General Presidents’ Maintenance Agreements, Project Maintenance Agreements in Alberta,

Location: Fort McMurray, Fort Saskatchewan, Medicine Hat, and Bowden, Alberta

Union: Various construction unions *

Affiliation: American Federation of Labour - Congress of Industrial Organizations / Canadian Labour Congress; Change to Win / Canadian Labour Congress; Change to Win; or Canadian Labour Congress

Number of Employees: 7,500

A 48-month renewal agreements, effective from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2015, settled in December 2011 at the bargaining stage. Duration of negotiations – 3 months.

* The following unions are party to each of the maintenance agreements: International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers; International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers; International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers; United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America; Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons International Association; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; International Association of Bridge, Structural and Ornamental Ironworkers; Laborers International Union of North America; International Union of Operating Engineers; International Union of Painters and Allied Trades; United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada; Sheet Metal Workers International Association; and, Teamsters Canada.

Note: The four agreements cover general project maintenance, repair, and renovation work at the following Alberta project sites:

(i) Suncor Inc., including Firebag In-situ Site; and Nexen Long Lake Complex; (3,000 employees; Fort McMurray, Alberta)

(ii) Syncrude Canada Ltd; Albion Sands Energy Inc.; Opti Nexen Long Lake Complex; and, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. Horizon Project; (2,950 employees; Fort McMurray, Alberta)

(iii) Dow Chemical Limited and Shell Canada Limited (1,500 employees; Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta)

(iv) Canadian Fertilizer Ltd. and Parkland Refining Ltd. (50 employees; Medicine Hat and Bowden, Alberta, respectively)

Wages

* Provincial Construction Trade Agreements are referenced to determine hourly and total package compensation rates. Employees working at Syncrude Canada Ltd., Suncor Inc., Albian Sands Energy Inc., Opti-Nexen Long Lake Complex, and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. Horizon Project sites at Fort McMurray receive 100% of the current ICI construction rate for their particular trade, while employees working at other sites receive hourly rates 75¢ below the current construction rate. Health and Welfare and Pension Plan contributions are funded at 100 per cent of current ICI construction funding. Total package rates shown above reflect journeyman compensation rates in effect as of date of ratification.

Note: In April 2011, Construction Labour Relations Association - Alberta, along with the various Alberta Building Trades Unions representing 40,000 construction employees working on industrial projects in the province, agreed to implement a new compensation system for the duration of their May 1, 2011 - April 30, 2015 agreements. Wage adjustments will be determined in large part by a semi‑annual calculation tracking the average price posted for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) over the six-month period prior to the month of each calculation. The calculation will also include a cost-of-living variable based on the increase in the Consumer Price Increase over the final three years of the agreement. Such an approach to wage determination is expected to provide a measure of long term stability in the industry by matching wage adjustments with the most current information and indicators near the period for which those adjustments would take place.

Hours of Work

40 hours per week; 8 hours per day, Monday through Friday, or 10 hours per day Monday through Thursday or Tuesday through Friday (unchanged).

Shift Premium

Short-shift: $3.00 per hour when scheduled on an afternoon or midnight shift (unchanged).

Long-shift: $3.00 per hour when scheduled on an afternoon or midnight shift (unchanged).

Note: By definition, a short-shift system is intended to operate for less than 60 calendar days, a long-shift system, for periods in excess of 60 calendar days (unchanged).

Compressed Work Week: $3.00 per hour for all compressed work week night shifts worked (unchanged).

Holiday Pay

4.0% of gross earnings as per provincial construction agreements (unchanged).

Vacation Pay

6.0% of gross earnings as per provincial construction agreements (unchanged). For Long-term maintenance employees only, 7.0% of gross earnings after 3 years’ service, 8.0% after 7, 9.0% after 10, and 10% after 12 (unchanged).

Allowances

Fort McMurray Travel for Initial Hire and Layoff Travel Expenses: Reimbursement of return airfare between Edmonton and Fort McMurray, or $216 each way to site (unchanged). The amount will be reviewed by the parties should it increase under the National Maintenance Agreement prior to the expiry of this agreement.

Specialty Ticket: Specialty welders with more than 2 (3) continuous years’ service will receive a $150 ($125) payment for each specialty ticket which the employer requires him to successfully test for; May 1, 2013, $175.

Alcohol and Drug Policy

Existing reference document “Canadian Model for Providing a Safe Workplace” is updated with October 2010 addendum which includes provisions for oral fluids testing for drugs (new addition).

Labour-Management Committees

Industry Analysis (new addition): To be established to investigate and discuss the competitiveness of the current and future maintenance industry in the province of Alberta.

Bereavement Pay: Parties are in the process of establishing a bereavement policy whereby, as a minimum, those employees with more than three years’ service with an employer will be entitled to the equivalent of 3 days’ paid leave in the event of a death in the employee’s immediate family. A joint sub‑committee will be established to formalize the policies and procedures for the application and receipt of bereavement pay (new addition).

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Note: Summary reflects the information received at time of ratification.