Union Expenses

CEP Health Benefits for Retirees

Local 2-S Donations for Member Activities

Ratified Collective Agreement

Voting on a Tentative Agreement

Union Steward Duties and Responsibilities

National Day of Mourning - April 28, 2007

Advantages of Unionization

What do Your Union dues do for you

How can I get involved

Grievance Process

Why would we go on Strike

Going on Strike

Preparing for Strike

Questions

Any member in the local can take union leave it is not reserved for the Executive or stewards however it is a good idea to check with your steward or group rep if you are unsure if you should be claiming union leave.

Examples of what would constitute as Union Leave:

Executive meetings - the executive meet monthly generally the same day as the general meetings to discuss and make decisions about the issues that have been happening in the Local.  There are also some circumstances which would make it necessary for the executives of all locals to meet - for instance when the tentative agreement was reached.

Steward Training - generally there is CEP sponsored training sessions that are held each spring and fall - all stewards are strongly encouraged to participate in this training.

Committee Meetings - members of committees such as the election committee, trustee committee or any other union committee will occasionally meet and the members will take the time as union leave.

Preparation for grievance/arbitration Meetings - if time is required to put together information for a grievance or arbitration, generally the members meet with the steward/group rep/president or national rep to prepare arguments as union leave.

Examples that would NOT constitute as Union Leave:

Joint Committee Meetings - these meetings such as Health Benefits, Employment Equity, any of the CEP/Management Committee, etc are meetings with the company and are on company time (even if the union meets separately for a portion of the allotted meeting time).

Grievance/Arbitration Meetings - if a grievance is being presented at any level the member has the option of attending that meeting with the union representative presenting the grievance to the manager and that would be on company time.  As would the time spent in the actual arbitration meeting.

Any time union leave is taken it is imperative that you notify your group rep and/or send an email to the treasurer at treasurercep2s@sasktel.net.  Union leave is tracked to verify that the time the company is submitting is being taken by the members. 

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Expenses would include meal purchases, mileage, taxis or hotel stays if you are attending union functions away from your home location.  Meals may also be provided if you are attending all day committee meetings.  If you are unsure of what is covered please check with your group rep or the treasurer.

Below is a copy of the expense form that is to be submitted to the treasurer. To be able to use the form you must either have Excel on your computer or download the Excel viewer below - download the form, complete it and email it to treasurercep2s@sasktel.net or print it and fax it to 978-3050.

Receipts are required for Airfare, hotel stays and taxis and must also be submitted with the expense form.  Receipts generally are not required for meals however exact expenses should be submitted and alcoholic beverages are not valid expenses.  If you are paying for the meals of several people and are planning on submitting the expense it may be required to provide the receipt with a list of the people involved as a confirmation.

If you have any questions about whether or not the expenses you have are valid or how to submit them contact your Group Rep or the Union office.

Expense Form           Microsoft Excel Viewer

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http://www.cep.ca/health_safety/follow_me.pdf

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Contact the Union office for Donations of key chains, pens, mugs, sweatshirts etc depending on available stock.

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The Bargaining Committee will continue with interim bargaining and will continue to meet with the company periodically throughout the year to address any issues that may come up that would affect the Collective Agreement.  No changes are made to the Collective Agreement during interim bargaining. Memorandums of agreement or letters of understanding maybe be a result of interim bargaining however any official changes to the Collective Agreement can only be made during the regular session of bargaining.

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Generally there will be a meeting held before the voting process begins.  During the meeting members of the Bargaining committee with discuss the details of the Tentative Agreement and open the floor for any questions or comments.

The voting will begin at the end of the meeting and will continue for a specified time.  You will be given a ballot and your name crossed off the list of eligible voters similar to the voting process in any federal, provincial or municipal election.  If your name is not on the list of eligible voters for whatever reason you will be asked to sign an affidavit.

The ballots will be sealed in a ballot box and once all locations have had the opportunity to vote the ballot boxes will be taken to Regina and representatives from each of the three locals will count the ballots.  The bargaining committee will be notified of the results and then pass them on to the members.

There is no provision in our bylaws to allow for voting at any time other than the posted ratification meeting dates - which means that there is no proxy voting or advance polls.  If you are unable to attend any of the ratification meetings unfortunately you will be unable to vote on the tentative agreement.

It is not necessary to attend the actual meeting to vote (i.e. if the meeting starts and 7:00 and you arrive at 8:00 you will still be allowed to vote) however it is always better to be fully informed of the issues before making a decision and what better time is there to ask the Bargaining committee any questions you have about the bargaining process or perhaps what happened to a particular proposal that didn't seem to be addressed in the new agreement.

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Union Stewards are a very important part of Local 2-S as they are the people that best know what is going on in the work place and the executive relies heavily on this group to ensure that the Collective Agreement is being followed and all our members are being treated fairly and with respect.

All Stewards will receive training that is provided by the National CEP Union generally there is a Spring and Fall Session.  There are two levels of Steward training currently available and any Stewards that have not received the training should contact your Group Rep or the Local Office.

If any member approaches a Steward it is the Steward's responsibility to address their issue to the best of your ability.  If the Steward is unable to answer the question tell the member that you will find out what you can and get back to them.  The Steward has many resources that can be contacted to assist with issues.  The first point of contact is your Group Rep and then any other member of the executive, if the Group Rep is unavailable. It is always better to check with some one if you are at all unsure of your response providing miss-information can be more harmful than taking the additional time to find the correct information.

The Stewards are also expected to attend any disciplinary or potential disciplinary meetings that managers may request of an employee to provide support for that employee and to ensure the employee treating with respect and to also take notes.  If the situation gets out of hand or the employee is being perceived as not handling the situation very well at any time the Steward can end the meeting and take the employee out of the room.

A follow up with the employee right after the meeting is also a good idea so that you can discuss with them what happened in the meeting and ensure that they know what has happened and what could happen. If a Steward has attended a disciplinary meeting it is a good idea to let the Group Rep know of the situation so that they are aware of the issue and will be prepared if it escalates.  Any notes taken are to be kept confidential and stored for future reference if required

April 28 is recognized by the labour movement across Canada as the day when we mourn victims of workplace accidents or disease and remember their sacrifice. It is also a time for the renewal of our pledge to rededicate ourselves to the goal of making our workplace safer. We must continue to urge governments to improve health and safety standards and workers compensation benefits in the workplace.

The Saskatoon and District Labour Council is once again hosting a commemorative service at Saskatoon Frances Morrison (main) Library at 7:30 Saturday April 28, 2007.

Our local represented by Brian Gray will be laying a wreath on our behalf.  This is a very important and interesting ceremony if you are at all able to attend it is recommended that you do so.

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Having a collective agreement with your employer means your rights as an employee, working conditions and compensation are spelled out clearly and are enforceable.

The benefits that we take for granted  today are as a result of the union negotiating with the company.  Benefits such as wages, sick days, health benefits, earned days off, fairness in job appointments, vacation and pensions are all a result of the Union negotiations. Continued negotiations are required with every Collective Agreement renewal to maintain and improve those standards.

Unions work politically for the passage and implementation of laws, standards, and regulations designed to improve working conditions and worker health. Issues such as maternity leave, paternity leave, equal pay provisions and length of year vacations have been influences by union lobbying.

A union in the workplace provides a voice for employees. It is an organization that empowers people by bringing people with common goals together. When people work together they are more powerful than as one.

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At the National level the Union dues is distributed among various funds:

• The General Fund: which covers staff and office expenses as well as any other general needs such as affiliation fees, education programs and many other services provided by the Union.
• The Defense Fund: which provides the $250.00 per week that each CEP Union member gets when they are locked out or on strike.  At present we are working at building this fund up to 25 Million dollars and as a result there is an automatic special dues increase in effect until that target is met.
• The Convention Fund: which pays for the costs of a national CEP Convention held every two years.
• The Organizing Fund: which pays for the costs associated with unionizing new workplaces.

At the Local Level union dues are used to pay the costs of running a local union office including:

• Salaries - for the full time president and part time salaries of any other member which may require union leave to attend training sessions or special meetings (there is no compensation for members to attend monthly general union meetings).  Special meetings would be to prepare a grievance or prepare for a grievance meeting or to attend to Union committee business.
• Rents and Affiliations - Rental of the office space, office equipment, office supplies and any other expenses that might arise. Affiliation dues are also paid to the SFL, SaskCouncil and Area Council.

As a Union member you have a right to know exactly where your union dues are going and how they are spent.  Attending general meetings regularly will allow you to see where the money has been spent and to question the treasurer or other executive members as to why it is being spent the way it is.  If you are unable to attend these meetings the information on how they are spent is available for the asking talk to your steward or group rep if you would like more information on how the union dues are spent.

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Become an executive member, group rep, steward or committee member.  These are excellent ways to see how the Union works together for the good of everyone and how much work goes on behind the scenes to ensure that everyone is treated fairly in the workplace. All these people collectively spend a lot of time, some of which is voluntarily, to work together to bargain the collective agreement, set up and run the local elections, attend JEAC, STEPP, Health Benefits meetings and so on.

Become involved in the CEP Mentorship program.  This program is for members who want to become more involved in the union movement but are unsure on how to get started as well as for those who have been involved for years and would like to pass on their knowledge.  The Mentorship program's goal is to pair these two groups together so that new union activists can learn from those with the experience.  Please see http://cep.ca/mentorship/mentorship_e.html for more information on this program.

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If you feel the employer has violated the Collective Agreement or is somehow treating you unfairly then you may want to file a grievance.

First, talk to your manager if there is a problem and try to resolve it. Try the calm, rational approach. The issue should be handled in a business-like manner.

If the problem continues discuss the situation with your Shop Steward or Group Rep. If it is decided that there has been a violation of the Collective Agreement or government statute or regulation, then a grievance may be filed.

Read your Collective Agreement so you understand the grievance procedure. Remember, there are many "grey" areas of the contract open to interpretation by both sides. Written in the collective agreement/contract is a procedure for settling differences (disputes). We don't always have to go through the whole procedure, but if we need to it is there - meetings, committee format, time limits, and provisions for selection of an outside third party (Arbitrator) to settle the difference (dispute) between the parties.

Your Steward or Union Representative will help fill out the written grievance once the proper research has been conducted.

In most cases you will be required to meet with your Steward or Group Rep prior to meeting with the Employer to discuss the grievance. It is important from the very beginning that the grievance and any subsequent discussions be based on fact and a clear understanding of the interpretation and application of the Collective Agreement. 

If the grievance cannot be worked out either before a grievance is filed or at the required meetings after a grievance is filed, the issue is referred to the local executive, which decides whether to take the case to arbitration.

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Second it is not up to the the Bargaining committee to decide if there should be a strike they will make their recommendations and it is up to all members to vote as to whether or not they think that the Collective Agreement that has been brought forward will meet their needs for the length of the agreement. A majority of those union members voting will decide if the collective agreement is ratified or not.

If the collective agreement is not ratified by the time the current one expires the bargaining continues bargaining until an agreement can be reached. Once the bargaining committee feels that they have gotten the best deal that they can they will take it out to the membership for ratification.

If the Collective Agreement is ratified then it comes into effect and everything continues as usual.

If the Collective Agreement is not ratified then the Bargaining Committee goes back to the company for further negotiations.  Depending on the out come of the ratification vote the Bargaining Committee may or may not have a strike vote.  Either way they will go back to the company to try come to another agreement that can be taken back to the membership.

Just because there is a strike vote it does not mean that we will automatically go on strike.  The Bargaining Committee will still try to negotiate changes if they find that they are unable to sway the company they may serve the company with 48 hours notice that they will be going on strike.  The Company also has the option of serving lockout notice.  Which basically means that they lock the doors and will not allow some or all of the workers to come to work.

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A Strike Committee will have been set up prior to giving strike notice and they will have the procedures in place that will be followed.  Several different groups will have been set up to handle issues like picket schedules; financial group to handle the strike pay; and child care considerations.

A Picket Captain or leader will contact you as to when you will be required to picket and at what location and is there to help with any other questions that you may have.  Usually a picket captain is a steward that has volunteered to take on that role.

You will be expected to walk the picket line - or assist with one of the other duties that are required such as child care or to assist in the Strike Headquarters for a minimum of 4 hours per day 5 days a week.  For that time you will be paid $250.00 per week.

The Strike pay of $250.00 per week will be paid after the second week of picketing and every week there after until the strike is resolved.

You will be required to sign in when you show up for your picket duty to allow for the financial group to ensure that the people getting paid strike pay are contributing their time.

If at any time you are concerned about your finances or your picket schedule or anything the comes up while on strike contact the picket captain or call the Strike Headquarters directly.  Every effort will be made to assist you during this time.

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Save money - maybe set up a separate account and try to keep a minimum of one month expenses.  Don't forget about your insurance premiums that may come due in the near future. You can always use that money for a fun filled vacation in Mexico or that new 50 inch LCD TV if we don't go on strike.

Talk to your bank - tell them of the possibility of going on strike and maybe they will provide some options that are available if you are paying on a mortgage or car loan.

Stock up on food supplies - if possible buy non-perishable food on sale ahead of time for use while you are on strike.

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Email me at cep2s@sasktel.net .  I will make every effort to get back to you as soon as possible however please keep in mind that I work shift work and I do get vacation every once in a while.  If there is ever something that you need immediate assistance with please contact your union steward or call the union office at 382-7555.

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