Job Action
Coast Mountain Bus – Unifor Strike – Update #6
November 21, 2019
To: All Members Employed at Coast Mountain Bus Company and TransLink
Unifor has announced strike action for Wednesday, November 27 through Friday, November 29, 2019 if an agreement is not reached with the employer.
MoveUP has been working hard to ensure that we are ready for the picket lines. The Job Action Committee has assigned Site Captains for all locations that will be potentially behind a Unifor picket line.
In the event of a picket line, MoveUP members are to report to the Site Captain at that location. Site Captains are the member’s source of information and can address questions or problems about the job action. If Captains have questions or need assistance, they can contact the Job Action Committee. The MoveUP Job Action Committee is preparing an FAQ that will be provided to all our Captains.
MoveUP understands that TransLink and Coast Mountain Bus Company have asked our members to book time off for these three days through their time banks available to them. MoveUP advises members to not use your time banks to solve the company’s problem. Members who participate in supporting MoveUP efforts during these three days of action by Unifor strike actions will be compensated for their regular net pay. If Unifor’s actions extend beyond these three days, MoveUP will reassess compensation for members.
We need members to show up for their regularly scheduled shift and location, to report to your Captains, and sign in for pay from MoveUP. Members will then be directed on how they can support Unifor’s picket line.
As we are now aware of when the job action by Unifor is going to commence, we are recommending that members remove all personal items from their lockers and desks. Members should find alternative parking arrangements and not park in locations that could be picketed.
We also want to remind members that they should not be taking their company laptops home during this time. If the Employer suggests that you work from home, remind them that would be a violation of the collective agreement as we have no language to support working from home. MoveUP has been pushing for work from home language at all our bargaining units and both TransLink and Coast Mountain will not discuss these proposals.
MoveUP members in IT may be asked by the Company to relocate to a non-picketed site ahead of Unifor’s strike. We remain firm that, if you are asked to continue to work remotely on locations behind a Unifor picket line, you respectfully inform your manager that the direction from your Union is not to perform work on struck locations as that is crossing a picket line. Contact the Job Action Committee if this occurs.
MoveUP takes the position that this is our collective right to recognize a picket line and the Employer has a right to file an injunction if they disagree. MoveUP has advised the employers of this position and members do not need to inform. All we ask is that you communicate what is indicated above.
If members are not behind picket lines and the employer decides to send you home due to lack of work, it should be with full pay. If they do not agree, we will grieve each case individually.
On Thursday November 28, 2019 Unifor is holding a rally at TransLink head office in Sapperton at 1:00pm. MoveUP’s expectation and direction is all members proceed to the rally where you will be joined by other MoveUP members and executive officers. For all those who work in the TransLink head office, this is a rally and not a picket line. We ask you to take your lunch at 1:00pm and join the rally for your lunch break.
Finally, if members cannot make it to their regular location due to the transit shutdown, then please inform the Job Action Committee ahead of Wednesday so we can ensure the Captains know who to expect and the JAC is able to identify locations that need coverage.
The email address is cmbcjobaction@moveuptogether.ca.
We reiterate the communication plan is as laid out in the above chart.
In solidarity,
David Black, President MoveUP
Christy, Slusarenko, Vice-President of Combined Units
Parm Sandhar, Union Representative