Local 78B – National Passenger Services (NPS) Notice re: Changes to Layoff & Recall

Dear member,

You are receiving this notification because you have been identified by NSGEU as a member of Local 78B – National Passenger Services (NPS) currently on the RECALL list.

As you may be aware, NSGEU recently completed negotiations with the Employer. The local ratified the tentative agreement with a 78% acceptance.

The purpose of this communication is to notify you of the changes within the collective agreement that will impact you.

Key points:

1. For the member on layoff/recall: it is your responsibility to contact the Employer if you wish to be notified and/or apply for any L78B routes. You will need to give the Employer a valid email address or telephone number. Only in situations where a member has no email address will a telephone number be accepted.
2. The total layoff & recall period is now 24 months. (You must contact the Employer after the first twelve-month term to be extended a further twelve months).

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Lloyd Samson (LSamson@nsgeu.ca), Employee Relations Officer for Local 78B.

Here are the items noted above with the changes in Article 11 of your new collective agreement.

(Note: bolded and underlined text is new language. strike-through text is deletion; Items in brackets are purely information and will not be included as text in the Collective Agreement)

Article 11 – Seniority

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11.03(c) he is laid off for a period of eighteen (18) twelve (12) months and the period has not been extended in writing at the request of the employee for a further eighteen (18) twelve (12) months; or

11.04 The following rules shall apply to filling permanent positions (whether as a result of vacancies or newly created positions), promotions, layoffs and

Recalls:

(a) The Employer will advise the Union by E-mail, fax or mail of all anticipated

permanent vacancies positions to be filled in the conveyance and maintenance departments.

(b) Subject to the next sentence,  In filling vacancies permanent positions or promotions, appointments shall be made of the applicant with the greatest seniority in the following order: (i) employees currently assigned a permanent position, (ii) employees on the recall list, (iii) spare drivers; all  subject to qualifications and ability being relatively equal. An employee appointed in accordance with this article 11.04 shall not be eligible to fill further vacancies permanent positions  for a period of six months following that appointment, except that an employee who has filled a permanent position through recall from lay-off in accordance with paragraph (f) shall be immediately eligible to fill another permanent position.

…

(f) The method by which the Employer will recall laid-off employees will be as follows: the Employer will send an email to each employee on the recall list, describing available permanent positions and inviting those who are interested to reply by email within no less than one week’s deadline. It is each employee’s responsibility to reply to the email notice. It is each employee’s responsibility to ensure that they have provided an accurate email address to the Employer.

[ Parties agree to further amend this paragraph to include the ability to have telephone contact for employees without email addresses.]