UNW Local 6 – Evergreen Forestry Partnership Ltd
Bargaining Update
Hello to All Members of UNW Local 6 – Evergreen,
I was happy to meet many of you June and looking forward to meeting more of you in the future. If any of your co-workers are not getting union information, tell them to phone, text or email me. The collective bargaining process is taking some time so that you can receive what you deserve. I will provide updates periodically and if you have questions at any time please contact me.
Dawn Skinner, 867-765-8662, skinned@psac-afpc.com
Each of you should be keeping track of your hours. Write it down in a calendar for each day that you work.
Bargaining Information
- Your Collective Agreement expired in December 2023, and the Union issued a notice to bargain in October 2023.
- It has been very difficult to get Employer to come to the bargaining table. They resisted until the Union filed an application for conciliation. We also filed unfair labour practice charges against them at the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
- The parties finally met in talks convened by a federal mediator in late June, 2024.
- Further dates for mediation were set for October but your Employer refused to come to the table.
- Mediation was then convened by the Labour Board in July of this year but that also failed, and your Employer added more concessions to its package.
- An Essential Service Agreement has also not been completed by the parties. We know that firefighters are classified as Essential Services, but your Employer is denying that.
- However, your Employer has finally agreed to settle collective bargaining at arbitration and the parties have agreed upon an arbitrator, but it’s tough to find a time when everyone — the Union, the Employer and the Arbitrator – can meet.
- The Employer’s first offer was no wage increases – 0%, 0% and 0% in a three-year deal. After agreeing to pay parity with GNWT wildland firefighters in the last round of bargaining, they are now opposed to it, even though you are fighting fires right alongside GNWT firefighters. Their position of no wage increase hasn’t changed.
- Standby pay is still not resolved.
Remember your Bargaining Team is working with you to get the Collective Agreement that you deserve and there is a big Local and a big Union behind you.
In Solidarity,
Your Bargaining Team
Bruce Sabourin
Desmond Sabourin
Gail Lem, PSAC Negotiator