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UNION BARGAINING UPDATE FOR LODGE EMPLOYEES, DECEMBER 11, 2009
BARGAINING COMMENCES FOR PTI BUFFALO METIS CATERING LODGES
The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401 represents hundreds of employees who work for PTI (Buffalo Métis Catering) in the Fort McMurray Area. The collective bargaining process for those employees commenced on Monday December 7th in Edmonton. Bargaining continued until Friday December 11th.
Employees in the lodges provide housing and catering services to thousands of individuals and workers who are involved in the oil industry.
On Tuesday December 8th the Company and the Union exchanged proposals for a new contract. The Union brought a 62 page document to the table outlining general and specific proposals for workplace changes and improvements to benefits and wages. The proposals are based on surveys and meetings conducted with Union members from the lodges held over a number of months.
Company proposals only formed a four page document. It is too early to tell what proposals the company will “push” and which might be withdrawn or amended. The initial proposals do not include any wage or benefit improvements, and suggest certain takeaways in employee rights, including forcing employees to vacate their rooms at their lodge if they are away from that lodge for 7 days or more. The current requirement is to vacate if absent for 21 days or more.
It is important not to overreact or to make any final predictions about negotiations based on the Union or Company’s initial proposals. However, the Company could have chosen to adopt a more positive opening proposal.
It is worth mentioning that one of the special topics we dealt with during this bargaining session was a focus on working conditions at Wapasu. Employees from that lodge told the Company that there was a fundamental and growing problem with that workplace. It is hard to describe the problem fully or to know what the exact solution is, but topics of dialogue included: excessive workloads, staff shortages, managerial indifference, scheduling problems, discipline and retribution concerns, vacation and time off issues, etc. Employees from Kelsey/McKenzie, Athabasca, Beaver River and Conklin also expressed their concerns and many of them echoed what the Wapasu employees had to say.
The Union has three full time Union negotiators at the bargaining table. They are accompanied by 12 lodge employees. They are as follows:
| DON ISAAC |
ATHABASCA LODGE |
JANITOR |
| LUCIEN – PASCAL PAULIN |
ATHABASCA LODGE |
COMMISSARY |
| GILETTE VIENNEAU |
BEAVER RIVER EXECUTIVE LODGE |
KITCHEN WORKER |
| DUNCAN MCDONELL |
BEAVER RIVER EXECUTIVE LODGE |
COOK |
| THERESE VIENNEAU |
CONKLIN LODGE |
HOUSEKEEPING |
| AMY MUSIC |
CONKLIN LODGE |
HOUSEKEEPING |
| CLAUDIA BLANCHETTE |
KELSEY LODGE |
JANITOR/DRIVER |
| JEANNINE MORIN |
MCKENZIE LODGE |
HOUSKEEPING |
| MELVIN VANEGAS |
WAPASU CREEK LODGE |
COMMISSARY |
| SYLVIE LANDRY |
WAPASU CREEK LODGE |
HOUSEKEEPING/DRIVER |
| CRYSTAL POWER |
WAPASU CREEK LODGE |
FRONT DESK |
| MARY BRAKE |
WAPASU CREEK LODGE |
HOUSEKEEPING |
Your Union is working to ensure that bargaining dates will be scheduled again as soon as possible. Questions about bargaining should be directed to full-time Union Representative Lorrain Pilotte at 1-800-252-7975.
Lorraine will be happy to discuss the collective bargaining process with you further. However, privacy rules do prevent us from revealing certain details of the bargaining discussions. The Union, during bargaining, provides examples to the Company of situations involving real people to justify bargaining proposals. Those individuals are entitled to have their privacy respected. Also, it is important to the process to ensure that free discussion can take place between Union bargaining committee members and Company officials without too much external scrutiny.
Our Union reserves the right to communicate fully with our members about bargaining. Union members pay Union dues and have a critical interest in knowing what happens during their negotiations. After every bargaining session we will be making a judgement regarding how much information is appropriately revealed but you always be updated.
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