Labour Relations – Message from CUPE 1063 President to WCB Management

Labour Relations – Message from CUPE 1063 President to WCB Management

Labour Relations – Message from CUPE 1063 President to WCB Management

One of the roles of a union executive is to be the voice of our members with management. That is the reason we have requested this meeting. It’s been some time since we have had one, Chris Rerick was the only one who could actually remember one.

ARTICLE 29- LABOUR MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

29.01 The Labour/Management Committee shall be established for the purpose of promoting the resolution of workplace issues, fostering the development of work related skills, sharing information and developing a work environment mindful of the needs of stakeholders and employees.

29.04 Function of the Committee The committee shall concern itself with the following general matters;

(a) maintaining good communications and relations between the Employer, the Union and the employees;
(b) improving organizational effectiveness;
(c) improving and extending services;
(d) receiving and reviewing suggestions from employees;
(e) undertaking specific initiatives upon mutual agreement of the Parties. 

Recently the union has discussed specific concerns with Human Resources and the Operational Areas in regards to contracting out and the use of vacancy management. These discussions are ongoing.

Today we would like to discuss the state of our members, your employees.

Past practice at the WCB was for Human Resources to complete a Members Engagement Survey every 2 years.

This was an opportunity for members to speak their mind in regards to everything WCB. They did believe that these results were reviewed by management, shared with the members and that concerns that may have come would be addressed. As someone who has been at the WCB for 25 years, I looked forward to the survey as I felt that management valued my opinion.

The surveys previously were completed in 2013, 2015 and 2017 so an ongoing review could be completed. The practice has since ended.

Members notice these things and the common reason among members for why the survey stopped was that management no longer want to hear what they had to say. 

Earlier this year, CUPE 1063 completed their own brief Members Engagement Survey. Some of the results are as follows:

62% – Employer does care about staff
57% – Management/Senior management out of touch or supportive
53% – Feel undervalued/disrespected
58% – Strongly disagree or disagree that morale is good in the workplace
56% – Believe that the relationship that management has with the union has worsened

Now, there are a few factors that we believe has contributed to this. We have spoken to one of the factors being the lack of a Member Engagement Survey. Turnover and retention of employees. At one time 10+ years ago, the WCB was seen to be the place that people wanted to work at. It seems this has changed. We now have difficulty hiring qualified people who want to stay. It seems that that there is a higher percentage of new hires that don’t make it through training or probation than ever before. The effect to members is that they must deal with the work of an empty desk, they are promised new staff are coming but that complement is never filled. The training area is now stretched thin. Members are leaving due to competitive wages, benefits and work/life balance options. As management has noted, it is becoming increasingly difficult to hire or keep staff in the Information Technology and Finance areas. I would suggest that this also is the case in Case Management and Adjudication.

As you know, the WCB and CUPE 1063 just went through one of the most difficult rounds of bargaining in history. Members are aware and sometimes expect negotiation to by difficult, but when they are asked to vote on a strike mandate for the first time in our history and be 72 hours from being on the picket line for the first time in history, they notice. As you can expect, this has an effect on their morale.

Now, given what we have brought up, the members have one more issue hanging over their heads, Digital Modernization. We are not here to discuss the pros and cons of Digital Modernization. Most, if not all members, would agree that improvements are needed. BUT most members, if not all relate Digital Modernization with staff changes and possible layoffs. That’s what the news tells them. Our survey was completed prior to your recent information update to the members.

72% of members prior to your last information session stated that they were not well informed or informed at all as it relates to Digital Modernization.
62% of members stated that they did not know anything on how the project was going to impact their job. Equal percentages felt that the project would positively and negatively impact their jobs.

We realize that the Digital Modernization project is in its early stages but CUPE 1063 does not feel like an active participant in this, but we hope to be in the future. We would like to communicate to our members that we are! The union believes that the goal of Article 29 is to have difficult conversations with the hope of moving forward together to try to improve the work environment for our members and the WCB.CUPE 1063 would like to discuss the following possible next steps: ·        

Reestablish the Joint Labour Management Committee as per Article 29.
Discuss having management reestablish a Members Engagement Survey.