President’s Update

Dear Members of the PMA,

Even though this fall has brought with it many changes, one thing that remains certain is our members’ continued support and dedication to the University’s mission and safety of our staff and students. The PMA Executive and Committees have been working hard to bring you engaging networking and professional development and have a lot of wonderful things planned for the coming year. Thank you to our enthusiastic team of volunteers who make this all possible.

I am so happy that we have formed a safe space for even more of our members with the creation of the PMA BIPOC Network. They have had a successful first meeting – and are planning to meet regularly to discuss BIPOC community needs. More updates about the network, or how to join can be found below.

Our Membership Engagement Committee has arranged for some really exciting new member perks, including Bushido Boxing and Framing & Art Centre. There is a new invitation to the Columbia Employee Store that has just been added to the Perks section of our website – and we are always looking for new perks to benefit our members.

At the 2020 Annual General Meeting you voted to donate some of our unused budget to the Student Relief Fund which contributed to almost 3,400 student receiving financial assistance. Read more about the impact of our donation below.

As many of our employees and colleagues are still isolating and partially or fully working from home, it is important to remember to take care of yourselves and each other. Check-in with your colleagues and make some space for self-care. The EFAP is available to all university staff, regardless of contract status and I encourage you to check out these helpful wellness resources:

https://www.uwo.ca/hr/benefits/eap/services.html
https://www.workhealthlife.com/

Thank you to you all for your continued dedication and support. Our office is now open two days a week so don’t hesitate to drop by or reach out to us at pmaoffice@uwo.ca.

Nicole Girotti
PMA President