Maintenance Transfers

Members,

Over the past month the Union and Company have been in discussions regarding the possibility of maintaining some of the current Tubular Maintenance personal throughout Regina Operations. In the companies view, they wish to use 4 Tubular Maintenance members on “Special projects” throughout all of Regina Operations. Meaning, they would have the ability to move them back and forth between Tubular and Steel whenever they see fit. Even though the company says it is not looking at centralized maintenance that’s exactly what this is. This is after the company has agreed that these members would bounce back and forth in Divisions to cover vacation, absenteeism, down days and their “special projects”. It is the Unions position that for one, these members are still needed in Tubular and for two, if not, they can be used in Steel under the same Letter of Understanding that we have previously agreed to.

Mr. Forster has said at the town halls, he will follow the C.B.A, well it appears not in this instance. If the company can’t get there way around the C.B.A, layoffs are going to be issued. The company originally had said the transfer would include 1 Electrician, 1 Mill Right, and 2 Electrical Techs from Tubular. Layoff notices have now changed to 1 Electrician, 2 Mill Rights and 1 Electrical Tech. The Union finds it very difficult to believe the company wished anything else but the opportunity to centralize maintenance and bastardize the collective agreement. When these discussions first started, the companies contention was this would reduce contractors on the Steel side but yet at the same time, there would be layoffs/cutbacks with steel maintenance. A comment that was later said to be “misinterpreted”, although confirmed by the Maintenance Manager. The Union has tried to work with the company on maintaining employment for our members the best we can within the confines of the C.B.A but the company refuses and wants all the hardships to fall on our members and the C.B.A!