The United Steelworkers Union Local 1-405 (USW) membership at the City of Kimberley have ratified a new four-year agreement by a majority vote September 6 at Centennial Hall.

Following a six-month process to get a collective agreement, improvements in contract language, benefits and a six per cent wage increase over the four-year span were achieved by the hard work of the bargaining committee.

Improvements in the following areas were achieved:

Union bulletin boards;
bereavement leave (inclusion of grandparents-in-law); Inclusion of Operator 1,2 3 into the agreement; Shoring up bumping and seniority language;
Improved vacation scheduling language; union leave;
shorter probationary period; improved dental (white fillings); health care account increase; addition of long-standing practices for members at the city into the collective agreement; Improvements to the four by four scheduling language to mirror five by two schedules in terms of banking overtime and overtime premiums along with improvements for Aquatic Centre personnel.

In terms of one of the most contentious issues; SES (Job Evaluation), it has been agreed that a new Job Evaluation System will be created to ensure our members are treated fairly during any job creation or duties changed within existing positions. That process will begin within three months of ratification, the USW pointed out in a press release.

The Special Vacation provision, in which the employer wanted to strip from the collective agreement, stays in the agreement and is now expanded in scope to include eligible members at the Aquatic Centre, along with six outstanding positions are in need of posting. Previously Aquatic Centre employees were not eligible for Special Vacation. Going forward however, new employees hired after ratification will not be eligible for the special vacation provision.

A vote of thanks goes to the Bargaining Committee members – Grant Farquhar, Alison Lafortune, Ilo Van Gilder, Dave (Red) Oscarson and Duane Hunt who worked hard on behalf of the membership at the City of Kimberley to achieve a fair collective agreement. Many of the committee members gave up their personal time, days off or cancelled holidays for bargaining during this process, noted Jeff Bromley,
Financial Secretary/Business Agent USW Local 1-405 – Kootenays.

“If members have questions about the new provisions of the collective agreement or questions in general, please do hesitate to contact myself or members of the committee,” he said in a Sept. 7 bulletin to members.

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