Bargaining
WAVAW – Bargaining 101 Bulletin #1
May 4, 2018
To: All MoveUP Members at WAVAW
Your Union and W.A.V.A.W./R.C.C. will be heading to the bargaining table to negotiate your first collective agreement.
I’m writing to offer a quick introduction to the bargaining process.
Your Bargaining Committee
Your committee is made up of your coworkers and colleagues because that is who they represent and for this first round, we will be going to the table with two (2) members, along with your Union Representative. Based on your feedback and input through the bargaining surveys and membership meetings, your committee will compose bargaining proposals to table with your Employer. Your bargaining committee does not have the final say about what is in the collective agreement – you do through casting your vote whether to accept or reject.
Bargaining Survey
A bargaining survey will be distributed to you at your home email address, therefore it is very important that we have your most current contact information. You can update us here. The survey asks a series of questions about your work and conditions of employment. It is designed to find out what is good about your current working conditions and what you would like to see in your first collective agreement.
It’s incredibly important for you to offer your input to your bargaining committee members. They are your voice at the table and they need to hear from you. I hope everyone will take the time to meet with your committee members and voice your thoughts and concerns regarding the collective agreement.
Proposals
Your committee will take all of the information they have collected from the surveys and meetings, along with the one-on-one feedback they’ve heard from fellow union members and draft a series of proposals. While working on proposals, the committee will keep a few things in mind:
- What are the top priorities for the majority of members?
- What do they think is possible to achieve?
- Are the workers united and willing to stand up to defend the rights they have or to make gains?
It’s a balancing act: no one ever gets everything, but a skillful committee backed up by a determined membership can move the ball forward.
Of course, W.A.V.A.W./R.C.C. will bring their own proposals to the table. It’s the bargaining committee’s job to decide if those proposals are in the best interests of their coworkers.
Exchanging Proposals
When the Parties meet to exchange proposals, they often start with the issues that are deemed as non-monetary, meaning there is no dollar attachment to the proposal. It is often common practice to deal with the non-monetary proposals first before moving to more difficult subjects, often referred to as monetary items. Items like wages and benefits – anything dealing with money – are generally the last to be discussed.
When an Agreement is Reached
Your bargaining committee and W.A.V.A.W./R.C.C. will declare they have reached a tentative agreement. The tentative agreement will then be presented to you, the members, along with the bargaining committee’s recommendation for acceptance. A meeting will be held to provide you with an opportunity to ask questions, with the hopes that you are in an informed position before casting your vote, as the final decision lies with you. It’s your choice to decide whether or not you will vote for or against accepting the tentative agreement.
If the majority of your coworkers vote to accept the agreement, you have ratified your first collective agreement.
If you don’t accept the agreement, the bargaining committee will then need to determine what necessary steps will be taken next.
If an Agreement can’t be Reached
If the membership turns down the tentative agreement, then some decisions need to be made as to what steps will be taken next. A variety of scenarios could happen such as:
- An invitation to the Employer to return to the table
- An application to the BC Labour Board for mediation intervention
- Strike Vote taken
- The Employer “Final Offers” the membership
The other possibility is that the Parties reach an impasse and cannot agree on the terms for a new collective agreement, at which point the above noted scenarios could be actioned as well. Or, in rare circumstances, the Parties are ordered into binding arbitration, where an Arbitrator decides the last outstanding issues.
I hope this brief introduction to bargaining answers any questions you may have and makes the process clear.
If you have any further questions or comments, please contact me by phone or email me at clee@moveuptogether.ca.
In solidarity,
Cindy A. Lee
Union Representative