The Tendermen’s Collective Agreement, also called the Tendermen Contract, is the document that guarantees Tendermen your wages, benefits, working conditions, and your rights.
The CFC Contract covers all Tendermen working on packers that deliver fish, including salmon or herring, to the Canadian Fishing Company and includes any subsidiary work.
Only Canfisco Tendermen have a Collective Agreement — many other non-union companies pay Union wages but do not observe the rest of the Contract.
Seniority
Seniority and classification are the basis for call-outs.
There are separate seniority lists for the North and the South. After working 3 consecutive months or two consecutive seasons, your name is placed on the appropriate seniority list.
The Tendermen’s Agreement provides call-out by seniority, according to your date of hire, as long as you have the classification and tickets that the job requires. Privately owned packers often have Captains of the owner’s choice.
To see the seniority list, you can contact the Union or CFC.
Wages & Supplementary Rates
Wages are based on day rates and the size of the packer and the job you are doing. There are also extra payments for a number of reasons: grub allowance, freight and unloading bonuses, cross conveying or transfer pumping, icing, etc.
Working Conditions
Tendermen work long hours. Article 9 and Clause 11.16 of the Contract lay out the conditions of hours of work. There are also clauses covering Crew Complements, Safety, Crew Duties and Statutory Holidays, Vacation Pay, and Bereavement.
Grievances
One of the most important parts of the Contract is the Grievance Procedure, which allows the Union to enforce the Contract. If the Company does not follow the Collective Agreement, then the UFAWU-Unifor will take your complaint up, possibly even to Arbitration or to the Labour Relations Board.
If you think that you might have a grievance, contact the Union right away as there are some time limits.
Negotiations
Collective Agreements are negotiated between the Union and the Company and apply to all Tendermen packing for CFC. New Contracts are negotiated when the present one ends.
Before the Contract ends, a Negotiating Committee will be elected from Union members from the packing fleet.
- Union staff and the Union Negotiating Committee will bargain with the Company, report back to the members on progress, and finally take a Vote to Accept or Reject.
- If the new Collective Agreement is accepted by Tendermen, then the Contract is signed and negotiations are over until the next time.
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