Happy New Year To All Members

On behalf of the Full Time Officers, Executive Board  and Office Staff I would like to wish all members and their loved ones a very happy and prosperous New Year.

2004 Shaping Up To Be An Interesting But Challenging Year

We are negotiating two new collective agreements for both Handi-Bus and Cafeteria members.

 Handi-Bus negotiations will prove to be a pinnacle of all negotiations to come.  City paid operational budget, which in turn interferes with the operation of Calgary Handi-Bus.  ACCESS Calgary telling our members what to do over the radio.  Violating our collective agreement with Calgary Handi-Bus.  John Hubbell and his newly appointed micro manager, Karim Karani, will learn in the very near future that this type of abuse of a collective agreement will not be tolerated by Local 583 and its members.

Cafeteria negotiations will also prove to be interesting.  The consistent behaviour by the board where we have “no money”.  Removing our Cafeteria’s from Anderson Road, Victoria Park, Enmax, machines have taken over Anderson and Victoria Park.  When all information was gathered by Tom Palin and John Hubbell, “machines were to be the answer”.  Well guess what?  “Surprise, surprise”, not working.  Fresh food was supposed to be made at City Hall Cafeteria and brought to Anderson and Victoria Park garages daily.  Well, the fresh food comes from Edmonton and I can assure you it’s not daily. 

Calgary Transit, ie. John Hubbell comes up with a Health and Wellness program.  The last time I checked, what we eat is a big part of our Health and Wellness program.  Try getting a fresh salad from a machine, amazing what we interpret.  At Anderson garage, Victoria Park and Spring Gardens our members have a food truck bring them their food daily.  Machines are no longer making money, “surprise, surprise”. 

Reconstructing of City Hall Cafeteria, “costs money”, addition of Back Door Java and 5^th floor, “costs money”, paying rent to City Hall, “costs money”, something we didn’t do in the past.  City Hall tells manager, Tom Palin, what they want to see served in the cafeteria at City Hall and for this you pay rent.  Health and Wellness program sounds like a  forgotten  entity  by  City Hall.   Money,  money  is  the driver for City Hall.  In turn our members are told, Cafeteria has “no money” to negotiate a fair wage for its employees, our members of Local 583.  Well, watch and learn, this round will be most interesting. The new collective agreement has been printed and distributed.  If you haven’t received one come to the office or the regular monthly union meeting and get one.  These new contracts will be the constant reminder on what both management and union agreed upon. By signing the document, communication, an important tool for both parties.  Health and Safety in the workplace, Provincial and Federal legislation, new MEBAC deal, what it means to you the member.  Continuation of new governance meetings will take place, who do the members and their representatives go to with complaints, who’s the point person, who’s in charge, who knows what they’re talking about?

  Duty to accommodate – meetings will continue by both management and union representatives.  Both parties still believe when all is said and done we could have the most progressive and fair accommodation policy in North America.

November – 2004 Union Elections

It will be that time again where members will decide who will lead and represent them for the following three years.  Look, listen, attend meetings, ask questions.  This will help all of us in your decision making.  No doubt you will hear all types of rumours, the nay sayers will be out in full force.  We all know who they are, the ones who sit back and do nothing for this Local.  The ones who couldn’t be bothered to attend a monthly general membership meeting to stay informed.  The ones who used to be our Union representatives, you know, couldn’t be bothered to walk the picket line with 84% of you the members.  The ones who also couldn’t be bothered to attend meetings to voice opinions, who just sit back and damn everything the Union and its membership are fighting for.  Our father’s before us fought for our freedom to be able to pick and choose, to grow up with ideas, to express them.  So look, listen, ask questions, attend meetings, get informed.  Don’t let the nay-sayers decide your future.

By-Law Changes For 2004

            Changes in our Local By-Laws will take place in the near future.  Any member who would like to see changes happen should put in writing their ideas and forward them to my attention at the Union office A.S.A.P.  Recommendations will be voted on by you the membership.  A special committee will be formed to make recommendations on wages, per diems and expenses for the full time officers and executive board.  Again, you the membership will vote on this.

                                                           In Solidarity,

        DEAN R. McKERNESS

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EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT - OPERATIONS

            Well the holiday season has come and gone and I hope that you and yours had a very enjoyable season.

            Now it appears it will be business as usual.  Not really, what it does look like is that management has declared war.  They have refused to allow us to attend accident appeal hearings and they are refusing to hear some grievances.  They are attempting to tell us what we will and will not do.  In one case we had to tell them if they did not schedule the hearing we would be sending the matter to the Labour Board.

            I have to state that the old Chief Executive Officer wanted nothing more than management to work together with the unions to attempt to keep harmony and to ensure that the city’s most important resource, the employees, are taken care of.

            I had the opportunity to meet with Owen Tobert, the new Chief Executive Officer and in our short conversation it appears that he wants the same relationship.  I hope that he sends this message to the business units soon.  As I stated, at the present time, there does not appear to be a working relationship.

            Prior to Christmas I was fortunate in attending a social function put on by the Sieks community.  I was seated with Mr. Hubbell and Mr. Thompson.  At one point during the evening I invited Mr. Thompson to lunch to attempt to establish some sort of working relationship.  I was turned down, so I commented to Mr. Hubbell that I had made an effort but got the usual response.  He told me to keep trying.  The question I have to ask, is this a one-sided street?  We make the effort and management responds when it suits them.  I must tell you I am not interested in a relationship like that.  This membership deserves more.

Redeployment

            Management has informed us that they are under funded and with the recent budget they did not receive enough money to pay for everything.  So they have had to cut positions.  They started out by telling us that they had to remove two management exempt positions and three union positions.  The union positions will be the travel trainer position that is currently vacant, an apprentice position that again is not filled and a secretary 6 position.  As for the management exempt positions we were not told who they would be.  The person that is presently in the secretary 6 position will have to move into the call center as there are four vacant positions there.  This employee has been with the city for 27 years.  This is how management recognizes a long term union employee.

            I have to say that having vacant positions is fundamentally wrong, it causes additional work loads to the other employees in the area as they have to attempt to perform the functions of the vacant job.  The secretary 6 position is one of the highest office positions available to our membership.  Losing this position is simply not acceptable.  This person worked as the secretary to the Manager of Operations and her work load was more than sufficient to keep her busy all day.  There is also a secretary 4 in the work area that offers support to this office.  Now the Manager of Operations and two Manager’s from Maintenance are moving to Victoria Park garage and they are saying that their secretary can assume the responsibilities of both positions.  Even though she has enough work to do presently as well.  Mr. Thompson is responsible for 1800 operators and support staff.  There are around 500 in the maintenance area.  Mr. Thompson has up until now had two secretaries to get his work done.  Believe me when I say we will be taking the loss of this position as far as possible to ensure that we keep our membership and our positions.  It is interesting to point out that in December Calgary Transit added a new Manager of Strategic Planning, even though they did not get as much funding in the budget as they wanted.  I don’t know what his exact salary is but I have been told it is around $105,000.00 per year.  I can guarantee you a secretary 6 position will not cover his wage.  No one will be able to convince me that this position was eliminated  for anything other than political issues.  You see this individual, as well as being a shop steward, was also responsible for writing news issues during the strike of 2001.  It is my opinion the real reason that she is being redeployed is due to her involvement in those publications.

                                                    DOUG JOHANNES

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RECORDING SECRETARY – MAINTENANCE

                               OFFICE REPRESENTATIVE

            Here it is another brand new year and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody for the great support received in the past year.  I would especially like to thank all the hard working and diligent Stewards for their daily contributions, the three great women in the office (Diane, Shelley and Carol) and my three fellow colleagues, Dean, Doug and Mike.  I feel the year 2003 was a team effort and many people worked very hard to accomplish this goal.  Because of the special efforts of the above-mentioned people along with many other people, good things were achieved for the members of Local 583.  There are still many battles to be won and lots of work to be done.  However, the task of achieving these goals can be accomplished better if we are all working as a team.

            The year 2004 brings many challenges to the forefront, the implementing of the four-day work-week for the maintenance and office staff, negotiating a contract for Calgary Handi-Bus and the Cafeteria members and dealing with duty to accommodate, just to mention a few.  I know with the support of our members and everybody working towards the same goal, great things can be accomplished for the members of ATU Local 583 in the New Year.

            I would like to talk about the accident appeal program and what is currently taking place.  In the past when a member was attending an accident appeal hearing they have been allowed to have a union officer in the meeting as an observer.  The member must represent himself and the union officer is not allowed to say anything in the hearing.  The union officer is only allowed to be an observer.  In late December of 2003 an individual appealed an accident and asked for a full time union officer to be in attendance at the accident appeal hearing as an observer.  Management denied the member the right to have a full time officer in attendance at the appeal hearing.  It has been past practice for many years to have a union officer in attendance at an accident appeal hearing if the member so desired.  Management has just arbitrarily decided to change the policy without negotiating or discussing it with the union.  Once again it appears management is adopting the attitude that a contract has been signed for the next few years so they will darn well do as they please.

            Personally I have only attended three accident appeal hearings.  On one occasion I was denied from going into an accident appeal hearing.  I complained to upper management and was told the training officer conducting the meeting had made a mistake by not letting me into the meeting.  J.P. Boyes, lead training officer, later gave me an apology for the training officer’s mistake.  Other union officers have only been requested to attend one or two accident appeal hearings as observers over the past years.  I wonder what management is afraid of or trying to hide by not letting an observer attend an accident appeal.  The last time I checked the stats on accident appeals only two appeals  were overturned out of sixty, thus 58 appeals resulted in chargeable accidents and only two were non-chargeable accidents.

            It is my opinion as a full time officer, all accident appeals should be treated as grievances in the future where all members can have fair representation.  A letter has been sent to management by the union officers indicating that all accident appeals will be treated as grievances in the future.  I personally feel that this matter must be fought to whatever extent necessary to make sure members get fair representation.  If this means going to  arbitration, the Labour Board or the Supreme Court I feel this is necessary  in order to let management know they can’t take negotiated rights away from Local 583 members.

                                                   SYD BANKS

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FINANCIAL SECRETARY-TREASURER

            If you are a City of Calgary employee, one of the changes to your level 2 or 3 benefits in 2003 was the $200.00 Health Spending Account (H.S.A.) .  Among other things, it covers expenses such as dental and glasses, when they exceed what they are normally insured for.  As an example, your glasses are covered  for $300.00 every two years.  If you submit a claim for this and your invoice was $400.00, the $100.00 automatically flows to your (H.S.A.) for its next reimbursement date.  Many people are not aware that your H.S.A. also covers any premiums you paid towards your Extended Health or Dental Plans between July 1 and December 31, 2003.  However, this is not automatic.  If you have not used the full $200.00 in your account you must apply for a reimbursement of premiums using the Blue Cross Health Spending Account Claim Form.  You must apply for this within 60 days of the end of the year.  Forms are available at www.ab.bluecross.ca, your employer or the Union office.  It could be the easiest $200.00 tax-free dollars you ever earned.  For further information check your May 2003 Benefits newsletter at the City’s HR website.

            We have been meeting with Calgary Handi-Bus and Calgary Transit trying to find a resolve to the Red Light multi-nova tickets.  We have not been able to come to a resolve with either employer.  In fact, Handi-Bus has now disciplined an operator for receiving a ticket and we have filed a policy grievance over it.  We have yet to see the City policy but it’s becoming apparent that we won’t resolve the issue at S.C.O.I.  It sounds like they are going to discipline at some point too, so we will probably be going ahead with the grievance there.  We’ll keep you posted.

            If you are on disability benefits and the medical evidence shows it is unlikely you will be returning to your base position, the City sends a letter stating they will be releasing your position so that they can fill it.  They provide a lot of information in this package that may be of use to you.  However, the piece that causes me concern happens to be the same one they act on the most.  It is a rehabilitation offer that you have to participate in and it sounds good on the surface, but the rehabilitation centers around job search and resume skills with a strong focus on looking for work outside of the City.  If you have significant medical restrictions and leave the employ of the City, you will no longer be covered under the benefits plan.  You will no longer contribute to your pension either.  Your chances of finding meaningful employment may be somewhat restricted also.  The City has a legal responsibility to accommodate you and if totally disabled, your benefits are protected until age 65.  Know your rights and protect what is owed to you.  If you’re not sure, call the Union.

                                                                     MIKE MAHAR

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 For Your Information……

UNION

MEETINGS

CHARTER  MEETING

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10/04

10:00 A.M.   &   7:30 P.M.

AGENDA

HANDI-BUS LOCAL 583

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12/04

CAFETERIA  LOCAL  583

A.T.U. 583 UNION OFFICE
5325 – 1A STREET S.W.
ONLY SIGNED UP MEMBERS
OF LOCAL 583 MAY ATTEND

UPCOMING  MEETINGS:

Feb. 3 /04      -  Social Committee          -  7:30 p.m.

Feb. 4/04        -  Stewards Meeting         -  7:00 p.m.

Feb.18/04       -  Health & Safety            -  7:30 p.m.

Feb.16/04       -  Support Group              -  7:00 p.m.

/sw

OPEIU #379

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Amalgamated Transit Union # 583

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