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CoAction Updates Membership Categories and Dues

Becoming a member of CoAction is now simpler. Everyone fits into one of two membership categories – Voting or Non-Voting.

Voting members are:

– employed directly by a housing co-op or non-profit.

– employed by a company that provides management services to a co-op or non-profit.

– working contract jobs in co-op or non-profit housing.

– retired or unemployed from their housing worker positions.

The Non-Voting category is for anyone who doesn’t work on-site in co-op or non-profit housing, but who supports CoAction’s activities and would like to enjoy the benefits of membership.

CoAction membership provides:

– frequent electronic newsletters

– deep discounts on specially designed workshops

– peer support and networking opportunities

– formal representation in sector organizations

– collaboration with other staff associations in Ontario

Voting members may request limited legal consultations on employment issues (after 6 months of membership).

Join us!  You can apply for membership here.

Membership
Category		 Dues Tier Annual Dues
Voting

on-site housing workers
who work 32 or more
hours per week

 $150

Reduced rate for 2021:

$100

on-site housing workers
who work less than 32
hours per week

 $100

Reduced rate for 2021:

$67

housing workers who are temporarily employed,
unemployed or retired

 $75

Reduced rate for 2021:

$50
Non-Voting others who wish to
support CoAction

this category does not provide voting rights or access to legal consultations

 $50

Reduced Rate for 2021:

$33.50
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Declaration of Acknowledgement of Traditional Territories

Declaration of Traditional Territories

The CoAction Staff Association has adopted a Declaration of Acknowledgement of Traditional Territories.

We are guided by the following advice from the Canadian Association of University Teachers.

Acknowledging territory shows recognition of and respect for Aboriginal Peoples. It is recognition of their presence both in the past and the present. Recognition and respect are essential elements of establishing healthy, reciprocal relations. These relationships are key to reconciliation.

Our Declaration is modelled on the one used by Emmanuel College at the University of Toronto as follows:

As we gather together at <<PLACE OF GATHERING>>, we acknowledge this sacred land where we meet.

It has been a site of human activity for 15,000 years.

This land is the territory of the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River.

The territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and Confederacy of the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share andcare for the resources around the Great Lakes.

Today, the meeting place of Toronto is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work in the community, on this territory.

We are also mindful of broken covenants and the need to strive to make right with all our relations.

Download PDF copy of the Declaration of Traditional Territories

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Personal Information and Privacy

Personal Information and PrivacyThe issues surrounding the collection and use of personal information is very complex.  However, it is generally agreed that if co-ops follow the guidelines and procedures outlined in the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, they will meeting their requirements.

Here are two samples of possible Privacy Polices

Privacy-Policy-1-1

Privacy-Policy-2-1

Editable Word versions of these documents are available here.

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Ontario Human Rights Commission Statement and Cards

Ontario Human Rights Code

Like all institutions and business that provide services to people living in Ontario, co-ops are legally bound to observe the Ontario Human Rights Code,

If you want to tell your members, employees, and community that your co-op respects human rights, there’s an easy way to get started. Just print out and display a Code card. These cards, available in English and French, and in three different styles, offer a brief introduction to the Human Rights Code. They also include information about the human rights system in Ontario.

The text of the cards can be found here.  There are also downloadable PDF’s in three background colours.

We have a full version of the card here:
Ontario Human Rights Commission Statement Card

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Guide to taking minutes

Minutes are the permanent official written record of the decisions made by a body of people who met on a certain date for a specific purpose.

It is an important document that is relied upon to see the exact wording of any decision that was taken. Without official minutes, memory would provide the only guide to enforcement of a decision. It is fair to say that each person’s memory and interpretation of an event can be different, coloured by a variety of things such as political view, personal perspective, and position of power. Once the wording of a decision is confirmed, the organization can proceed with its interpretation and implementation or perhaps its reconsideration.

A reading of the minutes will verify whether all decisions were made with proper authority and due process. This is very important, as even a seemingly insignificant decision can affect the dignity or quality of life of someone who is subject to the enforcement of that decision.

Guide to Taking Co-op Minutes

Editable Word file available here