Improvers. Workers who do not hold an Interprovincial Red Seal Ticket and those who are new entrants to the Saskatchewan construction industry, and can verify a minimum of 6000 hours experience as a Bricklayer shall be classified as Improvers and paid at 90% of the Journeyman rate of pay.
Improvers. There will be an additional classification of employee designated “Improver.” An Improver is an employee with skills and experience in the industry who has not attained Journeyman status, did not participate in the introductory apprenticeship courses and program, and has been determined by testing conducted under the auspices of the DCTC to possess a skill level of at least 60% of what would be expected of a Journeyman. Upon being employed by an Employer, an individual who may be considered eligible for Improver status shall be tested through the DCTC and assigned a percentage status based on demonstrated skills. If the individual does not attain at least 60% status, he shall not be eligible to work as an Improver but he may apply for participation in the apprenticeship program. If the individual is ranked at 60% status or higher, he may work for any Employer, subject to all other terms of this Agreement, and he shall be paid the same wages and benefits as provided in Section 14.3 for Apprentices. Improvers who received a rating from the DCTC before October 1, 2011 will follow the wage progression for Apprentices who entered the Apprenticeship Program before that date, and Improvers who were or are rated by the DCTC on or after October 1, 2011 will follow the wage progression for Apprentices who entered in the Apprenticeship Program on or after October 1, 2011. As with Apprentices, Improvers who performed work under a predecessor to this Agreement on or before May 31, 2006, for which contributions were or should have been made on their behalf to the Annuity Fund, will continue to participate in and have payments made on their behalf to the Annuity Fund at the same rate as Journeymen. Improvers who did not perform such work on or before May 31, 2006, will not participate in or have payments made on their behalf to the Annuity Fund during the period they remain as Improvers, but will begin to participate in and have contributions made on their behalf to the Annuity Fund when they become Journeymen. The Improver will advance in status and pay grade in the same manner as an Apprentice and will have the same obligations as an Apprentice to participate in the training programs provided through the DCTC. The DCTC shall inform the Improver, the District Council, and the Improver’s current Employer of any failure by the Improver to participate or make suitable progress in the training program, using the same criteria that would be used for an Apprentice. If the Imp...
