We are the United Steelworkers, North America’s largest industrial union. We’re 1.2 million members and retirees strong in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. We proudly represent men and women who work in nearly every industry there is.
La Section locale 1944 du Syndicat des Métallos cherche constamment des façons pour mieux vous protéger.
Nous sommes au milieu d’une grande campagne qui a pour objectif de faire exactement cela. VOUS PROTÉGER !
Nous y parvenons notamment en veillant à ce que toutes les mesures disciplinaires admissibles soient retirées. Durant cette période où Telus impose fréquemment des mesures disciplinaires, l’un des moyens les plus efficaces de vous protéger est de faire retirer une ancienne mesure disciplinaire de votre dossier. Il s’agit d’un droit inscrit à l’article 10.03 de la convention collective actuelle.
La convention collective stipule que si vous avez une suspension de 5 jours ou moins à votre dossier, celle-ci peut être retirée après deux ans, sauf si vous recevez une mesure disciplinaire pour une raison similaire au cours de cette période. Pour les membres ayant reçu une suspension de plus de cinq jours, le délai d’attente est de cinq ans.
Voir cette mesure disciplinaire retirée de votre dossier est simple ; un employé doit en faire la demande.
Afin de vous faciliter la tâche, nous avons créé une procédure pour vous aider à envoyer votre demande directement à la Compagnie. Nous effectuons le gros du travail pour vous. Cependant, comme pour de nombreux droits, nous subissons des difficultés de la part de Telus, qui veut exercer une position de contrôle total.
À quelques exceptions près, les employeurs suivent généralement ce qu’on appelle l’application de mesures disciplinaires progressives. Cela signifie que si vous avez des mesures disciplinaires inscrites à votre dossier et que vous êtes à nouveau discipliné, la mesure sera probablement plus sévère.
Sachez que le Syndicat est déterminé et qu’il ne reculera pas dans la défense de nos droits négociés.
La Section locale 1944 tient à remercier les nombreuses personnes qui ont participé à cette initiative pour que votre mesure disciplinaire soit retirée de votre dossier d’employé, en particulier celles et ceux qui ont suivi le processus de grief suite au refus de la compagnie de se conformer.
Si nous ne vous avons pas encore contacté, sachez que nous le ferons ; nous traitons quotidiennement autant de demandes que possible. En attendant, si vous êtes admissible, n’attendez pas que nous vous contactions, mais envoyez un courriel à votre gestionnaire en demandant que votre ancienne mesure disciplinaire soit retirée et mettez en copie [email protected] afin que le Syndicat puisse documenter que la demande a été faite ; cela vous protégera au cas où votre demande serait « perdue » en cours de route.
Ensemble, nous défendons la convention collective et...
USW Local 1944 is constantly looking for ways to protect you.
We are in the midst of a major campaign to do exactly that. PROTECT YOU!
One way we are succeeding in doing that is by ensuring that all eligible discipline is removed. At a time when Telus is frequently disciplining, one of the most powerful ways to protect yourself is to have old discipline removed from your file. This is a right enshrined in Article 10.03 of the current Collective Agreement.
The Collective Agreement states that if you have a suspension of 5 days or less on file, it is eligible to be removed after two years unless you are disciplined for a similar reason during that time. For members with suspensions longer than five days, the waiting period is five years.
Having this discipline removed is simple; an employee must request it.
We have developed a process to help forward your request to the Company directly to make things easier for you. We are doing the heavy lifting for you. However, as with many rights, we are experiencing pushback from Telus, who wants to operate from a position of total control.
Despite a few exceptions, employers generally follow what is called a progressive disciplinary path. This means that if you have discipline on file and are disciplined again, the penalty is likely to be more severe.
Please know that the Union remains resolute and will not back down in the defence of our bargained rights.
Local 1944 would like to recognize the many who have participated in this initiative to have your discipline expunged off of your employment record, especially to those who have followed through with a grievance where the Company has not complied.
If we haven’t yet reached out, know that we will; we are putting through as many daily requests as possible. In the meantime, if you qualify, please don’t wait for us to contact you. Instead, send an email to your manager requesting your old discipline be removed and CC [email protected] so that the Union can document that the request was made to protect you, should your request somehow get ‘lost’ on the way.
Together, we stand up for the collective agreement, and together we will win.
As 2021 ends, I reflect on concerns for safety in the workplace. During this past year, while dealing with the ongoing pandemic, work has been changing, evolving and to say the least frustrating.
In 2021 there’s been significant incidents that have uncovered deficiencies in work performed. These deficiencies included training and qualifications required to perform work. Other deficiencies included divisional policies, departmental policies and SafeWork procedures that were outdated or nonexistent.
During investigations, employees often after an incident have remorse like it was their fault an incident occurred. When discussing their training, the associated hazards and risks in performing the work the picture often changes for them. The discussion after an incident reflects on how the holes in the Swiss cheese lined up for the incident to occur.
Investigations have found that work is being performed with experience and often using common practices, instead of having a written SafeWork procedure. Experience is not the same for everyone. When performing work, an incident occurrence may not be understood as it is deemed as part of the regular work. I’ve heard during investigation interviews “It happens all the time” but results in minimal or no consequences to employees so they go unreported.
If an incident occurs again and no controls have been put in place to prevent a reoccurrence, the root cause may not have been understood or determined. The actual consequences of incidents appear to cloud the potential consequences contributing to not determining the root cause.
How do you move forward safely as a worker? What can you do to start your day? Ask yourself, what you know about safety and the work you’ve been assigned to do? Do you know the hazards and risks associated with this work? You have the “RIGHT TO KNOW” as a worker. Unfortunately, you don’t know what you don’t know, until it’s too late.
What are your qualifications? Do they pertain to the work you have been assigned? If it is work you’ve previously done, but do not do every day ask if you’re current in your training. Ask for any policies and SafeWork procedures relating to the work you are about to perform. Trust your gut! If it’s telling you something doesn’t feel right, often its right. Stop and talk to a competent supervisor for guidance when unsure. We’ve seen too often that lives were lost by inches and seconds. The last line of defense for you the worker is your “RIGHT TO REFUSE” unsafe work!
All work must be planned with risk assessment and controls in place for the associated hazards and risks to workers doing the work. Now this is with your everyday routine work as well. When there’s an abnormal job or condition a JHA is done. These are developed with you, the worker performing the work, discussing the hazards and risk...
I see by the calendar on the wall that it is time for Christmas once again. As we draw near to the end of the year, I find myself reflecting on the past year’s events working for Vale. I don’t feel I need to go into the ups and downs that we all have faced with the work force reduction, the ever-changing people in the staff roles, and the constant new detectives we are given almost on a bi-monthly basis does make it challenging to say the least.
We have 26 grievances in the system and have seen very little interest from the company to deal with these grievances. To date the company has contracted out almost 52,000 hours so far this year and with no end in sight, I predict a very busy 2022. I don’t believe the company has a plan for a way out of the predicament of low labor numbers and the inability to lessen the amount of bargaining unit work going out to contractors and trying to achieve their commitment to the agreement reached in our current C.B.A when it comes to the elimination of contractors doing bargaining unit work.
We have been seeing some positive changes when it comes to the company trying to work within the contracting out process. I believe that they are seeing real advantages to working within the contracting out process. The data point we collect and the fact that the contracting out committee with the help of some key people like John Buda and the construction crews from T1 and T3 helped save the Manitoba operation over $ 1.2 million dollars so far this year (2021) and I thank everyone involved for their commitment to the process and to make the Manitoba Operation more competitive on the world market.
We have had more changes to the contracting out committee make up. We are saying goodbye to John Buda as company co-chair for the committee and welcoming Inge Robinson as the new company co-chair. Inge brings to the table new energy, and a commitment to making sure the process is followed while seeking new opportunities to save money. I would also like to welcome Shane Dicks to the contracting out committee as the site services alternate area representative. Please join me in welcoming Shane to the committee.
Lastly, I would like encourage anyone who would like to join our team for contracting out or if you’re interested in joining any other USW committees, please talk to the USW area representative, worker safety representative or union Stewart and make it known you are interested in joining the team of activists to represent our members or call down to the Union Hall at 204-677-1700 and state your intention to join the team.
Merry Christmas to everyone and hope you have a safe and happy New year.
There has been a lot to digest as we wrap up 2021 and head into another year!
It has been over a year since the workforce adjustment had 28 of our members retire early and 75 members laid off. The rapacious experiment by the company has been an abysmal failure and we are in crisis with those workers gone. The attempt to rehire the workforce, especially in the trades, is not working and we are short people. We have filed all the appropriate grievances and will proceeding to arbitration. The motive for the disparaging changes is still not clear to everyone who works in the operation and understands the negative impact this has had. The act of laying workers off and trying to rehire them within the same year simply defies reason.
We are very concerned with the approach taken on develop miners, with the demise of company training for the job and the changes to the mines incentive system it is apparent development miners are dwindling in numbers. It seems the trend here and in Ontario is to push this off to another contracting body. Many here would agree this started when Stope school was eliminated and is seems lost on the company how development miners who work at the face of the mine to extract the ore that pays all other bills. Part of our heritage is being slowly ripped away as if we would not notice the intentions.
The challenges all our members face and overcome every day has not let up as Covid, operational confronts, ventilation, organizational changes, frustrating mines incentive, consistent pay stub and pay issues to say the least has many wondering what 2022 will look like. It is our solidarity that is more important now than ever! We all know how it is being tested and as we enter the halfway point of our collective bargaining agreement. We must all stay united for our future here.
As seems to be the norm lately, there has been changes at the top of the company and in our operation here in Manitoba. The trend continues and will likely be a precursor for even more changes as it is also being coupled with a renewed push to lower costs further. To be sure it will make for a very interesting time ahead!
USW 6166 is celebrating 60 years of Solidarity in Thompson! On January 3rd ,1972 we signed our Certificate of Charter of Affiliation with the United Steel Workers of America and began the labour movement in Thompson. We will be recognizing our anniversary throughout 2022 as there are thousands of members who have taken part our history here in Thompson.
I would like to thank the USW 6166 Executive Counsil, our WSR’s, the office staff and all our activist on the floor for their work and dedication to our membership. As we look to take on the challenges in the year ahead know that our goal is to secure our future for our Brothers Sisters and Friends here. I know that our...
