Re-Bid FAQs

Last Updated: October 17, 2011

Frequently Asked Questions about the ABSU re-bid and what the outcome means for members. We will be updating this list as new information comes in. Please email abscomm@cope378.ca if you have questions that are not answered here.

Click on the below questions to go to the answers.

Questions

Background

• Which part of the contract will continue?
• Could Accenture still win back the bids for I/O and A/O?
• When will we see real changes?
• Do we know when and where layoffs will happen?
• How does this affect collective agreement negotiations with Accenture?

"Sweeping Changes" to BPO

• What does "sweeping changes" mean?
• On the town hall, there was indication that the BPO jobs might move to the Maritimes. What do we know about this?
• Does that mean all the jobs in the BPO are safe?

Bumping

• Does the loss of contract for IT and Meter Readers mean they can bump other workers?
• How does bumping happen?

Pension

• How long do you have to be in the pension plan to be vested?
• Do members get a payout from the pension fund if they don't get their numbers? If so, what is the payout?

Severance

• What about severance pay?
• Who will be responsible for paying severance? Hydro or ABSU or the new contractor?
• Can they terminate us before the contract is up?
• Can ABS offer "Working Notice" instead of severance (i.e. instead of paying 6 months' severance, give 6 months or more of notice)?
• Can ABSU get out of paying severance as part of a lockout job action?
• Are there ways that ABS could terminate our positions without paying severance?
• If the AMSA ends or if ABS itself ends, does ABS still have to pay severance?
• If Accenture (or another company) offers ABS employees a job to do similar work in a similar location, would ABS employees lose their severance if they accept? Would they lose severance if they refuse another job (servicing BC Hydro)?
• Is there a chance ABSU will offer bonuses to only some employees to convince them to stay until the end of the contract?
• If I leave my job to work for the new contractor, will I still get severance?
• If positions are offered in the new company but they are in a different city, if we do not go, do we get severance?
• If Accenture offers you a job (employees in a group whose contract is not renewed by BC Hydro, e.g., Data Centre) and you don't accept it, do you still get your severance?
• If you're close to retirement can you retire and collect severance?
• For bumping and severance, what if the company says you have the wrong job title?

Transition Logistics

• For Data Centre staff, what will be the procedure for transition? Will it be Accenture managers that do the transition management or the new company's managers?
• Does BCH communicate to ABSU which individual positions will no longer be required or will it be based on entire teams which will not be required?
• Can we take vacation time during the 2-month layoff notice period?
• What happens if someone is on Long-Term Disability?
• What will happen if Accenture tries to move us to other employers?
• Will FSRs be affected by "Smart Meters"?

What Action is the Union Taking?

• What is the union doing on this?
• Is the union taking any action at the BC Utilities Commission?

What Action Can I Take?

• What action can I take?

Answers

Background

• Which part of the contract will continue?
  • BC Hydro is continuing the contract for the BPO (includes billing, customer care, credit, collections, payments, and other support groups).
• Could Accenture still win back the bids for I/O and A/O?
  • Theoretically yes. If other bids came in around the same cost as the ABSU bid, Accenture thinks BC Hydro may re-consider. However, BC Hydro has told us reconsideration is unlikely.
• When will we see real changes?
  • We've been told that the first changes to meter readers' jobs will happen in February of 2012. We will update you with more information as we have it.
• Do we know when and where layoffs will happen?
  • No. We've been asking and don't know yet. According to employment law the employer doesn't have to give us advance notice until 60 days before layoff.
• How does this affect collective agreement negotiations with Accenture?
  • Now that they have the re-bid outcome, we hope Accenture will come back to us with proposals that are non-concessionary. 

"Sweeping Changes" to BPO

• What does "sweeping changes" mean?
  • According to Pierre Choquette, Labour Relations Manager at Accenture, this is in reference to how the work is to be done and who employees will be interacting with, and does not refer to actual staffing changes or job loss. However, it may affect the exact work people do and the people they interact with at work. We will likely have more details later in August.
  • We have heard that some managers are telling our BPO members that the job affected by the “sweeping changes” may not be secure. This is contrary to what both Accenture and BC Hydro have told us. Please let us know at abscomm@cope378.ca if you hear something similar from your manager.

• On the town hall, there was indication that the BPO jobs might move to the Maritimes. What do we know about this?
  • One of the ABSU bids for the BPO unit pitched moving the jobs to the Maritimes, but this was not the bid that BC Hydro approved. BC Hydro has indicated to us it is one of their guiding principles to maintain jobs in BC but neither BC Hydro nor Accenture has guaranteed in writing that the BPO jobs will stay in BC. ABSU has assured us their bid keeps the work in BC until the end of the next contract (2018)

• Does that mean all the jobs in the BPO are safe?
  • Not necessarily. ABS members in other departments have the right to bump into jobs they can do with a 30-day familiarization period as per the Article 9 flowchart. See section on "bumping".

Bumping

• Does the loss of contract for IT and Meter Readers mean they can bump other workers?
  
  • All displaced members potentially have the options of bumping if there are jobs available and they meet the Article 9 criteria.
• How does bumping happen?
  • It is based on seniority and laid out under Article 9. Click here or scroll to the bottom to see the Article 9 flowchart.

Pension

• How long do you have to be in the pension plan to be vested?
  
  • Two years.
• Do members get a payout from the pension fund if they don't get their numbers? If so, what is the payout?
  • If a member is not vested then the member will receive a lump sum payment of their basic and indexing contributions along with interest.

Severance

• What about severance pay?
  
  • Displaced employees will be eligible for severance in accordance with Article 9 of the Collective Agreement. Severance will not affect pension eligibility.
• Who will be responsible for paying severance? BC Hydro, ABSU or a new contractor?
  
  • ABSU.
• Can they terminate us before the contract is up?
  
  • Yes, this has always been the case. BC Hydro has had the ability under the Amended Master Service Agreement (AMSA) to terminate any portion of the contract prior to March 31, 2013. ABS has already advised part of the IT work will be transitioned to a new supplier prior to the contract expiring.
• Can ABSU offer "Working Notice" instead of severance? (I.e. instead of paying 6 months' severance, give 6 months or more of notice)
  
  • No, per the collective agreement they have to pay severance.
• Can ABSU get out of paying severance as part of a lockout job action?
  • No.
• Are there ways that ABSU could terminate our positions without paying severance?
  
  • If the company is still operational (and they will be to run the BPO work) the answer is no.
• If the AMSA ends or if ABSU itself ends, does ABSU still have to pay severance?
  
  • It depends on how they roll it up. See below re: bankruptcy.
• If Accenture (or another company) offers ABSU employees a job to do similar work in a similar location, would ABS employees lose their severance if they accept? Would they lose severance if they refuse another job (servicing BC Hydro)?
  
  • No. Article 9 offers all options at the employee's choice. For example, bumping (which if they shut down would not be available), vacancy (again not an option if they shut down), layoff to recall (might be an option), or straight severance as per Article 9.
• Is there a chance ABSU will offer bonuses to only some employees to convince them to stay until the end of the contract?
  
  • All of these types of things will be negotiated between us and ABSU in a process laid out under Section 54 of the Labour Relations Code. These negotiations have not yet started. The union's position has traditionally been that we do not negotiate for individuals; we negotiate for everyone.
• If I leave my job to work for the new contractor, will I still get severance?
  
  • If you leave your job voluntarily it will affect your eligibility for severance. If the employer chooses to transition you to the new employer, we can try to negotiate for severance.
• If positions are offered in the new company but they are in a different city, if we do not go, do we get severance?
  
  • The expectation is that the new company will only be taking the work, not the employees. As such, your severance would be paid by ABS.
• If Accenture offers you a job (employees in a group whose contract is not renewed by BC Hydro, e.g., Data Centre) and you don't accept it, do you still get your severance?
  • ABS at this point can really only offer you a job in 3 ways – 1) a promotion in your own department 2) a job you have applied on which you have the right to decline or 3) through the article 9 process if you have received your layoff notice. There really isn’t a way they can force you to take any of these and then if you are displaced you will have the option of severance through Article 9.
• If you're close to retirement can you retire and collect severance?
  • We have confirmed that severance will not affect pension eligibility.
• For bumping and severance, what if the company says you have the wrong job title?
  • You must let us know ASAP if this happens so we can file a wrong job allocation grievance.

Transition Logistics

• For Data Centre staff, what will be the procedure for transition? Will it be Accenture managers that do the transition management or the new company's managers?
  
  • At this time we do not have any information on what the transition will look like. This will likely not be determined by BC Hydro until they select the new suppliers.
• Does BC Hydro communicate to ABSU which individual positions will no longer be required or will it be based on entire teams which will not be required?
  
  • BC Hyro will not have any say on individual positions. Rather, they have stated they will not be renewing the contract for all work performed by ABSU other than the BPO.
• Can we take vacation time during the 2-month layoff notice period?
  
  • Yes. You will be entitled to take vacation/Y-days and any other applicalbe leave during this period per the criteria laid out in the collective agreement.
• What happens if someone is on Long-Term Disability?
  • You stay on LTD until such time as you are cleared to work. When you are cleared to work you would be entitled to Article 9 options.
• What will happen if Accenture tries to move us to other employers?
  • The company can't force you to work for another employer or to leave the union. Tranisition details will be negotiated under Section 54 of the Labour Relations Code. But if they assign you to temporary work outside your normal work duties you maintain your union membership and rights.
• Will FSRs be affected by "Smart Meters"?
  • BC Hydro finally admitted that smart meters would allow for remote disconnects and reconnects. At an orientation workshop a BC Hydro rep admitted there would be impacts to FSRs.

What Action is the Union Taking?

• What is the union doing on this?
  • COPE 378 has been engaging media and we'll be continuing our public relations campaign to show politicians and British Columbians how important your jobs are to your families and communities. We're also continuing to press for a meeting with Minister Rich Coleman.
• Is the union taking any action at the BC Utilities Commission?
  • COPE 378 is an intervenor at the BCUC. We use this status and our ability to file Freedom of Information requests to show that the Accenture contract has been effective, that splitting the work among more contractors is inefficient and bad for ratepayers and workers. We also look at filings from BC Hydro and Accenture to show that ABSU has no cause to ask for concessions in bargaining.
  • BC Hydro’s Revenue Requirement filings have been stuck in limbo as we await the results of the Ministerial Rate Review. Once the proceedings re-start we will again be involved.
     

What Action Can I Take?

• What action can I take?
  • The union is continuing to push for a meeting with Minister Rich Coleman. We’re continuing to ask members to send letters and emails to their MLAs (templates on the website) and to set up meetings with their MLAs. This is especially important if you live in a government MLA’s riding, as this can convince them to put pressure on the Minister and the Premier.
  • If you hear any rumours from other workers or management about the future of your jobs or the contract, or specific changes to your work, please contact your Job Steward and/or rep. This will help the union make sure management is not trying to take advantage of uncertainty to make more changes. It will also help us make sure all our members have the facts on important issues.