Wabamun, Alta. (580 mining employees) and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers Intl. Union (USW), Local 1595
Renewal agreement: Effective March 1, 2019 to March 31, 2027. Ratified on Feb. 22, 2019. Signed on March 1, 2019.
Shift premium: $0.50 per hour for afternoon shift. $1.10 per hour for midnight shift. $2 per hour for lead-hands. $2 per hour for employees acting as relief dispatchers, relief planners.
Paid holidays: 12 days.
Vacations with pay: 80 hours after 1 year, 120 hours after 3 years, 160 hours after 9 years, 200 hours after 19 years, 208 hours after 25 years, 216 hours after 26 years, 224 hours after 27 years, 232 hours after 28 years, 240 hours after 29 years. Vacations are not cumulative and must be taken in full each calendar year. All outstanding vacation days, unless carry-over is approved, will be forfeited and will be paid out by last pay period of February.
Overtime: Double time for all hours worked in any 1 day or any 1 week, outside of regularly assigned hours of work.
Meal allowance: $10 hot meal or meal voucher after 2 hours of overtime which is continuous with employee’s regular shift or after 2 consecutive hours on call-in duty.
Medical benefits: Employer pays 100% of premiums for Alberta Health Care Insurance. Employer pays 100% of premiums for major medical plan.
Dental: 100% coverage for basic and routine; 90% coverage for major and restorative, maximum $4,000 per person per year. 50% coverage for orthodontics, maximum $4,000 per person per lifetime.
Vision: $300 in each 24-month period (previously $200 in each 24-month period) for employee or employee’s spouse and each dependent child for prescription glasses, corrective lenses ($200 in each 24-month period for prescription safety glasses).
Sick leave: 40 hours per year for 40-hour work schedule; 4 shifts per year for ash shift work schedule; 48 hours for 168-hour average work schedule. Employees who have not utilized yearly entitlement from prior calendar year will be paid 100% of unused entitlement in first pay period of January of each year.
STD: Employer pays 100% of premiums for coverage on first day of accident or hospitalization (sixth day of illness) for 17 weeks, 66 2/3% of salary.
LTD: Employer pays 100% of premiums for coverage after 17 weeks of disability equal to 60% of salary, maximum benefits will be 60% of weighted average for bargaining unit.
AD&D: Coverage of $75,000.
Life insurance: Coverage of $75,000.
Pension: Pension Plan for Hourly Employees of SunHills Mining LP - Highvale Mine.
Bereavement leave: 3 shifts for death in immediate family (mother, father, brothers, sisters, spouse, children, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandchildren). 1 shift for death of brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, grandparents, grandparents-in-law.
Seniority – recall rights: Amount equal to one-half of employee’s seniority at time of layoff for layoffs; 18 months when employee is absent on sick leave or worker’s compensation (36 months for shovel operators, dragline operators, coal-handling plant operators, front-end loader operators, excavator operator, drill operators).
Call-in pay: Minimum 4 hours at double employee’s regular pay (emergency work in excess of 4 hours will be paid at double time).
Probationary period: 360 regularly scheduled hours.
Discipline: Sunset clause is 18 months for written warnings, notices of demotion, suspension; 24 months for discipline related to drugs or alcohol.
Safety shoes: Employer will pay to each employee $150 twice each year for CSA-approved safety boots (or work clothing).
Uniforms/clothing: Employees will be provided approved high-voltage gloves or hot sticks to handle live trailing power cables. Employer will provide welder’s masks, goggles and gloves, leather aprons and leather arms, rubber boots and rain suits. Gloves will be supplied for specific working conditions at no cost to employee. Employer will supply coveralls at beginning of each calendar year with reflective striping (2 pair of coveralls will be provided at no cost to employees when coveralls are damaged beyond repair, pose potential safety hazard or are worn out).
Sample rates of hourly pay (current):
Certified air-conditioning technician: $47.70
Certified welder: $47.70
Maintenance technician (multi-skilled) 1: $47.70
Certified electrician: $47.70
Certified machinist: $47.70
Certified parts-person: $44.38
Certified blaster: $43.24
Dragline operator: $43.24
Excavator operator: $43.24
Front-end loader operator: $43.24
Shovel operator: $43.24
Tire-service person: $43.24
Fourth-year apprentice tradesperson: $42.92
Welder apprentice third-year: $42.92
Coal-handling plant operator: $41.60
Dragline dozer operator: $41.60
Dozer operator: $40.96
Service person: $40.96
Ash driver: $40.40
Trac-truck driver: $40.40
Trac-truck equipment hauler driver: $40.40
Pit pump person: $40.07
Tradesperson’s helper: $40.07
Parts-person apprentice 3rd -year: $39.94
Second-year apprentice tradesperson: $38.15
Parts-person apprentice second-year: $37.72
Wash-bay attendant: $37.15
Janitor: $36.02
Warehouseperson: $36.02
Blaster’s helper: $36.02
First-year apprentice tradesperson: $35.77
Labourer: $34.46
Parts-person apprentice first-year: $33.29
Labourer (probationary): $26.82
Student: $26.82
Trades apprentice
First-year: 75% of certified rate
Second-year:
80% of certified rate
Third-year: 85% of certified rate
Fourth-year: 90% of certified rate
Lump-sum payments
$2,000 paid first pay period following ratification
$1,750 paid on April 1, 2020
$1,500 paid on April 1, 2021
Editor’s notes: Medical costs: Employer will pay for medical fees incurred for purpose of receiving pre-employment medical examinations for all prospective new employees. Medical tests: Once every 2 years, employer will make available to all employees chest X-ray, pulmonary function test, recognized hearing tests. Employees will be paid at regular rate (maximum 4 hours if tests are carried out on non-scheduled shifts). Apprentice housing: $450 per month (previously $350 per month) for additional room and board costs incurred while attending school for apprentice tradespersons who maintain permanent residence greater than 80 kilometres from institution they attend.
