unknowns, but please know central NSTU is well aware of these concerns and able to answer any questions you may have.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Education Week
Education Week 2023 is this week and this year’s theme is: Active Learning = Engagement. Many of our County schools promote active learning, so it is no surprise that this years County recipient is Tamara Julian a physical educator from Oyster Pond Academy From Oyster Pond, which is down our beautiful Eastern Shore. Congratulations Tamara. Tamara will be attending the Education Week ceremony today at Halifax West at 3pm. A live stream of the event can be found at this link: https://vimeo.com/event/3308655
The 2023 Halifax County Bursary is OPEN
Halifax County Bursaries are given to the children/stepchildren of Halifax County Local members (not PSAANS members) who are currently (2022-23) teaching in a term or permanent position. Applicants must be graduating from High School in June 2023. This bursary must be used for enrollment in secondary education in September 2023 and cannot be deferred to another school year. The amount received by each recipient will be dependent on how many applications are received in total. The deadline for application is Friday, May 26th, 2023.
Successful applicants will be notified by email after the deadline of Friday, May 26th, 2023. Due to confidentiality, all correspondence will be between the applicant (not a parent) and the Halifax County Local Treasurer only. Applicants are responsible for keeping the confirmation notification that is received once the Google form is completed. Successful applicants will be asked to supply their Confirmation of Enrollment for a September 2023 start by September 22nd, 2023 in order to receive the funds. Failure to submit the required document by the deadline will forfeit the funds to be shared amongst the applicants who completed the requirements.
Jodie MacIlreith
Treasurer
Halifax County Local NSTU
It is in your Provincial/Regional Agreement
Provincial
ARTICLE 41 AMENDMENT BY MUTUAL CONSENT
41.01 This Agreement may be amended at any time by mutual consent of both parties.
NSTU Benefits at a Glance
Manulife Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
ATTENTION: Resilience has been rebranded to Manulife Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
We are excited to share some enhancements as well as a rebrand of our Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP). Our partner, Manulife Financial, has launched a new and improved interactive online platform making it easier to get the support you need, when you need it, in a way that works best for you!
This updated experience means that the Resilience® platform and brand you are accustomed to will no longer be active and you will be redirected to the updated platform Manulife Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) at www.manulifeEFAP.com.
* Please note If you had already had a profile and account created with Resilience® , you will need to re-register on the updated platform. In order to register you will require the Manulife Plan Contract # 39146.
The Manulife Employee and Family Assistance Program is for active NSTU members who have a permanent, probationary or term contract. Through the Manulife EFAP you can reach a team of experienced counsellors from Homewood Health™ who will listen to your issue, offer sound advice and help you create an action plan to address issues.
Manulife EFAP also has a very educational online platform and mobile app which offers:
- Easy access to content, such as eLearning, articles, videos and podcasts on a wide range of topics, based on your profile and interests
- 24/7 live chat with Homewood Health™ counsellors
- E-counselling and E-therapy
To get started or to find out more information visit www.manulifeEFAP.com. Once there, you can register by first entering the Manulife Plan Contract # 39146. Then complete the remaining fields and click “Sign up”.
*It is strongly recommended to use a personal email and not a work related email when dealing with matters relating to the Manulife EFAP. You must create an account on the EFAP website platform (www.manulifeEFAP.com) first before downloading the mobile app.
Services
Counselling Services
- Stress
- Marital/family/separation/divorce/custody issues
- Alcohol and drug abuse
- Personal adjustment problems
- Psychological disorders
- Anger management
- Retirement planning
- Aging parents/eldercare concerns
- Sexual harassment
- Gambling addiction
- Conflict resolution
- Bereavement
- Weight, smoking and general health issues
The counselling is designed to: Provide support and understanding, help build coping skills, and teach ways to effectively manage issues and problems.
Lifestyle and Specialty Coaching Services
Designed to allow you to take a proactive approach to every challenge and life transition with information and coaching from experts in their field.
- Childcare and Parenting Caregiver Support Services
- Elder & Family Care Services
- Legal Advisory Services
- Financial Advisory Services
- Nutritional Support
- Career Counselling Services
- Retirement Planning Service
- Smoking Cessation Services
- Shift Worker Support
- Online Courses
- 12 Weeks to Wellness
Stress Solutions
Provides assistance for individuals suffering from stress.
The COVID-19 pandemic continue to add a great deal of stress to us all. Stress Solutions can support you through these challenging times by assigning you a counsellor who will establish contact and support with Telephone sessions, Coaching, Online Courses, etc.
For more information on Stress Solutions, click here.
Depression Care Services
Provides assistance for individuals suffering from certain types of depression.
Approximately 11% of men and 16% of women in Canada will experience major depression in the course of their lives and it is estimated that 1 in 10 Canadians is affected by anxiety disorder. Depression Care offers fast access to personalized clinical treatment to help individuals achieve sustained recovery from depression and anxiety disorders.
For more information on Depression Care, click here.
Trauma Care
If you have experienced any type of Traumatic event, Trauma Care provides fast access to expert mental health services with specialized psychological intervention which is key to traumatic stress recovery. Homewood Health’s unique Trauma Care Program provides specialized treatment for individuals who are struggling with acute, or long-term, trauma symptoms.
For more information in Trauma Care, click here.
Grief and Loss Coaching
Grieving can be an overwhelming and complex process. Every individual reacts differently and experiences grief and loss in unique ways. Homewood’s Grief and Loss Coaching Program helps you understand the grieving process by providing you with coaching support and resources to help you manage through the range of emotions and difficulties one experiences when faced with a significant loss. This program is helpful to those who have lost a loved one or are experiencing other forms of loss in their life, including job loss, divorce, or ending of a relationship.
For more information on Grief and Loss Coaching, click here.
Experiencing Acts of Violence
The trauma caused by acts of violence can, and most often have a significant emotional impact on people. The combination of atrocity and magnitude of the event, coupled with its unpredictability, will often lead to an intense feeling of vulnerability for our own safety and the safety of others. The Experiencing Acts of Violence program helps develop recovery and coping strategies to help you through these traumatic times.
For more information and the Experiencing Acts of Violence Program, click here.
To access these programs and services, Once there, you can register at www.manulifeEFAP.com by entering the Manulife Plan Contract # 39146. Then complete the remaining fields and click “Sign up”.
Resources
- Mobile App – Download Homewood E-App on all mobile application platforms.
*You must create an account on the EFAP website platform (manulifeEFAP.com) first before downloading the mobile app. - Health eLinks
- Health Risk Assessment
- Comprehensive Library of Medical Information
- Self-Care Starter Kit– This kit describes why self-care matters, why it’s important to take time to look after yourself, and how you can build a self-care plan to improve your quality of life. The Self-Care Starter Kit helps design a plan specifically for you by taking you through the following 4 steps:
Evaluating Your Coping Skills
2. Identifying Your Self-Care Needs
3. Barriers And Areas for Improvement
4. Creating Your Self-Care Plan - Online Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (i-Volve)
- Childcare and Eldercare resources database
E-Courses
There are a number of E-Courses online as well at www.manulifeEFAP.com
Courses are broken into three categories:
- Courses for Employees or Family Members – Health and Well Being
- Courses for Employees – Career and Workplace Issues
- Courses for Key Persons and Supervisors
Homewood Health Life Lines
April 2021: My Wellness (Article / Video)
Webinars
COVID-19: Loneliness & Isolation Fatigue – Self-Care Strategies – https://youtu.be/QDW5S0U2lNs
Reducing Anxiety & Managing the Transition Back to Class – https://homewoodhealth.com/teacher-webinar
COVID-19: Dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder – https://youtu.be/tpow0ZRzuyc
COVID-19: The Second Wave and Your Mental Health – https://homewoodhealth.com/corporate/webinar-second-wave
Wellness Sessions
Outlined in the link below is a listing and brief description of the Wellness Sessions that are available through the NSTU Employee and Family Assistance program provider, Homewood Health™.
Please note: Wellness Sessions must be requested at least six to eight weeks in advance. These sessions should be scheduled between 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Any sessions scheduled outside these times will have a cost associated with them. Sessions require a minimum of 10 participants and should not exceed 35 participants. Additional costs will apply should you have a larger group.
Click here for more information and to request a Manulife EFAP Wellness Session
Contact
Toll-Free Number – 24 hours, seven days a week – English: 1-877-955-NSTU (6788) or in French: 1-514-875-0720.
Counselling can be provided in a way that is most convenient and comfortable: in-person, by phone, or through a secure online service.
Access to all online features is available by visiting www.manulifeEFAP.com – Once there, you can register by entering the Manulife Plan Contract # 39146, complete the remaining fields and click “Sign up”.
Access to all online features is also available in French by visiting https://wwwec7.manulife.com/signin/fr
Thanks,
Shawn Hanifen
Local President