NUPE Newsletter
Collective Agreement Bargaining
General Agreement
This week the NUPE team and the MSD team met to further progress the bargaining for your Collective Employment Agreement.
There was some good progress made. A summary of the claims and their current status in this process in outlined below.
NUPE represents many occupational groups on the CYF/MSD – NUPE Collective Employment Agreement. There were a large number of claims at the outset which is expected given the number of occupational groups that contribute to delivering the service from CYF. These claims have been well discussed and debated throughout this process.
The following is the current position at the bargaining as at 5th July 2011.
MSD are very clear that any final offer will be a “package offer”. Therefore in the following list if an item states “agreed” that means it will still be subject to the whole package.
MSD are seeking from NUPE members:
• Annual Leave buyout option ( specific to the 3 days that are now called Departmental days) This buyout is optional and staff may choose to keep the 3 days, however they will be called Annual Leave rather than departmental days if they keep them. There will be the ability to sell off the three days however, as yet, we have not been provided with the dollar amount attached to this buyout proposal. The offer of the 3 day buyout is to all NUPE members as anyone on this Collective agreement at the time of settlement has the 3 departmental day entitlement.
• Achieving Outcomes Assessment System for Clerical to replace the current PDS for Clerical. The information on how Achieving Outcomes works is available on Doogle.
• The removal of Retirement Leave from the agreement – if this was to occur then it would be applicable from an effective date probably being the ratification date. Those already on the NUPE agreement prior to ratification ( agreement to accept the offer) will retain this provision as a grand-parented entitlement that means you keep it and it remains as it currently is but new members to the NUPE agreement after the ratification date will not have this condition of employment.
Claims from NUPE Agreed to BY MSD that would form part of any package:
• National Forum between NUPE and MSD ( currently this exists for the Residences however this would extend to cover all areas of NUPE membership)
• Merit 3 for all Social Work Groups
• Meal Breaks wording ( to be finalised ) – particularly important for Night Staff who may not be able to take breaks and or cannot leave the site for operational reasons.
• Inclusion of all occupational groups for OT and Lieu time
• Inclusion of 3 new occupational groups – Case Leader ( residences) Program Leader (residences) and Employment Coordinator (residences)
• Clarify the terms and conditions for the Youth Worker Escorts role and particularly the Hours of Work – NUPE will be part of this process.
Claims Currently still under discussion:
• Paid Meal breaks for Night staff in the residences – currently being favourably considered by MSD
• Removal of the Overtime Cap in the agreement (or at least shifting the cap up) currently being favourably considered
• Alternative Holidays when on call as being on call restricts your activities – currently being favourably considered by MSD
• Long Service Leave enhancement – currently being favourably considered.
• Minimum start rate claim for Youth Workers / Night Staff and Youth Worker Escorts being considered – this may mean dropping off the bottom step on these current ranges.
• RDA Claim – NUPE has sought an increases on the hourly rate seeking greater recognition of this function – MSD is still considering this claim.
• Merit 3 for Youth Workers
• An increases in the Shift Leader Allowance
• Merit 3 for Coordinators. In addition to this MSD has agreed to present a paper NUPE produced at bargaining on the Coordinators to the Executive Management team. The paper looks at the role of Coordinators in light of the CYF Act.
• Clerical / Support Staff pay issue.
• Interpretation Allowance
• Rosters in the Residences – we had claimed 4 and 4 the response from MSD is that 4 and 4 is simply not affordable and not best practice for the YP’s. NUPE is very strongly advocating for a safer roster and does not believe the current roster is safe as staff simply get too tired and then incidents are more likely to happen or escalate
MSD cannot agree on the following Claims:
• The 3% per annum across the board claim. MSD has said this is not affordable or within the Government Expectations for bargaining. MSD said they are NOT saying NO to some across the board increase.
• New Scale for Youth Workers
• 4 X 4 roster
• Supervised Group Homes – NUPE sought coverage for these members and is seeking they have the same terms and conditions as the Residential staff. MSD have said ‘no’ to this at this time however they are reviewing these homes and their terms and conditions and will look at these at the 6 month review. NUPE has raised concerns for safety on the frontline particularly at these homes and will monitor this.
• TLO coverage in this agreement – MSD want this group covered by any management agreement. NUPE has agreed to this.
• There was also discussion on the backdating confirming the understanding that NUPE expects backdating to be from the beginning of this agreement being the 1st December 2010.
Please get back to the team with any comments / feedback.
The NUPE bargaining team:
Phil Grice Te Puna Wai
Arihia Waihi Hastings Site
Tuterangi Apatu Napier Site
David Paitai Te Maioha
Sharlene Pomare Nutby Westgate
Janice Gemmell NUPE Organiser & Advocate
For more information contact Janice@nupe.org.nz
Encourage your colleagues to join NUPE.
• New Members will immediately attract the terms and conditions that NUPE has.
• Staff who are members of the other union are able to join and be immediately covered as their collective employment agreement has also expired.
THIS IS THE TIME TO JOIN!
