IHAC Vote On Improved Offer
IHAC has improved their last contract offer by reducing the term of the agreement from four years to three.
“This change will allow the union members to get raises faster in the future,” said Executive Director Chris O’Halloran. “We told the employer the members wanted to see improvement to wages, paid time-off, and benefits.”
By reducing the term of the agreement, you will be able to get back to the negotiating table in 2025 instead of 2026. In doing so, we can address the outstanding issues and push the company sooner to make incremental progress while securing the gains already negotiated.
The Negotiating Committee has agreed to stay neutral on the company’s offer and let the membership decide; you can find the link to the company offer of settlement HERE.
“I know wages and benefits are an important part of the company’s final offer. But we can’t undervalue the importance of the improvement to scheduling that deals with working short,” continued O’Halloran. “This contract will address these inconsistencies and inequities that members have felt in their treatment and compensation.”
Watch your text messages as we will try to message every member over the next few days to discuss how the company’s offer will impact you personally.
You can also email Jason Parrell at Jason.parrell@ufcw.ca to find out more information.
To get as much information to members as we can. Next week we have scheduled Zoom meetings to present the company’s offer and answer any members’ questions at the following times:
- Tuesday, February 15 at 7 pm (click here to join Tuesdays meeting)
- Wednesday, February 16 at 10 am (click here to join Wednesdays meeting)
If the membership rejects the company’s current offer, your bargaining team will start the process of heading to Contract Arbitration. Arbitration is traditionally a six-to-eight-month process, during which the contract will not be in place. At the end of this process, a third party will impose an agreement on the company and the membership.
“There are no guarantees in arbitration. Both sides will make their argument and present their comparators,” continued O’Halloran. “We may get the same offer, an improved offer or perhaps a reduced offer.”
Members should consider their choices carefully.
The Vote will be online on February 17, 2022, from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm.
Converso, a third party that your union has contracted, will coordinate online voting. Converso is a trusted company facilitating online voting for many different organizations and electoral processes.
After we provide Converso with a voters list, they will reach out to you with thorough instructions about voting online if that is how you wish to participate in the voting process.
Each member will be provided with a unique elector ID and password that the member must use simultaneously to cast a vote online. This information, plus instructions on accessing and navigating the online voting platform, will be delivered to you via email. You can only use your ID and password once.
Converso recommends that, where possible, you avoid using a Hotmail email address for this process, as Hotmail sometimes automatically blocks the emails you need to receive.
Members can only use the online voting platform once, as it uses a tracking system to ensure voting credentials. Your union will be cross-referencing in-person voting lists and online voting lists. We will ensure that each member has the opportunity to vote and the integrity of the voting process is maintained.
If you have any questions about voting online or run into any other issues, you can email support@converso.co for assistance.
In Solidarity,
Your UFCW Local 401 Negotiations Committee
Posted on: February 10,2022