On Wednesday June 5ththe Public Interest Commission released its recommendation concerning our negotiations with CBSA/Treasury Board. Early the morning of Friday the 7ththe FB Bargaining Team issued a statement reiterating that the union is ready to negotiate. Later that same day the PSAC was notified that, at CBSA and Treasury Board’s request, the government is forcing a vote of the employer’s recent-most final offer, to be administered by the Labour Board. Imposing a vote on an offer that has not been agreed to by a union’s elected bargaining team has never happened in the history of federal public service.
In a letter to their co-workers (see link below), the PSAC FB bargaining team urged members to join them in voting NO to CBSA’s forced offer. For those being armed, the final offer does not provide the same employee protections that were agreed to in the last round of negotiations. In terms of salary increases, many other groups in the federal public service, including Parole Officers who work in the same department as we do, have been given more than what is in the CBSA/Treasury Board offer. The offer does not address issues that we’ve raised concerning non-uniformed officers. Finally, the offer does not include improvements contained in the recommendation released last week by the Public Interest Commission.
The bargaining team members, along with the National Executive and National Board of Directors of the Customs and Immigration Union, are calling on all FB members to vote NO, to reject this heavy-handed and disrespectful approach, and to stand together so that a fair, and negotiated, collective agreement might be reached. Please be sure to contact your CIU branch president and stay tuned for more information.
