CUPE 1004 Voting Info

Ratification Vote will be held Sunday, October 14th from 8am to 4pm

Information meeting at 10am - Maritime Labour Centre Auditorium

Bargaining Committee is recommending acceptance!
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MY VIEW
Results of the vote should be available Sunday between 7:00 and 8:00pm.

The tweaking of the mediator's original offer dealt with inconsistencies between the CUPE 15 contract and the 1004 contract. The 2010 Partnership agreement for each union had different dispute resolution mechanisms. 1004 still had a 6 month process in place while 15's was only 30 days.

1004 positions are subject to overtime (winter road salt and sanding, clearing drains of leaves in fall, paving, sewage connects etc.) yet no formalized system existed to deal with overtime. It had been ad hoc.

Compressed work weeks do get people upset, however, in sanitation, horticulture and golf course maintenance the longer days actually result more tasks being accomplished in a work week.

All in all a good deal for 1004.

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Vancouver outside workers to vote on tentative deal Sunday
Last Updated: Saturday, October 13, 2007 | 1:17 AM ET

CBC.ca/bc

VIDEO: CUPE 1004 president Mike Jackson explains how the deal was reached (Runs 3:50)

AUDIO: City of Vancouver spokesman Jerry Dobrovolny speaks with CBC's Stephen Quinn (Runs 1:29)

Vancouver Province

Outside workers vote on deal today

CUPE 1004 Recommends Yes Vote

CUPE 1004 and City successfully "tweak" Foley's recommendations: Tentative agreement

[October 12, 2007 03:28 PM]

Tentative agreement to be voted on by union on Sunday

VANCOUVER - CUPE 1004 President Mike Jackson is proud to announce that his bargaining committee and the City of Vancouver met today and reached a tentative agreement which will be voted on by union members on Sunday.

"We are pleased to announce that we had a productive session with the employer today and have successfully tweaked Foley's recommendations," says CUPE 1004 President Mike Jackson. "The result is a tentative agreement we can recommend to our members."

The parties agreed to improved benefit coverage in a number of areas: accupuncture coverage, increased vision care coverage from $300 to $450, benefit coverage to begin after first month of employment rather than after first six months.

There were a number of other adjustments to Foley's recommendations:

• A joint committee to address the assignment of overtime was established.
• The Olympic partnership agreement was adjusted to include an expedited dispute resolution process and system for assigning Olympic work.
• Areas of feasibility (horticulture, golf courses, sanitation) were identified for the compressed work week committee.
• Return to work agreement includes extention of time limit to return from 10 days to 14 days.
• grievances will no longer be deemed abandoned after 90 days

CUPE 1004 represents Vancouver's 2,000 outside workers. They have been on strike since July 19, 2007.

FOLEY'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND PREVIOUSLY AGREED TO ITEMS.

For more information, please contact:

Mike Jackson, CUPE 1004 President, 778-908-8070
Diane Kalen, CUPE Communications, 778-229-0258

City and CUPE 1004 reach tentative agreement

After two days of discussion, the City of Vancouver and Metro Vancouver negotiators have reached a tentative agreement with CUPE 1004 representing the City’s outside workers. The agreement is consistent with the recommendations of mediator Brian Foley.

CUPE 1004 will vote on Sunday, and the executive of 1004 will recommend adoption.

Details of the agreement will be not discussed until after the vote.

City and Cupe 10-04 have reached a tentative agreement.

Oct, 12 2007 - 3:40 PM

VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) - A tentative agreement has been reached between striking outside workers and the city of Vancouver.

The numbers are the same as inside workers and other municipalities settled for -- 17 and a half per cent over five years, but the union says the city has agreed to benefit improvements and some other contract language adjustments.

Improved benefits include acupuncture and increased vision care coverage with benefits beginning after the first month of employment.

A committee is being struck to address the issue of assigned overtime, which previously was without a system.

And the Olympic partnership agreement has been adjusted to also include a system for assigning Olympic work and an expedited dispute resolution process.

Outside workers also won't have to return to work for 14 days following a contract settlement, rather than the current 10...that's because many took other employment in the private sector and will have to give notice.

Workers will vote to ratify that tentative deal Sunday and the union will recommend adoption.

As far as Cupe 391 representing library workers goes, the library will be responding to a proposal received from the union this morning and will be looking for a response in return, so those two parties appear they may be making some headway as well.

With strike deal, garbage pickup may restart Monday or Tuesday

Frances Bula, Vancouver Sun

Published: Friday, October 12, 2007

It took negotiators for striking outside workers and the City of Vancouver just over an hour this afternoon to come up with a tentative agreement, which could mean garbage pickup resumes Monday or Tuesday.

"I am relieved," said Mike Jackson, president of Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 1004, which represents the 2,000 people who collect garbage, maintain parks, and repair streets and sewers. They have been on strike for almost three months.

Jackson admitted the deal doesn't improve the money compensation that was set out by mediator Brian Foley in resolutions package, but it does adjust the language to provide employees with more certainty about benefits and dispute-resolution issues.

The union executive will be recommending that members accept the deal when they vote Sunday.

The outside workers had been in a bad bargaining position since their last vote Tuesday, when the 1,200 members who showed up to cast ballots were 58 per cent in favour of accepting the Foley package. But a Local 1004 bylaw says contracts have to be approved by a two-thirds majority.

The inside workers, in Local 15, had voted 73 per cent in favour of the recommendations and they went back to work Thursday.

Four community centres and two fitness centres that were supposed to be open today were closed instead, after inside workers refused to cross picket lines put up by outside workers at the centres.

With inside and outside workers appearing to have a deal, there is only one group of city workers still on strike with no sign of a settlement, the library employees.

Library negotiators met this morning, but the city's chief librarian, Paul Whitney, said librarians asked for a "major rewrite" of the Foley package that he said appeared undoable.

The major issue for library workers, who are mainly women, is getting pay equity with male-dominated categories of work at the city.

Foley had recommended boosting 300 of the 775 workers, those with the most complex jobs, up a pay grade in the ladder. But union local president Alex Youngberg said members think that's unfair and they want to see the money Foley was prepared to give to the 300 spread out equally to the 775.

However, Whitney said that would mean the librarians at the top of the scale would end up with less money than librarians throughout the region are getting, since other municipalities are giving their highest qualified library staff pay-grade boosts. That will make it hard for Vancouver to recruit, he said.

CUPE 391 & 1004 SPEAKING WITH CITY

Lines of communications are open between the two CUPE locals still on-strike and the City of Vancouver. Many people feel that the city can hold out indefinitely. One problem. Winter.

Icy roads need salt and sand. The City of Vancouver does not have enough exempt staff to operate all the trucks required to maintain city streets.

Questions regarding the need for libraries in the age of the internet also arise. High School students need books for research. ESL curriculum is housed at many libraries for foreign students. Writers and researchers are also dependent on the assistance of library staff.

Much information is available online but accuracy is still in short supply.

Vancouver Sun reports:

CUPE 391
Meanwhile, Dobrovolny said talks would be held Friday with CUPE Local 391, which represents 775 striking library workers who overwhelmingly rejected a settlement negotiated by mediator Brian Foley.

CUPE 1004
Today's meeting followed a phone call Wednesday from CUPE, Local 1004 president Mike Jackson in which he told city negotiators that the two parties were close to a settlement, said the city's main spokesman Jerry Dobrovolny.

He said he felt the two parties were very, very close and it just needed some tweaking so we set up a meeting today with a couple of managers from the city and a couple of executives from 1004 to sit down and find out perhaps how close we are," Dobrovolny said today.

He said it was not an official bargaining meeting because it didn't include the whole bargaining committees.

"It's just a couple of people from both sides," he said. "But clearly there's an opportunity that we need to pursue with the president of Local 1004 saying it just needs a little tweaking and we are very close. So we are hopeful but as I stressed yesterday, our focus and priority is to get inside workers back to work and get those services restored as quickly as possible."

SOURCE: City Hall reopens for business after strike

Gerry Bellett, Vancouver Sun, Published: Thursday, October 11, 2007

Being Your Own Worst Enemy

Although many inside workers returned to work without having to face pickets this morning at City Hall, some outside workers have ignored their union's statement last night that said members would not deter other members from going to work. The city says a few outside workers set up pickets at parks around town this morning, and inside workers honoured them. The Parks Board is dealing with the matter and could possibly go to the Labour Relations Board. NEWS1130

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Community Centre staff did receive warnings today not to step outside alone if 1004 members were loitering outside.

Supposedly a few 1004 members have decided to harass CUPE 15 members who work in parks. The 1004 members were in an altered state and threatening staff doing their job. Others decided to have coffee breaks outside the entrances of community centres on the east side of town.

Again, a small group of YAHOOS ruin the reputation of an entire union group. Great work guys!!
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Vancouver Sun reported:
He (Jerry Dubrovolny) said there were a few incidents of Local 1004 picket lines interfering with inside workers, mostly staff employed by the park board.

"It's a constantly changing situation but the parks board is pursuing it and will take what ever action is necessary which may include going the the Labour Relations Board [for an order to stop picketing]," he said.

CUPE 15 Final Strike Pay Info

SOURCE: CUPE Strike Hotsheet # 37

Friday October 19:

• Final Strike Pay Cheque will be available at CUPE 15 Strike Headquarters
• $100.00 hold back for those who picketed 10 days or more days will be included

jobs@vancouver.ca

We're looking for people who share a commitment to community, and the lives of our citizens, who share our values of responsiveness, excellence, fairness, integrity, leadership and learning.

If you want to:

• enhance the well-being of the community
• protect the environment
• provide quality service
• be part of a challenging, safe, healthy and rewarding workplace...

Consider joining our team.

City & CUPE 1004 Meet Thursday Oct. 11

According to GlobalTV at 6:00pm the City and CUPE 1004 brokered a deal to meet tomorrow.

The deal: the City will meet with CUPE 1004 executives in exchange for no pickets at City Hall and other 1004 non-designated work sites.

No CUPE 1004 pickets outside City Hall as CUPE 15 returns to work

[October 10, 2007 05:40 PM]

VANCOUVER - There will be no CUPE 1004 pickets or "welcoming party" outside City Hall tomorrow morning as CUPE 15 members return to work. CUPE 1004 will not be making any media comment until after they have had an opportunity to meet with the employer.

City Council Approves All 3 Deals

Council votes to accept mediator’s recommendations

Vancouver City Council voted today to accept mediator’s Brian Foley’s non-binding recommendations for a new contractual agreement with the City’s workers. Council also voted to approve the funding recommended for library workers, should the Vancouver Library Board also accept the mediator’s recommendations during its vote later this afternoon.

“The City of Vancouver’s immediate priority is to facilitate the return to work of CUPE 15 members and the restoration of related services,” states Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan. “I would like to thank the citizens of Vancouver for their ongoing civility and patience during this strike.”

CUPE 15 represents about 3,500 of city’s “inside” workers, responsible for customer services provided at City Hall, such as processing development permits and licenses, as well as providing services at a variety of city-owned and operated venues, such as theatres and daycares. Some civic sites rely on a mixture of inside and “outside” workers, represented by CUPE 1004.

“We’re very pleased that a clear majority of our workers voted in favour of the recommendations. Our city managers need to work with our returning staff to determine a schedule for which services can be restored and when,” said City spokesperson Jerry Dobrovolny. “We’ll provide that information as soon as possible, and will work to keep everyone informed during this evolving process.”

People are encouraged to visit the city’s website for ongoing updates on related to city services. SOURCE: vancouver.ca

Update: City votes in favour of mediator proposals

Wednesday, October 10 - 02:25:00 PM Reshmi Nair

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - The City of Vancouver has accepted the mediated deals proposed to end the civic workers strike. Council approved all three deals, although only one has been accepted by union members.

Inside workers could be back to work by as early as tomorrow to deal with things like building permits, inspections and by-law enforcement. Management will outline which services could be restored, and when.

But they still have to take into consideration the fact that outside workers and library workers have not accepted mediated deals, and could still be picketing.

The Morning After. . ,

CUPE 15 voting YES by such a large margin has generated consternation on the picket line.

CUPE 15 members who voted NO believe they will soon be out of a job or the ability to advance has been blocked. Others wish that the margin of support was not so large.

Hard core 1004 members are frustrated both with their membership, 57.5% voted YES, and with CUPE 15 members. Rumors abound of 1004 pickets at City Hall, Rinks and Community Centres tomorrow.

It's also rumoured that CUPE 391 members will picket City Hall. No one knows what will happen at Community Centres with libraries. RUMOUR DEBUNKED by SPARKTIKUS

spartikus said...

It's also rumoured that CUPE 391 members will picket City Hall.

This is false

No one knows what will happen at Community Centres with libraries.

Libraries will remain behind picket lines, and community centres will open!

Yep.

CUPE 15 staff have been instructed to go to work Thursday and see what awaits them.

If a picket is set up at non-1004 work sites the City will certainly be filing court injunctions to define exactly where pickets can be established.

For customers - don't expect public facilities to be ready for a couple of days, if not weeks. Pools, community centres, rinks all need work. Rinks need ice, pools need cleaning and community centres require access to computers.

The entire computer network password system will have to be reset. Refunds, registration will not be possible until the City/ Park's computer network is up, running and accessible.

BCTV, however, did report this evening that the city is hoping that Community Centres will be operational for drop in programs Friday. I wouldn't bet on that given the lack of hot water or heat in the facilities. I still think Saturday is a realistic option.

Facilities staffed by inside workers expected to open this weekend

Thursday, October 11 - 06:10:00 AM Reaon Ford/Province

VANCOUVER - It's back to business at the pools, community centres and theatres that have been shut down by Vancouver's civic strike for nearly three months.

Now that the city has voted in favour of the deal from mediator Brian Foley, facilities staffed by inside workers are expected to open by Saturday.

There are fears outside workers, who shot down their own deal, may try to block some of the re-openings. But the city warns it will go straight to the Labour Relations Board if pickets go up anywhere they shouldn't.

Talks involving the two remaining union locals are also expected to resume soon.

CUPE VOTE RESULTS

CUPE 15 - 73% Accept Foley Recommendations

CUPE 391 - 78% Reject Foley Recommendations

CUPE 1004 - Foley Recommendations Fail

• 66% approval required

• 58% of Parks Outside Workers vote to Accept
  
• 57% of City Outside Workers vote to Accept

Outside and library workers reject deal from mediator Brian Foley
Wednesday, October 10 - 06:15:00 AM Reaon Ford

(NEWS1130) "But President Mike Jackson says for his members, it's not about the cash. He says there is non-monetary issues. He says they're looking for a certain language because overtime language causes a lot of grievances. He says there's not a policy that's set in place, so they're looking to have that language clarified.

Even once they get a suitable deal, there are fears many outside workers may not come back anyway. 65% have found other jobs.

QUESTIONING VANCOUVER CIVIC SERVICE BEGINS

News 1130am Listeners Poll (unscientific)NOct. 9, 20071130oll

Should the City of Vancouver consider contracting out some of its services? Yes 78% No 22%

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Where there's a will. . .

Column by Miro Cernetig, Vancouver Sun

Published: Tuesday, October 09, 2007

. . ."But the take home message so far from this summer's strike is that Vancouverites have proven surprisingly adept at making do with less city government. We haven't, despite the warnings, reached some tipping point that will shut the city down. And that undeniable fact raises other questions. When all the civic workers finally do get back on the job, should they all really go back to the same duties? Or should there be a review by the beancounters to figure out where there might be efficiencies?

Could the fact that city taxes keep rising be related to the possibility that we're perhaps paying a premium for some of the services that could really be done more efficiently outside of city hall?

Garbage removal, it seems to me, is a good place to start that debate. One of the reasons we aren't hip-deep in rotting garbage bags is that over the years, a lot of the pickup service has already been quietly contracted out by businesses, apartment buildings and the city's condominium-strata councils. Those who still get city pickup, pay for it big time. In the last tax bill, ratepayers were dinged for the fancy new garbage containers that now are gathering moss: it was $99 for that 180-litre garbage can with wheels, $47 for the 180-litre yard-trimming bucket and $20 for that blue recycling box that we all could probably have bought more cheaply if we had done the shopping ourselves. . . "

CUPE Vote Result Schedule

VOTE RESULT SCHEDULE : CUPE 15, CUPE 391 and CUPE 1004

[October 9, 2007 04:36 PM] CUPE

7pm : CUPE 15 will be announcing results outside their offices at 545 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver.

7pm : CUPE 391 will be announcing results at Central Library.

8:30pm : CUPE 1004 will be announcing results at the Maritime Labour Centre. (1880 Triumph)

CUPE 15 Ratification Meeting

The CUPE 15 bargaining committee provided significant background on the 13 months of strained bargaining with the City of Vancouver.

First, the document titled "Items Previously Agreed" all 8 pages of it, is all that the City and CUPE could achieve together pre-Brian Foley.

During a previous blog I took Mr. Dubrovolny at his word regarding calling for Special mediator under section 76 of the BC Labour Relations Code.

I was wrong to do so.

According to Keith Graham, lead negotiator for CUPE 15, this section is used primarily to force Ferry Workers back to work and operates solely at the BC Labour Minister's discretion. They decide terms, references, process and mediator.

When Mr. Graham met with Mike Zora, General Manager - Human Resource Services Mr. Graham had learned that not only had Mr. Zora requested a Special Mediator, but also set out the terms and conditions of what he would discuss and what mediators were acceptable.

It was during this discussion that Mr. Dubrovolny was meeting with the media stating that if the unions truly wished to mediate they could have done the same.

Mr. Dubrovolny was wrong.

According to Mr. Graham the City was in a bind, when the Province rejected the City's request for a Special Mediator. The recently completed "enhanced mediation process" was just as much a face saving measure for City managers as it was a resolution to the civic labour dispute.

RECLASSIFICATION / CLASSIFICATION
Mr. Foley's developed a dispute resolution systems that prevents the City allowing disputes to remain unresolved for years. The Reclassification / Classification system replaces an agreement called the "The Referee's Document," which Keith Graham, Lead CUPE 15 Negotiator claimed was ripped apart by Mike Zora, General Manager, Human Resource Services, 8 years ago.

Mr. Zora's actions, it is claimed, has allowed disputes to fester and contribute to the poisonous work atmosphere at City Hall.

The new settlement would resolve classification issues in 7 months instead of no set deadline.

Staff teams from City Hall, Park Board, Ray-Cam and Britannia now can compare their work to each other. Each work unit, prior to this current settlement offer, was treated as a separate employer silo. Job comparisons and pay scales could only be made within each silo.

WHISTLEBLOWER PROCESS
Not included in the collective agreement the settlement does provide certain caveats. Prior to Foley settlement if an employee made a whistle blowing claim and the city found it to be erroneous the city could discipline the employee. The previous framework had a chilling effect on whistle blower claims.

An employee can now share a suspicion without fear of retribution.

2010 PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (DISPUTE RESOLUTION)
CUPE 15 had this issue on the back burner until Mr. Foley said he would deal with it. It is the dispute resolution process that Mr. Foley improved upon. The City had developed a process which would require 6 months, or the length of VANOC's exclusive use period, to resolved disputes which occurred at "Designated Facilities and Sites."

CUPE requested that City "Exempt Staff" serve as managers at Olympic Sites and Facilities as they did not believe it appropriate that City Staff be supervised by volunteers or VANOC employees.

NO LAYOFFS DUE TO CONTRACTING OUT / SIMULTANEOUS JOB POSTINGS
CUPE 15 does not like these outcomes (6 month notice of layoffs instead of no layoffs) but is satisfied again with the dispute resolution mechanisms. They are stronger than anything that has been in a Vancouver Collective agreement for years.

WHY THE YES RECOMMENDATION?
If CUPE 15 members were to reject the agreement there is no guarantee that a new mediator would be called as it requires both parties to agree on that process. It would be similar to pressing reset on a counter. Everything except the "Items Previously Agreed" would be off the table and there would be no guarantee that it would return.

The CUPE 15 bargaining committee stated it could not in good conscience tell it's members that there would be a better deal if they held out for 4, 8 or 12 more weeks.

The results of today's CUPE 15, 391 & 1004 votes should be announced between 7:oopm and 8:30pm tonight.

City Council votes tomorrow In Camera.

Metro Vancouver Labour Relations Board ratified the agreement this afternoon.