Drayton Valley, Alta. (135 production employees) and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Services Workers International Union (USW), Local 1-207
Renewal agreement: Effective April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2023. Ratified on Nov. 18, 2018. Signed on Nov. 4, 2018.
Wage adjustments:
Effective April 2, 2018: 2.5%
Effective April 1, 2019: 2%
Effective March 30, 2020: 2%
Effective March 29, 2021: 2%
Effective April 4, 2022: 2.5%
Shift premium: $0.50 per hour for designated advanced first-aid attendants. $0.10 per hour for all other employees holding valid industrial (advanced) first-aid certificates. $0.50 per hour for employees who have successfully completed first-aid training. $0.60 per hour (previously $0.50 per hour) for employees working on other than recognized day shift.
Paid holidays: 10 days, plus 2 personal floating holidays (after 90 days on payroll).
Vacations with pay: 2 weeks after 1 year, 3 weeks after 5 years,
Overtime: Time and one-half for all work in excess of regularly scheduled hours for that day; all work after 40 hours per week; all work on Sunday or scheduled day of rest; work on holiday. Double time for all work after 12 hours per day; work on Sunday.
Meal allowance: $12 if an employee works 2 hours or more of unscheduled overtime immediately following shift.
Medical benefits: Employer will provide Alberta Health Care insurance. Employer pays 100% of premiums for extended health-care plan.
Dental: Employer pays 100% of premiums for coverage of 100% reimbursement of basic services, endodontics, periodontics, major surgery; 50% reimbursement of prosthetics, crowns, bridges. $2,500 per person per year coverage. 60% reimbursement (lifetime maximum $3,000) for each child for orthodontics.
Vision: $250 per person in any 24-consecutive month period (once per 12 months for dependants 14 or younger with prescription change) for lenses, frames, contact lenses.
Weekly indemnity: Employer pays 100% of premiums for coverage of 66 2/3% of weekly earnings or $447 per week, whichever is greater.
LTD: Employer pays 50% of premiums, employee pays 50% premiums for coverage of 50% of normal annual earnings, less offsets, from date of expiration of weekly indemnity coverage.
AD&D: Employer pays 100% of premiums for coverage of 2 times employee’s base annual income.
Life insurance: Employer pays 100% of premiums for coverage of 2 times employee’s base annual income.
Pension: Employer pays 100% of costs for DB pension plan. Effective Jan. 1, 2019: New employees will contribute 6%, employer will contribute 7.25% into plan.
Bereavement leave: 1 complete set of regular work shifts for death of spouse, child. 3 days for death in immediate family.
Seniority – recall rights: 8 months to start; 1 year, plus 1 month per year of service (maximum 6 months), after 1 year of service.
Call-in pay: Minimum of 4 hours at time and one-half or overtime worked, whichever is greater, for employees called back to work after having left plant after completion of shift, on designated day off or on statutory holiday, due to emergency or other reasons.
Probationary period: 45 working days.
Discipline: Sunset clause is 24 months.
Severance: 10 days’ pay for each year of service, maximum 52 weeks in event of permanent or partial closure.
Safety shoes: $175 per year (previously $150 per year) for 1 or more pairs of CSA-approved safety boots that are ankle height or higher. Employer will provide winter safety boots, rubber safety boots to employees where this personal protective equipment is necessary to perform work on regular basis.
Uniforms/clothing: Employer will provide, replace aprons (for grinding room employees, hard hats and liners, dust protection (disposable), eye protection, ear protection (disposable and non-disposable), gloves, bucking pants for the yard crew, leather aprons for graders. Employer will make coveralls available to employees handling resins and similar substances. Employer will provide coveralls to tradesmen, oilers, small and large log-line operators.
Tool allowance: Employer will supply metric or specialty tools required by tradesmen.
Sample rates of hourly pay (current, after 8.8% increase):
Operator kilns: $33.46 rising 4 steps to $36.39
Oiler: $34.41 rising 4 steps to $37.43
Non-traditional roles: $38.09 rising 4 steps to $41.43
Lead hand/value tech, quality assurance/safety coordinator/trades-person (ticketed): $42.06 rising 4 steps to $45.75
Apprentice first year: $31.62 rising 4 steps to $34.40
Apprentice second year (with successful completion of year one): $33.81 rising 4 steps to $36.78
Apprentice third year (with successful completion of year two): $36.01 rising 4 steps to $39.17
Apprentice fourth year (with successful completion of year three): $38.44 rising 4 steps to $41.82
Spark watcher/weekend: $29.27 rising 4 steps to $31.83
Stick system attendant/bander helper/clean-up, s.m./clean-up, p.m.: $29.52 rising 4 steps to $32.11
Sorter chaser, sawmill/mill infeed operator: $29.67 rising 4 steps to $32.27
Sorter chaser, planer-mill/clean-up, maintenance: $29.84 rising 4 steps to $32.46
Trim block operator: $30.04 rising 4 steps to $32.67
Trimmer feeder/deck chaser: $30.52 rising 4 steps to $33.20
Bander op., recording, p.m./planer feeder, hoist/stacker operator, sawmill: $30.80 rising 4 steps to $33.50
Forklift operator, planer infeed/ forklift operator, kiln, weekend/forklift operator, sawmill/truck driver, waste truck/forklift operator, planer outfeed: $31.39 rising 4 steps to $34.14
Optimized edger feeder/forklift operator, shipping: $31.70 rising 4 steps to $34.48
Utility operator 3/debarker op. 27” & 17”/utility operator 2/crane op./cat 345, logyard/crane op., Komatsu 650, mill feed/utility operator 1: $32.37 rising 4 steps to $35.21
Log loader, cat 966, ctl yard: $32.73 rising 4 steps to $35.60
Canter, edger op./log cut-off op., merchandizer: $33.10 rising 4 steps to $35.10
Automated grading machine attendant, dry stacker: $33.48 rising 4 steps to $36.41
Canter, quad saws, edger op.: $33.86 rising 4 steps to $36.83
Editor’s notes: Medical forms: Employer will pay, maximum $50 per form for each employee, for completion of medical forms filled out by doctor when requested by employer or insurance carrier. Medical travel allowance: $1,050 over 5-year term of agreement, maximum $400 in any 1 year. Education trust fund: Employer will contribute $0.05 per hour to United Steelworkers, Local 1-207 trust fund. Humanity fund: Employer will contribute $20 per year to United Steelworkers, Local 1-207 humanity fund.
Wage adjustments:
Effective April 2, 2018: 2.5%
Effective April 1, 2019: 2%
Effective March 30, 2020: 2%
Effective March 29, 2021: 2%
Effective April 4, 2022: 2.5%
Shift premium: $0.50 per hour for designated advanced first-aid attendants. $0.10 per hour for all other employees holding valid industrial (advanced) first-aid certificates. $0.50 per hour for employees who have successfully completed first-aid training. $0.60 per hour (previously $0.50 per hour) for employees working on other than recognized day shift.
Paid holidays: 10 days, plus 2 personal floating holidays (after 90 days on payroll).
Vacations with pay: 2 weeks after 1 year, 3 weeks after 5 years,
Overtime: Time and one-half for all work in excess of regularly scheduled hours for that day; all work after 40 hours per week; all work on Sunday or scheduled day of rest; work on holiday. Double time for all work after 12 hours per day; work on Sunday.
Meal allowance: $12 if an employee works 2 hours or more of unscheduled overtime immediately following shift.
Medical benefits: Employer will provide Alberta Health Care insurance. Employer pays 100% of premiums for extended health-care plan.
Dental: Employer pays 100% of premiums for coverage of 100% reimbursement of basic services, endodontics, periodontics, major surgery; 50% reimbursement of prosthetics, crowns, bridges. $2,500 per person per year coverage. 60% reimbursement (lifetime maximum $3,000) for each child for orthodontics.
Vision: $250 per person in any 24-consecutive month period (once per 12 months for dependants 14 or younger with prescription change) for lenses, frames, contact lenses.
Weekly indemnity: Employer pays 100% of premiums for coverage of 66 2/3% of weekly earnings or $447 per week, whichever is greater.
LTD: Employer pays 50% of premiums, employee pays 50% premiums for coverage of 50% of normal annual earnings, less offsets, from date of expiration of weekly indemnity coverage.
AD&D: Employer pays 100% of premiums for coverage of 2 times employee’s base annual income.
Life insurance: Employer pays 100% of premiums for coverage of 2 times employee’s base annual income.
Pension: Employer pays 100% of costs for DB pension plan. Effective Jan. 1, 2019: New employees will contribute 6%, employer will contribute 7.25% into plan.
Bereavement leave: 1 complete set of regular work shifts for death of spouse, child. 3 days for death in immediate family.
Seniority – recall rights: 8 months to start; 1 year, plus 1 month per year of service (maximum 6 months), after 1 year of service.
Call-in pay: Minimum of 4 hours at time and one-half or overtime worked, whichever is greater, for employees called back to work after having left plant after completion of shift, on designated day off or on statutory holiday, due to emergency or other reasons.
Probationary period: 45 working days.
Discipline: Sunset clause is 24 months.
Severance: 10 days’ pay for each year of service, maximum 52 weeks in event of permanent or partial closure.
Safety shoes: $175 per year (previously $150 per year) for 1 or more pairs of CSA-approved safety boots that are ankle height or higher. Employer will provide winter safety boots, rubber safety boots to employees where this personal protective equipment is necessary to perform work on regular basis.
Uniforms/clothing: Employer will provide, replace aprons (for grinding room employees, hard hats and liners, dust protection (disposable), eye protection, ear protection (disposable and non-disposable), gloves, bucking pants for the yard crew, leather aprons for graders. Employer will make coveralls available to employees handling resins and similar substances. Employer will provide coveralls to tradesmen, oilers, small and large log-line operators.
Tool allowance: Employer will supply metric or specialty tools required by tradesmen.
Sample rates of hourly pay (current, after 8.8% increase):
Operator kilns: $33.46 rising 4 steps to $36.39
Oiler: $34.41 rising 4 steps to $37.43
Non-traditional roles: $38.09 rising 4 steps to $41.43
Lead hand/value tech, quality assurance/safety coordinator/trades-person (ticketed): $42.06 rising 4 steps to $45.75
Apprentice first year: $31.62 rising 4 steps to $34.40
Apprentice second year (with successful completion of year one): $33.81 rising 4 steps to $36.78
Apprentice third year (with successful completion of year two): $36.01 rising 4 steps to $39.17
Apprentice fourth year (with successful completion of year three): $38.44 rising 4 steps to $41.82
Spark watcher/weekend: $29.27 rising 4 steps to $31.83
Stick system attendant/bander helper/clean-up, s.m./clean-up, p.m.: $29.52 rising 4 steps to $32.11
Sorter chaser, sawmill/mill infeed operator: $29.67 rising 4 steps to $32.27
Sorter chaser, planer-mill/clean-up, maintenance: $29.84 rising 4 steps to $32.46
Trim block operator: $30.04 rising 4 steps to $32.67
Trimmer feeder/deck chaser: $30.52 rising 4 steps to $33.20
Bander op., recording, p.m./planer feeder, hoist/stacker operator, sawmill: $30.80 rising 4 steps to $33.50
Forklift operator, planer infeed/ forklift operator, kiln, weekend/forklift operator, sawmill/truck driver, waste truck/forklift operator, planer outfeed: $31.39 rising 4 steps to $34.14
Optimized edger feeder/forklift operator, shipping: $31.70 rising 4 steps to $34.48
Utility operator 3/debarker op. 27” & 17”/utility operator 2/crane op./cat 345, logyard/crane op., Komatsu 650, mill feed/utility operator 1: $32.37 rising 4 steps to $35.21
Log loader, cat 966, ctl yard: $32.73 rising 4 steps to $35.60
Canter, edger op./log cut-off op., merchandizer: $33.10 rising 4 steps to $35.10
Automated grading machine attendant, dry stacker: $33.48 rising 4 steps to $36.41
Canter, quad saws, edger op.: $33.86 rising 4 steps to $36.83
Editor’s notes: Medical forms: Employer will pay, maximum $50 per form for each employee, for completion of medical forms filled out by doctor when requested by employer or insurance carrier. Medical travel allowance: $1,050 over 5-year term of agreement, maximum $400 in any 1 year. Education trust fund: Employer will contribute $0.05 per hour to United Steelworkers, Local 1-207 trust fund. Humanity fund: Employer will contribute $20 per year to United Steelworkers, Local 1-207 humanity fund.
