Chairpersons Report – November 7, 2023
News around the plant
On November 6th the Company provided their operating plan update for the D-rate from 2 shifts to 1 shift of production for GF6 assembly starting December 4th. The Union has been asking for this information throughout bargaining but the company had yet to confirm their details until this announcement. The retooling of St. Catharines for Electric Drive Units is imminent and now underway with more details to follow.
We understand these kinds of changes can be challenging for some members. We will endeavor to provide you with as much communication as we can to keep you informed through this transition.
Ratification Bonus & Retro Pay
The ratification payment is still on track to be paid November 23rd. Retro pay is being targeted for the first week of December.
$50,000 vs. Doc 12 & 13s
The only option for a retirement incentive on the table is the $50,000 incentive that was negotiated as part of the pattern. Doc 12 & 13s are applicable in situations where there is permanent loss of work and workers lose their jobs permanently. With the Drive Units coming, no full-time member will be out of work. Every full-time member has gainful employment when Drive Units arrive after the retooling. The retooling period is scheduled to take at least 12 months pending the delivery of all new machines.
Canvassing for the $50,000 incentive will happen as soon as corporate gives the approval to go ahead. Locally we are asking for updates on this decision daily.
If you are interested in this option, the Union is strongly advising those members to speak to your financial advisors as soon as possible and make your decisions based on your personal circumstances ahead of the Company canvas. This is a one-time offer. Please do your due diligence to be ready ahead of time.
Pending layoffs in GF6
As per the Company’s announced D-rate for December 4th full-time members will populate one shift in GF6 assembly. The Machining department is currently being assessed and any further updates will be made by your group leaders from Gears and Prismatics.
TPTs being displaced in either assembly or machining will be given the opportunity to keep their name on a list for call back purposes. This list will remain active until the Drive Units area is fully populated.
Inverse vs Plantwide Bump
With the Company’s announcement of the winding down of HFV6 & GF6 to retool for the Drive Units the Union has been advocating for months to continue the long practice of offering inverse seniority layoffs. However, the Company is unwilling to extend the inverse seniority layoff for the EV transition because of the extended time beyond our temporary layoff provisions in our local language and associated costs doing an inverse layoff.
As such, the contractual layoff procedure is outlined below and can be found on Page 9-10 of our Local Agreement and will be followed Paragraph 17(B) when V6 finishes in early first quarter of 2024.
(B) PERMANENT LAYOFFS
Definition
A permanent layoff is defined here, for the purpose of applying the seniority provisions of the Local Seniority Agreement only, as a layoff exceeding twenty (20) working days.
Procedure
(1) In the event of a permanent layoff, employees who are affected will exercise their seniority first against the lowest seniority employees in their seniority group and, failing to have sufficient seniority to be retained in the group, will exercise their seniority against the lowest seniority employees in the seniority department.
The lowest seniority employees so affected in the department will exercise their seniority on a division wide basis. The lowest seniority employees so affected on a division wide basis will exercise their seniority against the lowest seniority employees covered under Exhibit “A”
of the Memorandum of Local Seniority Agreement. (In the case of Skilled Trades employees, journeypersons will be removed in line with their seniority from the skilled trades classification affected and shall flow according to the Seniority Flow Chart – Exhibit “B”).
(2) Exceptions to the ordinary rule as set out in Paragraph (17)(B)(1) will be permitted during permanent layoffs in the following situations:
(a) In the event of a permanent layoff which would result in a demotion from such employee’s regular classification, to exercise seniority within the group and department, against the employee with the lowest seniority in the employee’s job classification. Failing this, the employee will exercise their seniority against the lowest seniority employee in the group.
(3) In the event a product line of a division is discontinued, the employees affected may exercise their seniority in their respective classifications on a plant-wide basis.
Issued on behalf of the Bargaining Unit
Trevor Longpre
GM Unit Plant Chairperson
Local 199 St. Catharines