Author Archives: Pierre St-Jacques

FB bargaining team tables wages in negotiations

Membres

Every day, PSAC-CIU members in the FB group put their lives on the line to protect Canadians; safeguarding our borders, inspecting dangerous goods, and screening travelers for COVID-19 from coast to coast.

Throughout this round of negotiations, the PSAC-CIU bargaining team emphasized that members deserve a contract that recognizes their incredible dedication and brings them fully in line with law enforcement agencies across Canada.

All of the FB team’s bargaining proposals reflect this, from pension reform, paid time for firearms practice and reimbursement for firing range fees to paid meal periods and a plain clothes allowance for the Intelligence, Inland Enforcement and Criminal Investigations community.

During bargaining October 19-23, the team put forward a wage proposal that reflects the need for parity with the broader law enforcement community.

Wage proposals in line with national average

PSAC conducted a survey of wage rates at major law enforcement agencies across Canada, including provincial police (OPP, Sûreté du Québec and the Newfoundland Constabulary) and large municipal police forces (Toronto, Montreal, Peel Region and Vancouver). Our wage demands provide for fair annual increases and a market adjustment that would close the gap between FB members and the national average for law enforcement personnel.

Need to address discipline, grievance policy

The team have also made proposals to fix rampant discipline problems at Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The team made it clear this past week that they do not trust CBSA management. New protections for union members are needed. They also raised issues with the grievance procedure and the fact that the process is lengthy and inefficient. CBSA has implemented unreasonable changes to its repayment policy when employees are erroneously overpaid. The team has proposed to fix these problems.

Lastly, the bargaining team raised problems related to access to leave with income averaging and telework that need to be addressed.

No concessions

CBSA is proposing to remove the 7-day shift change notice and replace it with 48 hours’ notice, consistent with the CX agreement. The bargaining team informed management that the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) and the CXs may have agreed to this, but our union will not.

Management is also proposing concessions in the context of discipline and our variable shift schedule arrangements. The team informed the employer that, while we are prepared to bargain fairly, they are interested in improvements at CBSA, not concessions.

Upcoming bargaining dates

PSAC-CIU is in the process of setting dates to return to the table with the employer in November. The expectation is that management will return to the table prepared to address these issues in a meaningful way.

Through membership solidarity and perseverance, PSAC-CIU can achieve these objectives in this round of negotiations. We have made groundbreaking gains for FB members in the past. We will do so again.

To review the package of proposals that we tabled as well as those of the employer, visit PSAC’s FB page. We’ll announce new bargaining dates when they’re available and continue to provide updates throughout the bargaining process.

Please be sure to speak with your CIU branch president if you have any questions.

The original version of this article was first posted on the PSAC website.

PSAC and Treasury Board sign PA, TC and Phoenix deals

Photo of CIU flag

PSAC and Treasury Board today signed new collective agreements for the Program and Administrative (PA) and Technical Services (TC) groups that were ratified by members on September 29. The two bargaining units account for over 80,000 federal public service workers. PSAC and Treasury Board also signed the Phoenix damages agreement reached this summer.

Separately, the parties signed the protocol agreement on the negotiation of working conditions for civilian members in the RCMP who are slated to be deemed into PSAC bargaining units.

Please see the following page on the PSAC website for more detailed information.

The FB bargaining team needs your support!

Photo of CBSA officer with orange epaulettes

The FB bargaining team is back at the bargaining table this week!

As a show of support for our team, we are asking all our members to proudly wear or display their union swag (epaulets, laces, wristband, mug, etc.) and to keep them displayed until the union reaches a tentative agreement.

We also invite our members to send photos of them wearing or displaying their union swag at comms@ciu-sdi.ca.

Note: By sending in their photos, members agree that CIU may publish these photos online, including its website and social media pages. Those who wear a name tag should remove or hide it before taking a picture.

Legal battle begins to protect use of 699 leave during the pandemic

Photo of CIU flag

PSAC’s legal challenge against Treasury Board’s regressive and discriminatory changes to 699 leave for federal public service workers is set to begin October 19.

In June, PSAC filed a policy grievance after the government tightened its guidelines around when public service workers can use “Other Leave with Pay” (699 leave) to fulfill child care needs during the pandemic.

The new policy fails to recognize that some parents may have to keep their children at home for legitimate reasons despite the availability of schools or child care. For example, some parents may choose to keep their children at home to protect members of their household who suffer from underlying health conditions that make them vulnerable to COVID-19 symptoms.

PSAC will meet with the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board in order to determine the scope of the policy grievance and set dates for the hearing.

PSAC made it clear that the new policy adversely impacts women who continue to bear a disproportionate burden of domestic responsibilities including child care, eldercare and household operations. It could also result in discriminatory outcomes for people with disabilities and people with family obligations, violating both members’ collective agreements and the Canadian Human Rights Act based on family status, sex and disability. The Canadian Human Rights Commission has also notified the Board that it intends on making submissions on this issue.

The proposed policy amendments would result in a patchwork of unfair outcomes for public service workers and give managers too much discretion in applying the policy.

PSAC pushes back against the use of sick leave for COVID-19

PSAC will also be contesting language in the policy that says employees who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or who self-isolate would be required to use available sick leave instead of 699 leave if they are unable to work.

This egregious change to the policy is discriminatory to public service workers and flies in the face of sound public health advice. Without the availability of a vaccine, and with many parts of Canada entering a second wave of the pandemic, Treasury Board’s proposed changes are premature and inconsistent with the current public health crisis.

There is also no evidence that employees have abused 699 leave during the pandemic. In fact, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has reported that 699 leave in the federal public service has been used modestly and cost very little. And as departments adapted to working from home, the number of employees forced to use 699 leave dropped by 84 per cent from April to June.

PSAC is committed to ensuring that our members, and in particular, women, caregivers and those with disabilities, continue to have the necessary support and leave with pay they need during the pandemic.

The original version of this article was first posted on the PSAC website.