To:             Executive Council
                  Alternate Vice-Presidents
                  Local Presidents
                  LROs

From:        Pamela Abbott
                 Chairperson, Workforce Adjustment Committee

With the recent announcements surrounding WFA situations, there are cases in which members are being declared affected even though the employer will be keeping some of these members in their current substantive position, thus de-affecting them. (Example:  Ten employees are in a work unit and are declared affected due to budget reductions. The employer informs us that there will be a reduction of five positions, thus five members are to be de-affected and will get to stay, while the other five members will be given a GRJO.) 

The employer is calling the process to determine who stays a “Retention Exercise”.  The employer considers these retention exercises as part of the staffing process in which employees will have similar rights to recourse as per the Staffing Program.  YOUR UNION does not support this decision. All decisions of the employer that impact an affected employee are subject to the grievance process.  Therefore, if in your Local, you and/or your members are not satisfied with how the employer has decided whom gets to stay via a “retention exercise”, our advice is to follow the employer’s internal staffing recourse but to also file a grievance.

The wording of the grievance will be based on the individual circumstances of each WFA situation. Members, please contact a Local union representative for assistance and wording for your grievance. Locals needing assistance, please contact your Regional Vice-President or your Labour Relations Officers.