Industrial Negotiations Bargaining Updates

October 10, 2014 

Memorandum of Settlement for Consideration in Industrial Negotiations 

Dear members of UA Local 179,

After two days of conciliation, the UA Local 179 negotiating committee and the CLRS have a Memorandum of Settlement for your consideration. 

In total there are 21 points in the Memorandum of Settlement, they are summarized below:

1. Definitions and elsewhere - Replace CSTS with SCOT.
2. New Language to 3.02 to ensure that inactive members currently undergoing an EFAP Alcohol & Drug program will not be knowingly dispatched to work by the union or employer.
3. Article 3:08 - Pay stubs may now be sent electronically if employees provide an email address, otherwise will remain the same format.
4. Article 8:01 - Work week will end on Saturday now rather than Friday for the purposes of payroll only. 
5. New Article 12:07 - The Union Agrees to reimburse the Employer for any cost resulting from a pre-access Alcohol and Drug test that is missed by a member without a bona fide reason.
6. Article 13 - The Free Zone remains status quo at 30km.
7. Article 13 - All references to vehicle allowance rates will read “the maximum CRA vehicle allowance rate.” (Currently $0.54)
8. Article 13.03 New Language – In exceptional circumstances, a travel subsidy may be paid to an employee by mutual agreement between the Employer and the Union for a project within the City Limits of Saskatoon or Regina, subject to the concurrence of the Project Owner.
9. Article 14:04 Subsistence Rates as follows:
   Effective Date of agreement - $130 per day worked
   Effective April 26, 2015 -  $135 per day worked
   Effective May 1, 2016 – per subsistence review  
   There will be an annual six-sector province wide subsistence review starting in 2015 to assess costs, with the results being in effect in 2016.
10. Article 22:01 – The agreement would expire on April 30, 2017 and as per changes to the Saskatchewan Employment act a request to bargain can now be sent between 120 and 60 days prior to expiry of the agreement.
11. Appendix A-2 – Members working as Journeypersons certified in the UA Foreman Course will receive 15% above Journeyman rate, this course will now be accepted as equivalent to CODC Better SuperVision.  
12. Appendix A-3 new language – Apprentices will not be paid beyond their demonstrated Saskatchewan Apprentice and Trade Certification Commission level, unless mutually agreed upon by the Employer and the Union.
13. Appendix A-6: Fringe Benefit Language – removing all the dollar amounts from this appendix and having them be reflected in the attached wage schedule; and changing the name of the Political Action Fund to Government Relations Fund.
14. Appendix A-6 replacing “Human Solutions” with “EFAP Provider”
15. Appendix A-7 fixing a typo in the spelling of Original.
16. Appendix A-9 changing QCCC to reflect proper name adding Canada to Quality Control Council Canada.
17. Appendix A-12 adding email as a suitable method of communication for UA Local 179 sending a dispatch referral slip.
18. Add New Letter of Understanding Regarding the UA Canadian Standard for Excellence. Both the employers and union agree that “while it will not form part of this Agreement, the Parties agree to recognize and endorse the Union’s Standard for Excellence Program.”
19. Add new Letter of Understanding Regarding an alternative grievance resolution – in trying to resolve a grievance either party rather than pursuing costly arbitration can pursue using an alternative third-party system. This system will be binding.
20. Wages:
    Effective Date – 3% increase on Journeyman Total Package (total increase of $1.60)
    Effective April 26, 2015 – 3% increase on Journeyman Total Package (total increase of $1.65)
    Effective May 1, 2016 – 3% increase on Journeyman Total Package (total increase of $1.69)
21. Agreement to Expire on April 30, 2017

We will be arranging an in person ballot vote in Saskatoon and Regina tentatively for Wednesday, October 29, 2015. We will be asking members to consider the entire package and voting to accept or reject the Memorandum of Settlement. The negotiating committee recommendation on allocation of funds along with all proposed language changes and conditions for consideration will be included with a letter mailed to all eligible members on Wednesday, October 15, 2014. Please ensure your mailing address is current. 

All UA Local 179 members in good standing, Journeypersons and Apprentices, who have worked under the industrial agreement within the past year are eligible to vote. 

I would like to once again thank the negotiations committee for their commitment and dedication. Thank you again to all members for your patience and understanding, I hope that you all take the time to consider this proposal and vote.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

In Solidarity,


Troy Knipple
Business Manager
UA Local 179

September 19, 2014 

Dear members of UA Local 179,

I recently wrote to all of you to inform you that negotiations had reached an impasse and we had requested conciliation from the provincial Government. Yesterday, we were able to secure October 7th & 8th as dates for conciliation. Conciliation will consist of our negotiations committee along with the CLR's negotiation committee, meeting with a Government appointed conciliator from the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board who will work with the two committees to  help facilitate an agreement. This next step is still part of the bargaining process. We are not in a position to take any job action at this time. 

I will provide you with an update at the end of the conciliation meetings in October. As always, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

In Solidarity,

Troy Knipple
Business Manager
UA Local 179

September 11, 2014 

Dear members of UA Local 179,

Collective Bargaining for the UA Local 179 Industrial Agreement for the Province of Saskatchewan between our negotiations committee and the CLRS has reached an impasse. We have completed twelve full days of bargaining, beginning on April 16th and finishing on September 9, 2014. After twelve full days of bargaining we are unable to reach an agreement.

We have initiated the next step in the process and have requested conciliation from the Provincial Government, and hope to bargain with the assistance of a facilitator very soon. This next step is still part of the bargaining process and we are not in a position to take any job action.

I would like to once again thank the negotiations committee for their commitment and dedication. Thank you to all members for your patience and understanding. I assure you that we intend to reach an agreement as quickly as possible. I will continue to keep the membership informed and provide updates as things progress.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

In Solidarity,

Troy Knipple
Business Manager
UA Local 179

August 29, 2014 

Dear members of UA Local 179,

Collective Bargaining for the UA Local 179 Industrial Agreement for the Province of Saskatchewan continues between our negotiations committee and the CLRS. We have now completed eleven full days of bargaining which began on April 16^th and most recently August 28^th 2014.

Following our July 16, 2014 negotiations, we proposed ten possible additional days to bargain. We were very disappointed that the CLRS responded they were available only one day, August 28, 2014. That being said, we are pleased with the progress that was made in bargaining on August 28^th. 

We have scheduled one final day of bargaining for September 9, 2014. The main points that we continue to bargain over are monetary concerning Wages, Subsistence and Travel. We hope to reach an agreement to take to the membership on September 9^th. If we fail to reach an agreement, the next step will be conciliation.

I would like to again thank the negotiations committee for their continued resolve as we work together to do our best to represent the membership in negotiating a mutually beneficial collective agreement. 

I thank the membership for your patience and understanding. I assure you that myself and the rest of the negotiations committee want to reach an agreement as quickly as possible. I will continue to keep the membership informed and provide updates as things progress.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

In Solidarity,
Troy Knipple
Business Manager
UA Local 179

July 23, 2014 

Dear members of UA Local 179,

Collective Bargaining for the UA Local 179 Industrial Agreement for the Province of Saskatchewan continues between our negotiations committee and the CLRS. We have now completed ten full days of bargaining on April 16^th & 17^th, May 15^th , 16^th, 26^th and 27^th and June 9^th , 17^th, 23^rd and July 16^th 2014.
 
We have reached the point of exchanging all inclusive package proposals (language and monetary items combined) with approximately twenty outstanding items remaining from the initial sixty-nine. We continue to bargain over points which include Travel clarification, roles of Supervision (language) and Wages, Subsistence and Travel (monetary).

Following the July 16, 2014 meeting we proposed ten additional days to bargain between then and Aug 21, 2014 and are disappointed the CRLS responded with only one date that they are available Aug 28, 2014. Since April our committee has offered many dates to meet. We are frustrated by the CLRS recent reply “summer is a bad time to setup meetings.” We have made progress and remain committed to work hard and get an agreement reached as quickly as possible.
 
I would like to again thank the negotiations committee for their commitment, knowledge and experience and for the great job they are doing at representing the membership at the negotiating table.

I will continue to do my best to keep the membership informed and provide updates as things progress.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

In Solidarity,

Troy Knipple
Business Manager
UA Local 179

Unemployed Workers Help Centre If you hear family, friends, neighbors', etc mentioning they are or someone they know is having issues with EI, you can tell them that there is an outfit, the UWHC, which is supported by your union that gives help to any worker having trouble with their EI claim. Check out the website by clicking the link below: http://www.unemployedworkerscentre.org/