Brothers and Sisters,

This is in regard to the company bulletin titled “Authorized Leave of Absence” effective August 18, 2008.

This recent action by the company has reduced the planned time off our members need in order to maintain their family relationships and attend to the everyday health and life issues enjoyed by other workers in Canada. This office views the arbitrary action of reducing the ability of our members to secure Authorized Leave of Absence as a significant breakdown of the labour management process.

To compound this issue, the company has further arbitrarily set a process that is clearly been initiated to intimidate our members. Within the Toronto area, our members that have been off sick, have been contacted by CMC and informed that they are required to attend for meetings with the company to review the Absenteeism Policy of the company. To specifically identify a group of members that have had the misfortune of becoming ill or have suffered and injury, during a specific time frame, and ask that those members alone should be required to review the policy set for all members, is certainly discriminatory and this action will not be tolerated.

Workers in this country have secured legislation for protection of this type of action by employers in Canada.

As such this office asks that the membership protect themselves accordingly and if they become ill, ensure that they take the time to attend the service of a certified medical practitioner and proactively secure a certificate certifying that they were incapable of working due to illness or injury during the time that they were absent from work. This process is set out in the Canada Labour Code and has been put in place to protect employees from discipline, including dismissal, which is our right to use.

In order that this office can further address this issue we ask that all instances of requests for leave that are denied, and all instances that members are contacted for interview because of illness or injury, immediately be forwarded to the office of the General Chairman along with the particulars of the leave request or illness or injury.

Also, we had requested, from each terminal, the number of available ALOA you had before and the new number of ALOA that has been implemented by the Company. Could you please forward this information to this office as soon as possible?

We will keep you informed of any future development in this regard.

In solidarity,

Daniel Généreux
General Chairman TCRC
Trainmen East