Due to the pandemic, CSC approached your union to discuss how we could find a way to separate pharmacy technicians in each location to reduce the number of people exposed to each other. We agreed that we should find a fair solution on how to do that. After consulting pharmacy technicians across the country, we discussed the situation with the employer.
Problems arose quickly when it was clear that the employer wanted to move people’s shifts around with almost no additional compensation. We very clearly told the employer that members deserve compensation for working late into the evening or on weekends. During the pandemic when pharmacy technicians are already risking their health and safety to perform their vital jobs, it adds insult to injury to upend people’s hours of work, forcing them to work late into the evenings or on weekends with no overtime.
We raised two possible shift schedules with the employer. We proposed to the employer that the members in each region should meet with their local management and agree on one of the schedules. The schedules that we proposed are:
1) 12 hour shifts where members work 6 such shifts over a 2-week period, including one Saturday paid at overtime rates
2) 7.5 hour shifts where members work Monday to Friday with overtime rates paid for hours after 6pm
In response, CSC has essentially ignored us and has told us that they will make everyone shift workers and provide virtually no extra compensation for doing so. We encourage all members to contact management to ensure that they know how you feel about this. Further, we will be grieving this violation of the collective agreement and your USJE Regional Vice-President will be in touch with your Local to ensure that people sign this grievance.
We will push the employer to do what’s right here and pay people for the additional hardship that they are putting on members in this already stressful period. We hope that everyone stays safe and healthy during this unprecedented time.