The workers were locked out on Monday, July 19th and the bargaining team had a response to the very few outstanding issues left on the table prepared the next day, Tuesday the 20th. With the assistance of a mediator, the employer promised our bargaining team an offer they termed a “last and final offer” on Friday the 23rd, then delayed until Monday, and the offer finally appeared on Tuesday the 26th – a full week after receiving the Unions proposal.

After holding a membership meeting, PSAC responded to this offer, and was ready to meet with the employer on Wednesday the 27th. The employer agreed to meet the next day.

Our team was then very disappointed to hear the employer had decided to take the weekend off and would not be returning to the table until Tuesday, August 3rd.

Members have decided not to take the weekend off, and will continue to picket at YVR.

Here are a few photos from the picket line …

Vancouver – Servisair now admits in a legal document filed this afternoon that there have been major flight delays at Vancouver International Airport since it locked out refueling supervisors on Monday – delays it and YVR management denied publicly until now, says the supervisors’ union.

A Servisair application to the Canadian Industrial Relations Board states that WestJet complained of “quite significant” delays and that “Air Canada advised Servisair that it could not afford a repeat” of delays experienced Monday July 19 when replacement workers took over from existing trained supervisors, says Stephen Dunsmore, Regional Vice-President Pacific of the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees – a component union of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

The Servisair application says Air Canada complained of “cost attributable to fuelling delays” and that United, KLM, Continental, Cathay Pacific, Air New Zealand, US Airways and Air North all reported fuelling delay, Dunsmore said.

A WestJet official quoted in the documents says the delays were significant and impacted well over 140 other flights in the WestJet system.

Says Dunsmore: “This CIRB application is a legal document that demonstrates irrefutably that both Servisair and Vancouver International Airport management deliberately misled the public and the media about what Servisair admits have been quite significant delays due to their lockout of experienced refueling supervisors.”

“The solution is obvious – negotiate a fair first collective agreement immediately, as the union has been trying to do from the start – and end this lockout now,” Dunsmore said.  “We were at the bargaining table Sunday night when Servisair walked away without even hearing our counterproposal and instead locked out our members.”

Dunsmore said the Servisair application is a clumsy attempt to blame refueling workers who are continuing to work under their own existing collective agreement for problems when the obvious reality is that inexperienced replacement supervisors don’t know how to manage Vancouver International Airport’s complex refueling procedures.

“There have been many documented mistakes – some of which are health and safety concerns – that these replacement supervisors are making,” Dunsmore said.  “We are now documenting safety concerns and will be making the appropriate complaints shortly to bring this to the attention of authorities.”

Dunsmore said the union is confident that the CIRB will reject the Servisair allegations, noting that the union advised refueling workers prior to the dispute that they must obey their collective agreement even if supervisors were locked out.

Employer Servisair is a Paris-based company that provides fuel to Air Canada, WestJet and other airlines at Vancouver International Airport as well as at more than 128 locations worldwide.

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For further information contact: Stephen Dunsmore UCTE at cell 778-998-1491 or Bill Tieleman, West Star Communications at cell 778-896-0964 or 604-844-7827.

In spite of this set back, our Union remains committed to reaching a negotiated first agreement and we have asked the Federal Mediator to convene another bargaining session at 17:00 hours on Friday July 16.

A bargaining update meeting will be held at #113-5200 Miller Road this Saturday July 17, at 12:00 noon. This is a very important meeting and all members are strongly encouraged to attend.

As the deadline for a possible Strike/Lockout approaches, we recognize that members are concerned about what this will mean. Please be assured that the Union’s bargaining committee remain committed to reaching an agreement before the time expires 12:01 July 17, 2010.

In the event of a Strike/Lockout either party is legally required to give the 72 hours notice of their intentions to do so. At that time, the Union will notify you of our Strike/Lockout headquarters office where you can report for a membership meeting and schedule for picket duty.

If there is a Strike/Lockout, for those members who work in the Fuelers bargaining unit no strike action will be authorized. You will have to continue to work under the terms of your collective agreement and the Canada Labour Code. This means you will have to report to work and perform your usual duties. However, section 94 of the Canada Labour Code and the collective agreement both provide that you have the right to refuse to perform struck work.  If a member is concerned for their safety in crossing a picket line, the employer has to provide an escort to ensure your safety.

At this time solidarity is very important for all PSAC members who work for GlobeGround Fuel Services/Servisair. We need to work collectively to send a clear message to the employer that we are a strong group of union members.

For more information contact Janelle Ho-Shing at 604.430.5631.

Regular updates will be posted at www.psacbc.com or www.local20221.com

Click here to download a PDF poster: The-Right-to-Refuse-struck-work-final2

Your CRA BC Regional Strike Committee:

• Pamela Abbott, UTE Regional Vice-President and Bargaining Team member
• Robert Hume, UTE Alternate Regional Vice-President
• Kurt Munger, UTE 20002
• Alex Cook, UTE 20003
• Terry Ruyter, UTE 20007
• Sharon Hickey, UTE 20026
• Janet Graham, UTE 20027
• Wayne Little, UTE 20028
• Johann Ackermann, UTE 20029
• Richard Hyatt, UTE 20050

Check back here at the regional website, or sign up for email bargaining updates at the UTE website and keep up to date with CRA Bargaining!

As with the first conciliation proceedings, these two (2) days were frustratingly slow. The employer appeared ill prepared and had very few responses for your bargaining team. Agreement was reached on the following issues only:

• Strikes and Lockouts
• Maternity Leave
• Education Leave
• Travel Time
• Staffing Procedure

Other issues dealt with include Management Rights, Designated Paid Holidays, Family Related Leave, Layoff and Recall, Employee Status, Call-back, Shift Premiums, Vacation Leave and Benefits.

The next session is scheduled for July 12 to 15, 2010. An announcement regarding a strike vote will be made shortly.

These negotiations will result in a first collective agreement for this unit. Some of the duties performed by these members include the supervision of approximately 80 fuelers and fueling related workers at the Vancouver International Airport as well as administrative duties related to inventory, accounts payable etc.

Sign the online petition to save Canada Post’s Philatelic centre and its call centres

Campaign highlights:

• a petition was circulated at the NDP Manitoba Convention in Winnipeg in April,
• union representatives met with MPs Chris Charlton, Meaghan Leslie and MLA Moe Smith
• union representatives met with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
• the FCM will consider a resolution on the issue at its June convention .
• strong participation in the May Day celebration. Watch the video
• demonstration and leafleting in Antigonish

For more information:  Canada Post to privatize 300 contact centre jobs across Canada