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Issue #49       April 26, 2002

Information about the Union’s proposal

On April 23, Issue #48 of The Real Deal gave you an insight into where we were in relation to the employer in our demands. The language was purposefully given to you as it is stated in the respective proposals so as not to muddy any waters and eliminate all speculation. In this issue, we will go through the five major areas of dispute in a different way in an effort to assist you in the interpretation. We are making a very conscious effort not to get drawn into the employer’s rhetoric, interpretation or comments in the media. We have told you from day one that this publication is your only accurate source of information. It continues to be that. You should also know that we hear you loud and clear in that the employer’s offer is not good enough. We agree and we are not asking you to vote on that offer. We have shown it to you not only to let you know how obnoxious and insulting it really is, but because we know you have a right to see it.

Pension Issues

Our proposal would allow the Union to extend the Factor 80 early retirement option for as long as we want to, using our portion of the pension surplus. We have not agreed to the employer’s proposal and, in fact, are doing what we need to do to get their conditions off the table. By doing this we can use our surplus money as we see fit.

Benefits

Our proposal takes into account several demands put forward by the membership. The first one is tendering our benefit plan with a new carrier in mind. Our members are clearly not happy with our current carrier. We have also sought out improvements, and are attempting to beat back almost $12 million in cuts to our current plan sought by our employer.

We have agreed in our proposal to what we would call three concessions. They affect orthotic/orthopedic shoes, dental recall and fluoride treatment for adults. In reviewing usage by our membership, these were the least disruptive. We have also included a preferred generic substitution drug proposal. Our language would allow anyone to obtain all brand name drugs. Your doctor would need to write “no substitutions” on your prescription. You should be aware that we have said we will agree to these changes only when the employer removes every one of their concessions to our plan and makes the benefit improvements we are seeking.

Wages and Terms

Our proposal would see an increase of 9.8 per cent over three years with an additional 4.5 per cent for all members at the top of their grid. This would be for unclassified members as well. It is arbitrable and, because it is a salary note, it would be included in pensionable earnings.

Included in our wage proposal is an increase of .5 per cent of payroll given to each and every member as a down payment for a classification overhaul by the end of the first year of the contract, with a commitment to review every classification during this collective agreement. We have also put forward a demand to have a third party neutral chair at the Joint System Sub-Committee Review. This would have the potential of tremendous gains for those members not classified appropriately.

Our proposal is equal to a 14.8 per cent increase, compounded over three years.

Unclassified Issues

Our proposal would give all unclassified members conversion language, prorated, after 18 months where there is continuing need for the work. It would also give all unclassified members pay in lieu of benefits of six per cent. For full-time unclassified members, this is an increase of four per cent, and an increase of six per cent for part-time unclassified members.

We have also proposed language that would give all unclassified members seniority, calculated on straight-time hours worked, once they are classified.

Seasonal employees would see their employment with another ministry contract of less than eight weeks included in their seasonal employment contract. As well, you would not lose your seniority should you decline employment, if working on another ministry contract. You can decline once per season.

Term Classified

It was clear to us that the employer was not going to give in to any of our demands for unclassified members. In fact they refused to respond on any until we gave them something on term classified.

We have been mandated by our membership to box in all conditions of term classified members. Our proposal does that.

We have proposed hiring conditions, percentage of members tied directly to those classified members and length of the contract. When making this proposal we have protected both classified positions as well as encouraging the conversion of our unclassified members.

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