SHOP STEWARD PLANNING DAY

Unifor 594 recently convened a Shop Steward Strategy Conference, uniting our shop stewards and union executives in a collaborative endeavor aimed at shaping our future path. This gathering reflects our commitment to fostering an environment of inclusive engagement, driven by the recognition that our members – comprised of a diverse group of disciplines and backgrounds –share common aspirations and face shared challenges.

During this assembly, we were introduced to Ryan Shillingford our newly elected negotiating chair, who brings a wealth of experience, perspective, and dedication to the table. Ryan's vision and ideas promise to invigorate our approach to upcoming negotiations, ensuring that we secure the best outcomes for our diverse membership. Along with the experience of the individuals he collaborates with, our negotiating team is wasting no time preparing for the responsibilities they face.

The group welcomed Lisa Taman as our new Women's Advocate, an essential position in our union's commitment to equity and inclusivity. Lisa, along with management representative Tasha Gieni, have been diligently training to provide essential support for employees facing the impacts of violence – whether it be at home or in the workplace, female or male. Studies have shown that having a woman in this role will make it more comfortable for those seeking help to come forward and that women are five times more likely to speak to someone they know when looking for help. It is essential to emphasize that these support resources are open to anyone experiencing the effects of a violent partner. They hope to spread the word about the support network they have access to, as well as increase general awareness of this resource.

In addition to our esteemed speakers mentioned earlier, our conference featured a range of voices from our union's leadership team who contributed invaluable insights to our gathering.

Karl Dahle, Maintenance VP, shared valuable advice on enhancing communication among coworkers.

Jamie Wolf, PDD VP, went over avenues to approach for assistance and understanding our chain of command.

Kurt Haakensen, Temporary Admin VP, underscored the importance of succession planning, an aspect crucial to our union's future.

Andrea Jordan, Information Officer, discussed the role played by the Conciliator newsletter as well as our social media and the direction we envision for it, sparking discussions on generating more ideas for articles and posts.

Wade Schnell, Process VP, delivered a compelling message on the necessity of familiarizing ourselves with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, highlighting why this knowledge is essential for effectively working within it.

Together, these leaders enriched our understanding of our roles and underscored their significance while enhancing the breadth and depth of our union's reach and value.

The conference was marked by department-specific group sessions, offering an ideal platform for members to engage with their respective vice presidents and articulate area-specific concerns. This initiative reflects our determination to empower all members, bridging the gap between all departments and areas.

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Unifor 594's shop stewards are dedicated to enhancing member engagement and idea-sharing. We invite all members to contribute their valuable bargaining ideas and suggestions to strengthen our negotiations. In this spirit of unity, our collective voice will continue to advocate for fair and just labor practices, ensuring the welfare and aspirations of every member are at the forefront of our mission. Together, we move forward, forging a future that embraces diversity, empowers workers, and champions a fair and equitable workplace for all.

In Solidarity,

Mitch Bloos, Boilerhouse Shop Steward

SHOP STEWARD PLANNING DAY CONT.

As the membership is aware, the shop stewards throughout the refinery got together on the 7th of September to discuss several wins from the past year and discuss some goals of the membership going forward. 

The day started with a quick introduction of the attending parties, and we quickly got underway with Ryan Shillingford starting with the hottest topic - the bargaining of our new contract!! Although a settlement hasn't been reached, Unifor National is meeting with Suncor on the 28th and 29th of September in Montreal for further discussions that we hope will produce a tentative agreement. Union president Nathan Kraemer will keep us up to date after these meetings take place. 

The next topic of the day was brought to us by our Chief Shop Steward, Richard Exner, currently we have 116 grievances in the backlog and have had 47 new cases as of 2023. Having recently been in a grievance meeting I can tell you that these matters are being looked at thoroughly and we have a great team on the issues. 

Here at the coop refinery, we have a bunch of teams and groups to aid us through tough times and or just be a friend to talk to. The Women's Advocate is just one of the many tools for the use of coop employees. This position is set up to help with abuse of all forms in the home or the workplace. If you are experiencing issues and you feel like you need some support, please feel free to reach out to Coops Domestic Violence and Abuse Committee, Lisa Taman is the union representative on the committee and she can get you in touch with the right people. 

After wrapping up the day in our work groups and brainstorming some potential goals for the future, it feels safe to say that we are heading in the right direction. As always if you want to contribute to union issues or join the many groups within the union, please let your steward know. 

In Solidarity,

Dan Ross, Pipefitter Shop Steward

CSS CORNER

Near the back of the collective agreement, you'll find Letter of Understanding 63 - Paid Education Leave and Canadian Community Fund. It's often overlooked due to the notoriety and importance of its booklet neighbours, LOU 61 Turnaround Work and LOU 65 Pension, but LOU 63 provides meaningful language and compensation for Unifor's education and social justice campaigns.

While LOU 63 goes into better detail regarding Paid Education Leave (PEL) there is only this small blurb about the Canadian Community Fund (CCF):

"Effective October 1, 2016, the Company will remit 3 cents ($0.03) for each full-time employee's regular hours of work to the Canadian Community Fund (“CCF”)."

It's not very specific, so we wanted to take this opportunity to describe the CCF, its role, and some of the initiatives that have been funded since its inception.

As part of Unifor’s broader social mandate, the Canadian Community Fund (CCF) supports projects to improve the lives of working people and those who are most vulnerable in Canada.

The CCF receives its funding from employer contributions negotiated by Unifor on behalf of members. There are currently 28 contributing employer partners, with the union working to increase that number in its ongoing collective bargaining process.

Since its inception in 2016, the CCF has donated almost $750,000 to multiple organizations to aid communities across the country.

In 2018, the fund donated a total of $125,000 to the Canadian Red Cross to provide emergency supplies and shelter in the aftermath of record flooding in New Brunswick, devastating wildfires in British Columbia, and destructive tornadoes in Quebec and Ontario.

The CCF is proof that when we all come together for the greater good, a little goes a long way.

In Solidarity,

Richard Exner, Chief Shop Steward