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Grievance 210806 Policy UOPP
Temporary Layoff Provisions Violations including Exempt Positions Doing Unionized Work
Social Program Advisor and Program Assistant removed from bargaining unit
Lack of lagoon monitoring in Rural Wood Buffalo raises environmental concerns
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Grievance 210806 Policy UOPP
I/We the undersigned claim that the Preamble, Article(s) 9.4, Appendix “I” of the Collective Agreement and any other articles in the Collective Agreement or Law pertaining to this matter have been violated.
On or about August 23, 2021, the union received a copy of an internal transfer memo transferring an employee to Wastewater from Water Treatment. The employer’s stance is that this employee will be removed from the Utility Operator Premium Program because they do not have a Level IV certificate in their “home discipline”. The union’s interpretation is that they hold a valid Level IV Environmental Certificate in one Environmental Discipline. Also, it is the union’s stance that if Appendix “I” identified a “home discipline”, the remainder of the document would be null and void since it could not be executed without being removed from the program because they would be required to leave their “home discipline”. Also, the union’s stance is these regulations are less of a municipal policy and more reliant on AEP regulations which is the exact reason such a program was implemented to begin with.
The union requests:
1) The recruitment for the Level III Wastewater Utility Operator posting be frozen pending the outcome of this grievance (to protect the position).
2) XXXX be awarded the Level III Wastewater Utility Operator position and the criteria outlined within Appendix “I” be honoured.
Furthermore, the Union is requesting that the Employer provide a full redress, including damages and otherwise be made whole including any other redress deemed appropriate by an arbitrator.
Temporary Layoff Provisions Violations including Exempt Positions Doing Unionized Work
210705 Policy Grievance, Regional Recreation Corporation
I/We the undersigned claim that the Preamble, LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING COVID-19 TEMPORARY LAYOFF PROVISIONS signed March 29, 2021, Article(s) 1.08, 3, 10, 11, of the Collective Agreement and any other articles in the Collective Agreement or Law pertaining to this matter have been violated.
The union’s stance is the employer is violating the collective agreement as follows:
• Microwave in the kitchen – preamble – the morale, well-being, and security of all employees in the Bargaining Unit.
• Casual employees are not being used for overflow work situations and short-term absences. It is the union’s stance that the employer is avoiding filling permanent vacancies or newly created positions by hiring seasonal FOH. After the flood, employees needed to be recalled by seniority but because the employer used seasonal servers (sometimes servers went straight from golf restaurant to curling restaurant) they had qualified servers with no seniority. The union’s stance is they are taking the blame for the employer’s choice to hire seasonal rather than have full-time restaurant servers.
• Sous Chefs doing bargaining unit work. There are five BOH (cooks) working from 6 am to 11 pm with no chef de parties being recalled. Historically sous chefs did not work in restaurants, and currently they are food prepping, expediting, and cooking on the line which means they are performing bargaining unit work.
• Hours of work are 8-hour shifts (not 7 hours) (pending resolve).
• Employees are not getting their breaks.
• Overtime – less senior employees are scheduled to get the opportunity to extend their shifts rather than senior qualified employees.
And the employer has not fulfilled their agreement of the LOU as follows:
AND WHEREAS the intent of this agreement is to have all Employees impacted by the Pandemic treated fairly while helping the Employer meet the demands and needs of the facilities.
5. Recall will be done based on the Employers business operational needs and based on the job classification in order of seniority. (See sous chef bullet above).
7. Once the training is complete, the Employee will be assigned working hours based on the Collective Agreement.
Training Overview:
• Department Orientation/Introduction (7-14 Hours)
• RRC Safety Program Overview (3 hours)
• Customer Service/Teamwork (6.5 hours)
• Menu Education (35 hours)
• North Star Point of Sale System (7 hours)
• Finance/Cash Out Procedure (3 hours)
• Interactive On-Floor Training (14 hours)
10. Should the recall list be exhausted, the Employer will reserve the right to move forward with recruiting for Seasonal Food & Beverage staff for the Restaurant/Bartender. At such time, Seasonal Employees shall be subject to the training requirements and any applicable provisions of this LOU. Seasonal Employees will be assigned working hours as per provision 7 of this agreement.
It has been reported that this training has not been completed for all employees.
The union requests:
• fulltime employees are scheduled 8-hour shifts.
• Casuals are used for overflow and short-term absences.
• Post for full-time vacancies.
• Scheduled break times (e.g., 9:00 am – 15 minutes, 11:00 pm, 30 minutes – 1:00 pm – 15 minutes – understanding these need to be very flexible regarding operational needs). Employer needs to ensure staffing for breaks (i.e., one floater scheduled to cover all breaks).
Expiration of the current LOU on July 26, 2021, and a new LOU to include separate job descriptions for each classification (i.e., bartender, restaurant server, outlets (concession and beverage cart). Cease and desist recruiting for seasonal food and beverage staff.
Furthermore, the Union is requesting that the Employer provide a full redress, including damages, and to make the Grievance whole.
Social Program Advisor and Program Assistant removed from bargaining unit
Greivance 210704
I/We the undersigned claim that Article(s) 2.2 of the Collective Agreement and any other articles in the Collective Agreement or Law pertaining to this matter have been violated.
The union has become aware that the Employer has posted for a Social Program Advisor and Program Assistant for Community Services. The job descriptions state that these positions are not employed in a supervisory capacity. The union believes these positions rightfully belong in the bargaining unit.
Furthermore, the Union is requesting that the Employer provide a full redress, including but not limited to; moving these positions to the bargaining unit and posting the positions in accordance with the collective agreement, including damages, and otherwise be made whole, including any other redress deemed appropriate by an arbitrator.
CUPE 1505 raises environmental concerns over Rural Wood Buffalo lagoons
Security guards contracted to monitor rural lagoons instead of trained septage inspectors
Grievance #210201
- Date: February 16, 2021
- Type: Policy
- Unit: RMWB
I/We the undersigned claim that the Preamble, Article(s) 1.15, 22 of the Collective Agreement and any other articles in the Collective Agreement or Law pertaining to this matter have been violated. On or about January 26, 2021, the union became aware that the Employer is yet again delaying hiring full-time septage inspectors in rural.
The employer has been misusing temporary employees in this role for an exceptionally long time and when the union challenges this, the employer ends the temp contract.
The employer is contracting security guards in rural who do not properly monitor or test therefore leaving the lagoons vulnerable to noncompliance with Alberta Environment. It is well known in the industry that if hydrovac trucks contain illegal contaminants or hydrocarbons they drive to rural rather than having to drive to an approved waste disposal facility.
The union requests that contracting out cease and desist immediately. The union also requests hiring Septage Inspectors for rural and to cover for the urban Septage Inspectors. Furthermore, the Union is requesting that the Employer provide a full redress, including damages, and to make the Grievance whole.
See official grievance below: