Please provide the strategy to bargain (for management) against the Union for each section of an article Leaves of Absences (see attached files)

Management Mandate:

• Your final agreement CANNOT exceed BCGEU compensation (11.75% over 3 years)
• Ideally, we want a four-year term at no more than 14% (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026) but a three-year term will be acceptable (2023-2025) if the increase is lower than BCGEU.
• Three year - max 11.75%
• Four year - max 14% - only with 0 % in first year
• Five year - max 15% - only with 0 % in first year
• Any additional cost for other clauses must be calculated against these maximums
• Any increase to vacation time must reduce the wage increases
• Any increase to leaves of absences must reduce the wage increases

We will leverage a higher increase in hourly rates for a longer term. For example we will increase our initial proposal of a 12% increase in hourly rates to a 13% increase in hourly rates for a four-year term, with 0% in the first year. We will argue that a higher increase in hourly rates is a fair exchange for a longer term. We will balance any increases in leaves of absences by decreasing the increase in hourly rates.

Please note that this is happening in British Colombia, Canada

Please refer to Collective Agreements in BC and BC Employment Standard Acts

Union Proposal Student: Roanna Pinheiro Article 16 - Leaves of Absences 16.01 The Company may grant leave of absence without pay if an employee requests it in writing from the management. Notwithstanding any provision for leave in this agreement, the Employer may grant a leave of absence without pay to an employee requesting leave for an emergency or other unusual circumstances. A leave of absence may also be granted for any other reason in which case approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. All requests and approvals for leave shall be in writing. Upon request, the Employer will give written reasons for withholding approval. 16.02 The Company will grant pregnancy An employee is entitled to maternity leave and/or parental leave, without pay, and without loss of seniority and benefits, in accordance with the provisions of the Employment Standards Act of British Columbia to those employees who make application on forms supplied by the Company. For the purpose of this section, parent includes a natural, adoptive and same-sex parent. 16.03 The Company shall grant leave of absence without loss of seniority to an employee with seniority, who is called to, and serves as a juror in any court. The Company shall pay such employee the difference between his normal earnings and the payment received for jury service. The employee will present proof of service and attendance and the amount of pay received. Payment will be made for twenty-five (25) working days maximum. The days eligible for such payments shall be scheduled working days, which the employee would otherwise have worked. To be eligible for such pay, the employee must report for work immediately upon being released from such duty if such release occurred eight (8) hours prior to the start of his next scheduled shift. 16.04 In the event of the death of a member of an employee's immediate family, the employee will be granted a leave of absence and will be reimbursed for time necessarily lost from work up to a maximum of three (3) days ten (10) days for the purpose of arranging and attending the funeral of the deceased. In case of part-time employee, the compensation shall be at the average hours work during the preceding four (4) weeks The term "a member of the employee's immediate family" means spouse, common law spouse, child, stepchild, foster child in care of the employee or parent of the employee, any relative who permanently resides with the employee or with whom the employee permanently resides is also considered an immediate member In the event of the death of a brother or sister sibling or step-sibling of an employee, the employee will be granted a leave of absence with pay up to a maximum of two (2) days five (5) days subject to the same conditions as above.In the event of the death of a mother-in-law, father-in-law or grandparent of an employee the employee will be granted a leave of absence with pay up to a maximum of one day four days subject to the same conditions as above. 16.05 On request the-The Company will shall grant a leave of absence without pay of up to fourteen (14) days in the event of the death of an employee's spouse or child. Additionally, in the event of the death of an employee's child, the Company will grant a leave of absence without pay in accordance with the BC Employment Standards Act. 16.06 An employee who is off work by reason of leave of absence granted by his the Company or by reason of leave for sickness or accident up to two (2) calendar months will be returned to the route they was were on at the time of going on leave provided the route is still substantially intact on his their return. 16.07 Employees shall be entitled up to five (5) days leave with pay per calendar year to observe spiritual, indigenous or holy days. Such leave shall not be unreasonably withheld An employee should provide a minimum of two weeks' notice under this provision, where two weeks' notice is not possible due to the unpredictable nature of the spiritual or holy days, then as much notice as possible shall be provided 16.08 Employees shall be entitled to special leave at their regular rate of pay for the following: Wedding of the employee - 5 days*; b. Wedding of the employee's child - 3 days*; C. Birth of employee's child - 4 days; d. Serious household or domestic emergency - 3 days; e. Moving household furniture - 3 days*; f. Attending the formal hearing to become a Canadian citizen - 1 day*; g. Attend funeral as pallbearer or mourner - one-half day; h. Court appearance for their child's hearing - 2 days; Serious illness or hospitalization of a parent or stepparent of employee - 3 days; i. Child custody hearing - 3 days per calendar year; k. Employee or their child is a victim of domestic violence - 7 days per calendar year *Employee should provide a minimum of two weeks' notice under 16.08 a, b, e and f.1 MANAGEMENT Article 16 - Leaves of Absences 16.01 The Company may grant leave of absence without pay if an employee requests it in writing from the management. 16.02 The Company will grant pregnancy leave and/or parental leave, without pay, and without loss of seniority and benefits, in accordance with the provisions of the Employment Standards Act of British Columbia to those employees who make application on forms supplied by the Company at least two (2) weeks in advance. 16.03 The Company shall grant leave of absence without loss of seniority to an employee with seniority, who is called to, and serves as a juror in any court without pay. The Company shall pay jury service. The employee shall pay such employee the difference between his normal earnings and the payment received for jury service. The employee will present proof of service and attendance and the amount of pay received. Payment will be made for twenty five (25) working days maximum. The days eligible for such payments shall be scheduled working days, which the employee would otherwise have worked. To be eligible for such pay, the employee must report for work immediately upon being released from such duty if such release occurred eight (8) hours prior to the start of his next scheduled shift 16.04 In the event of the death of a member of an employee's immediate family, the employee will be granted a leave of absence and will be reimbursed for time necessarily lost from work up to a maximum of three (3) days. for the purpose of arranging and attending the funeral of the deceased. The term "immediate family" will be in accordance with the provisions of the Employment Standards Act of British Columbia. The term "a member of the employee's immediate family" means spouse, common law spouse, child or parent of the employee. In the event of the death of a brother and sister of an employee, the employee will be granted a leave of absence with pay up to a maximum of two (2) days subject to the same conditions above. In the event of the death of a mother in law, father in law or grandparent of an employee the employee will be granted a leave of absence with pay up to a maximum of one day subject to the same conditions above . 16.05 On request the Company will grant a leave of absence without pay, in accordance with the provisions of the Employment Standards Act of British Columbia of up to fourteen (14) days in the event of the death of an employee's spouse or child. 16.06 An employee who is off work by reason of leave of absence granted by his Company or by reason of leave for sickness or accident up to two (2) calendar months will may be returned to the route he was on at the time of going on leave provided the route is still substantially intact on his return