November 2009
November 18, 2009
To: All OCHU Affiliated Locals
RE: 2009 Ratification
Dear Sisters & Brothers
Please be advised that locals participating in central bargaining or with a “ me-too “ agreement, have ratified our central memorandum of settlement by 83.59%.
Thank you very much for your support.
Yours in solidarity,
Michael Hurley
President
Helen Fetterly
Secretary-Treasurer
November 2006
November 8, 2006
To: All affiliated local presidents and assigned national staff representatives
Re: Disputes arising from the Implementation of the Central Collective Agreement
Dear sisters and brothers,
OCHU and assigned national staff met November 1 with Ontario Hospital Association negotiators to discuss the disputes arising from the Implementation of the Central Collective Agreement submitted to date.
Vacation
The OHA has agreed with the union’s interpretation of the effective date of the implementation of the additional vacation entitlement for eligible employees.
The date on which an employee is entitled to the additional vacation entitlement is their anniversary date.
In the case of an employee who passed the threshold prior to September 29, 2006, they are entitled to receive the extra week’s entitlement effective September 29, 2006.
For example: In the case of a 29 year employee whose anniversary date is April 12, they would be entitled to an additional week effective September 29, 2006. They would then receive 7 weeks vacation entitlement April 12, 2007.
Superior Benefits on Chiropractic Services and Physiotherapy
When the OHA and OCHU put together the 2004-2006 central agreement format, the preamble to Article 18.01 ( Insured Benefits ) was changed as part of a general housekeeping exercise.
Whereas prior to the 2004 -2006 collective agreement, the preamble protected those employees whose employers paid a higher share of benefit premiums, the language in the 2004 -2006 collective agreement was changed to protect superior benefits.
In June 2006 when the Union bargained the $300 for paramedical benefits we believed superior benefits to be protected, by virtue of the fact that the preamble protected them.
The Ontario Hospital Association notified OCHU recently that they believe that an error was made in putting together the 2004 – 2006 collective agreement when the parties agreed to the change the wording in the preamble from protecting “superior conditions concerning contribution by the Hospital” to “subject to any superior conditions”.
We would not have agreed in 2006 to impose a $300 ceiling on, for example, employees whose employers paid $500. That would have been a concession.
The Union’s position is that the superior benefits enjoyed by the employees in the form of higher amounts per year for chiropractic and physiotherapy are protected.
We have agreed with the Ontario Hospital Association to submit this Implementation dispute to arbitration.
Deductibles on Extended Health Benefits
The Ontario Hospital Association has agreed that in the year when the deductibles increase employees are only liable to pay the difference between the old deductible and the new rate.
Sudbury Regional Hospital: Application of the General Wage Increase
The Union and the Ontario Hospital Association have agreed to allow the Board of Arbitration chaired by Mr. William Kaplan, which issued an earlier award on the application of the general wage increase on a group of red-circled employees, decide this issue.
IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL IMPLEMENTATION DISPUTES, COULD YOU PLEASE FORWARD THEM ON THE IMPLEMENTATION DISPUTE FORM ( ATTACHED ) TO MY ATTENTION AT FAX: 416-599-3982.
Please call me if you would like more information on any of these issues. ( Cell: 416-884-0770 ).
Yours in solidarity,
Michael Hurley,
President,
Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE