The general meetings on the agreements in principle reached in the last round of bargaining will go down in history as the first to be held during a pandemic. COVID-19 forced us to do things differently and hold hybrid meetings (partly online, partly in person).
In all, 90 general meetings were held during a brief two-and-a-half week period last fall. To comply with the array of provincial health measures, the UCCO-SACC-CSN executive organized a series of hybrid meetings, with the help of CSN staff. 42 virtual general meetings were held, while 47 were organized face-to-face.
The virtual meetings – and particularly the secret ballot – demanded a technological set-up unlike anything we have done before. Despite the organizational challenges, the operation was pulled off successfully in a very short period of time.
Attendance at the meetings was good, although it was down slightly from the last ratification tour. In all, nearly 2,800 members attended the 90 meetings. 96% of participants (online and in person) exercised their right to vote and 79% voted for the agreements in principle.