Author: TorySand

Benefit Cards

Due to recent events it has come to light that Brothers & Sisters should check and make sure the correct person is listed as a beneficiary for both the Union death benefit and the bargained life insurance with Evraz.

By law Insurance Companies and or anyone who provides a benefit with a stated beneficiary must pay monies out even if they haven’t had a relationship with the deceased in a long time.

Please make sure the person you want as your beneficiary is updated by checking your benefit cards should the unthinkable happpen to you.

Relevant Articles for 3 day layoff regarding breakdown in Meltshop

Article 12.13
(a) Lay-off Because of Breakdown
When a breakdown of equipment or a lack of material or work occurs and an employee is sent home as a result thereof, such employee may be sent home without regard to seniority, provided that such total time lost by any such employee shall not exceed three (3) working days in any one calendar month. If an employee(s) is required to work, the most senior qualified person(s) on that particular crew will remain.

Continue reading Relevant Articles for 3 day layoff regarding breakdown in Meltshop

Chubb Card Update

As everyone should already know Evraz has stated they intend to implement a time clock system or “Chubb card” system starting on October 21. There have been many questions from many members regarding this new system and how it is going to address issues such as shift start-end times, changing clothes, clean up time and overtime. There is a meeting scheduled on October 11 involving  both Pipe and Steel Seniority, Shift and Overtime Committee’s and Evraz. Evraz representatives have stated they intend to address all of this issues with reliable answers.

There will be an update on this subject on October 12 or October 11. Please check back here.

Benefit Society Update

There was a general meeting held on September 20 open to all Benefit Society members in locals 5890, 5917 and 6717 to report on recent events and to elect new officers to adminster the fund.

The following brothers were elected:

President- Vasco D’Ameida

Vice-President- John Forster

Treasurer- Tory Sand

The ‘new’ Saskatchewan: Oklahoma North?

Of the litany of proposed changes contained in the Saskatchewangovernment’s Consultation Paper on the Renewal of Labour Legislation in Saskatchewan,the most pernicious is the suggestion that employees be allowed to opt out of paying union dues, yet still receive the full benefits of union membership. This idea is dangerously reminiscent ofU.S. right-to-work (RTW) laws that already pervade the American south and have recently been proposed in northern states likeWisconsin andIndiana.

If this is the direction the current government wants to move, then it is incumbent that the people of Saskatchewan recognize what the adoption of RTW laws entail, because it will not only affect union members, it will affect all workers in our province, unionized or not.

Continue reading The ‘new’ Saskatchewan: Oklahoma North?

Drug and Alcohol Reasonable Suspicion Workshop

Locals 5890 and 6673 (Calgary) attended a workshop in Regina on September 17 to educate stewards in the process of assessing and  determining impairment. This workshop has provided stewards the knowledge to properly and effectively recognize a worker that may be under the suspected use of drugs or alcohol in the workplace.  It is important for our Union stewards and OHS members to be proficient in assessing workers for impairment. The local believes that in the past Evraz has overstepped it rights to test members for drugs and alcohol. The purposes of the training is to keep our workplace safe from drugs and alcohol and to protect our members from unwarranted and unreasonable submissions to testing.

Evraz implementing Kronos Chubb cards

Evraz is implementing a Knonos Chubb Card system starting October 21th 2012. The Company will be requiring all employee’s to obtain this card with their picture on it. A representative from Human Resources will be at Security in the Operations Building beginning Sept 10th/2012 from 5am-8am to take employee’s pictures. The Local will be discussing this new card system in a meeting with the Company on Sept. 10th as well

Resignation of Ian Gretchen

The Union would like to inform the membership that Ian Gretchen has tendered his resignation as President along with all other committees and functions within the Local. In keeping with the local by-laws of the USW, Corey Liebrecht now holds the position of President. The vacancy for Vice President will be filled accordingly by the Local Union Executive ASAP.

In Solidarity

The Saskatchewan government is trying to rewrite all our labour laws. And fast

And their changes would impact everyone. They’re threatening to swing labour laws firmly in favour of employers — and that means all the rights and protections we’ve worked hard to achieve for Saskatchewan families could be erased overnight.

We’ve built a prosperous economy based on fair labour laws, hard work and the ability of unions to speak out for workers. It’s the Saskatchewan way, it’s a balanced approach — and it’s working.

We only have until July 31 to tell the government to keep it working. Have a read of the information included in the tabs above, and then add your voice in our efforts to protect workers and families.

via Homepage | The Saskatchewan Way.

Surveillance Camera Grievance Update

Corey Liebrecht c.liebrecht@usw5890.com

UPDATE: This grievance has moved to step #3 and was discussed during a meeting with Human Resources (HR) held June 28th. During that meeting it was agreed to place this file in Abeyance. This means we have granted the company 60 days from this date to respond further. During this time, the Union has continued gathering information to strenghten its position on this file. Anyone wishing to make a written statement pertaining to this group grievance is encouraged do so. Please submit it to a Steward or Executive member of the Local.

Stop Harper’s low-wage plan

Following is the opinion of Hubich, president of the Saskatchewan Federation  of Labour, along with his provincial and territorial counterparts.

It has become clear that the federal government, supported by a number of  employer organizations, has a plan for transforming Canada’s labour market in  ways that will profoundly hurt Canadians.

It’s a four-prong strategy which includes the dramatic expansion of the  Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), the erosion of Employment Insurance,  raising the country’s retirement age, as well as a systematic effort to  undermine the ability of unions to stand up for the rights of working people and  improve their standard of living.

Continue reading Stop Harper’s low-wage plan

United Steelworkers response to Sask Party discussion paper

As everyone should know the Sask Party has started the process of a discussion paper to outline their ideas to dilute and minimize Saskatchewan workers ability to bargain and organize collectively which effectively attacks the rights of working people like us in general

The Sask Party are proposing sweeping changes of the scope of Unions, using laws of accountability that apply to no organization except Unions to undermine their ability to represent workers, certification and decertification rules that both make it difficult for workers to organize their Union but to maintain it under an attack from their employer and succession rights of a Union if their workplace is sold (Our local has gone through a sale twice in the last 5 years and its not inconceivable a sale could happen again)

Please read the complete document for all the information Submission to Saskatchewan Minister of Labour Relations

Workers down tools on job and salary cuts at Evraz

On July 15th 2012 2000 members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) employed by Evraz Highveld Steel and Vanadium down tools in protest of salary cuts and retrenchments.

Russian multinational corporation, Evraz has ignored legislation and the collective agreement it has with NUMSA to make changes to workers’ conditions of employment. The company has cut workers’ salaries by half and retrenched more than 500 workers, in its pursuit of greater profits.

Workers have embarked on a legal strike to demand that the company reinstate dismissed or unfairly laid off workers, reinstate workers’ salaries and other conditions of employment and engage constructively with the union.

In response to the legal strike, Evraz has suspended its Highveld Steel and Vanadium operations and has said that it can’t guarantee supply from these mills. It has also brought in hundreds of security personnel and police to intimidate workers.

Workers remain committed to their action, according to NUMSA shop steward at the company,

“the situation is very tense but we are determined that we cannot accept such an outrageous act, they can’t just cut our salaries, we have laws here and we’ll fight this with our union”.

Benjamin Davis

Director of International Affairs

United Steelworkers

source: IndustrALL Global Union