We’re aware that some workers at UAW still have individual contracts that provide and protect paid meal breaks. UAW must honour those contracts regardless of the enterprise agreement.

As you know, a new UAW enterprise agreement has been voted up, which removes the entitlement to paid meal breaks for many workers. This agreement is likely to be approved soon at the Fair Work Commission.

If you have an individual contract that provides paid meal breaks, UAW may try to coerce you into signing a new contract or pull you into an individual meeting and ask you to sign amended terms. Do not sign anything or meet with UAW on your own without talking to us first.

If you don’t have a copy of your contract, you can ask your manager to provide it. If UAW won’t provide it, please contact us and we will seek to get it from UAW.

The other trick UAW used last year was presenting workers with a letter called “Tasmanian Roster Restructure – Paid Meal Breaks” and a “Change Impact Statement”, intending to change their rosters and hours of work unilaterally. If your individual contract locks in paid meal breaks, such documents cannot breach the terms of your contract. For many workers, UAW cannot use those to change your work hours or days unilaterally without you agreeing to such changes.

If UAW propose a roster restructure, let us know first and don’t sign anything before talking to us. We’re here to protect your rights and will continue to fight for your pay and conditions.