Today, our FB Bargaining Team reached a Tentative Agreement with the Treasury Board and CBSA for salary increases that greatly exceed those provided to all other federal law enforcement agencies for 2014-2018.
This significant victory came after four years of talks, two court challenges, a charter challenge, several unfair labour practice charges, the mobilization of thousands of members, two media campaigns and over a full week of non-stop negotiations.
The FB Bargaining Team unanimously recommends the ratification of this new agreement.
A full explanation of the new agreement, and a copy of the new language, will be provided over the coming weeks once it has been fully translated.
Highlights Of Our Tentative Agreement:
Duration of Agreement
The agreement is a four-year collective agreement with an expiration date of June 21, 2018.
Wage Settlement Details
- For FB-03s our agreement provides for an overall pensionable increase of 17.5% to the job rate over 4 years.
- By June 2017, FB-03 job rate is over $82,400.
- Effective June 21, 2014 – Increase to rates of pay: 1.25%
- Effective June 21, 2015 – Increase to rates of pay: 1.25%
- Effective June 21, 2016 – Restructure (harmonize FB-03 pay scale to match top 4 steps of CX-02 pay scale)
- Effective June 21, 2016 – Restructure (additional $2500 step to the maximum of FB-04 to FB-07 scales)
- Effective June 21, 2016 – 2.3% market adjustment for all groups and levels
- Effective June 21, 2016 – Non-Uniformed Officers Integrated Border Services Allowance from $1250 to $1750
- Effective June 21, 2016 – Restructure (Roll-in of harmonized Integrated Border Services Allowance for Uniformed and Non-Uniformed Officers)
- Effective June 21, 2016 – increase to rates of pay: 1.25%
- Effective June 21, 2017 – increase to rates of pay: 1.25%
- All increases are retroactive.
These increases in salary greatly exceed increases provided to all other federal law enforcement agencies for 2014-2018.
Discipline
- New protections ensuring Union representation in administrative and investigative meetings – this includes Professional Standards Investigations and Security Review Investigations.
- New protections (consistent with RCMP) against employees being placed on investigatory leave without pay.
- We also have a written commitment from Treasury Board that our union is to receive an official invite to consult on the Legal Indemnification Policy, consistent with the consultation that was conducted with the RCMP.
Other Items
- New language that provides protections in the context on ‘H’ing.
- Cash-out of compensatory time no longer at employer discretion.
- New seniority rights for scheduling of part-time employees.
- Requests for compressed work weeks can no longer be unreasonably denied.
- New dog handler allowance consistent with what has been agreed to for other federal law enforcement personnel.
- Increase of the overtime meal allowance from $10 to $12
Sick Leave
- Our sick leave remains unchanged.
- Any future enhancements to the regime would need to be negotiated and agreed to by both parties.
Other Notable Leave Improvements
- Volunteer Day to be replaced with another Personal Day.
- Expansion of the definition of family for whom an employee can access family-related responsibilities leave (FRRL) and the removal of the 7.5 hour cap on the use of FRRL for a number of situations.
- The new Bereavement Leave Article includes an expansion of the definition of family and for the period of bereavement to be split into two installments. Leave for Personal Reason can now be taken in separate blocks
Workforce Adjustment Appendix
- What we achieved represents the most significant improvements in workforce adjustment since it was first signed as an appendix into PSAC collective agreements in 1998.
- Changes will reduce involuntary layoffs by allowing volunteers to come forward to leave the public service during times of workforce adjustment.
- Employees will now have up to fifteen months to find an alternation match.
- More union involvement, ensuring employees have the right to union representation during the process.
- Improvements to the monetary provisions, including the education allowance and transition support measures.
These are only the highlights. More information will be forthcoming once we have all documentation translated.
There are no concessions in our new tentative agreement. That includes our rights provided for under Article 41 – Leave without pay for the care of family.
Again, our team unanimously recommends ratification of our new contract.
The FB Bargaining Team, from left to right: Chris Aylward (PSAC National Executive Vice-President), Morgan Gay (PSAC National Negotiator), Lauren Baert (BSO, Sarnia, ON), Charles Khoury (Senior Program Officer, HQ), Brea Lewis (BSO, Willow Creek, SK), Richard Sutcliffe (Inland Enforcement, Toronto, ON), Diane Lacombe (BSO, Trudeau Airport, Montreal), David-Alexandre Leblanc (PSAC Senior Research Officer), Joey Dunphy (BSO, Edmundston, NB), Dave VanHelvert (BSO, Fort Erie, ON), Jean-Pierre Fortin (CIU National President, BSO, Clarenceville, QC) (Absent – Brett Evans, BSO, Halifax Marine, NS).
