Local 1858 was scheduled to attend arbitration on January 3 and 4 to present the Local’s case regarding the Individual and Policy Grievances filed regarding the employer’s interpretation of Article 22.06 Supplemental Employee Benefits (SEB).
The employer reached out in late November to see if the Local was willing to come to an agreement. National Representative, Tara Brooks, and Legal Representative, Dora Tsao, Quinn Ramsay, Lead Steward, and Tiffany McLaughlin, President, met several times throughout December to discuss the offer and make counter proposals. VIU and the Local reached a settlement agreement on December 19, 2022.
This settlement involved compensation for any member who went on extended parental leave between September 2018 and December 2022, and the Local is currently compiling a list of members who may be eligible under the settlement agreement. The Local will be meeting with the employer in March to review this list and finalize the settlement.
The agreement included a contribution of $30,000 to the Local as a one-time payment to be applied to the Collective Bargaining process currently underway. Local 1858’s bargaining team will work to ensure that these funds are used to support the membership’s bargaining priorities.
Finally, the settlement included new language for Article 22.06. This language brings Local 1858’s Supplemental Employee Benefit more in line with VIUFA’s and BCGEU’s, with three exceptions. The benefit remains at “up to seventy-five percent (75%) of wages”; the Local retained language around SEB payments for members who are not eligible for EI; and the Local negotiated one hundred percent (100%) wages in the first and last weeks of leave, when EI benefits are not paid. Extended parental leave will be calculated for the thirty-five (35) week period and payments will then be spread out and paid over the sixty-one (61) weeks of leave.
The new Article 22.06 language will be added to the 2022-25 Collective Agreement as a housekeeping item. In the meantime, it will be posted on our Collective Agreement page under the Resources tab on our website. Please note that the settlement includes confidential information regarding members; only the new Article 22.06 will be posted.