Article 11

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ARTICLE 11
GENERAL

Section 1. Bereavement Pay

When an employee attends the funeral or memorial service of an immediate relative, he shall receive leave of absence for not less than three (3) consecutive days (one of which days shall be the day of the funeral) and shall receive eight (8) hours straight time rate of pay for each of such days absent on which he would otherwise have been working. If an employee must travel greater than 500kms to attend the funeral or memorial service of an immediate relative, he shall receive two (2) additional days of paid bereavement.
Should an employee require Bereavement Leave while on scheduled vacation, he will notify his department and request three vacation days to be return to his vacation allotment.
For the purposes of this Section, "immediate relative' shall mean one of the following: Wife, Husband, Life Partner, Daughter, Son, Stepchildren, Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, Mother-in-law, Father-in-law, Son-in-law, Daughter-in-law, Grandparents, Grandchildren.

Section 2. Educational Leave

Upon written application by the Business Agent of the Union, the company agrees to grant an educational leave of absence, without loss of regular pay, not to exceed three (3) normal working days in any one year, to elected officials of the Union. No more than a total of 15 normal working days shall be available in any one year to all elected officials. Such educational leave will be so arranged between the Union and the Company so as to minimise disruption of the Company's operations.

Section 3. Jury Duty

When an employee is required to serve on a regular or coroners' jury, or is subpoenaed as a crown witness during his normal working hours, he shall be granted leave of absence and shall receive the difference between his straight time rate of pay (for hours necessarily absent and during which he would otherwise have been working) and the amount received for each jury duty.

Section 4. Maternity, Parental and Adoption Leave

Refer to appendix "A".(Section 7)

Section 5. Leave of Absence-Personal

The Company may grant a leave of absence without pay to any benefit service employee for personal reasons provided such leave can be operationally accommodated.
Written requests for such unpaid leave, up to a maximum of ten (10) working days, will be considered and persons who are absent with written permission for such leave shall not be considered to be laid off, and their seniority shall continue to accumulate during their absence. A copy of the Leave of Absence shall be given to the Union Plant Committee.
Employees shall be permitted to accumulate, in full shift increments, up to 5 days leave of absence during the calendar year and then, once the 5 days of leave of absence have been utilized, apply to cash out a maximum of one weeks vacation to offset the wage loss incurred.

Section 6. Leave of Absence-Union Office

The Company agrees to grant a leave of absence for a period of not more than twelve (12) months, or the balance of the duration of this Collective Agreement, whichever is the longer, to one employee who has been elected or appointed to full-time office of Local 300, the British Columbian federation of Labour, or the Canadian Labour Congress. The leave will be without pay and without entitlement to any benefits.
A request for such leave shall be in writing with as much notice as possible.
An employee who has been granted such leave of absence for the British Columbian Federation of Labour or Canadian Labour Congress shall not accrue service entitlements towards vacation, pension, guaranteed wage plan or any other benefits. However, seniority shall continue to accrue while on such leave solely for the purpose of recall, layoff and applying for job postings upon return to the workforce.
An employee who has been granted leave to hold a full time office in Local 300 will be continues as active members of the pension and welfare plans upon payment of the total contributions, whether from the Union or the employee concerned. During such periods of absence the employee's seniority shall continue to accumulate as if he were employed at his regular post by the Company.

Section 7. Safety and Health

It shall be the objective of the Loss Control Program to eliminate accidents and health hazards. The Company shall provide, wherever possible, a place free of recognised physical and health hazards in accordance with the Worker Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations and shall comply with the First aid Regulations (Part 33).

Each employee undertakes to wear the protective equipment made available by the Company and to adhere to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations.

A Joint Health and Safety Committee shall be established, in accordance to Division 4 of the WCB Act. Membership on the committee will be established in accordance with the following:

it must have at least 4 members or, if a greater number of members is required by regulations, that greater number;

it must consist of worker representatives and employer representatives;

at least half the members must be worker representatives;

it must have 2 co-chairs, one selected by the worker representatives and the other selected by the employer representatives. Union members of the Committee shall be elected for two (2) years by the Union members in the plant. Selection of more than one employee from a department is subject to the approval of management.

This committe will act in an advisory capacity and to the extent practical it will be guided by Division 4 Section 130 of the WCB Act-"Duties and functions of joint committee"

to identify situations that may be unhealthy or unsafe for workers and advise on effective systems for responding to those situations;

to consider and expeditiously deal with complaints relating to the health and safety of workers;

to consult with workers and the employer on issues related to occupational health and safety and occupational environment;

to make reccomendations to the employer and the workers for the improvement of the occupational health and safety and occupational environment of workers;

to make recommendations to the employer on educational programs promoting the health and safety of workers and the compliance with this Part and the regulations and to monitor their effectiveness;

to advise the employer on programs and policies required under the regulations for the workplace and to monitor their effectiveness;

to advise the employer on proposed changes to the workplace or the work processes that may affect the health or safety of workers;

to ensure that accident investigations and regular inspections are carried out as required by this Part and the regulations;

to participate in inspections,investigations and inquiries as provided in this Part and the regulations;

to carry out other duties and functions prescribed by regulation

employees who attend Occupational Health and Safety related meetings during their regularly scheduled working hours shall not lose pay.

The Company shall continue to provide lunchroom and washroom facilities and maintain sanitary conditions within the plant for all employees in compliance with the applicable government acts and regulations.

All protective equipment shall be supplied free of cost with two exceptions listed below where the costs will be shared:

Section 8. Safety Shoes

Boot Allowance of one hundred and seventy-five dollars ($175) per year for regular employees to be paid out annually on April 21 of each year for the duration of this contract.
An allowance of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) will be allowed seasonal employees towards the purchase of one pair of safety shoes in any one year.

Section 9. Prescription Safety Glasses

Upon the presentation of a receipt for the purchase of prescription glasses with CSA (Hardex lenses are not acceptable) approved lenses and frames, the Company will reimburse the employees up to a maximum of three hundred dollars ($300.00) for every twenty-four (24) month benefit period. The benefit period will commence April 21, 1997.
The three hundred dollar ($300.00) maximum will increase to three hundred and fifty dollars ($350.00) maximum effective April 21, 1998.
Employees are required to use side shields as recommended by the Joint Health and Safety Committee.

Section 10. Tool Replacement

The Company agrees to replace any worn or broken tools used by tradesmen in the course of their regular employment up to a maximum of four hundred dollars ($400.00) per calendar year.
within 2 weeks of ratification, the company will payout the lump tool allowance to all employees less the tool allowance already paid to them since April 21, 2002.

Section 11. Job Training and Re-Training

The Company agrees to commit 40 hours of training per year for regular employees. Further to this, when employees are selected for Trainer positions, the Company will provide a "Train the trainer" program to ensure they are able to properly deliver training.

Before selecting employees for training on other jobs, the Company will post the training job for a period of three (3) working days. With qualifications for the training job being given full and primary consideration, employees having the greater seniority will be given preference. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may temporarily assign any employee to any job.

Employees will be eligible for refund of tuition costs (including prescribed textbooks) of education courses provided that:

the course is given by a recognised school and is approved by the manager as a contribution to the development of the employee;
the course is likely to contribute to the employee's performance or advancement within the Company;
the employee offers proof of successful completion of the course:
the maximum refund to any employee in any one calendar year will be two hundred dollars ($200.00) for any full term course, and one hundred dollars ($100.000) for any half term course.

Fork lift training an Instructors:
Fork lift operators will be certified in-house through the successful completion of the British Columbia Safety Council's module entitled Lift Truck Operator Certification Programme. Fork lift training will be conducted at the brewery. The in-house training will be delivered by certified instructors.
The instructors' selection process will be achieved by allowing permanent posted fork lift operators to sign a training posting to participate in the British Columbia Safety Council's Lift Truck Instructor Certification programme. When considering which applicant shall be given the Fork Lift Instructor posting, the Company will give primary consideration to qualifications and where qualifications are relatively equal, the senior applicant will be given the posting.

The parties agree to meet and develop a program to identify those machines which would benefit from having certain individuals certified as trainers on that specific equipment. Implementation of the program shall be January 1, 1998. Once certified, the scheduled individuals shall receive a premium of $1.00 per hour when scheduled as the certified trainer.

Section 12. Trainees

One Brewmaster Production Trainee per twelve (12) month period shall be allowed to work temporarily in the bargaining unit providing always that no bargaining unit employee is replaced and providing also that a bargaining unit employee works with such trainee for purposes of help and instruction.

Section 13. Duplication of Benefits:

An employee shall nor receive wages or allowances such as holiday pay, vacation pay, weekly indemnity, Long Term Disability, Workers' Compensation or other similar benefits so that the employee's net pay for any day or part day exceeds his normal net pay for such period from more than one source.

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