On August 27, a 15-person union negotiating committee comprised of 3 staff and 12 members representing  the three Loblaw Distribution Centers, came to an agreement with the Company on modifications to the current collective agreement.

Discussions had carried on over eight sessions and were triggered by a recognition that the current wage scales did not reflect the marketplace, and the Company was having hiring and retention issues.

The changes are to be implemented in early September 2020 and are an interim fix until the agreement expires in August 2021 and full negotiations take place. 

“We needed to address the deficiencies in the scales, and this agreement makes significant improvements to them, so I think members will be happy with it,” commented Assistant to the President Charles Pratt, who chaired the bargaining.

The letter of understanding which covers all the changes is now posted below, and a town hall meeting will be held on September 8^th to explain the process, the various changes, and to answer questions members may have.

See below for the Letter of Understanding, or click here for a PDF version: DC_warehouse-LOU-August_27_2020_FINAL-converted.pdf

Details on the town hall meeting will be posted once they are finalized.

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LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING                                                                                                                       August 27, 2020

Letter of Understanding #18W

Point 7 – Delete and replace with:

Warehouse Department (excludes Maintenance and IC dept)

The following classifications exist within the Warehouse Department:

Loader/Dunnage; Receiver; Forklift; Sanitation; General Warehouse (Assembler)

Full-Time employees will select their classification/shift posting by seniority. With respect to the filling of a vacancy, seniority will be considered as the governing factor provided the employee has the skill and ability to perform the work. If there is no qualified candidate for the position the employer may fill the promotion or vacancy with a new hire with the required skill and ability. The Employer agrees to post vacancies for seven (7) working days.

A successful applicant for a vacancy shall be prohibited from applying for another vacancy for a period of four (4) months, from the awarding of the original vacancy, unless approved by management.

Daily upgrades and temporary assignments will be determined by the Employer in advance of the shift and the employee will be assigned by the Employer based on seniority and the preference sheet which has been completed by the employee.  This process of daily upgrades will result in no delay of the startup of the shift because the employees will be assigned based on the preference sheet.

Once an employee has been upgraded, they will no longer be considered for further upgrades throughout the shift, unless they are subsequently returned to the General Warehouse (Assembler) classification by the Company.

Daily upgrades and temporary daily assignments into a classification or the filling of a daily vacancy will be allocated from the Full-time General Warehouse (Assembler) Classification as follows:

Start of Shift Upgrades

Full-time General Warehouse (Assembler) shall be upgraded to available positions in Loader/Dunnage, Receiver, Forklift, and Sanitation in order of seniority based on their preference sheet provided they have the necessary skills and ability.

Start of Shift Temporary Assignments

Full-time General Warehouse (Assembler) shall be assigned to available work at shift start up in Assembly, Flow, Bread, and Lumping/Container (same practice today as it relates to receiving work within this assignment) in order of seniority based on their preference sheet provided they have the necessary skill and ability.

Upgrades During the Shift

Full-time General Warehouse (Assembler) shall be upgraded to available positions in Loader/Dunnage, Receiver, Forklift, and Sanitation in order of seniority based on their preference sheet provided they have the necessary skills and ability.

Temporary Assignments During the Shift

Full-Time and Part-time General Warehouse (Assembler) employees shall be assigned to available work in Assembly, Flow, Bread and Lumping/Container during the shift as determined by management.

Downgrades

In the event downgrades are necessary, the Company will downgrade the most junior employee within the affected Classification to the General Warehouse (Assembler) classification.

Part-time

It is understood between the parties that Part-time employees will not be considered for upgrades during a shift prior to a full-time employee with the necessary skills and ability to perform the upgrade.

Preference Sheets

All employees within the General Warehouse (Assembler) classification will be permitted to state their preferred job upgrades and start of shift temporary assignments by seniority.  The employee will submit a preference sheet to their supervisor.  It is understood that employees may change their preferences every four (4) weeks by submitting a new preference sheet.  The onus is on the employee to advise the supervisor of any changes they wish to make to the preference sheet.

Position Elimination

In the case of the elimination of a position, the displaced employee shall have the right to bump into any position and classification in the warehouse department their seniority allows.   Each employee subsequently affected (to a maximum of three bumps) shall also be granted the same rights.  It is understood the most junior employee in the classification on shift subject to the bump shall be displaced.

Overall Job Bid

The Company agrees that an overall full-time job bid in the Warehouse Department will occur by the end of September 2020.  However new work schedule re-bids can occur at any time to meet the needs of the business.  The Company will meet with the Union in advance of any new work schedule re-bids to review changes.

Trainers, Clerks, Container Mentors

The Company will continue to post and select Trainers, Clerks and Container Mentors based on skills, merit, qualifications as determined by management.

Employees interviewed but not selected for these positions will receive feedback on areas they can approve upon to assist with future applications. 

Post-Shift Overtime

In the event post-shift overtime work is required within a department, employees with the necessary skills and ability able to perform the work to be done will be offered the overtime work as follows:

1.) Employees on shift working within the impacted classification at the time the overtime is required in order of seniority;

2.) Employees on shift working within the department at the time the overtime is required in order of seniority;

3.) Should there be insufficient volunteers from the shift to perform the overtime; such overtime shall be offered based on seniority by call in.

Early-Start Overtime

In the event early-start overtime work is required within a department, employees with the necessary skills and ability able to perform the work to be done will be offered the overtime work as follows: 

1.) Employees scheduled on the upcoming shift within the impacted classification in order of seniority; 

2.) Employees scheduled on the upcoming shift within the department in order of seniority; 

3.) Should there be insufficient volunteers from scheduled employees to perform the overtime; such overtime shall be offered based on seniority by call in.

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18.29 of Main Body

Effective January 1, 2021, all colleagues will move to a common vacation anniversary date of January 1, 2021.  Employees affected by this change will be provided information regarding their 2021 accrual by the end of September 2020.

The parties will discuss any one offs where existing vacation plans for 2021 may be affected because of this change.

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Memorandum Notes

The new operating structure will be in place by the end of October 2020.

The Company and Union agree to eliminate the practice of balancing hours on a weekly basis.

The Company will continue to post Maintenance and Inventory Control vacancies.

The parties recognize that cross training opportunities need to occur to keep employee skill set up.  The company will ensure a fair rotation of employees to achieve this goal.

The parties endeavored to contemplate all aspects of the new operating structure in the language contained within this Letter of Understanding.  In the event of any unforeseen circumstances which the parties did not contemplate in the drafting of this language, the Company and the Union will discuss with an openness to solve any potential issues in a reasonable manner.    

Pitt Meadows

Letter of Understanding #21W

Point 6 – Delete and replace with:

Warehouse Department (excludes Maintenance and IC dept)

The following jobs exist within the Warehouse Department:

Advanced Warehouse Classifications – Loader/Dunnage; Receiver; Forklift; Sanitation

General Warehouse Classification – Assembler/Lumping

Full-Time employees will select their classification/shift posting by seniority. With respect to the filling of a vacancy, seniority will be considered as the governing factor provided the employee has the skill and ability to perform the work. If there is no qualified candidate for the position the employer may fill the promotion or vacancy with a new hire with the required skill and ability. The Employer agrees to post vacancies for seven (7) working days.

A successful applicant for a vacancy shall be prohibited from applying for another vacancy for a period of four (4) months, from the awarding of the original vacancy, unless approved by management.

Daily upgrades and temporary assignments will be determined by the Employer in advance of the shift and the employee will be assigned by the Employer based on seniority and the preference sheet which has been completed by the employee.  This process of daily upgrades will result in no delay of the startup of the shift because the employees will be assigned based on the preference sheet.

Once an employee has been upgraded, they will no longer be considered for further upgrades throughout the shift, unless they are subsequently returned to the General Warehouse (Assembler) classification by the Company.

Daily upgrades and temporary daily assignments into a classification or the filling of a daily vacancy will be allocated from the Full-time General Warehouse (Assembler) Classification as follows:

Start of Shift Upgrades

Full-time General Warehouse (Assembler/Lumper) shall be upgraded to available positions in Loader/Dunnage, Receiver, Forklift, and Sanitation in order of seniority based on their preference sheet provided they have the necessary skills and ability.

Start of Shift Temporary Assignments

Full-time General Warehouse (Assembler/Lumper) shall be assigned to available work at shift start up in Assembly, Lumping, Apparel, Flow PTS, GM, GM Heavy, and SDM in order of seniority based on their preference sheet provided they have the necessary skill and ability.

Upgrades During the Shift

Full-time General Warehouse (Assembler) shall be upgraded to available positions in Loader/Dunnage, Receiver, Forklift, and Sanitation in order of seniority based on their preference sheet provided they have the necessary skills and ability.

Temporary Assignments During the Shift

Full-Time and Part-time General Warehouse (Assembler) employees shall be assigned to available work in Assembly, Lumping, Apparel, Flow PTS, GM, GM Heavy, and SDM during the shift as determined by management.

Downgrades

In the event downgrades are necessary, the Company will downgrade the most junior employee within the affected Advanced Warehouse classifications to the General Warehouse (Assembler/Lumping) classification.

Due to the unique and specific nature of the operation in Pitt Meadows, full-time employees in a posted Loader/Dunnage, Receiver, Forklift, Sanitation position may bump the most junior posted employee performing one of those jobs in the event they are downgraded from their posted position.  In such case, the employee must have the necessary skill and ability to perform the job. 

The junior employee will move to the General Warehouse (Assembler/Lumping) classification. 

Part-time

It is understood between the parties that Part-time employees will not be considered for upgrades during a shift prior to a full-time employee with the necessary skills and ability to perform the upgrade.

Preference Sheets

All employees within the General Warehouse (Assembler/Lumping) classification will be permitted to state their preferred job upgrades and start of shift temporary assignments by seniority.  The employee will submit a preference sheet to their supervisor.  It is understood that employees may change their preferences every four (4) weeks by submitting a new preference sheet.  The onus is on the employee to advise the supervisor of any changes they wish to make to the preference sheet.

Position Elimination

In the case of the elimination of a position, the displaced employee shall have the right to bump into any position and classification in the warehouse department their seniority allows.   Each employee subsequently affected (to a maximum of three bumps) shall also be granted the same rights.  It is understood the most junior employee in the classification on shift subject to the bump shall be displaced.

Overall Job Bid

The Company agrees that an overall full-time job bid in the Warehouse Department will occur by the end of September 2020.  However new work schedule re-bids can occur at any time to meet the needs of the business.  The Company will meet with the Union in advance of any new work schedule re-bids to review changes.

Trainers, Clerks, Container Mentor/Team Lead

The Company will continue to post and select Trainers, Clerks and Container Mentors/Team Leads based on skills, merit, qualifications as determined by management.

Employees interviewed but not selected for these positions will receive feedback on areas they can approve upon to assist with future applications. 

Post-Shift Overtime

In the event post-shift overtime work is required within a department, employees with the necessary skills and ability able to perform the work to be done will be offered the overtime work as follows:

1.) Employees on shift working within the impacted classification at the time the overtime is required in order of seniority;

2.) Employees on shift working within the department at the time the overtime is required in order of seniority;

3.) Should there be insufficient volunteers from the shift to perform the overtime; such overtime shall be offered based on seniority by call in.

Early-Start Overtime

In the event early-start overtime work is required within a department, employees with the necessary skills and ability able to perform the work to be done will be offered the overtime work as follows:

1.) Employees scheduled on the upcoming shift within the impacted classification in order of seniority;

2.) Employees scheduled on the upcoming shift within the department in order of seniority;

3.) Should there be insufficient volunteers from scheduled employees to perform the overtime; such overtime shall be offered based on seniority by call in.

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18.29 of Main Body

Effective January 1, 2021, all colleagues will move to a common vacation anniversary date of January 1, 2021.  Employees affected by this change will be provided information regarding their 2021 accrual by the end of September 2020.

The parties will discuss any one offs where existing vacation plans for 2021 may be affected because of this change.

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Memorandum Notes

The new operating structure will be in place by the end of October 2020

The parties recognize that cross training opportunities need to occur to keep employee skill set up.  The company will ensure a fair rotation of employees to achieve this goal.

The Company will continue to post Maintenance and Inventory Control vacancies.

The parties endeavored to contemplate all aspects of the new operating structure in the language contained within this Letter of Understanding.  In the event of any unforeseen circumstances which the parties did not contemplate in the drafting of this language, the Company and the Union will discuss with an openness to solve any potential issues in a reasonable manner.    

Surrey

New Article 7.06

A successful applicant for a vacancy shall be prohibited from applying for another vacancy (including moving to Part-time status) for a period of four (4) months, from the awarding of the original vacancy, unless approved by management. 

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Article 29.02 –

Effective January 1, 2021 delete current language and replace with:

“Disciplinary reprimands and suspensions which predate 24 months of continuous discipline free employment shall not be used in any disciplinary action after that time.”

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Wages

New Wage Scale Effective September 6, 2020 for Marine Drive, Pitt Meadows and Full-Time Surrey Warehouse Employees:

Employees move to their new rate effective September 6, 2020 and have class hours adjusted accordingly based on the following charts:

New Wage Scale Effective September 6, 2020 for Part-Time Surrey Warehouse Employees:

Part-time employees in Surrey move to their new rate effective September 6, 2020 and have class hours adjusted accordingly based on the following charts:

Progression employees moving from Part-time to Full time (and vice versa) remain at their existing rate until their class hours reach the next pay threshold. 

End Rate Part-time employees moving from part-time to full-time move to the next highest rate on the FT scale ($20.70) and their class hours will be adjusted to 5721.

End Rate Full-time employees moving from part-time to full-time will have their rate reduced to the end rate of the Part-time scale ($20.50).

Active Employees currently earning more than $22.50 per hour at Marine Drive, Pitt Meadows

Active Employees at Marine Drive and Pitt Meadows currently earning more than $22.50 per hour will receive a $1000 Lump Sum payment on a separate deposit by the end of September 2020.

For a PDF version of this information: DC_warehouse-LOU-August_27_2020_FINAL-converted.pdf