The SEA-Unite Collective Employment Agreement expires on June 30. We will be initiating bargaining for a new CEA on May 1. That’s why we need your views on what should go into our claims this year. There are claims forms by the SEA-Unite drop boxes (opposite Wardrobe). The deadline for these suggestions is Monday April 24. These will be considered by the SEA executive on April 26 and draft claims presented to the SEA-Unite members at the AGM on April 27. Nominations for the SEA-Unite exec to be elected at the AGM will be on the same form and has the same deadline. Discussions are continuing on the possibility of a joint CEA with the SFWU.
Unite has won a Collective Agreement in fast-food industry for the first time in 20 years. It included an average pay increase of 12%, the elimination of youth rates and more secure hours for the young, casualised workforce.
Younger staff members in supervisory roles go to the adult rate immediately. For them it involved a pay rise of 30 percent or more.
When additional hours are available in stores they will be offered to existing staff before new employees are taken on. This will allow workers to lock in their hours so they aren’t radically changed from week to week. Tea breaks went from 10 to 15 minutes.
A special CEA allowance of 1% of their wages each quarter is to be paid to all union members only.
10:00-12:00;
12:00-14:00;
17:00-19:00;
19:00-21:00;
21:00-23:00
We will be discussing claims for the new CEA and electing the SEA exec. BE THERE
SEA-Unite Table Games members approved a new pay scale after negotiations with the company. It was effective from April 4. It involves a small pay rise and a simplified pay progression as workers acquire games. This doesn’t affect any claims that may be put forward in the Collective Agreement negotiations.
Rebo staff were presented with new rosters without proper consultation with staff or the union. We tried to intervene to discuss the problems but the company pressed ahead. It has now been discovered the new rosters don’t work and discussions are continuing.
The company is currently having difficulty allocating staff to staff the entry points onto the gaming floor. This has come about due to a lack of availability of trained Ambassadors. For some reason the company doesn’t want to permanently appoint new Ambassadors and as a consequence they will be offering up to 19 temporary higher duties opportunities at the rate of $17.93 per hour [approximately for a 3-month period]. Sea-Unite will be seeking more information and are asking any Security staff offered positions to discuss it with Sea-Unite before signing any new agreement.
May 1 (International Day to remember past workers struggles) is the day we have the right to wear our union badges. If you don’t have one, we will be issuing them to all members at the AGM. Unite will also be supporting a march along Queen St as part of Unite’s campaign to get rid of youth rates. Details later.
Salaried staff are welcome to join SEA-Unite. We are looking at getting a separate CEA to cover them but can represent individuals now if they have any problems or issues.
We have also been approached by Riggers Assistants; convention workers, call centre staff and others for help.
Over the Christmas/New Year period management in the SkyCity Hotel were sending housekeeping staff home early without their consent.
The microster printout had “Early Outs” listed as the reason. However in our Collective Agreement “Early Outs” can only be done with consent.
When we raised the issue with the company they moved immediately to change the part-time Housekeepers from rostered 8-hour shifts to 4-6 hours. They did this without consultation.
Housekeeping (including part-timers) have been on rostered 8-hour daily shifts since the Hotel opened. A number of Housekeepers have this in their letter of appointment or were told that when employed. Some changed employment from other Hotels because of it.
Housekeeping remains relatively low-paid. The cost of travel spread over 8 hours rather than 4-6 is an important factor.
The company claims they can do this because the part-time clause in then CEA only guarantees a 4 hour daily and 8 hour weekly minimum. Therefore they claim they can roster people as little or as much as they like outside this.
We believe the employment relationship is more than this clause. Part-time staff have been employed on a range of contracts from fixed part-time hours, to guaranteed 8-hour shifts to semi-casual situations.
We believe that the Housekeepers were denied their rights by the use of “Early Outs” and have put in a claim for the 90 hours lost. We are also challenging the unilateral change to their shift arrangements. We have asked for mediation assistance on both issues.
Sea-Unite intend to make the issue of part-time staff and their effectively being treated as casuals
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