PA, EB, SV & Common issues: Bargaining updates

24 November 2021

PA bargaining: Treasury Board brings remote work concessions to the table

Treasury Board started negotiations off on the wrong foot with Program and Administrative Services (PA) this round by putting problematic concessions on the table that would penalize employees who choose to work remotely.

The proposal would claw back meal-time allowances for employees who work three or more hours before or after their shift from a remote location, and diminish provisions for remote employees who are called back to work after completing their workday.

“Remote work is one of our members’ biggest priorities as we look towards more flexibility in our work after the pandemic,” said Marianne Hladun, Regional Executive Vice-President for the Prairies. “It’s incredibly frustrating Treasury Board seems intent on forcing our members to ‘pay’ for the opportunity to work remotely.”

According to the results of PSAC’s membership bargaining input survey, three out of four respondents had been mostly working remotely since the start of the pandemic. On top of that, more than 80 per cent of respondents were extremely or at least somewhat likely to want to continue working remotely.

PSAC’s proposal on remote work — submitted at the Common Issues table — aims to formalize the procedures outlined in Treasury Board’s Directive on Telework by including provisions for equipment and supplies and ensuring employees’ requests for remote work are not unreasonably denied.

More concessions for shift workers

During negotiations, Treasury Board also proposed to remove language that protects employees in the Information Services (IS) group from becoming shift workers.

In the next few weeks, the PA bargaining team will reach out to IS members for their input on the shift work proposal and how it could impact their work-life balance.

A new proposal was also tabled by the employer calling for enhanced flexibility for hours of work provisions. While the employer is selling this as increased flexibility for workers, the union views this as an opportunity to impose potentially unreasonable and demanding work schedules on employees.

Share your frustration

We need your support to send a clear message to Treasury Board before the PA bargaining team returns to the table again January 11–13, 2022.

Show the government that PA members who have faithfully served Canadians throughout the pandemic, while trying to balance work and life from home, deserve the opportunity to continue working remotely — without being penalized for it.

Take action by using our PA video background for all your work meetings to support your bargaining team;
Talk to your supervisors about how important flexible work arrangements are for you and your family and mention the concessions Treasury Board is proposing;
Take the time to talk to your colleagues about the concessions on the table and how they’ll impact your team;
Use our PA social media frame when you talk about bargaining online.

Common issues

PSAC’s Common Issues bargaining team also met with Treasury Board to discuss the key issues that impact members from every table – including wages, remote work, anti-racism, and the right to disconnect.

Check out the full common issues update for more information.

Stay in touch

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.

EB Group: Team proposes improvements to career development

The Education and Library Science (EB) bargaining team focused on improving education leave and career development opportunities for members during talks with Treasury Board, November 8-10, 2021.

PSAC’s common issues bargaining team also met with Treasury Board to discuss the major issues that impact members from every table – including wages, remote work, anti-racism and the right to disconnect. Check out the full common issues update for more information.

Career Development

The EB bargaining team’s proposal included several improvements to career development, including:

education leave with an allowance equal to 100% of salary
ability for employees to participate in professional development activities
strong language around approval and denial of professional development requests to ensure requests cannot be unreasonably denied and all members can fairly access career development opportunities
greater voice to employees in determining their professional development needs

Hours of work

Treasury Board came to the table with a proposal on hours of work supposedly meant to improve flexibility for employees. At first glance, the proposal raises alarm bells since it would increase the employer’s ability to propose work schedules that could be disruptive to employees such as split shifts and weekend work. However, the EB bargaining team will be thoroughly reviewing the proposed changes and preparing a response for when they return to the negotiation table in January.

Other improvements

Treasury Board refused to respond to most of the other proposals the EB bargaining team brought to the table, since they have monetary implications. The team plans on tabling an EB-specific wage proposal in January and expects the employer to engage in more meaningful discussions.

Show your support

Meet your bargaining team, learn why they got involved in this round of negotiations and show your support with our bargaining graphics:

Video background for all your work meetings
Social media frame for your social media profile picture
Printable poster for your work area

Stay in touch

Please be sure to keep your contact information up to date with the member portal to receive all the latest updates as we negotiate your next contract.

SV bargaining: Team discusses leave, travel time and health and safety

The Operational Services (SV) team pushed for several improvements to health and safety and working conditions for ship’s crew and lightkeepers during talks with Treasury Board on October 26-28.
PSAC’s common issues bargaining team also met with Treasury Board to discuss the major issues that impact members from every table – including wages, remote work, anti-racism and the right to disconnect. Check out the full common issues update for more information.

For the SV group, the team proposed several improvements including:

Ship’s crew:

Reimbursing parking costs paid by employees while performing their duties at sea;
The expansion of paid leave for family-related responsibilities by making sure no more than eight hours are deducted from leave credits if a member has to take leave for their entire shift;

On days where a crew change coincides with a designated paid holiday listed, both incoming and outgoing crews should be paid double time for all hours worked.
Sailing time: a sailing lay-day on-cycle should be no longer than 28 days.

Lightkeepers:

Two days of travel time with pay for the journey out from and returning to the light station;
Clear timelines for when the employer must respond to an employee’s vacation leave request.

All members:

Increase health and safety of members by providing access to immunization and prescription medication against diseases that employees may be exposed to in the workplace. This must be provided at no additional cost to the employee.

Remote work

Our bargaining team’s attention is focussed on issues that matter most to SV members, but it’s clear the employer doesn’t seem to fully understand the nature of the work performed by our members. At the table, Treasury Board is pushing for concessions in exchange for the opportunity for our members to work remotely, even though these work arrangements are simply impossible for many SV members. We’ve advised the employer to come to the next round prepared to address issues that are unique to the SV group.

The SV bargaining team returns to the table January 18-20, 2022.

Show your support

Meet your SV bargaining team and learn why they got involved in this round of negotiations. Show support by downloading and using the virtual background for all your work meetings and swap out your social media profile picture:

Video background

Stay tuned for updates

To ensure that you receive all the latest updates as we negotiate your next contract, verify that your contact information is up to date via the member portal.

Common issues bargaining: Wages must keep up with soaring inflation

PSAC put forward a wage proposal for more than 110,000 federal public service workers that reflects skyrocketing inflation rates across Canada.

The common issues bargaining team proposed a 4.5 per cent wage increase in each year of a three-year agreement during negotiations with Treasury Board in early November.

Inflation rates are at the highest levels seen in more than 18 years, and members deserve a wage increase that keeps up with the rising costs of food, housing, and child care — anything less is a pay cut for federal public service workers. This year, the consumer price index rose 4.7 per cent on a year-over-year basis in October, up from a 4.4 per cent increase in September.

Many employers are recognizing there is a labour shortage and are increasing salaries accordingly to recruit and retain skilled staff. As Canada’s largest employer, Treasury Board needs to take on a leadership role by providing fair wages that recognize the rising cost of living and set the bar for other Canadian employers to help Canadians recover from the pandemic.

Group specific market adjustments, allowances, and grid re-structure proposals were not part of this package and will be submitted separately by the group-specific tables.

Employer refuses to discuss remote work

Treasury Board refused PSAC’s proposal to include remote work provisions in the collective agreement because they feel the inclusion of remote work is unnecessary and language on the right to disconnect is redundant.

Members have flagged work-life balance and the ability to work remotely as key priorities for this round of bargaining. Employees should have a say in when and where they work, and we will continue to push Treasury Board to negotiate terms for remote work and the right to disconnect into our collective agreements where they will be most effective.

New proposals on bilingualism bonus, anti-oppression training, parental leave

PSAC tabled new and revised provisions within the discrimination and sexual harassment articles to ensure our members have access to a fair process. The proposal expands the definition of what is considered harassment to better protect members. It also calls for mandatory training for all employees on the topics of “anti-oppression and discrimination,” and “harassment, sexual harassment, and violence in the workplace.”

Our proposed new training provisions push the employer to appropriately recognize and promote bilingualism in the federal public service, while the proposed increase to the bilingualism bonus aims to improve what is currently offered under the National Joint Council’s Bilingualism Bonus Directive, which has been stagnant for decades.

We also proposed improvements to maternity leave without pay and parental leave without pay to increase the top-up available to employees. We hope this will allow single parents and lowerincome families to better utilize the extended parental benefits option.

Upcoming bargaining dates

The bargaining team meets with the employer again on December 14 and 15, 2021.

The Common Issues table covers members in the Programs and Administrative Services (PA), Technical Services (TC), Operational Services (SV) and Education and Library Science (EB) bargaining units.

This content has also been posted on the PSAC website: PA, EB, SV, Common Issues

FB collective agreement to be signed by December 1

18 November 2021

Treasury Board has committed to signing the Border Services (FB) tentative agreement for PSAC-CIU members by December 1.

PSAC-CIU contacted Treasury Board immediately upon receiving official approval of the tentative agreement on November 15 to set the date for signing. We were clear that we were prepared to mobilize and ramp up pressure if needed to get the deal signed.

Apart from retroactive wage increases, new contract terms come into effect on the date of signing.

Stay tuned for more details. If you have any questions, please contact CIU branch president or PSAC regional office.

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

Government of Canada’s mandatory vaccination policy for federal employees: What to expect

9 November 2021

Image of border crossing with the words "COVID-19"

Under the Government of Canada’s mandatory vaccination policy for federal public servants, employees who were not fully vaccinated, or who did not provide an attestation regarding their vaccination status by October 29, 2021, face being put on administrative leave without pay (LWOP) by the employer on November 15, 2021.

The following document is intended to provide members with an overview of what to expect under different scenarios.

Continuer

PSAC-CIU agreement to be signed soon with new cabinet named

5 November 2021

PSAC-CIU expects the new agreement for members in the Border Services (FB) group will be signed with Treasury Board in the next few weeks. Apart from wage increases, which are retroactive, new contract terms come into effect on the date of signing.

In September, PSAC-CIU members voted in favour of ratifying the new collective agreement with Treasury Board. However, due to the federal election, the employer was not able to sign the agreement until a new cabinet was named. Now that the new cabinet ministers have been named, we expect the employer to sign the agreement, although we do not yet have a set date.

We will continue to push the government to sign the agreement, and will notify members as soon as a date is confirmed. If you have any questions, please contact your CIU branch president or PSAC regional office.

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

New CIU NBoD Standing Women’s Committee

29 October 2021

On October 29, 2021, the CIU National Board of Directors voted unanimously in favour of the creation of the new NBoD Standing Women’s Committee.
The new Committee is the direct result of an initiative by a core group of women at CIU following the most recent PSAC National Women’s Conference. It aims to address barriers and issues related to women’s representation by mobilizing and empowering women to participate in the union, their workplaces and their communities.

The new Committee will be composed of all NBoD members who identify as women.

Sisters Alana Baarschers, Brea Baresinkoff, Frances Baroutoglou, Lisa Howe, Leanne Hughes, Sophie Martin, and Julie Poulin, who spearheaded the initiative bringing forward the motion making the new Committee a reality, were greatly appreciative of the unanimous decision, and are hopeful that this will lead to a stronger, more inclusive, and more vibrant union.

*Lisa Howe, Julie Poulin, Sophie Martin, Brea Baresinkoff, Frances Baroutoglou, Leanne Hughes, and Alana Baarschers.*

CIU National Board of Directors expresses solidarity with CUPE NB members

29 October 2021

Members of the CIU National Board of Directors, gathered this week in Ottawa, wish to express the full extent of their support for the CUPE New Brunswick members who have begun province-wide job action earlier today, after talks broke down with the provincial government.

To our CUPE NB Sisters and Brothers, we say: Solidarity! From one union to another, we are proud to see workers push back against austerity and the disrespect shown by the New Brunswick government. We truly admire your dedication and perseverance.

As we ourselves saw first-hand with our work-to-rule mobilization on August 6, the power of collective action is truly tremendous — it remains one of the most effective avenues for workers to bargain on an equal footing with the employer, and fight back against attempts to obtain concessions and erode their rights.

For more information regarding the ongoing CUPE NB labour dispute, see the CUPE NB website, as well as this opinion piece by Stephen Drost, President of CUPE New Brunswick.

Mandatory vaccination policy for public service employees — Further guidance and FAQ

15 October 2021

Over the last few days, we have heard from several members regarding the federal government’s mandatory vaccination policy for federal public service workers. Due to its scope, this policy has understandably generated a fair number of questions and concerns.

As we continue to work closely with PSAC to support our membership, CIU has prepared the following documentation to address lingering questions. From a labour relations perspective, it should be noted that certain aspects of the policy have possible ramifications that bring both the union and the employer into uncharted waters. In addition to resources already available from both CIU and PSAC, we hope that the following guidance, based on current legal expertise, will help you navigate the next steps.

The health and safety of our members has always been of the utmost importance to CIU, and never has this been more true than during this pandemic. We understand that this new policy from the employer can be a source of stress for some and, in addition to the guidance provided here, we encourage you to speak with your medical professional to help you make an informed decision regarding vaccination.

Should your question not be addressed below, or should you have further concerns, please contact your Branch President or keep an eye on the national CIU website for updates.

FAQ: Mandatory vaccination policy
for federal employees

Accommodation requests regarding the new federal mandatory vaccination policy

12 October 2021

As per the federal government’s new mandatory vaccination policy for federal public service workers, all CBSA employees must attest to being fully vaccinated by October 29, 2021, or face being placed on administrative leave without pay two week after the attestation deadline.

The policy does allow for employees who are unable to be vaccinated — based on a certified medical contraindication, a religious exemption, or another prohibited ground of discrimination as per the Canadian Human Rights Act — to request an accommodation. CIU recommends that members who intend to request such an accommodation do so before the October 29 deadline, which is fast approaching.

Members who wish to submit an accommodation request should:

Inform their manager of their intention to ask for an accommodation as early as possible, before October 29.
Obtain the necessary documentation justifying the request from relevant authorities (for example, a qualified medical professional or religious authority figure).
Contact the CIU Human Rights Representative, Murray Star, at murray.star@ciu-sdi.ca for additional guidance.

As this policy applies to the entire public service and not just CBSA, it is worth noting that the federal government has made it clear that they would be very stringent in granting accommodations regarding mandatory vaccination. Should accommodation requests be denied, we will continue to defend our members to the best of our abilities. It is important to stress that such cases often take considerable time to resolve.

Should you have further questions regarding the accommodation process, please contact the CIU Human Rights Representative, Murray Star, at murray.star@ciu-sdi.ca.

Federal government rushes through mandatory vaccination policy, eschews meaningful consultation with unions

6 October 2021

Today, the federal government announced its new mandatory vaccination policy for all federal public service workers. In doing so, they eschewed the meaningful consultation with the federal public sector unions they had promised, imposing this rushed policy in lieu of what should have been a nuanced framework.

Let us be clear: CIU fully supports ongoing vaccination efforts in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we strongly encourage our members to get vaccinated. Along with other preventative measures, vaccination campaigns across the country have played a crucial role in managing the most severe impacts of the pandemic and saved the lives of many Canadians.

That is why, earlier this year, CIU had urged the Government of Canada to adequately prioritize the vaccination of our members. Even though we processed unvaccinated travellers from around the world, we were told that no priority would be given to our members, and that we were safe to do our jobs unvaccinated. CIU then pressured provincial governments to move us up their vaccination priority list, which had varying degrees of success across different provinces and public health units.

Along with other essential workers, CIU occupies a unique position within the federal public service, with a large part of our membership having continued to work on the frontline since day one of the pandemic. We’ve ensured that our borders remained operational throughout, all the while being told that our workplaces were safe and that the preventative measures in place — which have never included vaccination — were adequate. Over time, our employer’s attitude toward risk has become more and more permissive. We have seen a consistent erosion of our preventative measures, and a downplaying of the risk of COVID transmission in the workplace:

The employer resumed full-contact, hands-on use of force training at the height of the third wave.
Full-contact CDT as part of student training continued at the peak of the third wave in some of Canada’s most infected areas.
COVID-19 related work refusals have consistently been rejected, with ESDC labour ruling that there was no danger.
Our members are consistently told that there is no need for additional PPE when dealing with COVID positive cases.
Despite the pandemic still going strong in parts of the country, the employer has clawed back preventative measures such as platooning, remote work, virtual training, etc.
Just two weeks ago, the employer refused to stop close contact training in Alberta because ‘there had not been any transmission in training’, deeming their preventative measures effective enough in the midst of a public health crisis.
The request to limit the number of travellers in our baggage halls has been denied because Transport Canada ‘does not require it’.
Our employer attempted to eliminate physically distancing in vehicles, claiming masking is effective enough.
Vulnerable employees and employees living with vulnerable people who have been working from home have been pressured to return to work based on the employer’s list of preventative measures (which, again, never included vaccination).
The employer has repeatedly cited low work-related transmission or outbreaks of COVID-19 to justify less stringent preventative measures.

It is difficult to reconcile the employer’s dismissal of sensible preventative measures with the now seemingly urgent need for all federal public service workers to be fully vaccinated or face the threat of being placed on leave without pay. Some of these very same employees were required to travel internationally without vaccine priority or interact with unvaccinated travellers and clients. To justify this policy as a means of protecting the health and safety of employees is especially hypocritical.

It bears repeating again — high vaccination rates are an important tool in the arsenal we have at our disposal against COVID-19, and we strongly urge our members who can get vaccinated to do so if they have not already. That being said, for the Government of Canada to rush through a mandatory vaccination policy on the basis of occupational health and safety, without proper consultation with the unions, and after indicating to our members for the past 20 months that COVID was not a concern in our workplaces, is extremely disingenuous.

We understand that some may find aspects of the current situation to be contentious, and we urge all of our members to maintain a respectful and professional attitude amongst themselves, as well as towards their union representatives.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada has already highlighted a full list of concerns and issues with this new policy. As made clear by PSAC in their statement, we will continue to represent unvaccinated members who have punitive action taken against them as a result of their vaccination status. Should you need assistance in this matter, please contact your Branch President.

Federal government releases vaccination policy without proper consultation — PSAC Statement & FAQ

6 October 2021

PSAC logo SCFP

The federal government released its vaccination policy for federal public service workers October 6, mandating vaccinations for all employees in federally regulated workplaces, including more than 160,000 PSAC members.

Treasury Board has encouraged Crown corporations, agencies, and the Canadian Forces to implement similar policies, but this policy will not immediately apply to them.

Read the full vaccination policy.

PSAC fully supports a federal vaccination policy to protect the health and safety of our members and the Canadians they serve. We know that increasing vaccination rates is the best and most reliable way to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our workplaces and our communities and encourage our members to be vaccinated.