Union Meeting Jan 21 2015

Date: Jan 21, 2015 Time: 6:00 PM  Location: Retiree Lounge  Membership Meeting This months general membership meeting will be held upstairs in rooms 3 & 4. Agenda: Roll Call of Executive Board Minute of Silence Deceased Members Minutes previous meeting Business arising from the minutes Correspondence Executive Board Report and recommendations Financial Report Bylaw Committee Report Delegate Report Shop Committee Reports Standing Committee Reports Old Business New Business Adjournment  Jacket Draw

New Attendance Policy - Update.

Thiss post is just a quick update with respect to what is going on from the unions end on what is being done about the planned implimentation of the New Attendacne Policy. 

Tiime line of roll out as identified by the union:

1. The Unit Chair Person started to recieve reports via text and email that a new attendance policy was being implimented. This info was provided via NC LInked. 

2. The union was provided an LMC agenda, the employer had place the Attnedance policy as an agenda item. 

3. The  union and the employer met on Dec 3rd, to discuss among other items the proposed attendance policy. Specific questions that were asked by the union were not conclusively answered i.e bereavement, occurances and acceptable documenation. The employer was not forth oming with those answers. 

4. The Unit Bargaining Team met with the national rep and the local Presedent on Dec 17th 2014. We discussed the contents of the New attendane policy at length. 

5. The union informed the employer that it some concerns with the new policy up date. 

6. The union and the employer have agreed to meet on Dec. 30th to discuss the concerns and hopefully get a resolution on the outstanding items. 

That is all for now 

Bargaining Unit UPDATE June 3 2014

Bargaining Unit UPDATE June 3 2014

As you all know there are a number of vacancies in the department. From the unions calculation there are currently 7 full-time shift openings. I won’t disclose or discuss who or what caused the vacancies, however they are known to exist. In light of the vacancies I have ask the employer for clarification on a number of items.

1.       Given that there are 7 open lines, when would it be possible to start Rolling shift bids, to back-fill the vacancies.

2.       The union would also like clarification on if the employer intends to hire full-time officers to fill the 7 full-time vacancies?

3.       What is the current Dual/officer ratio?

The union’s position is that these full-time spots should be filled as soon as possible. This item was also discussed briefly at the past LMC meeting; we were told by the employer’s team, that any increase in staffing would have to be approved by the AGCO.  We don’t know at this time if that permission will be forthcoming any time soon.

Bonus / Wage increase

Many of you have been asking what is going on with the bonus and raise. We all know that the employer has provided non union staff with a 1500.00 bonus and the possibility of a raise to be determined after the coming provincial election. As you all know we have the option of a bonus of 750.00 or a raise equal to non unionized associates, should it be decided for them, that they receive it. In the interest of maintaining our options, I have sent the employer a memo that indicates to the employer that we will be exercising our right to postpone the decision, for 60 days after July 1^st 2014. We also reserved the right to ask for a further extension of the deadline in the event that a decision has not been made within the 60 days. This seemed the most prudent approach.

Safety Boots

To finally put this issue to rest the boot allowance is usable every calendar year. It is not contract year, or the lunar year, it is the calendar year. So if you buy boots on Dec 31^st 2014 you will be able to buy another new pair Jan 1^st 2015. The issue has been pushed through to the head of our department as well and clarification on the issue has been made. If you experience problems at the boot truck, let the union or management know and it will get sorted as soon as possible. 

Raises and or Bonus

Raises and Bonuses,

This item has always been a difficult point ever since we became unionized those many years ago. I realize that cash and the remuneration that we are paid for what we do is a significant measurement of success or failure. It is true that Non Unionized associates will be receiving a 1500.00 bonus this year. This is tough considering the Union bargained a 750.00 bonus. 

I think we need to look at what a bonus actually does. Lump sum payments that are made year over year actually reduce the wages of employees. The Non unionized associates of our place of employment have not received a raise for the last 4 years. Im not sure what the rate of inflation was for that same time frame was, but as we all know consumer prices don't stop going up because our pay does. 

The current situation that we find ourselves in is as follows. Bonuses of 1500.00 were announced to non unionized associates. The employer is also talking about possible raises in July, however the payout for them has not been confirmed pending the out come of the current provincial election, and the approval of the a provincial budget. We are in a position to wait and see if the employer announces raises in July. If that is what transpires then it would be more beneficial for us to accept the raise later than the bonus now. I will be consulting with the bargaining team to figure out our next steps. 

I don' t know at this time if there is going to be any retroactive considerations in the event of a raise back to April 1st. If that is something that transpires then the union will ask that question of the employer if it becomes necessary. 

This is UNIFOR

Great Video

http://youtu.be/nWEXRo2LlCg

Small unit council meeting

I will be attending UNIFOR small unit council meeting this afternoon. I will be out of the work place from noon until the end of the day.