UCTE is happy to announce that we will once again be hosting its Leadership Conference in person in Ottawa from July 21 to 24, 2022 at the Ottawa Marriott Hotel.

As always, UCTE will sponsor one delegate from each local however locals are invited to send observers at their own costs.

Below please find the information you need to register for the conference or you can download it here:

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*** Reminder: Prior to making travel arrangements, delegates should ensure that they have received approval from their employer for the appropriate leave to attend the national conference. ***

Registration – The registration form and, if applicable, the special needs form must be returned to the National Office no later than June 7, 2022.  Please note that should your form not be received by this date; we cannot guarantee that a hotel room will be available for you. To register please visit the UCTE website or click here.

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Travel by air/train/bus – All participants are encouraged to contact Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) at 1-866-267-5623 or by email at yow2.ca@contactmycwt.com  to make their own travel arrangements.  Please call and identify yourself as a delegate to the UCTE National Conference on or before July 7, 2022, to obtain the lowest possible airfare.

Delegates need to arrange their travel to arrive in Ottawa in the afternoon or evening of Thursday July 21, 2022, and to depart after 2:00 p.m. on Sunday July 24, 2022.

CWT is responsible for booking all your air or train travel.  They have been instructed to book you at the “most economical” rate.  Any delegate choosing to travel by air at a more expensive rate will be responsible for any additional cost.  Please be sure to advise the travel agent of any special needs you may have for travel (i.e. accessibility, dietary, etc.).  Please note that tickets will be issued once approved by the UCTE National Office.

When making your travel arrangements, please bear in mind that in the case of air travel at the lowest rate, there are restrictions regarding changes to travel plans once the ticket is issued.  The travel agent will be able to advise you of the restrictions particular to your ticket and the deadline for issuance of the ticket.  Any penalty costs incurred as a result of changes or cancellations made by a delegate after tickets are issued will be the responsibility of the delegate, except in cases where penalty costs are the result of unusual circumstances or emergency situations beyond the control of the delegate.  This penalty could represent as much as 50% additional costs to the lowest rate ticket, depending on the time at which the change is made following the issuance of the ticket.

Make sure that you provide CWT your full name as written on your identification, current home address and e-mail address since tickets will be sent to you once approved by the UCTE National Office.

Current Canadian travel regulations require that you provide proof of vaccination when travelling by air or rail.  For those who are travelling by air, it is important to know that if you have a true medical exemption from being vaccinated, there is no guarantee that you will be allowed to fly. You must receive clearance from the Air Canada medical desk. It is the sole discretion of Air Canada if you will be allowed to travel.

Observers can take advantage of the same service however, since UCTE is not responsible for payment of the ticket, you must provide payment instructions to CWT at the time of booking.

Note:  Tickets will not be issued until your registration is received by the National Office.

Travel by Car –  Delegates who choose to travel by car will be reimbursed for mileage in accordance with the current UCTE Travel Rates (see attached), up to the equivalent of the most economical airfare cost.  Note that loss of salary will only be reimbursed for that period of absence that would have been necessary had air travel been used.

Taxi/Shuttle Bus Transportation –   Receipts are required for all expenditures for transportation to and from the airport or train/bus station and must be attached to your expense claim.

Hotel Accommodations – A block of hotel rooms has been reserved at:

Ottawa Marriott Downtown

100 Kent Street

Ottawa, Ontario

Room reservations will be booked by the UCTE National Office.  Please do not contact the hotel directly.

The Ottawa Marriott has provided UCTE with a room rate of $139.00 per night plus applicable taxes (single or double occupancy).  Locals sending observers are welcome to take advantage of this price.

Delegates are responsible for their incidental expenses.  Delegates are required to check-in with a deposit or a credit card.  Should this not be possible, please contact Lira Buschman at buschml@psac-afpc.com or by telephone at (613) 238-4003 to make arrangements.  Upon check-out, delegates must settle any expenses separate from the bedroom and/or parking charges that are billed to UCTE.  Please note that any extra night’s accommodation the delegate may have chosen to add-on must be paid directly to the hotel upon departure and will not be billed to UCTE.

Observers are permitted to a bedroom within the room block.   Should an Observer wish a bedroom, please indicate this on the registration form.     Reminder:  Observers are responsible for all expenses including the bedroom charge.

Accommodations for Sunday night will only be paid for delegates if there are no flights available for their return home on Sunday night, and will not be paid for any delegate who would normally be required to travel but has requested to stay over for personal reasons.

Per Diem :- Depending on your time of arrival and departure, delegates are entitled to either the applicable meal allowance or per diem, which is set at the current rate of $124.00 per day and includes the costs of meals and incidentals.  (See attached document: Travel Rates)

Salary Reimbursement:

1. Delegates who will not be required to claim loss of salary
   PSAC and Treasury Board have an agreement at which there will be no loss of salary for participating in union activities. Similar arrangements have also been made with several of the private sector employers. Upon registration, a letter for the employer will be provided to the delegate confirming attendance at the conference as well as the period of leave in question.
2. Delegates who will require a salary reimbursement
   Loss of salary shall be calculated at the member’s hourly or daily rate of pay as applicable.  Please include a copy of your most recent pay stub to help with the calculation of your salary reimbursement. Shift workers shall also provide a copy of their shift schedule.
3. Day of rest
   If the conference occurs on a delegate’s day of rest, delegates shall be reimbursed a flat rate of $100.00 per day. For shift workers, please provide a copy of your shift schedule with your expense claim.

Advances/Expense Claims: – Delegates will receive approximately 60% of their entitlement upon registration.  Payment of the reimbursement will be mailed to the delegate upon receipt and processing of the expense claim form.

Interpretation: – Arrangements have been made for simultaneous interpretation in English and French.  Sign Language Interpretation and any alternate formats will be provided based on needs identified on a completed Special Needs Request Form.

Duty of care: – UCTE has planned and structured with the safety and comfort of our members, staff, and suppliers in mind. Once onsite, however, we need the support and collaboration of everyone to manage risk and keep each other safe.

If you develop symptoms prior to arriving, we ask that you please not present yourself at the conference. Please also advise Lira Buschman at buschml@psac-afpc.com so that hotel rooms and travel arrangements can be changed or cancelled.

A face covering must be worn at all times during the conference. Should you forget your own, one will be provided at registration.

As per the current provincial guidelines, no proof of vaccination will be required to enter the hotel.

We are asking that all participants indicate your level of comfort with contact by selecting a coloured dot for your name tag at registration:

Red – Let’s say hello from a far.

Yellow – Check with me before shaking hands or hugging.

Green – Handshakes and hugs are welcome!

Questions – If there are any questions, please feel free to speak with your regional vice-president or contact the UCTE National Office by email at ucte-ucet@psac-afpc.com or by telephone at 613-238-4003.