Accident Prevention Health and Safety Committee (a) The Employer and the Union agree that they mutually desire to maintain standards of safety and health in the workplace in order to prevent accidents, injury and illness.
(b) Recognizing its responsibilities under the applicable legislation, the Employer agrees to accept as a member of its Accident Prevention – Health & Safety Committee at least three (3) representatives, one from each base, selected or appointed by the Union from amongst bargaining unit employees. At any time where a vote is required, an equal number of representatives from each side shall be entitled to vote.
(c) Such Committee shall identify potential dangers and hazards, institute means of improving health and safety programs and recommend actions to be taken to improve conditions related to safety and health.
(d) The Employee agrees to co-operate reasonably in providing necessary information to enable the Committee to fulfill its functions.
(e) Meetings shall be held quarterly or more frequently at the call of the Chair if required. The Committee shall maintain minutes of all meetings and make the same available for review.
(f) Any representative appointed or select in accordance with (b) hereof shall serve a term of one (1) calendar year from the date of appointment which may be renewed for further periods of one (1) year. The Union will encourage its representative(s) to serve at least one (1) year. Time off for such representative(s) to attend meetings of the Accident Prevention – Health & Safety Committee in accordance with the foregoing shall be granted and time so spent attending such meetings shall be deemed to be work time for which the representative(s) shall be paid by the Employer at his regular or premium rate as may be applicable.
(g) The Union agrees to endeavour to obtain the full co-operation of its membership in the observation of all safety rules and practices.
(h) Pregnant employees may request to be transferred from their current duties if, in the professional opinion of the employee’s physician, the pregnancy may be at risk. If such a transfer is not feasible, the pregnant employee, if she so requests, will be granted an unpaid leave of absence before commencement of the maternity leave referred to in Article 16.04
EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING 1. The State agrees to provide advice and counseling to employees with respect to career advancement opportunities and agency developments which have an impact on their careers.
2. Regular review of its job-related and career development and training programs will be made by the State in order to provide suitable programs for employees covered by this Agreement. When undertaking any such review, the State shall notify employees of such review and take into account suggestions and proposals made by employees.
3. Employees shall be given a reasonable notice of applicable, development and training programs available. Such notice shall include an explanation of the procedure for applying for the program. Notices of development and training programs shall be posted for reasonable periods in advance on bulletin boards at applicable work locations within the agencies involved. An appointing authority shall make every effort to permit employees' participation in such career development and training programs. Participation in any training inside or outside of work hours which is required by the State as a condition of fulfilling the requirements of the employee's job, or any in-service State training which is conducted or undertaken during normally scheduled work hours will be considered as time worked.
4. The State shall pay tuition, course-related fees, other approved course required costs and for necessary travel and lodging pursuant to established policies and procedures.
Progressive Discipline Both parties endorse the principle of progressive discipline as applied to professionals.
Occupational Health and Safety Committee
(a) The parties agree that a joint occupational health and safety committee will be established. The Committee shall govern itself in accordance with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations made pursuant to the Workers Compensation Act. The Committee shall be between the Employer and the Union, with equal representation, and with each party appointing its own representatives. The Union agrees to actively pursue with the other Health Care unions, where more than one union is certified with the Employer, a joint union/employer committee for the purposes of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations.
(b) Employees who are members of the Committee shall be granted leave without loss of pay or receive straight-time regular wages while attending meetings of the Joint Committee. Employees who are members of the Committee shall be granted leave without loss of pay or receive straight-time regular wages to participate in joint workplace inspections and joint accident investigations at the request of the Committee pursuant to the WCB Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. Committee meetings, workplace inspections and accident investigations shall be scheduled during normal working hours whenever practicable.
(c) The Occupational Health and Safety Committee shall have as part of its mandate the jurisdiction to receive complaints or concerns regarding workload problems which are safety-related, the right to investigate such complaints, the right to define the problem and the right to make recommendations for a solution. Where the Committee determines that a safety-related workload problem exists, it shall inform the Employer. Within 21 days thereafter, the Employer shall advise the Committee what steps it has taken or proposes to take to rectify the safety-related workload problem identified by the Committee. If the Union is not satisfied with the Employer's response, it may refer the matter to the Industry Trouble shooter for a written recommendation.
(d) No employee shall be disciplined for refusal to work when excused by the provisions of the
Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee The Employer and the Union recognize the role of the joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee in promoting a safe and healthful workplace. The parties agree that a Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee shall be established for each Employer covered by this Collective Agreement. The Committee shall govern itself in accordance with the provisions of the Industrial Health and Safety Regulations made pursuant to the Workers’ Compensation Act. The Committee shall be as between the Employer and the Union, with equal representation, and with each party appointing its own representatives. Representatives of the Union shall be chosen by the Union membership or appointed by the Union. All minutes of the meetings of the Joint Occupational Health & Safety Committee will be recorded in a mutually agreeable format and will be sent to the Union. The Union further agrees to actively pursue with the other Health Care Unions a Joint Union Committee for the purposes of this Article. The Employer agrees to provide or cause to be provided to Employer members of the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee adequate training and orientation to the duties and responsibilities of committee members to allow the incumbents to fulfil those duties competently. The Union agrees to provide or cause to be provided to Union members of the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee adequate training and orientation to the duties and responsibilities of committee members to allow the incumbents to fulfil those duties competently. Such training and orientation shall take place within six (6) months of taking office.
Extended Health Benefits The extended health benefits coverage for CUPE and Fire will be amended to include:
Trade Union Training Leave Subject to all qualifications in this clause, an employee appointed or elected as an accredited representative of the union to which he/she belongs will, upon application in writing to the Enterprise, be granted up to 5 days leave with pay each calendar year non-cumulative to attend courses conducted or approved by the Union.
Bilingual Pay Where the Employer currently pays bilingual pay or bonuses, it shall continue to do so. The Employer retains discretion to initiate bilingual pay or bonuses. The minimum bilingual bonus or hourly equivalent is $25 per pay period. The Employer may not require an employee to use bilingual skills without paying the appropriate bonus or pay. This does not apply to employees where such skills are in the classification specification.
Study Leave Credits for study leave will be given for educational commitments falling due between an employee's nominated starting and finishing times.
HEALTH & WELFARE 16:1 The parties signatory hereto shall enter into a Health and Welfare Plan for which there is a Trust Agreement, known as the Line Construction Benefit Fund, for the purpose of providing insurance benefits for eligible employees and/or their dependents. Effective the first of the month following the signature date of this Agreement, the Employer shall pay to the Line Construction Benefit Fund the sum of $6.50 for each hour worked. Hours worked shall be deemed to include straight-time hours worked, overtime hours worked, and report time not worked. Remittance shall be forwarded to the place designated by the parties hereto on or before the fifteenth (15th) day of each month for each hour worked in weekly payroll periods ending during the preceding month, together with a monthly payroll report on a form to be furnished to the Employer. It is understood and intended by the parties to this Agreement that the purpose of this clause is to establish an Employer financed Health and Welfare Trust and that contributions thereto shall not be deemed to be wages to which any employee shall have any right other than the right to have such contributions paid over to the Trust fund in accordance herewith. Failure of an individual Employer to make all payments provided for, including liquidated damages for late payments, within the time specified, shall be a breach of this Agreement and will further require action by the Trustees as set forth in the Trust Agreement. Any increase in the required contributions set forth above will be paid equally (50% by the Employer and 50% by the Employee). The amount paid by the Employee will come from their NEAP contribution.
16:2 HRA: Effective the first of the month following the signature date of this Agreement, the Employer also agrees to pay into the Line Construction Benefit Fund $1.00 per hour through the term of this Agreement. HRA is calculated on all hours worked for all working classifications covered by this Agreement. These contributions shall be used to provide Health Reimbursements Accounts(s) under the Line Construction Benefit Fund Plan of Benefits.
