Details of agreements between unions and Sheraton Vancouver and Athabasca University
The following details of labour agreements were compiled by CLV Reports, a sister publication to Canadian HR Reporter that looks at trends in collective bargaining and labour relations. For more information, visit www.hrreporter.com/clv.
Sheraton Vancouver Guildford
Surrey, B.C. (133 hotel employees) and the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), Local 3000
Renewal agreement: Effective May 1, 2009, to expire April 30, 2012. Ratified on Nov. 19, 2009, with 94 per cent voting in favour.
Wage adjustments:
May 1, 2009 – one per cent.
Nov. 1, 2009 – one per cent.
May 1, 2010 – one per cent.
Nov. 1, 2010 – one per cent.
May 1, 2011 – one per cent.
Nov. 1, 2011 – one per cent.
Paid holidays: 10, unchanged.
Vacation with pay: Three weeks after three years, four after seven, unchanged.
Overtime: Time and one-half is paid for the first three hours exceeding eight in a day, and 40 in a week, for work on the sixth day in a week and for work scheduled for a holiday. Double time is paid for all hours exceeding 11 in a day and for work on the seventh day of the week. Double time and one-half is paid for all work exceeding regular scheduled hours on a holiday. Overtime may be banked, unchanged, and is paid out on Dec. 31 of each year if not used.
Medical benefits: The company contributes $1.69, previously $1.85, to the Union Health and Welfare Plan, becoming $1.78 on Nov. 1, 2010, and $1.88 on Nov. 1, 2011.
Sick leave: Three paid care days per year for personal illness or for elder care or child care in the immediate family (spouse, child or parent). Days do not accumulate and are not paid out. An employee must have worked 1,250 hours in the previous year to be eligible. All unchanged.
Pension: The company contributes 40 cents per hour to an RRSP of the employee’s choice, unchanged.
Meal allowance: The company provides a “wholesome meal” for all employees scheduled to work five or more hours in a day, unchanged.
Rates of pay (current, after second increase): server – $13.09; room attendant/houseperson/ laundry worker – $16.55; garde manger/first cook – $18.55.
Editor’s notes: New hires’ pay: 75 per cent of the classification rate for the first four months and 87.5 per cent for the next four months, unchanged. Probation: 60 work shifts to a maximum of four months, unchanged. Discipline: Sunset clause is 12 months for verbal or written warning and 24 months for suspension, unchanged. Bereavement leave: Three days in the event of a death in the immediate family, unchanged. Paid education leave: Employer pays one cent per hour worked to the CAW’s national leadership training fund and one cent to the local union, unchanged. Severance: 12 hours’ pay per year of service upon termination. The employee must have worked 1,820 hours in the previous year; otherwise, severance is pro-rated. Uniforms: Uniforms are provided and laundered by the company, unchanged. Gratuities: Banquet gratuities are apportioned 60 per cent to bargaining unit employees, including the banquet captain (one point), server (one point), bartender/server (0.9 points), houseperson (0.5 points), unchanged, and head houseperson (one point) and 40 per cent to the company. Room attendant workload: 16 rooms per day, except 15 on Friday and 14 on Sunday. The 21st floor suites are counted as two rooms. Quadruple occupancy rooms are assigned to a maximum of 15 rooms per day. If workload includes 12 checkout rooms, the maximum is 15 rooms per day. One room is deducted for each half hour spent in a hotel meeting. If room cannot be cleaned in the allotted time, the room attendant will immediately call the manager and notify him of the circumstances, whereupon he will assess the situation.
Athabasca University
Athabasca, Alta.
(320 general support university employees) and the Alberta Union of Public Employees, Local 69
Renewal agreement: Effective July 1, 2009, to expire June 30, 2010. Ratified on Nov. 6, 2009, with “overwhelming” support.
Wage adjustments:
July 1, 2009 – four per cent.
Paid holidays: 15, including three floaters scheduled between Christmas and New Year’s Day, unchanged.
Vacation with pay: Three weeks and two days after one year, four and one day after five, one additional day per year until five weeks after 25 years and a maximum of five weeks and two days after 27, unchanged. One bonus week of vacation after 25 years.
Shift premium: 0 cents to $1.25 where the majority of the shift falls between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m. Call-in is three hours at straight time, except a full day’s pay at time and one-half for a call-in on a holiday. Standby is one hour’s pay for each four hours on standby. Acting pay is one salary grade or, if the employee is already at the top of the grid, five per cent. Responsibility pay is three per cent after five working days and five per cent after 21 working days.
Weekend premium: $1.25 for all regularly scheduled hours from Friday midnight to Sunday midnight.
Overtime: Time and one-half for the first two hours over seven hours in a day and for all hours over 35 in a week. Time and one-half for the first seven hours on a day of rest. Double time thereafter and on the second, consecutive day of rest worked.
Benefits: Benefit plan covers full-time employees and temporary employees with contracts exceeding 12 months, but excluding dental, LTD and STD. After 24 months, temporary employees are eligible for the full benefit plan. Part-time employees’ premiums are pro-rated. Discretionary benefit fund is $875 per year for full-time, pro-rated for part-time. Previously, health spending account was $750 per year, pro-rated for part-time.
Medical benefits: University-paid extended health-care plan to a monthly premium of $60.71 for single, previously $56.37, and $144.34 for family, previously $134.56, and 50 per cent of increases. No other details are available. Vision care plan to maximum premium of $4.20, previously $4.55, or $9.87 for family, previously $10.69, and 50 per cent of increases; benefit is $300, previously $200, every 24 months.
Dental: University-paid plan with maximum premium of $43.53 for single, previously $32.93, and $124.06 for family, previously $93.69, and 50 per cent of increases. Plan reimburses 100 per cent of basic and preventive care, 80 per cent of major restorative and 50 per cent of orthodontics. Annual combined maximum for basic and restorative is $2,000, previously $1,500; orthodontic lifetime maximum is $3,000, previously $2,000.
STD: Annual allowance of 10 sick days with no accumulation and no cash-out. STD plan provides 70 per cent of wages for 20 working days after sick days are exhausted. Beginning in the second year, 100 per cent for 20 days and 70 per cent for 10; in the third year, 100 per cent for 30 days; and in the fifth year, for 50 days. Employees over the age of 65 previously had a maximum of 22 days’ coverage per year.
LTD: University-paid plan; no details are available.
Life insurance: University-paid coverage; no details are available. Spousal coverage of $10,000 and dependent coverage of $5,000.
AD&D: University-paid coverage; no details are available.
Meal allowance: A meal voucher after two hours of overtime.
Rates of pay (current, after increase): casual labourer/clerical (for no more than 30 working days over three months) – $12.66; receptionist/data entry clerk (range 4) – $17.32 to $25.25 to $26.79 (LSI 4); security guard/library clerk/administrative assistant (range 3) – $18.62 to $28.42 to $30.15; help-desk analyst/student advisor/purchasing administrator (range 1) – $21.28 to $34.89 to $37.02.
Editor’s notes: Long-service increment: The first increment is earned after six years of service and one year, previously two, at the maximum of the grid. There are four annual increments, previously a second after two years. Each one is 1.4889 per cent, previously three per cent. Discipline: Sunset clause is 24 months. Workers’ compensation: Benefits are topped up to 100 per cent of salary for 100 working days. Special leave: Annual allowance of 10 days to be used for bereavement, illness, moving, medical and dental appointments, official hearings, disasters, training courses or travel related to the above. Tuition: Tuition costs are waived for one full-course equivalent for employee, spouse and dependant. Tuition for subsequent courses will be reimbursed upon successful completion.
