Wednesday August 14, 2013
For Immediate Release
Vancouver, BC – Members of IAM Local Lodge 692 have a new collective agreement with Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards, a division of Seaspan Marine Corporation.
The five-year agreement provides a wage increase in the first year of 4.25 per cent retroactive to March 2013. Wage increases in the remainder of the agreement are 3.5 per cent in the second and third year, 3 per cent in the fourth year and 3 per cent in the fifth year with Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) protection of up to 5 per cent. The agreement also provides a 20 cent per hour increase in health and welfare or pension plan contributions as determined by the membership. Other agreement highlights include :
• Family Day added to statutory holidays
• Charge-Hand rate increased to 9 per cent
• Voluntary Layoff language established to allow senior members to take layoffs so that members with lower seniority can stay on the job subject to government approval
“We were able to retain the universal seniority list which allows our members to transfer between the shipyards and the Seaspan Vancouver Drydock during work slowdowns,” explained IAM District Lodge 250 Directing Business Representative Walter Gerlach. “The employer wanted separate seniority lists for each facility. With a universal seniority list, when one facility has a work slowdown, our members can transfer to the other and avoid layoffs while giving the employer a flexible workforce.”
The 40 members consist of engine fitters, mechanics and machinists. They along with members of five other unions at the shipyard will be working on new ships for the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard.
Under the federal Non-Combat program, Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards was awarded seven new vessels for the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard. The vessels include two Joint Support Ships, one Polar Icebreaker, three Offshore Fisheries Science vessels and one Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel. Construction of the first vessel under the program, an Offshore Fisheries Science vessel is expected to begin in the fall of 2014.
-30-
For further information:
Walter Gerlach – IAM District Lodge 250 Directing Business Representative
604-513-3883/604-831-2611
Bill Trbovich – IAM Director of Communications
416-386-1789 Ext#6331/416-735-9765