Canadian Blood Services tentative agreement highlights

 

The employer was seeking concessions in many areas of the collective agreement including job security, vacations, premiums, and days off. We believe this tentative agreement addresses many of the concerns and issues raised by the membership during this very tough round of bargaining.

 

We are pleased to present the members with this new tentative agreement, which includes protections and steps forward that address all of the key areas of concern. Some of the major highlights of this tentative agreement are as follows:

 

Term:

The agreement is a 4 year term that will commence April 1, 2013 and expire on March 31, 2017.

 

Wages:

We have achieved wage increases in each of the 4 years.

 

April 1, 2013 -1.4 %

April 1, 2014- 1.4 %

April 1, 2015 -1.4%

April 1, 2016- 1.4%

 

All wage increases are retroactive and will be paid no later than 60 days from the date of ratification. To be clear, retroactivity will be paid back to April 1, 2013 on all hours worked.

 

New Job Security Provisions

• Article 6.08 was amended to provide greater job security for everyone. Previous language allowed the employer to lay-off whomever they choose regardless of the member’s length of service.  This clause means that no senior full-time employee will be laid off while a senior part-time, senior casual, or senior temporary employee remains employed.
• The parties have also reached an agreement with respect to full time positions. There is a letter of agreement that will generate a full review each year of part time employees who have worked 1800 hours or more in the previous year. This letter allows for a conversion of part time jobs to full time jobs.
• A new scheduling committee will be formed as a subcommittee of the Provincial Labour Management Committee. This committee will review all scheduling practices and make recommendations to improve scheduling of our members.
• Within 30 days of ratification the parties will meet to negotiate the new job description, rate of pay, voluntary severance options, implementation, time lines and all necessary supports for the Donor Care Associate Model.

 Other Improvements:

•  Improved lay-off language regarding notification and pay-in-lieu
• Additional bereavement and compassionate leave with or without pay may be granted by the employer in addition to regular leave provisions entitlements.
• Part-time employees who work 15 hours weekly (780 hours over a one year period) may join the benefit plan outlined in 22.01. Previously, it was 18.75 hours or (975 hours annually). 
• Article 12.11 – Rest between shifts for ALL employees (previously drivers were exempt from this article)
• Article 26.01 – Meal allowance will now include employees working in and out of the Brampton Centre. These members were previously excluded.  

Meal periods as follows:

These meal period changes will provide additional pay to each member.

 

• Shifts more than 5 hours to 8 hours will have one 30 minute unpaid meal period.
• Shifts more than 8 hours to 11.5 hours will have 2 unpaid meal periods totaling 60 minutes.

 

Driver meal period grievance will proceed to arbitration.

 

Other changes:

Sunday overtime provisions will remain the same for the life of this contract and then will convert to from double time (2x) to time and one half (1.5) on April 1, 2017. The employer was looking to eliminate any overtime on a Sunday and replace with an hourly premium.  

 

Consecutive day off language remains the same with no changes.

 

Other Premium improvements

 

Ratification meeting and vote schedule

Your bargaining team will be hosting ratification votes across the province. Members will be provided with full details of the tentative agreement, and there will be staff and/or bargaining team members on hand to answer questions. You may vote at the time and location that is most convenient to you.  We strongly recommend you vote “yes”.

 

Date	Local	Location	Time
January 23, 2015	5103	CBS Barrie – 231 Bayview Drive, Suite 100, Barrie, L4N 4Y6	1 pm – 3 pm
January 25, 2015	477	Ottawa Regional Office – 2525 St. Laurent Blvd. Unit 103, Ottawa K1H 8P5	10 am – 2 pm
January 25, 2015	477	Kingston Regional Office – 920 Princess St. Suite 102, Kingston, K7L 1H1	5 pm – 7 pm
January 25, 2015	210	Hamilton Regional Office – 505 York Blvd., 2nd Floor, Hamilton, L8R 3K4	10 am – 2 pm
January 26, 2015	5103	Peterborough Regional Office – 1840 Lansdowne St. W. Unit 12, Peterborough, K9K 2M9	7 am- 9:30 am
January 27, 2015	5103	CBS Toronto – 67 College Street, Main Floor, Toronto, M2G 2M1	11:30 am – 7 pm
January 28, 2015	200	CBS Brampton – 100 Parkshore Drive, Brampton, L6T 5M1	7 am – 5 pm
January 29, 2015	160	Windsor Regional Office -3005 Marentette Avenue, Suite. 130, Windsor, N8X 4G1	8:30 am – 10:30 am
January 29, 2015	160	CBS London – 820 Wharncliffe Road South, London, N6J 2N4	2 pm – 5 pm

 

Ballots will be counted on January 29. Members will be notified via email as soon as the vote is counted.

 

Thank you so much for your support through this round of bargaining. We could not have done this without you. 
 
Your bargaining team,

 

Wendy Lapointe, Chair

Katherine Zan-Payne

Audrey Smith

Keith Davies

Leigh-Anne Seibert

Dave Loney, Staff Negotiator