To the membership,
Thank you all for taking part in the democratic process in deciding all of our futures. 869 employees showed up to get informed and then vote, which is extremely important. Knowledge is power. 706 voted in favor of the non-binding recommendations, which means that the contract is ratified with a 81.2% yes vote One of the things we spoke about at the meetings was that no matter what, we are in this together. Just like any vote, what ever the group consensus lands is where we all go. Be frustrated with the Company, but there is no reason to be frustrated with each other. The majority has spoken, time to move on. Be proud of the significant language which will improve the lives of workers at HVC. There are great improvements that will help employees on a wide variety of issues over the next five years. Over the next few weeks, things should get back to normal. We will be working diligently on the new book, which will take some time to edit. Back pay should come about in the next few paychecks, and we can update everyone on when that might occur. If there are specific questions regarding unique circumstances, email me directly at [email protected] so they can be tracked. We are also going to put out information on CUMIS for everyone to read. CUMIS is our RRSP provider for USW, their rate of returns has been great over the last while, and if you are not signed up for payroll deductions, you should consider the long term benefit of putting away for your future. The more you save now, the more you have to play with when you retire. Thank you all for your participation in this process. In solidarity, United Steelworkers Local 7619 Bargaining Committee To the membership,
To the membership,
As of 12:21PM Sunday afternoon, United Steelworkers Local 7619 will be legal position to take strike action. The mediators reported to the board yesterday at 12:21PM, in an attempt to move the parties. Your bargaining committee has stood strong on the positions given to us by you, the membership, many months ago and this has not changed today. Updates have been difficult, as we are still engaged as a committee working through the remaining issues. Wages, sick days and CPI are still on the table. With the deadline approaching, a strike or lockout is a reality. We have been working behind the scenes to put many people in place in key positions to endure a strike or lockout. We have the following committees established; Strike, Picket, Finance, Health and Wellness, along with many others we will be asking for assistance with. We have been working on a Q&A regarding strike and lockouts that will come out later tonight, to help answer some of the many questions that come with what happens next. One of the biggest questions is “what happens to me at 12:21 PM on Sunday afternoon?”. The easiest answer is that you MUST wait for a message from this bargaining committee or your CAT team member, as negotiations may still be ongoing. All employees must continue to work without interruption until there is clear direction on what happens next. As we count down the clock, our focus remains on securing a contract with HVC. Remember, solidarity works. In Solidarity, United Steelworkers Local 7619 Bargaining Committee To the membership,
The parties have agreed to continue mediation, starting on Friday, January 14th, at 9AM, in attempt to reach a collective agreement without a labor dispute. The Company has refused to address issues on Sick Days, CPI and wages. To that point, we will be serving Strike Notice at 4PM on Tuesday, January 11th. As we continue to negotiate with the Company, we need your continued support on the floor. Keep in touch with your CAT team members, as they will have up to date information as we progress. In Solidarity, USW 7619 Bargaining Committee To the Membership,
We met with the company via zoom to bargain today and made no progress. We will serve strike notice next week. By law we must wait 72 hours between when we serve notice to the Labour Relations Board and when we can begin our strike action. We are scheduled to meet next week in an attempt to reach a collective agreement with the help of Mediator's Vince Ready and Corinn Bell before then. Expect more communication through your CAT teams. Remember Solidarity Works. To the membership,
We have made progress over the last two days, with yesterdays session ending at 4am. The mediators have adjourned discussions due to scheduling conflicts, but have agreed to bring the parties together Saturday morning, Jan 8th, at 9:30 AM. In solidarity, United Steelworkers Local 7619 Bargaining Committee Good Evening Steelworkers,
First and foremost, thank you to everyone who took time out of their busy schedule to attend the strike vote. Our message at the meetings has been consistent. We took your demands to the bargaining table, and the Company said No. With 837 members attending the vote, the strike mandate has been given. At 99.9% percent, that mandate is clear. It’s a strong message to Teck, their current offer is not enough. With that, we must take a slight pause. The Mediators have offered dates of January 3rd and 4th, which all parties have accepted. This is a good thing, as all of us need a break to enjoy the holidays, family, friends, and the new year. We can get back to the table with a renewed vigor to get a great agreement for all of us, something that we can be proud of. In solidarity, United Steelworkers Local 7619 Bargaining Committee To the Membership,
Due to the strike vote rules, you must attend this meeting in person in order to vote. There will be no proxy or absentee votes. We have created as many meetings as possible to cover all shifts at least once, as we have multiple start and stop times in each area due to Covid. Yes, based on your specific drive/start/end time, you may have to wait a short period of time prior to the start of the meeting. Yes, you must hear what we have to say prior to voting, stations will not be open until we have had a chance to speak. For those who are in outlying areas, this vote is important. It is your chance to hear what the bargaining committee is been up against, to make a choice about your future. No vote, no voice. In solidarity, United Steelworkers Local 7619 Bargaining Unit Committee To the membership,
"Anyone can bargain a strike." Do not count that out. However, over the last 48hrs we have made some significant headway towards securing the best possible deal. While that is a good step forward, do not read into it that we are taking long summer walks with the employer and hugging around the campfire. We have fought at every step of the way throughout the last 40 days of bargaining to secure that deal. We knew when we met on the morning of day one that we would be where we are today. They pleaded with us to be polite and not to bully or be abusive to them. We stifled our laughter and manifested anger, listened as they begged us to be kind. The thing they don't realize is, unlike them, we have a moral compass. Our conduct would never betray our moral consciousness. We knew what their plan was from day one. We knew we had to let it play out, and we applaud the membership for your patience and discipline. We understand your frustration. Today, we look back at the recent 6 months; a pandemic, evacuations from wildfires, evacuations from flooding. With an impending storm far worse than that of Nov 14th, 2021, we stand before our membership to inform you that the employer has positioned themselves foolishly by failing to get a deal with us at 2am this morning. Not only weeks before Christmas, but while many of our members are still evacuated from their homes. Every contract brings the exact same reprehensible employer we all know to the table. They do not care about you. They didn't care about you yesterday, and they won't care about you tomorrow. They've never cared about you. They did not care that our members were cut off behind blazing forest fires or now behind raging flood waters. They have only come to the plate and done the right thing because we have shamed them into it. The time for being polite is over. The time for being nice is over. The time to hold them accountable is now. We prepared a fair proposal, with wage increases across each year, improvements on the pension, the removal of the copper bonus CPI, more time off and paid sick days. We proposed a modest increase on the boot allowance and vision care. We proposed to remove or permanently fix the issues with Sunlife. We have proposed incentives for shift workers and trades. We have proposed modifications in the tech change language to protect workers. They came back with an insignificant and insulting wage increases. In this day and age, 2021, we fought for 8 days over toilets. Toilets... We fought for whether our members should be able to use a toilet instead of shitting in a bucket in someone else's work area. Remember, the employer removed all of the Porta potties last contract so they could save $46,000. We argued for 6 days over the letter S. The difference between Representative and Representatives. And in the end more than 1 Representative is plural anyways. It's called the English fucking language. We have been battling this kind of stupidity from the onset. And frankly, we were embarrassed for them. But now. Now it's time. It's time for a 100% Strike Vote. They said No, you don't need a wage to meet inflation. No, you don't need an improvement in your health coverage. No, you don't need dry boots. No, you don’t need paid sick days as the Government mandates for the rest of BC. They're comfortable with where you are. They're comfortable with replacing you with Autonomous robots. When they're gloating in our faces about the billions they're making while replacing you with mechanical bots, make no mistake, they fully intend to take your very livelihood. This battle is only one of a series of battles ahead. If you falter now, you will only lose more as time goes on. Lose wage gains now, you'll lose thousands in a year and hundreds of thousands over your career. You'll lose your jobs. And Teck will smile as they put all your wages, pension and benefits into their pockets. Their families will prosper, while your families suffer. And you know what. The employer is comfortable with that. We are organizing further dates with the mediator and the Company. We are into the final steps and actively organizing the strike vote. You will be informed of locations and timings to attend shortly. Remember, it’s just a rumor unless you hear it directly from us or a CAT team member. If you do not know who your CAT team member is, contact your bargaining rep. In solidarity, USW Local 7619 Bargaining Committee To the Membership,
This week has been much like riding in a hot air balloon. With each attempt we made to maintain a weighted conversation and hold productive discussion at the table, the wind of empty words rustled the papers on our desks each time the company spoke. While Teck's CEO continues to publicly gloat about record profits in Q3 and goes on to proclaim that Q4 will far surpass this last quarter, the Company's bargaining committee floats in and out of the room hoping their troubles will be blown away by the mediator. We're quite sure that they've struggled with the dilemma of how to walk away from the table that they haven't really sat at since we started monetary discussions. Unsurprisingly, the Company officially walked away from the table today. We refuse to bargain with ourselves. We refuse to nickel and dime our contract to a place where they feel good about how little they gave, while they are putting $20 million per week into their bank account. So what does that mean for all of us? It’s the short time we have to wait for non-binding mediation, to speak to the remaining items to see if a mediator can push the parties in the right direction. It also means that we cannot hold a strike vote until we have had an opportunity to address these issues with the mediator. For those who haven’t been part of this process before, mediation is not abnormal. We urge everyone to remain calm and focused on the task at hand. Our time is near and remaining disciplined will ensure we get back to the table to secure a fair deal. Do not be surprised, your bargaining team will be back on-site briefly. Feel free to speak with us but understand that because of the fact we are still midway through bargaining we cannot divulge any information of what is being discussed at the table. You need to continue trusting us as we continue our trust in you. We have not confirmed dates with Mr. Ready, but indication is mid to late November, if not earlier. As soon as we know more, the membership will as well. As always, thank you for the support. In solidarity, United Steelworkers Local 7619 Bargaining Committee |
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August 2021
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