1. Gibsons Public Library ratified a three year collective agreement with Gibsons Public Library today, to end December 31st, 2008. Bargaining with the Gibsons folks was a very civil, respectful process.
Some improvements in the new contract to note:
- 3% wage increase for each year of the contract, effective January 1st.
- Vacation: 1st to 5th calendar years of service: 3 weeks pro-rated for 1st calendar year; 6th to 11th calendar years of service: 4 weeks for 1st calendar year; 12th to 17th calendar years of service: 5 weeks;18th and each subsequent calendar years of service: 6 weeks
- Introduction of Gratuity Plan – 1 day per year
- Job related professional development: If employee is enrolled in professional development program or academic course directly related to their job, the employer will directly reimburse them for full cost of tuition and required text books.
and the piece de resistance (offered by the employer)
It is pleasure to do business with such a community-minded employer.
2. Employment Checks are still due April 30th
The Union has repeatedly asked for an extension to the Employment Checks deadline of April 30th. This date has been moved three times to accommodate CUPE 15’s grievance and subsequent arbitration and now CUPE 391’s grievance and arbitration.
We were initially going to share an arbitrator with the City of Vancouver and CUPE 15 as these parties also were trying to resolve the same conflict. The date was moved from April 30 2007 to November 30, 2007 to reflect the date of CUPE 15’s arbitration. The Employer forgot to notify the City of our mutual intent to share an arbitrator, so we had to find another date for an arbitration. Consequently the deadline was moved to March 31, 2008 and then,as of this moment, April 30, 2008. We have now booked time for a separate arbitration, June 10th and 11th.
The Union believes that it is logical to extend the date for deadline on the employment checks as we have no idea of the outcome of the arbitration. It does not make sense to have an employment check for a situation that has not been resolved. Our CUPE lawyer and the City lawyer are attempting to have a meeting to examine the profiles of the classifications that are presently required to have employment checks. We will need input from the affected members to determine that the profiles are accurately described.
Please contact the Union office if you need any assistance with these checks. We can help and it is strictly confidential. The Union disagrees with an enterprise which invades members