ELECTION DAY

11.01       If, by reason of an election day ordinance, the Company is prevented from making deliveries in any area, the Company shall have the right to re- assign affected employees, such re-assignment shall not displace other employees, and in the event no re-assignment is made, shall pay such employees at the straight-time rate of pay for the hours of lay off resulting.

JURY DUTY

11.02       When an employee is required to serve on a regular or coroner's jury or is subpoenaed as a crown witness, during his normal working hours, he shall be granted leave of absence and shall receive the difference between his straight-time rate of pay (for hours necessarily absent and during which he would otherwise have been working) and the amount received for such jury duty.

BEREAVEMENT PAY

11.03       When an employee attends the funeral or memorial service of an immediate relative he shall receive leave of absence for not less than three [3] consecutive days (one of which days shall be the day of the funeral or memorial service) and shall receive eight [8] hours straight- time rate of pay for each of such days absent on which he would otherwise have been working. "Immediate relative" shall mean: Wife, Husband, Life Partner, Daughter, Son, Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, Mother-In-Law, Father-In-Law, Son-In-Law, Daughter-In-Law, Grandparents and Grandchildren.

JOB TRAINING

11.04       Before selecting employees for training on other jobs, the Company will post the training job for a period of five [5] working days. With qualifications for the training job being given full primary consideration, employees having the greater seniority will be given preference. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may temporarily assign any employee to any job.

11.05       Employees will be eligible for refund of tuition costs (including prescribed textbooks) of education courses provided that:

1. The course is given by a recognized school and is approved by the Manager as a contribution to the development of the employee;
   
   
2. The course is likely to contribute to the employee's performance or advancement within the Company;
   
   
3. The employee offers proof of successful completion of the course;
   
   
4. The maximum refund to any employee in any one [1] calendar year will be $200 for any full term course and $100 for any half-term course.
   
   

SAFETY AND HEALTH

11.06       It shall be the objective of the Safety and Health Program to eliminate accidents and health hazards. The Company shall provide, wherever possible, a place free of recognized physical and health hazards and shall comply with the WCB Act and Accident Prevention Regulations.

11.07       Each employee undertakes to wear the protective equipment made available by the Company and to adhere to the Accident Prevention rules and regulations.

11.08       A Joint Safety and Health Committee shall be established, the number to be agreed upon locally. There shall be equal representation of both parties. Union members of the Committee shall be elected for two [2] years by the Union members in the plant. Selection of more than one [1] employee from a department is subject to the approval of Management. This Committee will act in an advisory capacity and to the extent practical; it will be guided by the principles of the seven point program given below.

1. Each medical aid and lost time accident will be investigated immediately by the designated investigation team with a view to determining the fundamental causes.
   
   
2. Develop and publish data to indicate accident sources and accident frequency rates.
   
   
3. Inspect the plant to detect hazardous physical conditions or unsafe work methods periodically.
   
   
4. Recommend changes or additions to protective equipment or devices for the elimination of hazards.
   
   
5. Promote accident prevention and first aid training for committee members and employees.
   
   
6. Recommend and participate in promoting and advertising safety and in selling the safety program to the workers through department meetings.
   
   
7. Conduct monthly accident prevention meetings during normal working hours with the sole purpose to discuss accident prevention and to recommend suitable corrective measures. Employees who attend these meetings during their regularly scheduled working hours shall not lose pay.

11.09       All protective equipment shall be supplied free of cost with two exceptions listed below where the costs will be shared:

Safety Shoes

1. Regular Employees - [see Article 11.10]
   
   
2. Casual Employees - An allowance of $125.00 will be allowed for casual employees towards the purchase of one [1] pair of safety shoes once every year, upon completion of their probationary period.
   
   

CLOTHING ALLOWANCE

11.10       Regular benefit status employees shall be afforded a combined maximum of $275.00 for safety shoes (or boots) and clothing allowance per year, upon presentation of a receipt and provided the employee wears the items. The respective employees will be responsible for laundering and maintenance of the garments. Replacement costs shall be borne by the employee concerned.

WORK BREAKS

11.11       The Company shall allow employees two [2] work breaks of no more than fifteen [15] minutes each, one [1] in each half of a regular shift. An employee shall receive a paid fifteen [15] minute work break after completing one [1] hour of overtime work beyond his scheduled shift.

LUNCH ROOM

11.12       The Company agrees to maintain adequate, clean and sanitary lunchroom and toilet facilities according to government regulations. Employees shall use such facilities carefully and considerately.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

11.13       Leave of absence without pay may be granted if requested in writing upon reasonable notice, subject to joint approval by the Company and the Union. Such approval will not be withheld unreasonably.

If an unpaid leave of absence exceeds thirty [30] calendar days, the employee shall not accumulate benefits from the thirty-first [31] day of the unpaid leave to the last day of unpaid leave.

PERSONAL LEAVE OF ABSENCE

11.14       The Company may grant an unpaid personal leave of absence to any benefit service employee for personal reasons provided such leave can be operationally accommodated.

Requests for such personal leave, up to a maximum of ten [10] working days, will be considered. Persons, who are absent for such leave shall not be considered laid off, and their seniority and pension credits shall continue to accumulate during the absence. A copy of the personal leave of absence shall be given to the Plant Committee.

UNION EDUCATION LEAVE

11.15       Upon written application by the President of the Union, the Company agrees to grant an educational leave of absence, without the loss of regular pay, not to exceed six [6] normal working days in any one [1] year, to one [1[ elected official of the Union (three in the case of the unit employing more than twenty [20] employees). Such educational leave will be arranged between the Union and the Company so as to minimize disruption of the Company's operations.

MATERNITY AND PARENTAL LEAVE

11.16

1. The Company will provide pregnancy and parental leave of absence without pay in accordance with Section 22 and 23 of the Employment Insurance Act and Section 50 and 51 of the Employment Standards Act. Employees must provide the Company with four [4] weeks written notice prior to commencement of the leave. The leave provided under the Employment Insurance Act and the Employment Standards Act shall be taken within fifty- two [52] weeks after the child's birth or in the case of adoption after the child is placed with the parent.
   
   
2. An employee returning from pregnancy or parental leave shall be reinstated in her former job with the applicable rate of pay.
   
   
3. The employee's seniority date will not be affected by the foregoing.

DUPLICATION OF BENEFITS

11.17       An employee shall not receive wages or allowances such as holiday pay, vacation pay, Weekly Indemnity, Long Term Disability, Workers' Compensation or other similar benefits so that the employee's net pay for any day or part day exceeds his normal net pay for such period from more than one [1] source.

SUSPENSIONS AND RECORDS

11.18       Copies of disciplinary write-ups will be promptly given to the employee involved in the action, and the representative of the Local Union. All disciplinary records will be removed from the employee's personnel folder and destroyed after a period of eighteen [18] months, or two [2] years in the case of suspensions, from the date of issuance of such discipline and thereafter shall not be relied upon for any purpose.

EMPLOYEE AND FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN

11.19       The parties agree to maintain the Employee and Family Assistance Plan for the duration of this Agreement.

JOINT CONSULTATION

11.20       On the request of either party, the parties shall meet at least once every two [2] months until this Agreement is terminated, in accordance with Section 53 of the Labour Relations Code, for the purpose of discussing issues relating to the workplace that affect the parties or any employee bound by this Agreement. The purpose of this committee is to promote the co-operative resolution of workplace issues, to respond to and adapt to changes in the economy, to foster development of work related skills, and to promote workplace productivity.