ARTICLE 9 – APPRENTICES/TRAINEES

 

APPRENTICES

            Article  9

            9.01     - Commitment

            9.02     - Apprenticeship Advisory Committee

9.03     - General

9.01 -  Apprentices/Trainees

The Company and the Union recognize the benefit of having an apprenticeship/trainee program in the Company’s operations. 

(a)     Where the Company determines a need to create or fill an apprenticeship/trainee opportunity it shall create a local working group to support the apprentice/trainee program at that location.  The Company shall then post notice of an apprenticeship/trainee opportunity.  Employees wishing to be considered for such opportunities shall submit a written application

(b)     Appointment shall be based upon a reasonable assessment of the applicants’ experience, qualifications, and suitability.  Seniority shall be the governing factor if the applicants are relatively equal. 

(c)     The Company is not required to retain an apprentice/trainee in its employ as a tradesperson or officer following completion of their apprentice/trainee/cadet program.

(d)     Employees selected as an apprentice/trainee under this article shall be converted to regular employee status and, if retained after completing their apprenticeship/training program, shall maintain their regular status in the classification in which they apprenticed/trained. 

(e)     An apprentice/trainee, who was employed by the Company prior to being selected and who is not successful during his/her apprenticeship/training program, or who is not retained as a tradesperson after completing his/her apprenticeship/training program, shall be reinstated to their former status of employment and have the ability to access the Workforce Adjustment provisions of article 12.  That provision will not include the ability to access the severance provisions of article 12, unless by mutual agreement of the parties.

(f)      Apprentices shall be provided with training in accordance with the Provincial apprenticeship requirements.

(g)     Apprentices/trainees shall be entitled to education leave in accordance with article 25, when they attend required off-site classroom training pursuant to their apprenticeship or training program, provided that:

1.         The Company shall only be required to top-up the employee’s Employment Insurance (EI) payments so that his her/her normal straight time apprentice pay is maintained while so attending during those times when the employee would otherwise be scheduled to work at straight time (no overtime).  Employees attending required off-site classroom training pursuant to their apprenticeship or training program must apply for available EI benefits in order to have their normal straight time pay maintained under this article.

2.         The Company shall not be required to maintain the pay of any apprentice/trainee who is repeating required classroom training that the employee previously failed to successfully complete.  The Company shall ensure that the apprentice/trainee is given reasonable time off to repeat the required classroom training.

(h)     The Company shall advance the cost of tuition, books and other training materials for apprentices/trainees who attend off-site classroom training pursuant to apprenticeship/training programs.  Upon successful completion of the apprentice training the advance shall be forgiven.

(i)      An apprentice/trainee shall be paid the following percentages of the applicable trades’ rate, provided that the employee continues to maintain the required standards of performance, attendance, and/or successfully completes all required classroom training.  Apprentices/trainees who are not continuing to meet the required standards of performance and/or who fail required classroom training shall not be eligible to continue through the wage progression until such time as they meet such standards or successfully complete such training: