Bulletin
BCH & Powertech – INFO REQUESTED: RWWL days and medical/dental appointments
March 17, 2022
To: All MoveUP members at BCH & Powertech
We are reaching out to all our members at BC Hydro to request information from our members to address an active policy grievance we have regarding the improper forced scheduling of RWWL days for members who have medical or dental appointments.
Per Article 15.09 of your collective agreement, employees are asked to make every effort to schedule medical and/or dental appointments outside scheduled work hours or on RWWL days.
The longstanding arrangement has been that reasonable appointments that could not be scheduled outside work hours or on RWWL days were granted, and employees were asked to code their time as sick leave for periods over two (2) hours.
We have learned, however, that many managers have changed their approach and are now arbitrarily scheduling RWWL days for members who have remaining unscheduled days in their time banks. This creates a discrepancy where some members who have unavoidable medical/dental appointments during work hours either lose pay or lose their RWWL days, while others do not.
We are requesting our members provide the union with the following information:
If you have been directed to use an RWWL day for a medical/dental appointment:
- What day(s) did it occur?
- What general or specific instructions where you provided?
- Did you agree or refuse?
- If you refused, what happened next?
If you have taken a medical/dental appointment without being required to use an RWWL day:
- What day(s) did it occur?
- If the appointment was longer than two hours, how did you code for it?
- Did you have any RWWL days in your time bank at the time you took your medical/dental appointment?
Please email any information you have to us at bchmail@moveuptogether.ca by no later than Friday, April 1.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and support.
In solidarity,
Mike Novak, Union Representative
Alina Teymory, Union Representative
Javed Saheb, Union Representative
April Young, Union Representative