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Reservists Job Protection Superthread

  • Thread starter Thread starter elcope
  • Start date Start date
As I've posted in the past, it got to a point where I made a choice between a really good civvy job and the military, specifically my res Ql3's. I made the choice, and have been wearing the uniform every day since. No regrets

But then, I'm a single guy with nothing but the regular responsibilities (or lack thereof) so it was easier for me. This kind of legislation would definitely be of great benefit to reservists in general.
 
Has anyone in a Union asked for time off to go overseas or on a course.  Kind of interesting to see what the policy is.  I guess one of my concerns is if they publish this diatribe in their Union newsletter, will it reflect their policy of serving in the Canadian Military.  Kind of a rhetorical question. 

Cheers,

V
 
V said:
Has anyone in a Union asked for time off to go overseas or on a course.  Kind of interesting to see what the policy is.  I guess one of my concerns is if they publish this diatribe in their Union newsletter, will it reflect their policy of serving in the Canadian Military.  Kind of a rhetorical question. 

Cheers,

V

Yeah I did oh about 1990-91 IIRC City of Toronto CUPE. You should have seen the look they gave me. Needless to say no tour for me then. Mind I did get togo to Milcon or whatever ti was called using up 2 weeks of my vacation  ::)
 
Danjanou said:
Yeah I did oh about 1990-91 IIRC City of Toronto CUPE. You should have seen the look they gave me. Needless to say no tour for me then. Mind I did get togo to Milcon or whatever ti was called using up 2 weeks of my vacation  ::)

Things of somewhat changed as thier is now a City of Toronto (for all employees, exempt and unionized) Policy allowing paid time off for summer concentration.  Only catch is they expect reimbursement if the ex falls on days you are scheduled to work.  I believe there is a thread about this particular topic around somewhere.  The police seem to be the most reserve friendly organization with the City of Toronto.
 
Presently, I am trying to establish legislation to enable those that are employed by my employer to go overseas and return to work with at least their present position.  When I asked for permission for service overseas they stated that it "better not be for Afghanistan".  They stated further that because I am volunteering to go overseas that I am not entitiled to return to my present job.  In short, I loose my seniority, position and pension.  I mentioned that those that go on maternity, paternity, and jury duty are all essentially voluntary.  Currently, those that set policy are considering my argument.  All I am asking for is to be able to return to my job after serving my country.  If need be I will take this argument to my MP.  For those that are in the same predicament look at your policy and procedure manual for maternity, paternity , and jury duty.  I will keep those that are interested up to date. 

Cheers,

V
 
Hatchet Man said:
Things of somewhat changed as thier is now a City of Toronto (for all employees, exempt and unionized) Policy allowing paid time off for summer concentration.  Only catch is they expect reimbursement if the ex falls on days you are scheduled to work.  I believe there is a thread about this particular topic around somewhere.  The police seem to be the most reserve friendly organization with the City of Toronto.

And who do you think bithced and whined to get that added?  Enjoy your next Stalwart Guardian on moi brother  8)
 
OPSEU has paid and unpaid military leave written into our collective agreement.
 
That is good, but it shouldn't need to be subject to collective union agreements.  If our government wouldn't have to fight for it every step of the way, some sort of blanket federal legislation allowing reservists to go on tour might be a good idea.
 
Actually, the Ontario government has military leave entrenched in legislation (well, technically, in regulations).  The General Regulation (R.R.O. 977, 1990) to the Ontario Public Service Act specifies, in section 67:

A deputy minister may grant leave of absence for not more than one week with pay and not more than one week without pay in a year to an employee in his or her ministry for the purpose of Canadian Forces Reserve training.

So the OPSEU CA is simply recognizing what is required by law (I know it says "may grant".  However, in application, a DM would have to have justification for not granting the leave, or it will just result in a grievance.  For example, someone in a key position with no available backfill might be reasonably denied, but just denying it on a whim is going to have it end up in front of the Grievance Resolution Board, for no good purpose.)  Moreover, based on the same Regulation (section 70) the Ontario government can grant substantial periods of discretionary leave without pay--generally, up to two years, but with adequate approvals, up to five years.  Notably, Bill Davis, when he was Premier, signed a policy specifying that military leave was a justifiable reason for granting up to five years of leave (this is a policy, mind you, which, unlike regs or legislation, is relatively easy to change.  But it hasn't been since Davis enacted it).  As a result, I had no difficulty getting a year of leave to deploy to Bosnia.  But even with all this legislative support, my boss was excellent about it, so much so I nominated him for CFLC award.

I hasten to add that I fully acknowledge that few Canadian employees who are Reservists, especially in the private sector, enjoy this sort of leave support.  I absolutely wish it was otherwise.
 
Has anyone in a Union asked for time off to go overseas or on a course.  Kind of interesting to see what the policy is.  I guess one of my concerns is if they publish this diatribe in their Union newsletter, will it reflect their policy of serving in the Canadian Military.  Kind of a rhetorical question.

Cheers,

V

I have I'm in the international brotherhood of boilermakers union 146 Edmonton.A week ago I went to my union to get info about getting leave for a tour.I spoke to the union shop rep who is a Brit.I told him I'm in the reserves and was wanting to go over seas.He said no problem and told me his son served in Afghanistan in the Royal marines, he even showed me pictures of his son in Kabul.He told me to make sure my dues are paid before I go and when I get back to Canada back to work that easy.

I guess one of my concerns is if they publish this diatribe in their Union newsletter, will it reflect their policy of serving in the Canadian Military.  Kind of a rhetorical question.


My union is Canadian/American HQ is in Kansas city every few months I get a news letter from the HQ talking about jobs and things that are going on.It  had an article about veterans of the Iraq war getting out of the army or marines and becoming boilermakers.At the beginning of the Iraq war they had a story on a army medic that was a boiler maker apprentice that was on the frontlines.

I hope they do publish stories on reservists that are trades people.
 
I think we are forgetting who runs companies.....the owners not the unions please. Ask your boss, the one not in the union they decide not the union dude. It would be nice if the government legislated some form of protection but that will be very hard in this country.
 
This article speaks about legislation that the Nova Scotia NDP are proposing to protect the employment and benefits of reservists.

And it's from the NDP.....who would have thought.....

Makes me wonder if the right hand knows what the left is doing. ;D

http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/538968.html
 
3rd Horseman said:
MikeH,

  Too bad, you are in a pickel then in that form of a union system.

Many trades, such as electricians, ironworkers, etc, work from their Union Hall. The skilled trades don't work for a specific company. Contractors come to the hall with a request and the Union slots the workers by seniority, skill and trade level, amongst other criteria. The Local knows where all the work in the province is at at any given time and it save guys driving around willy nilly looking for work. The Union also administers the vacation, pension and benefit plans.
 
Yea Darrel isn't a bad guy (though Harris his son can be annoying sometimes) he was in the navy for a few years so he's not militarily inept like most NDPer's.
 
well.... let's see how this baby flies thru the NS legislature.
Once / if legislated, other provinces can consider a "working" model.

Reminder that Resservist legislature is a two sided knife.....
Employer will take "that" into account when giving job applicant due consideration.... which means that they may not hire the reservist OR they may limit his advancement - a bit like women were limited to the lower jobs because they would eventually ask for maternity leave...........
 
geo said:
well.... let's see how this baby flies thru the NS legislature.
Once / if legislated, other provinces can consider a "working" model.

Reminder that Resservist legislature is a two sided knife.....
Employer will take "that" into account when giving job applicant due consideration.... which means that they may not hire the reservist OR they may limit his advancement - a bit like women were limited to the lower jobs because they would eventually ask for maternity leave...........


There is another twist to this.

If this goes through, if a reservist was asked to go over this substantially frees them up from obligation.
How many reservists signed up knowing that they know they cannot be deployed.  I love the fact as a reservist
that I could decline a mission (not that I would decline and I have even gone on Op Assistance for 3 months).. however...

Having legislation like this could change the face of reserves POSSIBLY.  With more job security and benefits the government
could make the move through legalisation to be able to call up reserves as needed for non "aid to civil power" or "war act"
scenarios. 

Personally... I like the idea.  How many reservists are still in because it's a decent paycheck during the summer or its just
a fun thing to do?  How much of a different mindset is there in the reserves because of the ability to decline ops or refuse
unless under the current conditions?

I know people who won't go on ops in the reserves but does this make them a bad soldier considering that's the
current system and rules they are obliged to follow?

I know its a slight variation of the thread.. but none the less... a very interesting question.
 
If you're employable, you're deployable.....  any person on class B should be in that position.

We're dealing here with a provincial legislation so the powers of persuasion of NS will be limited.  A federal law could provide the compliantemployer with a series of "tax breaks" that would allow the employer to deduct the replacement's salary, possibly something for the training expense needed to do a decent handover,  possibly deductability of group insurance benefits for the spouse & kids while the reservist is away.....

Lots of ideas............
 
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