Bargaining
ICBC Bargaining Update: Bargaining Continues with ICBC
April 17, 2020
To: MoveUP members at ICBC
We are now nearing 11 months since we started collective bargaining and we expect that the patience of our members is starting to wane. Please know that your bargaining committee, while dealing with the emergencies around us from the COVID-19 pandemic, has remained focused on reaching a fair and reasonable renewal of our collective agreement.
We have been working hard to narrow the focus and we believe a settlement is in sight. As the list of outstanding issues narrows, the discussions get more and more difficult. The most significant, and problematic, issues are as follows:
- ICBC wants to have the nine-day fortnight (NDFN) changed. They would like the change to be any day of the week, bid upon in order of seniority, with no specifics on how many people would be permitted off on each day. We continue to resist this because we have heard loud and clear from you in our bargaining survey, that the NDFN and, more specifically, the ability to have three days off in a row, was of vital importance. This proposal would impact over 1500 members.
- ICBC is looking to lower the existing caps in our dental plan. We have told ICBC that the bargaining survey also told us that members wanted improved benefits, not cuts.
- In January, ICBC tabled language on sick leave. Prior to that, we were unsure what they were looking for from the staff with relation to absenteeism and sick leave. Their proposal is to eliminate the provision in our Collective Agreement that provides the ability for staff, who return from extended sick leave, to have their sick bank renewed after being back at work for 60 days. This provision is for people who have already exhausted their 400 hours annually. We have told ICBC that we are not interested in cutting sick leave provisions. We continue to tell them that, based on your feedback in our survey for the root cause of absenteeism, that they need to deal with exhaustion of the staff, not cutting provisions that affect those who likely need the coverage the most.
Telephone Town Hall for All ICBC Members
Having said the above, we are still optimistic that we can get to a deal sooner than later. However, if that is not possible, we want to hold a telephone town hall with all members on April 27, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. We will be able to give a more fulsome rundown of where we are at, what is left on the table and where we go next.
If we get an agreement with ICBC between then and now, we will use this time to walk members through the package in anticipation of voting to accept or reject the package.
You Need to be Ready for Electronic Voting
If we successfully conclude bargaining in the next while, all members at ICBC will be entitled to vote to either accept or reject the negotiated package. To ensure the heath and safety of the members and our staff, we will not be doing any paper ballots. All voting will be electronic.
What You Need to do Right Away, in Anticipation of the Telephone Townhall and Electronic Voting:
- Log into your secure Member Portal now: It can be found on the MoveUP web site, in the upper right corner of the home page. Your login will be either your membership number or your personal email address.
- Critical Information needs to be reviewed and updated: While in your Member Portal, please make sure all your personal information is up to date and accurate.
- To be able to vote, we must have a personal email address from you. The one you see in your Member Portal is the one that will be used for electronic voting. We cannot use your ICBC email address.
- To be sure you do not miss the call for the Telephone Town Hall (TTH), make sure your cell and home phone number is up to date as both will be used during the TTH
- If you successfully log in: Congratulations! You are ready, and practiced, for when voting opens!
- If you are unable to log in: You must email our membership department at membership@moveuptogether.ca. This is critically important. If you cannot sign in now, you may not be able to, once voting opens.
How Does Electronic Voting Work?
Electronic voting is done through your private and secure Member Portal. The voting system we use is run by a third-party provider, Simply Voting. Their system is secure and secret, ensuring the integrity of the vote.
When voting opens, you will sign into your Member Portal and the voting information will be right in front of you. You will only be able to vote once. When the voting closes, the results will be sent to MoveUP. A bulletin will come from your bargaining committee announcing the results.
In the meantime, should you have any questions, please email ICBCbarg@moveuptogether.ca .
Please stay safe.
In solidarity,
Your ICBC bargaining committee:
Kevin Smyth, Senior Union Representative
Annette Toth, Vice-President, ICBC Unit
Colin Clark, Executive Board Member
Brenda Chu, Executive Board Member
Bryan Finstad, Executive Board Member
Melissa Maher, Executive Board Member
Gunter Seifert, Executive Board Member