SAMPLE LANGUAGE
Letter of Understanding
Special Payments to Members during a Declared Public Health Emergency
Should government declare a public health emergency in an area where [workplace/facilities] covered in this agreement is located and/or affected, and within 7 calendar days of the declaration, the Company and Union shall meet to discuss the health and safety implications for employees/members of the bargaining unit
In the course of those discussions, the Parties commit to establishing a process for the disbursement of special payments, including hazard pay, for employees.
This process will ensure:
1. A special hourly payment that is applied to the base rate of pay for all members of the bargaining unit that are actively working;
2. Any special payment will apply to other wage-related benefit provisions in this collective agreement, including overtime pay, holiday pay, pensionable earnings, etc.;
3. The timeline for special payments shall coincide with the prevailing emergency framework issued by the relevant government’s chief medical officer of health, and not any arbitrary measure;
4. Any other matters deemed appropriate by the Parties.
