July 29, 2002:  Press Release:  New Contract for Canadian Blood Services

We have a new collective agreement. In ratification votes over the last weekend, members have narrowly approved the contract negotiated, with great difficulty, over many long months.

So what have we achieved?

Quite a lot actually.

Money up front

On the money front, we broke the health care pattern for wage increases to give members more money more quickly.

The employer wanted to stick with the pattern of 2.5 per cent in the first year, and 3 per cent in the second and third years.

Instead you have an increase of 4 per cent retroactive to April, 2001, and another 1.5 per cent retroactive to April, 2002. That gives you 5.5 per cent right away, with another 1 per cent in October. There is another 2 per cent in April, 2003 and a final 3.5 per cent in April, 2004.

It’s always a good idea to get more of the money “up front” and this is what you get in this contract.

The detailed wage grids for each job classification are further down in this bulletin. This will let you see your hourly rate from now until the end of the contract. You can use these grids to figure out what you make when you move to the next experience rating.

What the strike vote achieved

Before the strike vote, the CBS was stuck in the pattern set by other health care unions. Your support for the team broke that logjam.

It also pushed the employer to make other significant changes.

Scheduling:

Before the strike vote, the CBS wanted to tighten its scheduling requirements, making them even worse for members.

With your support, we were able to put some limits on the employer’s right to schedule people.

Now schedules must be posted and dated in advance. You can exchange shifts, including “x” days. If your shift is cancelled with less than 12 hours notice, you will be paid time and a half for that shift.

Availability has been restored in Toronto, subject to certain restrictions. The status quo is preserved for other centres.

Benefits

The strike vote also prompted CBS to move on benefit areas.

There is a $200 vision care package that takes effect Oct. 1 this year, and major restorative coverage will be added to the dental plan next April.

Premium pay

A number of premium payments are included in this new contract:

• The evening premium goes to $1 and will be paid between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

• On-the-job trainers get 90 cents an hour.

• Clinic Assistants 1 get a prep table premium of $6 a shift.

• Blood Mobile drivers get a $4 premium

• Drivers get $100 every two years for medicals for their licence renewals.

• Mileage goes to 30 cents from 26.

Job security

We have maintained our job security and severance language. Sometimes hanging on to what you have takes a lot of work, and in this round of bargaining, the CBS wanted us to give up our job security language. With your support, we have held on to it. This is very important in a workplace where things are changing.

– Walter Belyea, Negotiator
on behalf of the bargaining team

Hourly rates under the Canadian Blood Services (CBS) contract

Year(s) of           April 1/01                April 1/02      Oct. 1/02     April 1/03   April 1/04
Service                   (4%)          (1.5%)            (1%)             (2%)           (3.5%)

Clerk/Data Entry         

Initial                 $13.352     $13.552     $13.688     $13.962     $14.451

Aft 1 yr              13.806        $14.013     14.153        14.436         14.941        

Aft 2 yrs             14.260        14.474        14.619        14.911        15.433

Aft 3 yrs             14.715        14.936        15.085        15.387        15.926

Aft 4 yrs            15.169        15.397        15.551        15.862        16.417

Aft 5 yrs             15.626        15.860        16.019        16.339        16.911

Aft 6 yrs             16.095        16.336        16.499        16.829        17.418

Clinic Assistant

Initial              $13.440     $13.642     $13.778     $14.054     $14.546

Aft 1 yr            13.900            14.109            14.250            14.535          15.044

Aft 2 yrs          14.376            14.592            14.738            15.033            15.559                     

Aft 3 yrs           14.858            15.081            15.232            15.537            16.081                     

Aft 4 yrs           15.342            15.572            15.728            16.043            16.605                     

Aft 5 yrs           15.802            16.039            16.199            16.523          17.101

Aft 6 yrs           16.276            16.520            16.685            17.019            17.615                     

Driver

Initial            $14.216     $14.429     $14.573     $14.864     $15.384

Aft 1 yr          $14.759          $14.980          $15.130          $15.433       $15.973

Aft 2 yrs        $15.302          $15.532          $15.687          $16.001       $16.561

Aft 3 yrs        $15.842          $16.080          $16.241          $16.566       $17.146

Aft 4 yrs        $16.384          $16.630          $16.796          $17.132       $17.732

Aft 5 yrs        $16.876          $17.129          $17.300          $17.646       $18.264

Aft 6 yrs        $17.383          $17.644          $17.820          $18.176       $18.812

Laboratory Assistant 

Initial              $13.748     $13.954     $14.094     $14.376     $14.879

Aft 1 yr            14.231            14.444            14.588            14.880          15.401

Aft 2 yrs           14.723            14.944            15.093            15.395          15.934

Aft 3 yrs           15.219            15.447            15.601            15.913          16.470

Aft 4 yrs          15.711            15.947            16.106            16.428          17.003

Aft 5 yrs          16.184            16.427            16.591            16.923          17.515

Aft 6 yrs           16.670            16.920            17.089            17.431          18.041

Medical Secretary (Bil.)          

Initial               $14.271          $14.485          $14.630          $14.923       $15.445

Aft 1 yr            14.741            14.962            15.112            15.414          15.953

Aft 2 yrs           15.206            15.434            15.588            15.900          16.457

Aft 3 yrs           15.674            15.909            16.068            16.389          16.963

Aft 4 yrs          16.143            16.385            16.549            16.880          17.471

Aft 5 yrs           16.621            16.870            17.039            17.380          17.988

Aft 6 yrs          17.119            17.376            17.550            17.901          18.528                  

Stores Accountant

Initial            $14.436     $14.653     $14.800     $15.096     $15.624

Aft 1 yr          $14.879          $15.102          $15.253          $15.558       $16.103

Aft 2 yrs        $15.321          $15.551          $15.707          $16.021       $16.582

Aft 3 yrs        $15.764          $16.000          $16.160          $16.483       $17.060

Aft 4 yrs        $16.204          $16.447          $16.611          $16.943       $17.536

Aft 5 yrs        $16.646          $16.896          $17.065          $17.406       $18.015

Aft 6 yrs        $17.145          $17.402          $17.576          $17.928       $18.555

Phlebotomist                  

Initial             $15.856     $16.094     $16.255     $16.580     $17.160    

Aft 1 yr            16.377            16.623            16.789            17.125          17.724

Aft 2 yrs          16.864            17.117            17.288            17.634          18.251

Aft 3 yrs          17.354            17.614            17.790            18.146            18.781                     

Aft 4 yrs          17.850            18.118            18.299            18.665          19.318

Aft 5 yrs          18.316            18.591            18.777            19.153            19.823                     

Aft 6 yrs          18.866            19.149            19.340            19.727          20.417

Telecruiter 

Initial                $9.131        $9.268        $9.361        $9.548        $9.882

Aft 1 yr              9.745              9.891              9.990            10.190          10.547

Aft 2 yrs          10.348            10.503            10.608            10.820          11.199

Aft 3 yrs          10.962            11.126            11.237            11.462          11.863

Aft 4 yrs          11.575            11.749            11.866            12.103          12.527

Aft 5 yrs          12.178            12.361            12.485            12.735          13.181

Aft 6 yrs          12.543            12.731            12.858            13.115          13.574

Utility Person I   (Janitor/Porter/Cleaner)                            

Initial             $13.028     $13.223     $13.355     $13.622     $14.099

Aft 1 yr             13.494             13.696           13.833          14.110            14.604                            

Aft 2 yrs           13.957            14.166            14.308             14.594         15.105

Aft 3 yrs          14.446            14.663            14.810            15.106          15.635

Aft 4 yrs          14.932            15.156            15.308            15.614          16.160

Aft 5 yrs          15.381            15.612            15.768            16.083          16.646

Aft 6 yrs          15.842            16.080            16.241            16.566            17.146                     

Utility Person II (Janitor/Porter/Cleaner)  

Initial              $13.986     $14.196     $14.338     $14.625     $15.137

Aft 1 yr            14.447            14.664            14.811            15.107          15.636

Aft 2 yrs          14.907            15.131            15.282            15.588          16.134

Aft 3 yrs          15.390            15.621            15.777            16.093          16.656

Aft 4 yrs          15.874            16.112            16.273            16.598          17.179

Aft 5 yrs          16.317            16.562            16.728            17.063          17.660

Aft 6 yrs          16.806            17.058            17.229            17.574          18.189

Note:  1.  All retroactivity shall be based on regular earnings, excluding premiums (percentages in lieu) and ovetime hours.

 To view/download Issue 10 in .pdf format, click here

Previous Issues

Issue 9  July 12, 2002  Tentative Agreement signed

Issue 8  May 30, 2002  Wow!  That's a strike vote.

Issue 7  May 16, 2002 Talks break down; The next step; Meeting schedule

Issue 6  April 26, 2002 Talks accelerate; Convincing Management; Keep up the Pressure; May still need strike vote

Issue 5  March 6, 2002 Things are getting clearer. More than the telerecruiters are facing layoffs. The pending layoffs are behind the CBS attack on our job security language. Your signs of workplace support are having an effect. The truth about management's demand. Bargaining Progress

Issue 4, February 19, 2002 Layoffs are a serious threat, Job security is serious, Scheduling: Flexibility for the employer, The employer objective, Our objective

Issue 3, November 7, 2001 New Negotiator, A rough transition, A more fruitful week, More talks scheduled

Issue 2, May 28, 2001 We've met with CBS. Demands on the web. Dates in August. Everybody’s contract.  Keep in Touch.  Your Team: Names and Contact Information

Issue 1, May 2001  This is the beginning. We have a date to meet with your employer. What happens next? Support your Team. Keep in Touch.  Your Team: Names and Contact Information

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