Now that the collective agreement is being drafted and put into usable form, I will take this opportunity to put forward a few thoughts on its enforcement and interpretation.
As with any organized and structured group, its strength comes from its members and the calibre of the people in charge. Each of these two groups have different roles that are equally important. For the leadership of the group, the passing of information is a key role, and more of a responsibility, then just part of the job. Information and communication is a major factor in maintaining stability and cohesiveness within the larger group. Information is a tool that can be used to dispel misinformation and uncertainty which are both major solidarity killers.
Vigilance is the reasonability of all, but more so, for the members. Our members are all over the place and see everything. You are the eyes and ears of the union. For the most part employers tend not to aggravate the executive or the stewards. So they tend not to see violations of the collective agreement. General members on the other hand have the tendency to see more because there are more of them. Members must learn to be vigilant, and learn to recognize violations of the collective agreement when the happen so they can be dealt with quickly and efficiently.
A responsibility that both groups share is that of education. Educating yourselves in the proper application of the collective agreement and relevant provincial legislation, can arm you against their improper use. Education should be an ongoing and continuous process especially for Stewards and the Executive. Becoming educated on labour issues can also help the regular member as well. Education has the ability to de-mystify the process of arbitration and the legal process that leads up to it. When a person understands something it is no longer frightening and it gives them control of what is happening. We must all understand that grievances have the ability to change labour law and create precedent setting Labour Board rulings, that the employer must be bound by. Our employer is well aware of this fact.
Opportunities that can be used to enforce this agreement, must be used, and used to the fullest extent possible. Failure to use the CBA to the fullest, will only result in weak language and weak consecutive agreements.
Another major factor in enforcing a collective agreement is a strong and aggressive Executive Committee. A committee that knows what its responsibilities are and what its roles are and what is required from each position. The CBA is a collection of demands put forward by the members, and it is the members that all Stewards and Executive must answer to. If your executive is incapable or unwilling to enforce the demands of the members in the way that the members want, then the executive must be removed from its office in its entirety.
A Collective agreement is a tool that all members must learn to at least understand and learn how it governs your day to day working life. It is the play book that we all must use, management and union alike. The employer agreed to the terms just as your bargaining team did and they are as equally bound by it as we are.
