HEALTH AND WELFARE 36.01 Health and welfare benefits shall be as contained in Appendix "A" of this Agreement and shall form part of this Agreement.
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
Safety and Health Committee The District's Safety and Health Committee shall include three (3) classified staff members appointed by ECCE who shall fully participate in the duties and functions of the Committee. The Safety and Health Committee shall normally meet on a monthly basis.
Extended Health Care Plan The Employer shall pay the monthly premium for regular employees entitled to coverage under a mutually acceptable extended health care plan.
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.
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
Occupational Safety and Health Acts Contractor(s) who perform any work under this contract shall fully comply with the provisions of the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and any amendments thereto and regulations pursuant to the act. Any Contractor who fails to do so may be terminated for cause as set forth below.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY 34.01 The parties recognize the need for a safe and healthy workplace. The Employer shall be responsible for providing safe and healthy working conditions. The Employer and Employees will take all reasonable steps to eliminate, reduce or minimize all workplace safety hazards. Occupational health and safety education, training and instruction provided by the Employer, shall be paid at the Basic Rate of Pay, to fulfill the requirements for training, instruction or education set out in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation or Code.
(a) There shall be an Occupational Health and Safety Committee (Committee), which shall be composed of representatives of the Employer and representatives of the Local and may include others representing recognized functional bargaining units. This Committee shall meet once a month, and in addition shall meet within 10 days of receiving a written complaint regarding occupational health or safety. An Employee shall be paid the Employee’s Basic Rate of Pay for attendance at Committee meetings. A request to establish separate committees for each site or grouping of sites shall not be unreasonably denied. The Employer shall provide training at no cost to all Employees on the Committee to assist them in performing their duties on the Committee. Training shall be paid at the Employee’s Basic Rate of Pay.
(b) Minutes of each meeting shall be taken and shall be approved by the Employer, the Local, and other bargaining groups, referred to in (a), prior to circulation.
(c) The purpose of the Committee is to consider such matters as occupational health and safety and the Local may make recommendations to the Employer in that regard.
(d) If an issue arises regarding occupational health or safety, the Employee or the Local shall first seek to resolve the issue through discussion with the applicable immediate supervisor in an excluded management position. If the issue is not resolved satisfactorily, it may then be forwarded in writing to the Committee.
(e) The Committee shall also consider measures necessary to ensure the security of each Employee on the Employer’s premises and the Local may make recommendations to the Employer in that regard.
(f) (i) Should an issue not be resolved by the Committee, the issue shall be referred to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). A resolution meeting between the Local and the CEO, or designate(s), shall take place within 21 calendar days of the issue being referred to the CEO. The CEO or designate(s) shall reply in writing to the Local within seven (7) calendar days of the resolution meeting.
HEALTH AND WELFARE PLAN 9.01 The Employer shall make available the following or similar benefits as mutually agreed between the Employer and the Union to eligible regular full-time employees (as defined below). The cost of the benefits under Sections 9.07, 9.08, 9.09, 9.10, 9.11, 9.12 and 9.13 below shall be paid one hundred percent (100%) by the Employer. An eligible full-time employee shall be one who has three (3) consecutive months current employment at the effective date of the Plan. Benefits for full-time employees who are laid off will be maintained by the Employer for one half (½) of the employee's recall period as specified in Section 14.04 on the following basis: - B.C. Medical Services Plan (M.S.P.) - Group Life Insurance - Hearing aid, eyeglasses and prescription drug coverage A regular full-time employee who does not have three (3) months' current consecutive full-time service at the effective date of the Plan, or a new employee, shall be eligible the day following the date their current consecutive full-time service reaches three (3) months.
9.02 A regular full-time employee reduced to part-time shall continue to be eligible to participate in the Plan. Full-time employees reducing to below thirty-two (32) hours per week shall receive proportionate Weekly Indemnity benefits. Employees shall return completed enrollment forms as soon as possible. The Employer will only offer benefits after first eligibility test is met. If refused at that time by the employee, further testing is not required. If an employee later wants coverage, it is his or her responsibility to make application to the Employer. If he or she is eligible for coverage, the same rules regarding late enrollment as apply to full- time staff may be imposed.
9.03 The Employer shall also make available the benefits to employees (except students) who work an average of thirty-two (32) hours per week for a period of three (3) consecutive months. Such employees shall receive the same benefits as set out for full-time employees in this Section of the Agreement.
9.04 For the purposes of entitlement and disentitlement, the conditions set out below will apply:
A. Employees who average thirty-two (32) hours per week for a three (3) month period will be eligible for all benefits under Section 9 on the first of the month following meeting this requirement. Eligibility verifications will be done each month ending on the last Saturday of the month on a 4, 4, 5 basis, i.e.: if an employee had averaged thirty-two (32) hours per week in the three (3) months prior to April 25, he/she would become eligible for the benefit package on May 1.
B. If an employee fails to meet the eligibility test, he/she will continue to be eligible for three (3) months. At that time he/she will be tested again and, if eligible, will continue receiving benefits. If not eligible, will cease receiving benefits. Thereafter at the end of each month, the employee's eligibility will be tested and, as soon as he/she becomes eligible again, benefits will be reinstated.
9.05 The Employer shall also make available: - Medical Services Plan (M.S.P.) - Extended Health Benefit (E.H.B.) - Hearing Aid, Eyeglass, Prescription Drug Plan (H.E.P.) to employees (except students) who work an average of twenty-four (24) hours per week for a period of three (3) consecutive months. For the purposes of entitlement and disentitlement, the hours' tests set out above will apply, but will be based on twenty-four (24) hours instead of thirty-two (32) hours per week. New employees who are covered by the B.C. Medical Services Plan at the date of their employment can elect to maintain their continuity of coverage to be paid as defined above.
9.06 Enrollment of group benefits shall be compulsory at the option of the Employer. The Employer, at his option, may require all enrollment cards to be signed within three (3) months from the date that regular full-time employment commenced. If, under exceptional circumstances, an employee does not sign an enrollment card within three (3) months of employment, he or she may be allowed a further month of grace at the option of the Employer. A period of grace longer than one (1) month may be allowed by the Employer; but, in such cases, a medical examination at the employee's own expense shall be compulsory and a three (3) month penalty period may be imposed.
Clean Air Act and Federal Water Pollution Control Act The contractor agrees to comply with all applicable standards, orders or regulations issued pursuant to the Clean Air Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 7401 et seq.
