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ISM Canada - Transition to NTT DATA BCU, Inc. Update and Summary - BCGEU


Further to our communication on December 19, 2019, your BCGEU Joint Transition Committee representatives and NTT DATA BCU, Inc. Subcommittee want to provide you with an update and let you know some of the things we have been doing on your behalf. The transition date to NTT DATA BCU, Inc. is still scheduled for July 29, 2020 at 6:00 pm.

1. NTT DATA BCU, Inc. Payroll Update – Resolved

As an ISM employee you are paid current up to each applicable pay day for your base salary, this changes effective with the August 7, 2020 payroll date with NTT DATA BCU, Inc. because NTT DATA BCU, Inc.'s company-wide payroll system operates one week in arrears. Employees will be given the option to take a temporary advance to cover this week and to repay it interest free. NTT DATA BCU, Inc. had viewed this advance as a short-term interest-bearing loan; your committee was firm that this is not a loan and no interest will be charged. If you choose to receive an advance then you will repay the payment in 4 equal installments over 4 pay periods beginning August 21,2020, September 4, 2020, September 18, 2020 and October 2, 2020 with such installments to coincide with, and be payable on, NTT DATA BCU, Inc.'s bi-weekly payroll period.

2. Transitioning during Pandemic – Ongoing

If you are working from home at transition then you will continue working from home. After transition NTT DATA BCU, Inc. has agreed to involve the joint BCGEU/ NTT DATA BCU, Inc.Occupational Health and Safety Committee in any return to work plan. We have raised your concerns with transitioning during a pandemic and ensured that NTT DATA BCU, Inc. will provide adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for those providing front line work and the ability to continue teleworking.

3. Telework Agreements – Resolved

NTT DATA BCU, Inc. will honour all telework agreements including the Pandemic Initiated Telework Agreement recently negotiated by the ISM Joint Union Management Committee.

4. Deskside Hours of Work Changes – Ongoing

The agreement between NTT DATA BCU, Inc. and the Health Authorities contains changes to the hours of operation at some worksites impacting the hours of work for our deskside members. When NTT DATA BCU, Inc. announced the change to their mode of operations that would affect multiple transitioning Deskside Technicians, we worked with NTT DATA BCU, Inc. to have them perform a shift bid that would respect their seniority, geo locations, and existing hours of work. At the onset of this discussion everyone performing Deskside work would have been placed into a shift with a mandatory one-hour lunch. We reversed this for most transitioning technicians and we are continually working to minimize or eliminate any disruption. The BCGEU requested and received hours of operation for Deskside support from NTT DATA BCU, Inc. and provided it to affected members. We asked NTT DATA BCU, Inc. to host meetings with impacted staff, hold a shift bid process by seniority at each worksite and re-issue offer letters with the new hours of work to ensure members had an opportunity to change their minds about going to NTT DATA BCU, Inc.given the new hours of work. All new offer letters from NTT DATA BCU, Inc. have been accepted by transitioning deskside members.

5. NTT DATA BCU, Inc. New Hires - Resolved

NTT DATA BCU, Inc. has agreed that those employees hired to work on the PHSA contract will be auxiliary employees in the bargaining unit effective on the transition date. Positions required by NTT DATA BCU, Inc. will follow the posting procedure in our collective agreement.

6. Org Charts - Ongoing

NTT DATA BCU, Inc. has committed to providing the BCGEU with Org charts at transition. ISM has already provided the BCGEU with their post transition Org chart.

7. Service Desk - Ongoing

The BCGEU has brought concerns raised by members that NTT DATA BCU, Inc. plan to centralize service desk operations in the Lower Mainland and move the work from IHA and NHA. Each time we have tabled this, NTT DATA BCU, Inc. has committed to keeping work in their respective areas and to consider our concerns of centralization this when sending out communications.

8. Performance Concerns - Resolved

The BCGEU has raised your concerns about performance history going from ISM to NTT DATA BCU, Inc. and has received written confirmation that no employee performance history will be exchanged as part of transition.

9. ISM New Hires - Resolved

The BCGEU has raised your concerns about ISM's new hires to service the Health contract to make sure that their census information is provided to NTT DATA BCU, Inc.

10. Keeping Work in Canada - Resolved

The BCGEU has asked NTT DATA BCU, Inc. which parts of the health contract will be managed out of country, NTT DATA BCU, Inc. committed to honour bargaining unit work, BC and Canadian privacy laws. NTT DATA BCU, Inc. also verified that all positions transferring to NTT DATA BCU, Inc. are not going off shore, and new hires continuing to support the HA client are going to be in Canada.

11. Training - Ongoing

The BCGEU has asked for and received NTT DATA BCU, Inc.'s schedule for training and a commitment that training will be paid as voluntary overtime.

NTT DATA BCU, Inc. Transition Subcommittee

The Joint Transition Committee struck a subcommittee to work on bilateral issues between BCGEU and NTT DATA BCU, Inc. Your BCGEU representatives were appointed by our Component 6 Vice President, Judy Fox McGuire, and consists of Joseph Ivens (co-chair), Eugene Fox, Brent Stokell and Shirley Kay (Staff Representative) for BCGEU. NTT DATA BCU, Inc. appointed Cynthia Nehring (co-chair), Colleen Wack, Taha Malik and Alex Rado for the employer. The subcommittee established a Terms of Reference to work collaboratively and abide by our Collective Agreement. Our first meeting was held on May 21, 2020 and here is what we have resolved so far:

1. The BCGEU has raised your concerns about Deskside Job shadowing with NTT DATA BCU, Inc. and have a commitment from NTT DATA BCU, Inc. that job shadowing will be on an individual 1:1 basis and that there will be no ride sharing. NTT DATA BCU, Inc. will be providing BCGEU with the responsibilities and process details around shadowing along with a timeline.

2. The BCGEU has reached agreement with NTT DATA BCU, Inc. to hold voluntary (non-mandatory) meetings with transitioning members so you can directly communicate your concerns with NTT DATA BCU, Inc. Meetings have already occurred for Deskside and transitioning Project Coordinators.

3. The BCGEU has reached agreement with NTT DATA BCU, Inc. to contact employees who chose optional benefits in NTT DATA BCU, Inc.'s on-boarding package and verify that they are aware of the additional cost and provide a method to withdraw from these optional benefits before receiving them if they are no longer wanted.

4. The BCGEU has been working with individual members who have contacted us with questions on transition and been meeting with both employers advocating for transition.

5. BCGEU and NTT DATA BCU, Inc. have agreed to waive the probation period for auxiliaries so that NTT DATA BCU, Inc. new hires, who will become Auxiliaries on transition day, can compete with transitioning ISM Auxiliaries on internal postings. Transitioning Auxiliaries will retain seniority earned at ISM. NTT DATA BCU, Inc. Auxiliaries will start seniority on transition day. This allows all of our members to compete on these positions without having them posted externally as public in-scope competitions.

6. NTT DATA BCU, Inc. and the BCGEU developed a draft collective agreement which the parties hope to have finalized and available to members on the date of transition. Please note that the content of this collective agreement will be the same as your ISM Canada-BCGEU collective agreement. All provisions will remain the same only the Employer's name and some ISM specific jargon has been changed.

 

In solidarity

Judy Fox-McGuire, Component 6 Vice President
Joseph Ivens, Joint Transition Committee Member, Transition Subcommittee Co-Chair
Brent Stokell, Transition Subcommittee Member
Eugene Fox, Transition Subcommittee Member
Shirley Kay, BCGEU Staff Representative

Download PDF of notice here 

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