We have reached a tentative agreement for the ETO Component Agreement that takes effect upon the expiry of the existing collective agreement, April 1, 2019. This is in keeping with the Public Service Collective Agreement timeframe, which also has a tentative agreement for ratification by the membership.

Your bargaining committee strongly recommends acceptance of the agreement.

The new component agreement includes significant changes in language and structure, and provides improvements in many areas. Your committee recognizes that these changes may generate questions that are not easily answered in a bulletin. Therefore, the bargaining committee has developed short videos that are provided as links below to assist with this. Please take the time to review these. In addition, your bargaining committee is available to answer any questions you may have, please see the email address below to contact them through.

We believe the changes to the Component Agreement provide significant improvements and make the component agreement easier to follow, read, understand and enforce. All the changes are included as an attachment to this bulletin. The changes include the following:

HOURS OF WORK:

Prior to bargaining, we surveyed the membership on important issues for this round of the ETO bargaining and hours of work was consistently voiced as the top priority for the majority. Many members have expressed frustration with the hours of work language. Disputes about the language and multiple practices that are outside the component agreement on hours of work are common and have been occurring for years in many cases. A common request is for the ability to bank hours that could be utilized outside of the averaging period in the component agreement and an hours of work arrangement that doesn't enable the employer to avoid paying any overtime. We have addressed both these issues with the new agreement.

The new component agreement provides a for an Hours of Work table that gives multiple options for work schedules, including schedules that have banked Earned Time Off (ETO) hours that may be taken as schedules allow and have no restrictions of needing to be taken during an averaging period. They have to be utilized in the year they are earned. This table replaces all the existing "Table A's" and expands on the options available and on the work groups the table is available to. The Hours of Work table includes the set number of hours worked each day before overtime would apply, as opposed to working up to a set number of hours each day.

The hours of work also includes a simple one page form and process for all members to follow in developing their hours of work. This will make it easier to enforce and we believe reduce the disputes and confusion.

The new hours of work language is covered under a one year pilot project (to take effect April 1, 2019). We intend to review it throughout that year. After the one year, the language will become permanent and replace all existing language unless either side provides notice otherwise or the Parties negotiate something different. We have also committed to a joint education process on the hours of work to be available to all members prior to the implementation of the new language.

PROVISIONS THAT NOW APPLY TO ALL OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS

The existing component agreement includes many references to provisions that apply only to certain groups. These groups are referred to in the agreement as Appendix 2, Appendix 3 and Appendix 5 employees. The new agreement will remove these references so that the provisions apply to all those covered by the component agreement, except in a few cases where specific occupations are referred to. These changes will make the component agreement easier to understand as the existing language is confusing and difficult to apply and enforce as a result.

As these changes include the deletion of redundant clauses and amalgamations of others, we have included a memorandum of understanding that requires the creation of a joint committee to review these provisions to ensure that no employee has been negatively impacted by the change. The memorandum also enables the parties to make any necessary changes to correct any negative impacts that are found.

Your committee is excited to bring these changes to your Environmental, Technical and Operational (ETO) Component Agreement for ratification. If there is something you don't understand, please seek out one of the committee members through the contact email below.

You can download and review the ratification document by clicking here.

Resources:

Committee email address: [email protected]

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BohdZczWk1Y

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iM63GqoNr4&feature=youtu.be

In solidarity

George Buis, Vice President, Environmental, Technical and Operational Component
Rob Davis, Committee Member
Glen Gibson, Committee Member
James Moe, Committee Member
Frank Anderson, Coordinator

UWU/MoveUP