IUOE News December 2014

District One
Hoping for positive
outcome in complex
bargaining
Chip Dhaliwal,
Business Representative
Brothers and Sisters, it continues to be a very busy time for me
with all the Collective Agreements that required bargaining
this year.
Collective Agreements have been ratified at BC Conveying,
Canadian Heating Products and Pacific Radiator while the
Wastech deal was ultimately achieved after a process called
Mediation/Arbitration. This is when a third party tries to
mediate with the two parties for a time. If an agreement is not
reached, then this third party imposes a settlement on the
Union and the Company.
The Union and the Company agreed
that after ten months of complicated
and arduous bargaining, perhaps we
were at a stalemate. We agreed to meet
in early September with two last days
to get the less contentious issues off the
table before Mediation/Arbitration began on the third day.
The Wastech Agreement is a complicated one to bargain as
there are essentially three different bargaining units:
1. In the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, the members
are spread out over twenty-seven facilities. These facilities
deal with the solid waste and recycling needs of this Regional
District.
2. The second element of the Wastech Agreement is the Metro
Vancouver Solid Waste Landfill facility in Cache Creek.
The dedicated and conscientious members in Cache Creek
are responsible for handling all the solid waste that Metro
Vancouver directs to that facility. They are also responsible
for the upkeep and maintenance of the facility while fulfilling
all the regulatory requirements that a facility of this type
requires.
This conference will help me make
more informed decisions based on
factual information when dealing with
all the issues I encounter daily.
3. The third part of the puzzle is what was referred to in
bargaining as “The Coast”. The resolute and determined
crew from “The Coast” service the five facilities in the
Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. This crew has the added
responsibility of handling hundreds and hundreds of
customers daily, all the while operating heavy equipment in
and around these customers.
Bargaining these three distinct entities and geographical
areas at the same time requires a lot of patience. We would
never have reached an agreement if not for the dedication and
practical knowledge of the shop stewards and bargaining
committee members involved. Brothers and Sisters Al
Gibbons, Donna Ive, Lance Milward, Ken Kiley, Stewart
Unrah and Darlene Donchi were all an integral part of
bargaining.
Brothers Delan Iankovs at BC Conveying, Fahim Mohammad
at Pacific Radiator, and Russ Naugle & Steve Hession at
Canadian Heating Products also provided excellent representation
for their respective crews during bargaining.
Carney’s Waste will be voting on
the company’s final offer soon. Atlas
Copco Canada will be having a ratification
and a strike vote shortly
also.
Williams Machinery and Catalys
Lubricants bargaining is winding
down, and we should have something for the respective crews
to vote on soon.
The Union will commence bargaining with Atlas Copco
Thiessen in late November and with Hertz Equipment in early
December.
I have attended courses on Accommodation/Return to
Work and Bullying and Harassment recently. These are issues
that I am increasingly dealing with on a regular basis.
In mid-November, I will be attending the BC Labour
Review. This is a “state–of-the-law” conference. It will be
instructed by “experienced union and management lawyers”
who will help us “understand new developments in labour law
and their impact on unionized workplaces”. I am looking
forward to this conference, as the legal landscape we operate
in is forever changing. This will help me make more informed
decisions based on factual information when dealing with all
the issues I encounter on a daily basis.
In closing, thanks for your continued support, Happy Holidays
and stay safe.
8 News December 2014