Every worker deserves a union!!

What does a trade union do?

The trade union bargains a collective agreement. And then manage is that collective agreement on your behalf? Of the bargaining unit in exchange for the trade union representing you. You give up your individual rights to bargain for set and manage the terms of conditions of your employment.

Trade unions. Charge for their service, which employees pay through the union dues deducted from their wages.

 I will start this off with a question to you.

Do you feel you have enough power and are in the best position to bargain the best deal possible for yourself?

Would you be better of as a group of coworkers lead by with trained professionals?

How much are union dues?

Dues vary from union to union. Dues can typically range up to 1.75% of your wages depending on the union. And may include dues on base pay, overtime, bonus, vacation pay, etc. We encourage you to ask the union how much are your union dues?

General example. Suppose you earned $85,000 gross. And received a $5000 bonus. For the year, if your union dues were 1.45% on all wages, that would mean your annual union dues would be $1305 dollars.

Yes, union dues are a fact. We hear this all the time having a union is like job insurance. This information is almost correct. Your union dues are a tax deduction.

How union dues are paid.

$85,000 + $ 5000 Bonus =$90,000 Gross

$90,000 x 1.45 union dues = $1305 Union dues

$1305 Union dues – approx. 30% tax deduction = 391.50

TOTAL UNION DUES PAID $913 PER YEAR Approx. $35.00 PER PAY

The law does not allow an employer to refuse a union from requiring payment of union dues. If you are unionized, it is almost certainly that you will pay union dues.

How are my union dues spent?

In addition to being used to fund the operation of the union, your union dues would go. To administrative costs such as paying the rent on the union’s office space and the salaries and benefits of the union presidents, vice presidents, treasurers, office staff, organizers, consultants, and. Other layers of administration your dues may also be used to support political causes for their organisations.

How your dues are spent.

$0.44 is spent on administration. Includes legal team, research team, pension specialist’s, trained staff reps’ office and other administrative Requirements.

$0.03 Goes to organizing. This gives people like yourselves the opportunity to join the union.

$0.07 goes to the defence fund for things such as strike pay.

$0.44 Goes right back into your local. This money is managed by the local union. This would consist of the officials that you would elect from your site TO BE MANAGED BY YOU THE MEMBERS.

Do I have to talk to a union organizer?

No, the decision about whether to talk to a union organizer is yours and yours alone to make. If you are going to talk to an organizer, we think you should ask questions so that, you are sure. You know what you’re signing up for. We encourage you to be polite and civil, no matter how you may feel about the Union.

I would agree it your choice but as you can see you only get the one side from the company. It may not be quite factual or the whole story.

What is the union card or membership card?

A union card or membership card means that you support representation by a trade union. If at least 55% of the employees in the proposed bargaining unit sign union cards. The Union. May apply to the Labour Board to represent employees without a vote. If at least 45% of the employees but less than 55% of the employees. In the proposed bargaining unit, sign union cards, then you union. May apply to the Labour Board for a vote whether majority of the employees want to union to represent them.

 Deciding whether or not to sign a cart is a very important decision.

Can we try the union out for awhile?

Being certified by a trade union may seem easy. Getting one out may be a different story. Ask questions.

The fact of the matter is exactly the opposite of what the company is saying. To organize a union takes time a long time. Cards are good for 6 months and must be resigned. The union is not able to talk to workers on site to inform them of their rights.  We must count on you and your coworkers to do that. I have heard very clearly the union talk will get you fired.  If union is a bad thing for people, why would the company fight it. Large companies spend millions of dollars fighting unions.

To remove the union is easy. If people are truly unhappy, they could walk around and get signatures to apply for decertification vote through the BCLRB. 45% workers sign the petition there is a vote held with in 5 days to determine if the union stays in or out. Truly you could probably make it happen in a week if the union is not doing its job. 

What happens if there’s a vote to become certified? If it comes to a vote, we strongly encourage all Eligible employees to vote it is decided based on the majority of the ballots if you do not vote, that means someone else is making a decision for your workplace for you. In our view, the decision on whether or not to join the union is important to leave to others it. Is a decision that you have to make for yourself.

Can the union guarantee better wages?

No. If the union successfully certifies you, then the collective bargaining process begins. The union cannot promise higher wages but can only deliver on that promise if it’s agreed to through the bargaining process.

New Gold believes its wages are already competitive.

Mercer Canada Limited. Is an external call consultant that conducts a compensation survey for New Afton every two years. The most recent was conducted in 2022. The survey looked at 9 mind sites, wrote BC and Ontario Underground and Open Pit Mines Union and non union. A benchmark 15 production positions. The survey compares base salary, bonus, overtime. Shift Premium Shift Differential in Vacation is based on the 2022 data, the results of the survey. Where that new were for New Afton, the overall base pay is in the top half of the surveyed group of the 15. Total cash compensation is also this top half of the minds that participated in the survey.

Can the union guarantee better benefits?

No, as with wages, there are no guarantees about improved benefits. Changes to the benefits are. Functioning of bargaining.

Can the union guarantee bonuses?

No, as with wages therein no guarantees. Bonus language is a function of bargaining.

Just to put the monetary conversations together. The union starts to bargain with everything that you have right now. Once the union files for certification the company is not allowed to make any changes to the bargaining unit. They can not take away or make any changes to the working conditions. This would include wages, benefits, schedules any thing that they have done in the past.

Bonus have become a hot topic in mines, we have been very successful in bargaining them into the collective agreements.

There are no union dues paid until you have a voted on and accepted collective agreement.  Who would vote in favor of getting less or the same that just wouldn’t make sense to anyone. 

Can the Union guarantee me better training opportunities?

No, the union cannot guarantee training opportunities or potential career advancement at New Afton

Can the union guarantee Job opportunities.

No, the Union does not have the ability to create new jobs. Drop opportunities are determined by our ability to achieve our business with Drew growth objectives.

The Union very strongly believes That everyone deserves a chance to advance their career. The only way to do that is to have structure and lines of progression in place. This allows everyone equal opportunity in training. This also opens job opportunities as you see fit to advance in your career.

We know that right now people are not getting these opportunities for the simple fact they not a buddy of the boss or know somebody.

So, the short answer to this would be yes, the union can create fair training opportunities as well as job advancement opportunities that you may not have had the opportunity without a union.

Can the union guarantee work or job security?

No, the union cannot guarantee work or job security. In our view, the best guarantee for work. And job security is strong, commodity markets an efficient and effective mine site.

Another positive to being unionized is seniority in the case of a layoff or a shutdown. Seniority rules must be followed. Right now, you don’t have that job security. With the union you would have that security. Unions have also lobbied the governments as well to get permits approved to ensure that Our members have steady, stable, Well paying, jobs.

What is the difference for employees covered under the BC Labour Board versus the BC Employment Standards?

Employment Standards Act. Stats are the minimum rates for BC employees. New Afton believes it exceeds most employment standard minimums.

As a rule, once unionize and employees’ rights under the Employment Standards Act would be replaced by the standards set out in the collective agreement.

Most employers comply with and do not exceed the collective agreement standards.

The BC Labour Relations Code regulates relations between employers and unions and with. Some explanations do not confer rights to individual employees.

This is because the union holds higher standards than the minimum. This is especially true through health and safety language and severance packages.

What happens if the company union cannot agree on the terms of employment?

If the parties cannot agree on the terms of employment, the union may request to go on strike. Or the employer may decide to lock out employees. Would not earn wages during a strike or lockout. And nor would they be eligible for employment insurance. The union may pay for picketing, but you should find out how much. In the event of a strike, you should also ask the union will allow you to cross the picket line.

The last thing that anyone wants is a strike. No one wins. There is a duty to bargain in good faith this applies to the company and the union.  Most employers will act tough to scare workers from joining a union. 97% of all collective agreements are ratified with out labor action.

What happens if you fail to follow union constitutions or rules?

Have you asked the Union if its constitution permits a union to fine, discipline, expel you from membership if you fail to follow the unions constitution and the unions rules?  If the union negotiates closed shop provision to the collective agreement. (These are very common in BC) The union can insist that New Afton terminate you if you are expelled from a union membership.

 Be informed of the Unions Constitution and the Unions rules before you sign a card.

I have never heard of this happening. I can make the constitution available if you like.  Unlike the United States if 50%+1 votes in favour of the union everyone is included. No one is left behind.

Can only part of the site be unionized?

This is a difficult one to answer, but to a degree, yes, the union can certify a part of a work site. It is not uncommon for the Labour Board to decide on whether the particular unit is appropriate, while labour word is also stated that preference at the union certify all employees in its certainty. Possible for the union to seek to unionize only a specific group.

Not currently. That is referred to as a carve out. Example: maintenance cannot unionize separately than mine operations. That is something that is being challenged through the BCLRB system.

Does new Aston need a union?

In our opinion. Our opinion doesn’t matter, yours does.

For the record we do not believe you and your family will be better served with the union. We have always tried to ensure that New Afton maintains compensation and benefits which are at the top of the industry without the cost of you paying union dues.

We take pride in our ability to offer in training and development opportunities for employee’s excellent health and welfare benefits, competitive vacation, time off for rejuvenating, RRSP, company match to name a few, as well as an open-door policy that addresses employee concerns, we conduct meetings to create face to face conversations with employees and continuously look at ways to communicate information. We value direct employee engagement and believe all that employees have a part to play in the operation and this allows us to be able to be flexible and responsive. We believe that having a union involved with Detour, that direct involvement in flexibility.

 All members of the New Afton management team are committed to ensuring New Afton’s a good place to work. You have feedback for your ideas for us, please talk to us we cannot address your concerns if we don’t know what they are. Our doors are open for your feedback is welcome.

 Please take your time to consider the above, as well as other information you may independently find about what it means to be represented by a union.

If you are asked to sign a union card, its our view that you should think about it all the options and ask questions. Signing union card is critically important work decision.

Please make an informed choice.

With out signing a card you are leaving way too much on the table. Health and safety issues, pay, vacations, entitled time off, seniority, treatment of employees.

Having on site USW trained Health and Safety reps and Shop Stewards will allow for positive changes to the workplace.

We have heard so many people say that its time for change!! Change only happens when you make the positive steps to change it. It has been shown repeatedly here that New Gold don’t want to make changes. Its production over safety.

Start today signing a card gives the USW the ability to be your certified bargaining agent.

Pick your bargaining team through nominations and a vote. The union will take them off site and train them in bargaining. Every worker will get a priority sheet to list in order what is of importance to you. Bargaining team heads to the table with that list to achieve the maximum that they can. Meeting will be held to review proposed agreement Yes, vote becomes the collective agreement. No vote sends the committee back to the table to get more.