High Level, Alta. (258 production employees) and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (USW), Local 1-207
Renewal agreement: Effective Aug. 1, 2017, to July 31, 2022. Ratified on July 19, 2018. Signed on July 19, 2018.
Wage adjustments:
Effective Aug. 1, 2017: 2.5%
Effective Aug. 1, 2018: 2%
Effective Aug. 1, 2019: 2%
Effective Aug. 1, 2020: 1.5%
Effective Aug. 1, 2021: 2%
Shift premium: $0.22 per hour for charge hands. $0.50 per hour for second and third shifts. $0.40 per hour for graders with certificates. $0.30 per hour for all hours worked by tradesmen possessing multiple trades that as part of regular job, applies knowledge of ticketed trades. 75% of base rates for Saturday and Sunday work by weekend clean-up employees. $0.30 per hour for employees who hold valid standard first-aid certificate. $0.75 per hour for employees who hold valid emergency medical-response certificate.
Paid holidays: 12 days.
Vacations with pay: 4% to start, 2 weeks or 5% after 1 year, 3 weeks or 7% after 2 years, 4 weeks or 9% after 7 years, 5 weeks or 11% after 15 years, 6 weeks or 13% after 24 years, 7 weeks or 15% after 30 years.
Overtime: Time and one-half for all work after 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week or on Saturday. Double time for work on Sunday and more than 11 hours per day.
Meal allowance: Employer will provide hot meal, maximum $25 per meal (previously $15 per meal), furnished by local restaurant, for employees working more than 2 hours after regular shift.
Medical benefits: Employer pays 100% of premiums for Alberta Health Care Plan, excluding those who are covered by department of national health and welfare group plan.
Dental: Employer pays 100% of premiums. 80% for basic dental services (Plan A). 60% for prosthetics, crown, bridges (plan B). 60% for orthodontics (plan C), lifetime maximum $3,500.
Vision: $350 per member or dependant every 24 months. For dependants younger than 14, every 12 months.
Paramedical: $750 per year, per member or dependant (including $250 for massage therapy) for physiotherapy. $800 per year, per member or dependant for chiropractic.
Weekly indemnity: 57.5% of weekly earnings calculated at 40 times employee’s hourly straight time for 26 weeks.
LTD: 50% of weekly earnings calculated at 40 times employee’s hourly straight time rate.
AD&D: Employer pays 100% of premiums for coverage of $140,000.
Life insurance: Employer pays 100% of premiums for coverage of $140,000.
Pension: IWA Forest Industry Pension Plan or DC plan for employees hired after ratification of Aug. 1, 2012, to July 31, 2017, collective agreement.
Bereavement leave: 3 days for death in immediate family (spouse, mother, father, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, stepparents, stepchildren, grandparents, grandchildren, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandparents-in-law, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, legal guardians, great grandparents). 1 additional day for travel more than 500 kilometres.
Seniority – recall rights: 1 year to start; 2 years after 1 year of service.
Call-in pay: Minimum 3 hours’ pay at time and one-half.
Probationary period: 240 paid hours.
Discipline: Sunset clause is 3 months for verbal warnings; 6 months for written warnings; 12 months for suspensions.
Severance: 7 days’ pay per year of service, maximum 30 weeks’ pay.
Safety shoes: $250 (previously $230) per pair, per year, for CSA-approved, safety-toed footwear.
Uniforms/clothing: Employer will replace lumber mitts, gloves when needed. Employer will reimburse, maximum $200, for insulated coveralls that meet high-visibility requirements of site. Employer will supply welders with fire-resistant coveralls.
Tool allowance: Employer will repair or replace tools damaged, broken or lost in performance of regular duties. Employer will provide aprons and power-saw pants, hard hats and liners, eye, ear and nose protective equipment.
Sample rates of hourly pay (current, after 7.7% increase):
Group
1: $28.96 rising 4 steps to $31.19
2: $29.09 rising 4 steps to $31.33
3: $29.25 rising 4 steps to $31.51
4: $29.44 rising 4 steps to $31.71
5: $29.59 rising 4 steps to $31.87
6: $29.84 rising 4 steps to $32.14
7: $30.01 rising 4 steps to $32.33
8: $30.32 rising 4 steps to $32.66
9: $30.59 rising 4 steps to $32.94
10: $30.85 rising 4 steps to $33.23
11: $31.14 rising 4 steps to $33.54
12: $31.47 rising 4 steps to $33.89
13: $31.79 rising 4 steps to $34.24
14: $32.09 rising 4 steps to $34.57
15: $32.40 rising 4 steps to $34.90
16: $32.84 rising 4 steps to $35.37
17: $33.15 rising 4 steps to $35.71
18: $33.53 rising 4 steps to $36.11
19: $33.83 rising 4 steps to $36.43
20: $34.25 rising 4 steps to $36.89
21: $34.58 rising 4 steps to $37.25
22: $35.02 rising 4 steps to $37.73
23: $35.45 rising 4 steps to $38.19
24: $35.81 rising 4 steps to $38.58
25: $36.64 rising 4 steps to $39.47
26: $37.50 rising 4 steps to $40.40
27: $38.46 rising 4 steps to $41.42
28: $39.37 rising 4 steps to $42.41
Editor’s notes: Northern residents’ travel assistance: 10% of employee’s gross earnings will be designated as travel assistance, maximum $5,000 pursuant to Income Tax Act. Union education fund: Employer will contribute $0.05 per hour to fund. Orthopedic shoes: $500 per year for adults. $300 per year for children. Orthotics: $200 per member or dependant per year. Hearing aids: $550 per member or dependant every 5 years (unless other funds are available). Humanity fund: Employer will contribute $0.02 per hour for all hours worked, maximum 40 straight-time hours per week to United Steelworkers Humanity Fund.
Wage adjustments:
Effective Aug. 1, 2017: 2.5%
Effective Aug. 1, 2018: 2%
Effective Aug. 1, 2019: 2%
Effective Aug. 1, 2020: 1.5%
Effective Aug. 1, 2021: 2%
Shift premium: $0.22 per hour for charge hands. $0.50 per hour for second and third shifts. $0.40 per hour for graders with certificates. $0.30 per hour for all hours worked by tradesmen possessing multiple trades that as part of regular job, applies knowledge of ticketed trades. 75% of base rates for Saturday and Sunday work by weekend clean-up employees. $0.30 per hour for employees who hold valid standard first-aid certificate. $0.75 per hour for employees who hold valid emergency medical-response certificate.
Paid holidays: 12 days.
Vacations with pay: 4% to start, 2 weeks or 5% after 1 year, 3 weeks or 7% after 2 years, 4 weeks or 9% after 7 years, 5 weeks or 11% after 15 years, 6 weeks or 13% after 24 years, 7 weeks or 15% after 30 years.
Overtime: Time and one-half for all work after 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week or on Saturday. Double time for work on Sunday and more than 11 hours per day.
Meal allowance: Employer will provide hot meal, maximum $25 per meal (previously $15 per meal), furnished by local restaurant, for employees working more than 2 hours after regular shift.
Medical benefits: Employer pays 100% of premiums for Alberta Health Care Plan, excluding those who are covered by department of national health and welfare group plan.
Dental: Employer pays 100% of premiums. 80% for basic dental services (Plan A). 60% for prosthetics, crown, bridges (plan B). 60% for orthodontics (plan C), lifetime maximum $3,500.
Vision: $350 per member or dependant every 24 months. For dependants younger than 14, every 12 months.
Paramedical: $750 per year, per member or dependant (including $250 for massage therapy) for physiotherapy. $800 per year, per member or dependant for chiropractic.
Weekly indemnity: 57.5% of weekly earnings calculated at 40 times employee’s hourly straight time for 26 weeks.
LTD: 50% of weekly earnings calculated at 40 times employee’s hourly straight time rate.
AD&D: Employer pays 100% of premiums for coverage of $140,000.
Life insurance: Employer pays 100% of premiums for coverage of $140,000.
Pension: IWA Forest Industry Pension Plan or DC plan for employees hired after ratification of Aug. 1, 2012, to July 31, 2017, collective agreement.
Bereavement leave: 3 days for death in immediate family (spouse, mother, father, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, stepparents, stepchildren, grandparents, grandchildren, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandparents-in-law, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, legal guardians, great grandparents). 1 additional day for travel more than 500 kilometres.
Seniority – recall rights: 1 year to start; 2 years after 1 year of service.
Call-in pay: Minimum 3 hours’ pay at time and one-half.
Probationary period: 240 paid hours.
Discipline: Sunset clause is 3 months for verbal warnings; 6 months for written warnings; 12 months for suspensions.
Severance: 7 days’ pay per year of service, maximum 30 weeks’ pay.
Safety shoes: $250 (previously $230) per pair, per year, for CSA-approved, safety-toed footwear.
Uniforms/clothing: Employer will replace lumber mitts, gloves when needed. Employer will reimburse, maximum $200, for insulated coveralls that meet high-visibility requirements of site. Employer will supply welders with fire-resistant coveralls.
Tool allowance: Employer will repair or replace tools damaged, broken or lost in performance of regular duties. Employer will provide aprons and power-saw pants, hard hats and liners, eye, ear and nose protective equipment.
Sample rates of hourly pay (current, after 7.7% increase):
Group
1: $28.96 rising 4 steps to $31.19
2: $29.09 rising 4 steps to $31.33
3: $29.25 rising 4 steps to $31.51
4: $29.44 rising 4 steps to $31.71
5: $29.59 rising 4 steps to $31.87
6: $29.84 rising 4 steps to $32.14
7: $30.01 rising 4 steps to $32.33
8: $30.32 rising 4 steps to $32.66
9: $30.59 rising 4 steps to $32.94
10: $30.85 rising 4 steps to $33.23
11: $31.14 rising 4 steps to $33.54
12: $31.47 rising 4 steps to $33.89
13: $31.79 rising 4 steps to $34.24
14: $32.09 rising 4 steps to $34.57
15: $32.40 rising 4 steps to $34.90
16: $32.84 rising 4 steps to $35.37
17: $33.15 rising 4 steps to $35.71
18: $33.53 rising 4 steps to $36.11
19: $33.83 rising 4 steps to $36.43
20: $34.25 rising 4 steps to $36.89
21: $34.58 rising 4 steps to $37.25
22: $35.02 rising 4 steps to $37.73
23: $35.45 rising 4 steps to $38.19
24: $35.81 rising 4 steps to $38.58
25: $36.64 rising 4 steps to $39.47
26: $37.50 rising 4 steps to $40.40
27: $38.46 rising 4 steps to $41.42
28: $39.37 rising 4 steps to $42.41
Editor’s notes: Northern residents’ travel assistance: 10% of employee’s gross earnings will be designated as travel assistance, maximum $5,000 pursuant to Income Tax Act. Union education fund: Employer will contribute $0.05 per hour to fund. Orthopedic shoes: $500 per year for adults. $300 per year for children. Orthotics: $200 per member or dependant per year. Hearing aids: $550 per member or dependant every 5 years (unless other funds are available). Humanity fund: Employer will contribute $0.02 per hour for all hours worked, maximum 40 straight-time hours per week to United Steelworkers Humanity Fund.
