Your bargaining committee spent seven months in negotiations to secure the groundbreaking compensation, benefits and other workplace improvements in the 2022-2025 Facilities collective agreement. But this was just the first step in the union’s ongoing work to represent its members.
Enhanced workers’ rights and improved contract enforcement measures were also negotiated to both improve members' work experience and strengthen public health care.
CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT
Here’s a a list of new measures in the agreement that will help ensure members get better access to the gains in the renewed contract:
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Increased Contract Enforcement - Under the renewed contract, the equivalent of 21 new, dedicated shop stewards have been booked off, many on a full-time basis at larger worksites to enforce the collective agreement and protect members’ rights.
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Streamlining Issue Response - To address members’ issues in a more timely manner, additional arbitrators have been added to the industry troubleshooter, expedited arbitration and classification appeals rosters.
ENHANCED WORKER RIGHTS
Here are the new and improved worker rights in the collective agreement:
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Job Applications and Postings - If the initial successful candidate leaves a position within 30 days, vacancies will be offered to the next successful candidate without reposting the position.
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Letters of Expectation - You can now request to have letters of expectation removed from your file 36 months after the date of the letter, if the behaviour or conduct has not reoccurred.
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New Member Orientation - During the employer induction process, new members are ensured up to 15 minutes to orientate in-person at work, or virtually now, with an HEU-designated official, plus the HEU new member video is now part of the online onboarding of all new hires.
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Union Business Leave - Rest days for union business is now in the collective agreement, and if you have worked a combination of seven days of regular work and union business, you can now access rest days.
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Rest and Meal Periods - You can now request to have your rest and meal periods combined, and rest periods can no longer be scheduled at the end or beginning of shifts.
This bulletin is part of a series of updates about the renewed Facilities collective agreement. Watch this space for future updates. If you have questions about any of these provisions, please contact your shop steward.