Northlands Park, an Edmonton community organization, has a proud history going back to 1879. It manages major Alberta events such as the Capital EX and the Canadian Finals Rodeo, with 1,620 staff and a host of volunteers.
In the summer of 2004, CUPE Local 30 and Northlands Park agreed in principle to put their collective agreement in clear language. Early in 2005, Beverley Norman, CUPE Education Rep, delivered a clear language workshop to three reps from Local 30 and four managers from Northlands Park.
In the workshop, the union and employer worked through two clauses in the collective agreement. In both cases, they were able to agree on clear language versions. They continue to work on a plain language version of the agreement.Footnote 1
Before
7.05 Supplementation of Compensation
If a permanent employee of Northlands is prevented from performing his work with Northlands in excess of five (5) consecutive working days due to an occupational accident or illness that occurs during the course of his work for Northlands, and the accident is recognized by the Workers’ Compensation Board as compensable within the meaning of the Worker’s Compensation Act, Northlands will supplement the award of the Worker’s Compensation Board for loss of wages and any other allowances provided as the result of a compensable accident together with the supplementation by Northlands will equal the normal net pay of the employee for the class or position to which he is permanently appointed. This amount shall be subject to the normal deductions of the employee concerned. Payment shall commence upon the execution of an assignment by the employee to Northlands of his compensation for loss of wages plus other allowances provided as a result of a compensable accident and shall continue until the Worker’s Compensation Board certifies that the employee is able to return to work or until granted a permanent pension by the Workers’ Compensation Board, whichever may be the sooner. Said supplementation shall not be payable to any permanent employee entitled to compensation after pension age if such an employee is entitled to any pension, or after the employee’s sixty-fifth (65) birthday if such an employee is not entitled to a pension.
After
7.05 Workers’ Compensation
If you are a permanent employee injured at work, you will be paid by the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) for the first five days of your injury. After five days, you will be paid by Northlands Park.
You will receive your normal net pay (take home).
Your net pay will be based on your permanent job classification. This will continue until:
Return to note 1 These examples come from the current collective agreement prepared by Northlands Park and CUPE Local 30. They appear in CUPE Local 30 Literacy News, March, 2005.