Author Archives: Admin Staff

Tentative FB Agreement Reached with Treasury Board

After two years and eight months of negotiations, four final offers, petition drives, picketing, a final offer forced vote thrown out by court challenge, the filing of unfair labour practice complaints and a final, round-the-clock 28-hour bargaining session, our Bargaining Team reached an agreement with Treasury Board/CBSA at 11:00 am the morning of Tuesday October 22. Our FB Bargaining Team unanimously recommends ratification of our new agreement.

Continue reading →

Parties to return to the FB bargaining table on Monday

FB workers assist Bargaining Team in getting their message across on October 10th Day of Action.

Last week’s bargaining session ended with CBSA/Treasury Board taking the position that workers in the FB bargaining unit deserve less than what has been agreed to for other federal law enforcement agency employees. The following day, members in locations across Canada participated in a Day of Action to demonstrate to the employer that we deserve better.

On October 15th, PSAC National President Robyn Benson and CIU National President Jean-Pierre Fortin met with Treasury Board President Tony Clement to discuss the situation and to reiterate our call for a fair contract.

In the wake of both that meeting and last week’s demonstrations, the parties will be returning to the bargaining table on Monday to resume negotiations. Our hope is that the employer will finally be prepared to settle on a contract that is fair for FB workers, and is nothing less than what has been agreed to for other federal enforcement agency workers.

Union pushing for immediate ESA talks

For the past several years our union has been wrangling with CBSA over designations in an effort to achieve Essential Services Agreements. These agreements determine essential work which must continue to be carried out in the event of a legal job action. The PSAC has contacted CBSA and Treasury Board to set meeting dates in the immediate future in an effort to finalize all ESAs.

Congrats to all who participated last week. There will be more membership mobilization activities organized in the coming weeks to provide each member the opportunity to help our Bargaining Team obtain a fair contract.

Two Days of Contract Talks & No Contract – Today is our Day of Action

WHY NOT US?

Bargaining Team spends two days round the clock in meetings with management, only to be told at 5 am Thursday that we deserve less.

For two and a half years we have gone without a new contract. During that time Treasury Board has negotiated with and reached settlements with all other Treasury Board groups. This includes other federal law enforcement agency employees such as Parole Officers and Corrections workers. In the meantime we have been subjected to ultimatums, forced votes and attempts to by-pass our elected Bargaining Team. We have been indicating for months – since the spring, in fact – that we are ready to bargain. We have also indicated that we seek the same terms and conditions of employment as those that are currently in place for other federal law enforcement agency employees.

After the government’s forced vote was thrown out by the federal court we again reiterated our willingness to meet and bargain. After weeks of delay Treasury Board finally agreed to meet. We met with them over the last two days – Tuesday the 8th through to 5 am on Thursday the 10th. There was much discussion on the issues outstanding between the parties. Early Thursday morning Treasury Board/CBSA indicated that the government is not prepared to agree to improvements to our collective agreement that reflect what was agreed to for Corrections Canada workers two months ago. This when Corrections workers already enjoy superior pension benefits compared to FB workers. We work in the same department, the same ministry, for the same government. We keep Canadians safe. We deserve better than this.

We continue to be ready to negotiate and are willing to set additional dates for bargaining. But we are not second class federal workers. We deserve the same as others – no more, and certainly no less. We deserve a fair contract.

FB Contract Talks to Resume Next Week

Treasury Board/CBSA prepared to reconvene with our Bargaining Team in Ottawa

For months our Negotiating Team has indicated that we are ready to negotiate. We reiterated this again after the Government’s forced vote was thrown out by the federal court last month. We have also indicated that we seek a fair contract, comparable to what Treasury Board has agreed to for union members employed at other federal law enforcement and public safety agencies. On Tuesday evening Treasury Board/CBSA contacted us to set dates to reconvene the negotiating teams in Ottawa. We have agreed to reconvene next week, beginning Tuesday morning.

Day of Action October 10th.

On October 10th activities have been organized in locations across the country in support of our efforts to achieve a fair contract. Given that we have spent two years without a new contract, and given that we have been repeatedly offered significantly less than what Treasury Board has agreed to for workers at other federal law enforcement and public safety agencies, we are taking action to impress upon Treasury Board/CBSA that we deserve better. We deserve to be treated with respect. If no agreement is reached by the morning of October 10th, our Day of Action will proceed as planned.

In several locations preparations are well under way for the 10th. For more information, speak with your Shop Steward, Branch President or Regional PSAC Representative.

FB Day of Action October 10th

We deserve a fair contract. Now.

Over the last several months we have been subjected to ultimatums, attempts to circumvent the bargaining process, final offers and even a forced vote that was found to be non-compliant with federal labour law. In the meantime, Treasury Board meets with employees of other federal law enforcement agencies and agrees to settlements that address issues and provide for superior compensation. It then tried to keep one
of those settlements secret from us.

Enough is enough. We are not second-class public servants.

The PSAC and CIU are calling for a day of action at locations across the country on Thursday, October 10th.

We want CBSA/Treasury Board to return to the bargaining table and agree to a fair contract. They have negotiated in good faith and reached fair agreements with other Public Safety workers such as Parole Officers and Corrections Workers. We deserve nothing less.

Stay tuned… Activities and locations will be announced soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions please contact your Shop Steward or Branch President.