Health Care Members win hours (and wages!) thanks to investigations

Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Prince George have been winning hours back after successful investigations into their entitled hours of work. The result has been CHW members of UFCW 1518 getting hours and wages back!

This is how the process works. When a CHW is short on hours, they will fill out an “hours investigation form” that goes to their Shop Steward. For example, if a member who works 40-hour weeks has less than 40 hours, the Shop Steward then investigates all schedules for workers on that day with the employer.

If a worker with less seniority has been scheduled hours when a more senior employee is available to work, then the senior employee should be paid for those hours. This of course is providing that there were no refusals, or “valid” reasons for not doing so. Also, if the employee is not paid in a timely fashion, it is pursued until they are.

“It’s important our Health Care members are aware of this right,” says Ivan Limpright, President of UFCW 1518. “Shop Stewards investigations in Prince George resulted in 200 hours won back for 18 union members from August 2008 to September 2009. This happened because Shop Stewards encouraged union members to challenge the employer’s calculations.”

Another member received 85 hours in entitled pay, and yet another member got 32.5 hours in overtime pay. Further investigations resulted in another 50 hours found for seven more members!

“There is nothing wrong with CHWs questioning their employer’s math!” says Limpright. “The Shop Stewards in Prince George are doing a terrific service for the members, and everyone should watch their hours, ask questions, and when in doubt, fill out an ‘Hours Investigation form’.”

Please remember that your Shop Steward can help you fill out these forms, and answer questions and concerns.

Remember, if something seems wrong with your hours it probably is!