_w e Dropping in on the Castlegar and District Credit Union northern branch in south Slocan to talk to Local 1-405 member Maureen Ross is local Financial Secretary Doug Singer. Credit unions abound in Local 1-405 by Dan Keeton ecure a loan at a credit union in the Kootenays and chances are you’re being served by a union member. For more than 20 years the L.W.A. has held certifications at two branches of the Nelson and District, and Castlegar and District savings credit unions and recently certified a second branch of the Nelson and District Credit Union. You’d think with that tradition that relations with management would be settled and orderly. But workers at both institutions recently fought hard and successfully against concession demands at the bargain- ing table following a toughening of attitude by management. Despite that attitude the I.W.A. has made gains, bringing workers at the Castlegar credit unions insur- ance agency into the fold early this decade. Negotiations there too were tough and acrimonious, but the union is now an established pres- ence with active members. I.W.A. Local 1-405 represents workers at the two branches of the Nelson credit union, one in the city of Nelson and the other across Koote- nay Lake in Crawford Bay, as well as two branches of the Castlegar credit union in the city of Castlegar and the northern branch in south Slocan. In Nelson, the credit union work- ers endured nine months of negotia- tions during which management demanded major concessions on items such as accumulated time off. ATO, as it is known, allows workers brief leaves for family matters or medical appointments and it amounts to about a week’s time every year. “They had a whole page of conces- sions,” relates Rick Loewen, an oper- ations representative and member of the unit’s office committee. “They wanted to expand work to seven days a week, 12 hours a day.” Mem- bers backed strike action by an 81 per cent margin and rejected a man- agement proposed contract by 86 per cent. “A lot of union people come to (the credit union) because we are union members, notes fellow committee member and senior teller, Brian Poch. Members service rep Brenda Jones-Cutler adds, “I was very impressed with their support” dur- ing the difficult negotiations. Recently the credit union con- tracted out some advertising work that could have been done in-house. “We wanted to bring that issue to the negotiations this year, but we got a commitment that their inten- tion wasn’t to contract out work and make our members lose jobs,” remarks Loewen. A month after signing management took the ATM security clerks job out of the bar- gaining unit. Abuses continue. Management frequently fails to post available positions and recently cancelled an accounting position, dispersing the duties among the remaining staff. “We don’t know if it’s lack of knowl- edge on their part or if they’re try- ing to get tough,” says Poch. If so, the result is to make mem- bers more concerned about their rights. “Before, we were hesitant to file grievances,” notes Loewen. “Now people are realizing you have to take a stand.” Adds Poch: “People are getting into the frame of mind that if they're called into the office, they get their union rep.” aeiok “In the last two years, we’ve had more grievances launched than in the previous 20 years,” notes Elaine Mair. The unit chair for the I.W.A. members at Castlegar and District Savings Credit Union says that it’s obvious management decided to play hardball with its workers. That attitude was manifested in recent negotiations. “There were a lot of concessions on the table,” remarks Mair. “There was a new negotiator for the management side.” The concessions demanded con- cerned items such as bereavement leave, ATO, training time and sick days. “They wanted to open up the whole contract,” says Sheena Herron, unit vice-chair and a mortgage officer. Five months of negotiations saw major fights over long-term disabil- ity benefits and other issues. Mem- bers of both branches backed the union with a 100-per-cent strike vote. Despite those problems the union has “made its point” with manage- ment, says Mair. “We’ve been much more active in recent years. We’re now forming committees, in agree- ment with management. And we’re hoping that the new year will bring a new attitude.” a Julie Costa started working at Castlegar Credit Unions insurance branch back in 1993. Shortly after starting, she was in the union. The e At the Nelson Credit Union, (1. to r.) are Brother Singer, member services rep Brenda Jones, and Rick Loewen, operations rep. employer was not pleased that its insurance workers signed with I.W.A. “They were choked,” com- ments Costa. “They were making it quite diffi- cult to have a contract,” notes the 24-year-old insurance agent. A small staff of only four workers meant negotiations could only take place in the evenings. “The most difficult part was that the employer was absolutely con- vinced that they would get a differ- ent contract than in the credit union,. comments Doug Singer, who calls those first talks, “a nightmare. Singer, Local 1-405’s financial sec- retary and business agent who ser- vices the credit union units, says although the employers tried for an inferior agreement “it didn’t hap- pen. We got the same collective agreement.” The insurance agency workers have concluded their third contract, aseparate pact but negotiated jointly with their credit union sisters and brothers. “We got exactly what we asked for in wages,” Costa reports. As for ATO, “We were serious this § time. We didn’t exactly get it, but $ we got the same thing: an extra s week’s vacation.” & Starting wages before the union g were “nothing, considering the 2 courses you have to take,” Costa asserts. (Wages for a Level 1 em- ployee rose from $1,400 per month to $1,800 since the workers joined I.W.A.) Costa herself completed courses on ICBC, fundamentals of insurance and other courses and must take three more before attain- ing a Level 2 wage. “They’re big courses,” says Costa. “You have to study every night. It’s all on your own time.” The employer pays the courses, but in the last contract unsuccessfully tried to force employ- ees to assume 50 per cent of the tuition. Costa, currently on maternit; leave, helped negotiate the new col- ° Mortgage officer Sheena Herron, vice-chair of the negotiating com- mittee at Castlegar branch. lective agreement. “It was stressful, but fun,” she relates. Heskeake White collar workers in the I.W.A. are a relatively new phenomenon, and the union is still adjusting. For years the local’s paper was called The Lumberjack. It’s now called The Kootenay Steward to reflect the change to a more diverse member- ship. Mair sits on the local’s executive board. “For the first year, I was the only woman in the room,” she relates. “Ninety-five per cent of the talk was about sawmills. I felt really out of ity Now there are two women on the executive, says Mair, who sees other positive developments. She attended the first I.W.A. women’s conference last year and praises the new harass- ment policy adopted at the last national convention. The local is still male-dominated, but “I can see a change in attitude,” says Mair. The local is out to orga- nize workers in all branches of the economy, she notes. Says Herron: “I think it’s a good thing that they're branching out.” 12/LUMBERWORKER/DECEMBER, 1997 :