Sisters and Brothers:

As you know, the Corporation has unilaterally amended its policy on the travel allowance for employees in isolated posts (“travel allowance”).

The Union successfully challenged this change.  In an arbitration decision rendered last September, arbitrator Bergeron ruled that the Corporation had violated the collective agreement by unilaterally amending the travel allowance.  The arbitrator ordered the Corporation to reinstate the policy that was in effect prior to the changes.

The arbitrator also ordered the Corporation to pay each employee the difference between what they would have received under the old policy and what they received under the new one.

The employer has yet to implement the arbitrator’s decision.  Therefore, we have asked the arbitrator to hear the parties on January 14, 2009 to force the Corporation to pay the amounts you are entitled to.

Please send us the following information:

• Your name and that of your spouse and dependents who were entitled to the allowance during the period of December 2003 and December 2008;
• Your workplace and the date you started working in an isolated post;
• The trips you made and the amount of the allowance you received (for yourself, your spouse and your dependents) in the years 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004.

This information is necessary to defend your case and we ask that you forward it to my attention at the national office as soon as possible.

The Union is protesting this situation, but we need to be ready to prove the employer’s lack of concern.