Joint Consultative Committee 46.1 The parties recognise the need for effective communication to improve the business/operational performance and working environment in agencies.
46.2 The parties acknowledge that decisions will continue to be made by the employer who is responsible and accountable to Government for the effective and efficient operation of the agency.
46.3 The parties agree that:
(a) where the employer proposes to make changes likely to affect existing practices, working conditions or employment prospects of employees, the union and employees affected shall be notified by the employer as early as possible;
(b) for the purposes of discussion the employer shall provide to the employees concerned relevant information about the changes, including the effect of the changes on employees, provided the employer shall not be required to disclose any information that is confidential;
(c) in the context of discussions the union and employees are able to contribute to the decision making process; and
(d) the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) parties are to provide all reasonable and relevant information except confidential commercial, business or personal information, the release of which may seriously harm a party or individual.
46.4 Each agency will have a JCC comprising of the employer or their nominee, employer nominated representatives and union nominated representatives.
46.5 The JCC will convene within 28 days of a written request being received from either party.
46.6 The JCC will determine its own operating procedures.
46.7 JCCs will be a forum for consultation on issues such as:
(a) development of workload management tools within the agency;
(b) industrial issues;
(c) fixed term and casual employment usage;
(d) changes to work organisation and/or work practices occurring in the workplace;
(e) agency implementation of recommendations from the ‘Functional Review of Government’; and
(f) agency implementation of other aspects of this General Agreement.
46.8 Matters not resolved through the JCC can be referred to the provisions of clause 49 - Dispute Settlement Procedure.
Training Committee The parties to this Agreement may form a Training Committee. The Training Committee will be constituted by equal numbers of Employer nominees and ETU employee representatives and have a charter which clearly states its role and responsibilities. It shall monitor the clauses of this Agreement which relate to training and ensure all employees have equal access to training.
Consultative Committee (a) To assist in creating a stable and co-operative environment for the project, a consultative committee has been established which shall operate in accordance with its charter. It is not the objective of parties to this clause that the committee would over-ride the function and responsibilities of management or unions.
LABOR/MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES A. Statewide
Supervisory Employees For the purposes of this Article, the parties agree that Supervisory positions are those that are not excluded under Article 2.0 above and that satisfy the following criteria:
a) Employees on Salary Schedule 01 who under Plan A "Nature of Supervision" have either Degree 3 (or higher) or its equivalent;
b) Employees on Schedules 02 or 03 on condition they normally supervise other employees.
TRANSITION COMMITTEE A transition committee comprised of the employee representatives and the employer representatives, including the Crown, will be established by January 31, 2016 to address all matters that may arise in the creation of the Trust.
Labour Management Committee (a) Where the parties mutually agree that there are matters of mutual concern and interest that would be beneficial if discussed at a Labour Management Committee Meeting during the term of this Agreement, the following shall apply.
(b) An equal number of representatives of each party as mutually agreed shall meet at a time and place mutually satisfactory. A request for a meeting hereunder will be made in writing prior to the date proposed and accompanied by an agenda of matters proposed to be discussed, which shall not include matters that are properly the subject of grievance or negotiations for the amendment or renewal of this agreement. Any representative(s) attending such meetings during their regularly scheduled hours of work shall not lose regular earnings as a result of such attendance.
(c) It is agreed that the topic of a rehabilitation program for drug and alcohol abuse is an appropriate topic for the Labour-Management Committee. It is also agreed that the topic of the utilization of full-time and part-time staff is an appropriate topic for the Labour-Management Committee. The committee shall have access to work schedules and job postings upon request.
(d) It is understood that joint meetings with other Labour-Management Committees in the Hospital may be scheduled concerning issues of mutual interest if satisfactory to all concerned.
(e) Where two or more agreements exist between a Hospital and CUPE the Committee may be a joint one representing employees under both agreements, unless otherwise agreed.
Hospital-Association Committee (a) There shall be a Hospital-Union Committee comprised of representatives of the Hospital, one of whom shall be the Chief Nursing Officer or designate and of the Union, one of whom shall be the Bargaining Unit President or designate. The number of representatives is set out in the Appendix of Local Provisions and the membership of the Committee may be expanded by mutual agreement.
(b) The Committee shall meet every two (2) months unless otherwise agreed and as required under Article 8.01 (a) (iv). The duties of chair and secretary shall alternate between the parties. Where possible, agenda items will be exchanged in writing at least five (5) calendar days prior to the meeting. A record shall be maintained of matters referred to the Committee and the recommended disposition, if any, unless agreed to the contrary. Copies of the record shall be provided to Committee members.
(c) The purpose of the Committee includes:
i) promoting and providing effective and meaningful communication of information and ideas, including but not limited to workload measurement tools and the promotion of best practices. Such communication may include discussion of nursing workload measurement and patient acuity systems. The Hospital will provide, upon request, information on workload measurement systems applicable to nursing currently used by the Hospital, and evaluations completed by the Hospital of such systems.
ii) reviewing professional responsibility complaints with a view to identifying trends and sharing organizational successes and solutions, making joint recommendations on matters of concern including the quality and quantity of nursing care and discussing the development and implementation of quality initiatives;
iii) making joint recommendations to the Chief Nursing Officer on matters of concern regarding recurring workload issues including the development of staffing guidelines, the use of agency nurses and use of overtime;
iv) dealing with complaints referred to it in accordance with the provisions of Article 8, Professional Responsibility;
v) discussing and reviewing matters relating to orientation and in- service programs;
vi) promote the creation of full-time positions for nurses, and discuss the effect of such changes on the employment status of the nurses. This may include the impact, if any, on part-time and full-time, job sharing and retention and recruitment.
(d) The Hospital agrees to pay for time spent during regular working hours for representatives of the Union attending at such meetings.
(e) Where a Committee representative designated by the Union attends Committee meetings outside of her or his regularly scheduled hours, she or he will be paid for all time spent in attendance at such meetings at her or his regular straight time hourly rate of pay. Such payment shall be limited to two (2) Committee representatives per meeting.
Nurse Representatives & Grievance Committee (a) The Hospital agrees to recognize Association representatives to be elected or appointed from amongst nurses in the bargaining unit for the purpose of dealing with Association business as provided in this Collective Agreement. The number of representatives and the areas which they represent are set out in the Appendix of Local Provisions.
(b) The Hospital will recognize a Grievance Committee, one of whom shall be chair. This committee shall operate and conduct itself in accordance with the provisions of the Collective Agreement and the number of nurses on the Grievance Committee is set out in the Appendix of Local Provisions.
(c) It is agreed that Union representatives and members of the Grievance Committee have their regular duties and responsibilities to perform for the Hospital and shall not leave their regular duties without first obtaining permission from their immediate supervisor. Such permission shall not be unreasonably withheld. If, in the performance of their duties, a union representative or member of the Grievance Committee is required to enter a unit within the hospital in which they are not ordinarily employed they shall, immediately upon entering such unit, report their presence to the supervisor or nurse in charge, as the case may be. When resuming their regular duties and responsibilities, such representatives shall again report to their immediate supervisor. The Hospital agrees to pay for all time spent during their regular hours by such representatives hereunder.
Joint Consultation Committee 8.01 On the request of either party, the parties must meet at least once every four (4) months, for the purpose of discussing issues relating to the workplace that affect the parties or any employee bound by the Agreement.
8.02 The purpose of the consultation committee is to promote the cooperative resolution of workplace issues, to xxxxxx the development of work related skills and to promote workplace productivity, and to identify opportunities for improved patient care.
8.03 Up to two (2) employees who are members of the joint consultation committee shall be granted leave without loss of pay or receive straight-time regular wages while attending meetings of the committee, up to a maximum of two (2) hours’ pay.
8.04 Pay for such meetings will be limited to two (2) hours and employees attending such meetings will not receive overtime wages.
