Request for Union Leave


Leave with Pay vs. Leave without Pay

All CSU 52 Collective Agreements, between the Union and each of the five Bargaining Units, include language regarding ‘Leave with Pay’ and ‘Leave without Pay’ for employees/members:

Leave with Pay (Employer paid)

Leave without Pay (Union paid)

In the event that employees are elected to the Negotiations Committee for the Union, they shall be granted leave, at their regular rate of pay, for the purpose of attending joint collective bargaining, conciliation or mediation meetings in the establishment of a new Collective Agreement (“at-the-table meetings”).

Leave of absence with pay shall be for those hours the employee normally would have worked had they not been required to meet with the employer.

Employees elected as representatives/delegates of the Union (to attend conventions, seminars or training sessions) or as members of the Negotiations Committee (“negotiations prep meetings”) shall be granted leave without pay upon request by the Union.

Although considered a ‘Leave without Pay’, the employee is still paid at their regular rate of pay by the Union.

  Leave Letter method

  Wage Replacement method

  Leave Letter method

  Wage Replacement method

The Union will provide leave letters or wage replacement for the following situations:

  • Bargaining Preparation meetings
  • Members & Community Support Committee meetings
  • Board of Directors meetings
  • Basic Shop Steward Training sessions (one time only, per member)
  • Strike Captain Training sessions
  • Any other events, conventions, seminars, etc. as approved by the President or Board.

Requests for leave letters or wage replacement for any other purpose must have the prior approval of the President, including:

  • Committee meetings (including both Member and Board committees), other than the Members & Community Support Committee.

Leave Letter vs. Wage Replacement

Leave Letter Requests

  • If you are scheduled to work during the time required for Union business, request a Leave Letter.
  • PLEASE PROVIDE AS MUCH NOTICE AS POSSIBLE
    Employers may deny Union Leave requests that are less than two weeks' notice. Employers may also limit Union leave to one (1) member per worksite at any given time.
  • Upon approval by the Union President, Office Staff will send a letter to the employer and payroll department on behalf of the employee for the requested date(s) and times of Union Leave.
  • For 'Leave without Pay (Union paid)', the employee will continue to be paid by the employer, the employer then bills the Union for reimbursement.

Request a Leave Letter »

Wage Replacement Requests

  • If you are not scheduled to work (including being on vacation, banked time, or EDO's) during the time required for Union business, you can request wage replacement instead of a leave letter.
  • Wage Replacement Requests must be submitted after the event, so that attendance can be verified.
  • If your request requires prior approval by the President, please separately submit that request to [email protected], and if approved, submit the below form after the event.
  • The Union may contact the payroll department for the purposes of confirming the employee’s regular rate of pay, but the Union will not make the request to the employer for the employee’s time off
  • Upon approval of the Wage Replacement Form, the Union will issue a cheque at the employee’s regular rate of pay only for the hours the employee/member would have worked during the union-related event (employee is paid by the Union directly)

Instructions to request Wage Replacement:

  1. Compose an email to Doreen Gates at [email protected] with the subject: Wage Replacement Request
  2. Copy and paste the below text into the email body
  3. Provide the required details by typing over/replacing the blank lines "            "
  4. Send the email
MEMBER DETAILS
First and Last Name:            
Bargaining Unit:            
Employee Number:            
Branch and/or Section:            
Email Address (if different from the address you're sending from:            
Phone Number:            

UNION LEAVE DETAILS
Date:            
Your scheduled work/EDO time, start to end:            
Union leave time, start to end (if applicable, include up to 30 min. travel time that is within your scheduled work time):            
What is the leave for?:            
Total Hours Being Claimed (exclude an unpaid breaks i.e. lunch):            

HOURLY WAGE
Your current hourly wage/rate of salary (dollars per hour):            

Any additional comments you would like to provide?