{"id":2904,"date":"2023-11-01T13:07:23","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T20:07:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ucce.info\/?page_id=2904"},"modified":"2025-04-01T11:32:58","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T18:32:58","slug":"what-is-u-c-c-e","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ucce.info\/?page_id=2904","title":{"rendered":"What is U.C.C.E,"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"2904\" class=\"elementor elementor-2904\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-efc1739 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"efc1739\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3506ce3\" data-id=\"3506ce3\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ab83529 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ab83529\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2fe3f6f\" data-id=\"2fe3f6f\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-42f0a02 elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"42f0a02\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;hosted&quot;,&quot;autoplay&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-hosted-video elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<video class=\"elementor-video\" src=\"http:\/\/c9e.50f.myftpupload.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/UCCE-Introduction-Video-youtube.mp4\" autoplay=\"\" controls=\"\" controlsList=\"nodownload\"><\/video>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2eea323 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2eea323\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7cd340b\" data-id=\"7cd340b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-079b9a7 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"079b9a7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\"><span style=\"font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Open Sans'; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\">What is U.C.C.E.<\/span><\/p><p>U.C.C.E. is the second largest, all-inclusive, independent bargaining unit in Alberta and the largest independent unit of retail grocery co-operative Support staff in Canada. There is no other bargaining unit\/union like us!<\/p><p>Our membership entails every single possible occupational group contained within one bargaining unit, except for those groups listed in Article 3 of the Collective Agreement. We represent members employed in occupations ranging from trades to janitorial to clerical to clerks to cashier to meat cutter and technical work.<\/p><p>Collectively, you own this Union. \u00a0It\u2019s a Union with a long tradition, services second to none and an important role to play in the future of the Calgary Cooperative Association Ltd., retail grocery industry in Alberta and in the future of job security and workplace interests of our membership.<\/p><p style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Open Sans'; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\">Background<\/span><\/p><p>UCCE has continued to operate under stringent labour legislation since the\u00a0Alberta Labour Relations Code\u00a0(ALRC) was introduced in 1988. From the beginning, U.C.C.E. has been aggressive in defending our collective agreement rights.<\/p><p>The struggle continues today, as our Union continues to meet new challenges, at the same time as it provides members with day-to-day servicing, grievance representation, workers\u2019 compensation, disability and pension information, training, counseling and advocacy.<\/p><p>Your elected executive is skilled and experienced in all matters regarding your employment, your collective agreement and U.C.C.E. services.<\/p><p style=\"margin-bottom: 15pt; line-height: 150%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\"><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight );\">Role<\/span><\/p><p>The mission of U.C.C.E. is to allow its members to communicate as a single voice with the Cooperative on all matters relating to terms and conditions of employment.\u00a0\u00a0Where an effective bargaining relationship is established with the employer, everyone benefits.\u00a0Members can negotiate with the strength of numbers behind them and the employer can also benefit from a stable labour relations environment.<\/p><p>U.C.C.E. ensures that fair and reasonable terms and conditions of employment remain in force for you as an entitlement. Provisions such as salary, schedules, and hours of work, seniority, paid vacation and illness benefits are results of decades of U.C.C.E. negotiating history. These provisions remain part of your everyday working conditions because U.C.C.E. monitors and enforces the compliance of them.<\/p><p>Your Union not only protects the status quo, it is dedicated to improving your working conditions through ongoing negotiations.<\/p><p style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Open Sans'; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\">Your Collective Agreement<\/span><\/p><p>Your collective agreement is a legally binding contract between U.C.C.E. and the Calgary Cooperative Association Ltd., covering such areas as wages, hours of work, overtime, job security, working conditions and benefits. While similar language can be found in most collective agreements, specific rights and wording are negotiated to address the unique needs of our bargaining unit.<\/p><p>Collective agreements are negotiated for a specific period of time, most often three to five years. As a member, you have the opportunity to participate in the democratic process of establishing the Union agenda for each new round of bargaining.<\/p><p>Negotiations usually carry on for months before a tentative agreement is reached. Your agreement must be ratified through secret ballot by a majority of voting members before it is signed and put into effect.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p>The Executive and authorized representatives (stewards) are your advocates at the work site, in all unionized lines of business, to ensure that the terms in your agreement are applied fairly to all members.\u00a0 They will assist members who feel their rights have been violated.<\/p><p>If you have any questions about your collective agreement, your U.C.C.E. Executive and representatives are your first line of information.<\/p><p style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Open Sans'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Open Sans'; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\">Protection<\/span><\/p><p>Your Union stands ready to represent you in every way by being visible at the work site through the Executive and stewards. By\u00a0enforcing negotiated protections, we provide a valuable service when, and where you need it.<\/p><p>Your Union is not a substitute for a healthy, working relationship between you and your employer. \u00a0If you believe you are being\u00a0treated unfairly in the workplace or that the collective agreement has been violated, contact your U.C.C.E. Centre Steward or Executive who will know how to handle your concern.<\/p><p>If a problem brought to the attention of management is not resolved, your collective agreement provides specific steps for filing a grievance with the Cooperative. \u00a0Your Executive are your advocates and are experienced and trained to handle your concern in compliance with the grievance procedure.<\/p><p style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Open Sans'; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\">Contract Negotiations<\/span><\/p><p>First and foremost, your Union has been negotiating for many years with the Cooperative and will continue to work for the best possible working conditions for our members. \u00a0As a member, you decide the goals for negotiations. Wage increase, hours of work, overtime compensation, vacations, statutory holidays, sick leave, pensions, benefits, layoff\/recall \u2013 these protections are only gained and enhanced through contract negotiations between your Union and the Cooperative.<\/p><p>Although we complete a round of negotiations every three to five years, we are always preparing for the future. The future of our industry, our survival and our jobs will involve issues like:<\/p><p>\u2013 protecting bargaining unit work<\/p><p>\u2013 protecting our job classifications<\/p><p style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Open Sans'; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\">Labour Relations<\/span><\/p><p>All members of U.C.C.E. have access to any one of 5 (five) full-time Union Executive members and designated representative(s)\/steward(s) in each Centre. This allows a concern affecting members in a number of different and distinct departments to have their issues addressed by the same person.<\/p><p>All labour relations staff are trained and experienced in problem solving, contract interpretation, health and safety, workers\u2019 compensation, benefits, job title administration (job classification), posting and transfer process, security interview investigations, sexual harassment investigation and many other employment issues, as they arise.<\/p><p>We can provide assistance and advice about issues like long term disability, pensions and other items referenced in the collective agreement.<\/p><p>The scope of the involvement of U.C.C.E. elected executive and representatives in the administration of your collective agreement is extensive:<\/p><p>\u2013 Joint Labour Management (JLM)<\/p><p>\u2013 Joint Occupational Health and Safety (JOHS)<\/p><p>U.C.C.E. staff and members represent your collective interests by being involved in external matters like the:<\/p><p>\u2013 Calgary Cooperative Association Ltd. Board of Directors;<\/p><p>\u2013 Workers\u2019 Compensation Board<\/p><p style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Open Sans'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Open Sans'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Open Sans'; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\">Communications<\/span><\/p><p>Keeping members informed and up-to-date on Cooperative and employment-related matters is a top priority for U.C.C.E. \u00a0We send out a quarterly newsletter called UCCE\u00a0\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/ucce.info\/?page_id=185\">News and Views<\/a>\u201d with topical information items in the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/webhost.shawhosting.ca\/OS4\/components\/esw\/8.7\/editor\/base.php?templateId=770&amp;tint=default&amp;userPage=whatyouruniondoes.html&amp;useCustomCss=\/ESW\/Styles\/site_504fedf7843da\/default.eswstyle.css&amp;xcache=0.455565777404627\">\u201c<\/a>Did You Know\u201d section. This information is distributed at the work site by members like you. \u00a0Gaining the support of the Co-operative community and the general public are important ways of making inroads in the negotiations process.<\/p><p>The future of technology in our everyday lives is essential and important to the survival of our Union.<\/p><p style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Open Sans'; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\">Involvement<\/span><\/p><p>U.C.C.E. is your Union in more ways than one. It works for you and it works because of you; from the top and all through the organization, your Union is directed by members like you.\u00a0 You can become involved in U.C.C.E. in a number of ways, depending on your work site and level of interest.\u00a0 Take an active role in U.C.C.E. activities, Union meetings allow you to have a direct voice in the direction that U.C.C.E. takes.\u00a0 Take a leading role in your area. In order for U.C.C.E. to function effectively, our Union needs leaders in every work site, representing all occupational groups and serving as representatives.\u00a0 The executive and the membership utilize the resources available to the organization, pursues the collective interests based upon the mandate, and achieves our agenda and goals in accordance with the authority provided to the organization.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: center; line-height: 150%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;\" align=\"center\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Open Sans'; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;\">U.C.C.E.<br \/>is only as strong as the collective will of our members!!<\/span><\/b><b><\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>https:\/\/ucce.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/UCCE-Introduction-Video-youtube.mp4 What is U.C.C.E. U.C.C.E. is the second largest, all-inclusive, independent bargaining unit in Alberta and the largest independent unit of retail grocery co-operative Support staff in Canada. There is no other bargaining unit\/union like us! Our membership entails every single possible occupational group contained within one bargaining unit, except for those groups listed in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2904","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ucce.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ucce.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ucce.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ucce.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ucce.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2904"}],"version-history":[{"count":77,"href":"https:\/\/ucce.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3293,"href":"https:\/\/ucce.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2904\/revisions\/3293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ucce.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}