WELCOME To the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union Local 378

1. WELCOME To the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union Local 378

2. Introduction • Local 378 of the Canadian Office & Professional Employees Union (COPE) represents around 14,000 union members at public and private sector employers such as: • - Accenture Business Services - Fortis BC • BC Hydro - Greyhound • - BCAA - Hastings Entertainment • BC Transit - ICBC • Capilano University - Translink- Coast Mountain Bus Company - Yellow Pages • And many more, including car rental companies, credit unions, taxi companies, union offices, insurance companies, housing societies, and others.

3. Largest local of our Canadian union which represents over 33,000 members.Affiliated to the BC Federation of Labour, the Canadian Labour Congress and District Labour Councils.

4. Union Mandate • Promote democratic and collective action to improve working conditions and the standard of living for workers • Social Unionism means we strive to reconcile a community perspective with workplace interests: what we wish for ourselves, we desire for all

5. We Are the Union Through the Labour Relations Board, COPE 378 is certified as the sole and exclusive bargaining agent to represent our members in all matters of employment during the duration of the collective agreement and during collective bargaining. As an employee here, you are now a member of COPE 378. The union is not a third party. It is made up its members, who democratically elect their leaders from amongst their peers to direct the affairs of the organization. We are all “the union”.

6. Why Unions? A union represents and provides security in the workplace, dignity on the job, and provides the means to create a better life. This is achieved through our collective strength. As the saying goes: united we stand, divided we fall.

7. Collective Agreement John P. Sanderson, in the book The Art of Collective Bargaining, wrote: “In a general sense, a collective agreement is a collection of commitments in writing by an employer, a union, and group of employees to do certain things and not to do other certain things. More importantly, it is a living record of the continuing relationship between an employer, a union, and a group of employees, binding on them all, to be respected or reviled but, in any event, to govern the relationship of the parties and to provide a code of conduct for them to follow and enforce against each other”.

8. Collective Bargaining • Both sides, union and employer, enter the process with definite goals they want to accomplish. • The contest comes from the fact that labour and management have clearly opposing interests, and different points of view. • Each collective agreement has a specified term (usually 1, 2, or 3 years) and must be renegotiated each time it expires. • A member of the full-time staff usually leads negotiations, assisted by a committee elected by, and from among, the Stewards and Executive Officers of your bargaining unit.

9. Structure of COPE 378 • Executive Council • Senior policy making body of the union. Council members are responsible for policy, the annual budget and all major financial decisions. • 1 Executive Councilor per • 80-100 members. • Minimum 5 meetings/year. • Bring forward suggestions • from stewards and members on • how the union can improve • policies and member services. • Act as Chief Job Stewards, recruiting and advising job stewards in their constituency.

10. The Executive Board The Executive Board is made up of 20 members. The board is the executive management body of the union and meets monthly to discuss administrative and operational issues. The board reports to Council on policy and financial matters.  The Executive Board suggests ways the union can improve its policies and services to members. Board members must represent the interest of all members in their respective workplaces. They also sit on the union negotiating committee during bargaining and hold workplace membership meetings.

11. President The President assigns all staff responsibilities, manages the union office, chairs meetings and acts as the union's representative to all outside organizations Table OfficersThe President, the three Vice-presidents and Secretary Treasurer are the Table Officers. They represent the interests of all union members in discussions at Executive Board and Council meetings on matters regarding administration, policies and financial decisions of the union.

12. Staff Union Representatives Union Reps are full-time employees in the union office who provide technical advice to stewards and Councilors and teach new stewards how to handle complaints and stage one grievances. Reps handle more complex grievances, keep members up-to-date on grievance status, take members' cases to arbitration and act as coordinators of bargaining teams during contract negotiations. Administrative Support Staff The Administrative Support Staff are responsible for ensuring membership, steward and councilor address and phone lists are up-to-date, recording information on grievance files, advising members about meetings, ensuring that union officers have appropriate forms, bulletins and union booklets to perform their duties. Professional and administrative support staff are employed in the union office.

13. Your Representatives Vice President Union Rep Executive Board Members

14. Committees

15. If You Have a Problem Anything to do with your employment; wages, promotions, overtimes, benefits, discipline, etc. See your Job Steward. It is very important that you enlist the steward’s aid in processing your complaint.

16. Just Cause Just cause is the proof the employer must produce that discipline is warranted and necessary. The onus or the burden of proof is on the employer to prove a case not on the employee to prove s/he is not guilty. It is only after the employer has presented the proof that the employee is called upon to disprove.

17. Grievance Procedure A grievance procedure ensures an orderly and timely process for resolution of a problem in the workplace. Members should read over the grievance procedure and let their job steward know if they have any questions.

18. Seniority The Union movement fought long and hard to establish the principle of seniority. Seniority is your length of continued service within a bargaining unit as a member in good standing of Local 378. Seniority plays an important role in shift and holiday sign ups, as well as job competitions.

19. Dues As a member of COPE Local 378, you will pay dues at a rate of 1.5% of earnings. These dues are the primary source of income for our organization. They allow the union to run its office, employ its Union Representatives, Administrative Staff, and Elected Officials, fight grievances, hire arbitrators, fight strikes, and carry out all other activities that are fundamental to our ability to protect and serve the members of the union.

20. Member Responsibilities • Member’s Bill of Rights and • Responsibilities • Attend union meetings • Abide by your Collective • Agreement • Do not make private • deals with management • Do not cross picket lines • Support your fellow union members • Abide by our Constitution and By-laws • See your job steward if you have any questions or concerns