Negotiations at the PA table are nearing the breaking point after Treasury Board presented their comprehensive offer on April 28 rife with concessions and which fails to respond to most of the PA team’s key demands.
The employer refused to budge on the unacceptable wage offer they presented at the Common Issues table in March, with economic increases averaging 1.75% per year that fall well below inflation. Treasury Board also completely ignored the PA team’s key demand for wage parity with members at the Canada Revenue Agency.
Mental health and equity overlooked
The bargaining team was dismayed by Treasury Board’s silence on proposals related to mental health and equity. The employer did not respond to the team’s proposal for leave to support employee mental health and was completely silent about our proposal for an allowance to recognize employees who use Indigenous languages in the workplace.
Treasury Board continues to reject PSAC’s proposals for mandatory training to address systemic racism, harassment, and discrimination for all federal public service workers and managers at the Common Issues table. This has left the team with no evidence that the government recognizes the need to dismantle systemic racism and address discrimination in the federal public service.
Our bargaining team is very concerned about the lack of progress towards a fair deal for PA members.
Upcoming national event, stay updated
Other Treasury Board groups including SV, TC, and EB have bargaining dates set for May, which will give a clearer picture of how Treasury Board negotiations will shape up going forward.
As Treasury Board bargaining reaches a critical point, we encourage you to register for our May 17 national panel to discuss the latest bargaining news, why strong mobilization is more important than ever, and how other PSAC members have taken job action to win important victories during the pandemic.
You can also stay informed and engaged during this round of negotiations using our bargaining toolkit.
Please be sure to keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to receive all the latest updates as we negotiate your next contract.
This article was first posted on the PSAC website.
