Enterprise – Recall and Severance Options

Your union has become aware that a letter offering voluntary severance has been sent out to some members.  Our understanding is the letter is the same letter that has been sent out before.

When members are laid off they are basically offered three options.  They can accept severance and permanently terminate their employment.  They can accept layoff and retain their recall rights which at Enterprise are two years for any member who has been there for two years or more.  The final option is to bump to a lower classification.  As we know, due to the amount of layoffs, few members had the option to bump.  Most members chose to take a layoff and retain their recall rights.

The current letter that some members have received suggests that last year’s layoff will likely be permanent and makes an offer of severance and termination.  As we all saw last week, the provincial government announced a reopening plan.  Other governments have acted similarly and barring any significant setbacks it appears that we will soon see borders opening and people starting to travel.

One thing we have all learned through this pandemic is that there are few certainties in life.  Accordingly, no one can say for sure what will happen as we move forward and hopefully return to some level of normalcy.  Your union will continue to monitor the situation at the employer and we will continue to advocate for as many of our members to be called back and for that to happen as soon as possible.

If you are considering taking severance and moving on from Enterprise please consider your options carefully.  You are encouraged to ask your union and/or the employer any relevant questions in order to ensure that you make an informed choice.  Do not rely on the suggestion in the letter that you will not be called back.  We are expecting members to be called back and this includes many of the members who received the letter.  Again, members are left to make their own decisions but please make an informed decision based on the most current information.

As many of you know, the collective bargaining agreement contains an article which allows the parties to mutually agree on an extension of the normal two year recall rights.  Your union has every intention of pursuing this option.  The committee has had discussions about how to best approach an extension request and we will be pushing hard for an extension once we have a better idea of how many members may require more than the current two years.  Your union wants to ensure that any member who intends to return to Enterprise has that option.

MoveUP has created a resource page which provides information on Covid-19.  The page can be found here.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Union Representative, Shawn Lakusta at slakusta@moveuptogether.ca.

In solidarity,

Shawn Lakusta, Union Representative