Bring union representation to Employer meetings

According to Article 23.06 of the UNA Provincial Collective Agreement, Employees can have a union representative present for any meetings being held with the Employer that could lead to disciplinary action. When an Employer calls an Employee into a meeting that could possibly have disciplinary aspects to it, the Employer needs to inform the Employee of this right to union representation. The article states that Employees also need to be provided a reasonable advance notice of the meeting, which, if circumstances permit, shall not be less than 24 hours. An Employer will often say that a union representative is not necessary, however, UNA strongly encourages Employees to take a union representative with them to provide support, take notes and provide assistance following the meeting. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your UNA local executive or Labour Relations Officer at 1-800-252-9394.

Off Planner Vacation Requests

According to Article 17.03(b)(ii) of the UNA Provincial Collective Agreement, when an Employee submits a request in writing after April 30 for vacation, the Employer shall indicate approval or disapproval in writing of the vacation request within 14 days of the request. Each request submitted by an Employee must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. If your manager says they are not approving any “off planner” or “ad hoc” requests, then they are not assessing each request. Such blanket denials are arbitrary and contravene the requirements of the Collective Agreement. In addition, it is not the responsibility of an Employee to find coverage for their vacation. The manager or their staffing office is responsible to do so. If you believe a vacation request has been denied unreasonably, please contact your UNA local executive or Labour Relations Officer at 1-800-252-9394.