EB group reaches tentative agreement

23 July 2020

PSAC has reached a tentative agreement that provides increases to wages, no concessions, and improved working conditions for nearly 1,000 members of the Education and Library Science (EB) group under Treasury Board.

In addition to these successful talks, EB members will also be awarded a Phoenix damages settlement to compensate members for the pain and suffering caused by the broken pay system. Please read the update which provides greater detail on the general Phoenix compensation portion of the settlement, as well as the expansion of the claims process for out-of-pocket expenses and for those who suffered major losses because of Phoenix.

EB Group settlement

The PSAC bargaining team successfully secured fair wage increases averaging at 2.11% per year. EB group members would receive the following wage increases:

2018	2019	2020
2.8%	2.2%	1.35%

In addition to these wage increases, the following group-specific wage adjustments and allowances were also secured: 

Implementation of a new, national pay grid for 12-month teachers and instructors.

Other improvements to the EB collective agreement include: 

Increase in maternity related reassignment or leave qualification from 52 to 78 weeks following the birth of a child
A new leave provision for members elected to union leadership
An increase in meal allowance for overtime from $9 to $12
Set timelines for receiving a response to vacation leave requests
Improvements to travel time to pay for up to five hours of compensation for any stop-overs
Language that emphasizes the importance of professional development activities, such as conferences and workshops, for LS members
Commitment from the Employer to consult with the Union in the next review of Treasury Board’s policy on indemnification
Commitment from the Employer to prepare informational material on employees’ injury on duty rights and benefits.
Ability for ED-EST ten-month teachers to use their personal leave in 7.5 or 3.75 segments (Article 60)
An MOU for a Joint Committee to address the issues related to teaching time and preparation time for Language Teachers (ED-LAT)
An MOU for a Joint Committee to address the teaching of indigenous languages for 10-month teachers at INAC
Increases to funding for the Joint Learning Program, including a pilot study on health and safety training

Common issues settlement

Two weeks ago, when we obtained a settlement for the PA group, PSAC also reached a settlement for Treasury Board issues common to all groups. Some of the key improvements include:

A one-time payment of $500 in recognition of the extended collective agreement implementation deadline and an additional $50 for every subsequent 90-day delay
Ten days of paid Domestic Violence Leave
Better language on return to work following a Maternity or Parental Leave, giving more flexibility to parents who wish to change positions within the federal public service.
Improvements to Parental Leave pay
Updated language to match the new legislation including a new extended leave option and the sharing of Parental Leave
Expanded supplementary allowance for every week an employee is on extended or shared Parental Leave
Additional weeks for parents covered under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, when both parents work in the public service.
New Memorandum of Understanding to explore the issues related to childcare in the public service
Updated and improved language to match the new legislation on Compassionate Care and Caregiving Leave
Better language to allow the use of employer facilities for union activities
New Memorandum of Understanding to protect certain working conditions of civilian members of the RCMP
New Memorandum of Understanding on mental health in the workplace to support the work of the Centre for Expertise on Mental Health
In the event of workforce adjustment, the education allowance has increased to $17,000.
Deletion of Memorandum of Understanding on Supporting Employee Wellness. As a result, Sick Leave will remain untouched.

Full text and next steps

We will share the final text and full details of the EB group tentative agreement, and common issues agreement, as soon as it becomes available. Shortly thereafter, EB members will be invited to participate in online ratification votes. Details about the votes will be shared as soon as possible.

The PSAC bargaining team unanimously recommends the ratification of the tentative agreement.

To ensure that you receive all updates and can participate in the ratification process, please ensure that you have either updated your contact information on PSAC’s member portal, or that you create an account if you have not done so already.

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

FB bargaining update

23 July 2020

Yesterday afternoon, PSAC contacted Treasury Board to demand an update with respect to the assigning of a new employer negotiator for the FB group.

Our bargaining team is looking to confirm dates with the employer so that we might get back to the bargaining table and get our issues addressed by CBSA and the Treasury Board.

We will be sure to update as things progress.

FAQs: Tentative agreement for PA group, common issues & Phoenix damages settlement

22 July 2020

PSAC has created FAQ sections for both the new PA/Common Issues tentative agreement and the Phoenix damages settlement:

SV bargaining: Talks resume today

22 July 2020

Following the successful conclusion of bargaining for the PA group, the SV (Operational Services) bargaining team will be returning to the table with Treasury Board representatives on July 22.

The union is committed to making progress on the following:

Wage adjustments
Improved allowances

Hours of work (move from 40 to 37.5 hours per week – with no loss in total annual pay).
Protections against contracting out

We will not accept any concessions.

Stay tuned for updates

PSAC will provide updates on talks as appropriate. Please ensure that you have either updated your contact information on PSAC’s member portal, or that you create an account if you have not done so already.

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

TC group reaches tentative agreement

21 July 2020

PSAC has reached a tentative agreement that provides a fair wage increase, no concessions, and improved working conditions for the nearly 10,000 members in the TC group.

In addition to these successful talks, TC members will also be awarded a Phoenix damages settlement to compensate members for the pain and suffering caused by the broken pay system. Please read the update which provides greater detail on the general Phoenix compensation portion of the settlement, as well as the expansion of the claims process for out-of-pocket expenses and for those who suffered major losses because of Phoenix.

TC group settlement

PSAC’s bargaining team successfully secured fair wage increases averaging at 2.11% per year. TC group members would receive the following wage increases:

2018	2019	2020
2.8%	2.2%	1.35%

In addition to those wage increases, the following group-specific wage adjustments and allowances were also secured: 

EG parity with CFIA: Although we were not able to achieve parity, we have secured a commitment that we can file for arbitration on this issue outside of regular bargaining. We can do so as early as June 2021. We feel that we have very strong arguments to make the case to achieve parity for EG members.
Occupational allowances for the following groups shall increase to $3,534:
- Fishery Officers (Appendix Z)
- Environment and Wildlife Enforcement Officers (AA)
- Labour Affairs Officers (DD)
- Measurement Canada Inspectors (EE)
Increase to allowance for Search and Rescue coordinators in a Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (CC) to $5,354; expansion of allowance to supervisors, and to qualified EG and GT hovercraft crew members
Expansion of allowance for Enforcement and Wildlife Officers at Environment Canada to cover GT-06 and GT-07 levels (AA)
Expansion of the $2,500 allowance to cover all EG and TIs working in fleet maintenance facilities (BB) including those at 202 Workshop Depot
Expansion of the allowance for Labour Affairs Officers to cover TI-06 levels (DD)
Expansion of the allowance to TI employees at the Canadian Grain Commission (EE)
Improvement in allowance for certain shore-based positions at the Canadian Coast Guard (W): increase of ~$2,100 to the amounts payable to the GT-06 and GT-07 level and expansion in scope.
Improvement to Transportation of Dangerous Goods allowance, now payable as a monthly allowance of $75 rather than a daily allowance of $3.50

Other improvements to the TC collective agreement include: 

Several leave improvements including for a person who stands in place of a relative for:
- Leave without Pay for the Care of the family
- Bereavement Leave
- Leave with Pay for Family-Related Responsibilities
An increase in meal allowance for overtime from $10 to $12
Improvements to travel time to pay for up to five hours compensation for any stop-overs
Employees in the Sea Lamprey Control Unit (Appendix I): Improvement in overtime compensation – 1.75X rate will be paid during field season
Increases to funding for the Joint Learning Program, including a pilot study on health and safety training
Memorandum of Understanding for a Joint Study on employee support mechanisms for employees who in the course of their duties are exposed to explicit and disturbing material, and/or potentially threatening situations
Memorandum of Understanding for Joint Review of hours of work and applicability of travel status for Fishery Officers working offshore surveillance at DFO (Appendix C) to make proposals and inform next round of bargaining.
Deletion of language in Appendix K which places limits on when EGs can request vacation
Memorandum of Understanding regarding the Occupational Group Structure (OGS) review

Common issues settlement

Two weeks ago, when we obtained a settlement for the PA group, PSAC also reached a settlement for Treasury Board issues common to all groups. Some of the key improvements include:

A one-time payment of $500 in recognition of the extended collective agreement implementation deadline and an additional $50 for every subsequent 90-day delay
Ten days of paid Domestic Violence Leave
Better language on return to work following a Maternity or Parental Leave, giving more flexibility to parents who wish to change positions within the federal public service.
Improvements to Parental Leave pay
Updated language to match the new legislation including a new extended leave option and the sharing of Parental Leave
Expanded supplementary allowance for every week an employee is on extended or shared Parental Leave
Additional weeks for parents covered under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, when both parents work in the public service.
New Memorandum of Understanding to explore the issues related to childcare in the public service
Updated and improved language to match the new legislation on Compassionate Care and Caregiving Leave
Better language to allow the use of employer facilities for union activities
New Memorandum of Understanding to protect certain working conditions of civilian members of the RCMP
New Memorandum of Understanding on mental health in the workplace to support the work of the Centre for Expertise on Mental Health
In the event of workforce adjustment, the education allowance has increased to $17,000
Deletion of Memorandum of Understanding on Supporting Employee Wellness. As a result, Sick Leave will remain untouched.

Full text and next steps

We will share the final text and full details of the TC group tentative agreement, and common issues agreement, as soon as it becomes available. Shortly thereafter, TC members will be invited to participate in online ratification votes. Details about the votes will be shared as soon as possible.

The PSAC bargaining team unanimously recommends the ratification of the tentative agreement.

To ensure that you receive all updates and can participate in the ratification process, please ensure that you have either updated your contact information on PSAC’s member portal, or that you create an account if you have not done so already.

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

CIU Statement on PSAC Anti-Racism Webinar

20 July 2020

Sisters and Brothers,

The Customs and Immigration Union is a component of the PSAC. Our members benefit from the strength that comes from being part of the largest federal public sector union in Canada.

The CIU does not tolerate bullying, harassment or intimidation. Whether at a union event, on social media or in the workplace, we have always taken a firm stance on tolerance, respect and dignity. Our members have the right to ask questions, especially of their union, without being made to feel belittled or attacked.

The PSAC decided to offer a webinar in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. CIU applauded that initiative and believed it would be informative and beneficial to our members.

By creating a provocative webinar title – An Introduction to Anti-Racism for White Folks – we can only assume that the facilitators wanted to spark debate and were encouraging participants to explore why white people need to engage more fully in the anti-racism initiative. In other words, sparking questions creates a teaching moment, and that’s a good thing.

On social media, a PSAC member asked exactly the question that the title of the seminar was designed to elicit. Why was this webinar only for white people? Instead of using the question to explore the content of the webinar, one of the facilitators simply told the member to “eat shit”.

The controversy that followed is not about racism. It’s about respect. At CIU, we want our members to receive the best possible training from the most competent experts we can find. Clearly, this isn’t it.

The CIU represents over 11,000 workers, many of whom are law enforcement professionals. While we stand behind global efforts to combat racism, we advocate for a reasoned and informed approach to education and change. We all need to do better but believe that sweeping generalizations about law enforcement don’t move us forward.

We believe that the comments surrounding the PSAC webinar are offensive and inappropriate. We also believe that our members deserve better and should not be subject to abuse when they engage in discussion with someone who has been contracted to speak on behalf of their union.

The PSAC is a democratic organization. In light of recent discussions, one of which held by the PSAC National Board of Directors, an earlier decision to remove Nora Loreto from her role as one of the webinar’s facilitators was reversed. The CIU did not support this decision. We continue to find her comments and behaviour indefensible and question her ability to facilitate a productive and inclusive discussion. As such, we are not encouraging our members to participate in this webinar.

Again, the CIU’s decision to distance itself from the PSAC’s webinar is about respect. The CIU is working on a number of anti-racism initiatives and continues, as always, to support all efforts to put an end to racism.

We believe that this goal can be achieved through inclusive, constructive and respectful dialogue.

In solidarity,

The CIU National Executive

Deal reached for Phoenix damages, PA group and common issues

10 July 2020

In a victory for federal public service workers who have gone above and beyond to support Canadians during this pandemic, PSAC has reached a tentative agreement that provides fair wages, no concessions, and improved working conditions for the 70,000 members of the PA group, and Treasury Board common issues.

Alongside these successful talks, PSAC has also secured proper compensation for Phoenix damages to be paid to PSAC members for the pain and suffering caused by the broken pay system.

Phoenix damages

PSAC successfully negotiated a Phoenix damages settlement that is significantly better than the employer’s deal with other federal bargaining agents. Last year, PSAC rejected the government’s meagre offer of 5 days of cashable leave, which was too little and would have rewarded those who earn more while punishing workers who make less. The current agreement provides PSAC members with a fair and equitable lump sum payment of $2,500.

Unlike the tentative deal for Treasury Board bargaining that must be voted on by PSAC members in the near future, the Phoenix damages agreement required ratification by the PSAC National Board of Directors. The Board voted unanimously in favour of the offer on July 3, 2020.

Please read the following update which provides greater detail on the general Phoenix compensation portion of the settlement, as well as the expansion of the claims process for out-of-pocket expenses and for those who suffered major losses because of Phoenix.

PA Group settlement

The PSAC bargaining team successfully secured fair wage increases averaging at 2.11% per year.

PA group members would receive the following wage increases:

2018	2019	2020
2.8%	2.2%	1.35%

In addition to those wage increases, the following group-specific wage adjustments and allowances were also secured: 

Improved retention allowance expanded for all employees working in compensation operations to $3,500 per year
A new $3,000 annual allowance for armed Fishery Officers
A new Primary Responsibility Allowance of $2,000 per year for parole officers and parole officer supervisors or Parole Officer Managers at Correctional Services Canada (CSC)

Other improvements to the PA collective agreement include: 

Increase in maternity related reassignment or leave qualification from 52 to 78 weeks following the birth of a child
Several leave improvements including for a person who stands in place of a relative for:
- Leave without pay for the care of the family
- Bereavement leave
- Leave with pay for family-related responsibilities
A new leave provision for members elected to union leadership
An increase in meal allowance for overtime from $10 to $12
New language to clarify that the Employer shall provide an unpaid meal break of a minimum of thirty (30) minutes per full working day, normally at the mid-point of the working day
Renewal and update of a memorandum of understanding on a Joint Study on the Work Environment for Employees Working in Call Centres
New provision that provides call centre employees with training on crisis intervention and coping
Increases to funding for the Joint Learning Program, including a pilot study on health and safety training
Language that explicitly provides breaks for nursing employees (to nurse or express breast milk)
Memorandum of understanding for a Joint Study on employee support mechanisms for employees who in the course of their duties are exposed to explicit and disturbing material, and/or potentially threatening situations
Joint committee to review the use of Indigenous languages in the federal public service, examine Indigenous language skills in the performance of employee duties and consider the advantages that Indigenous language speakers bring to the public service
Memorandum of understanding regarding Occupational Group Structure (OGS) review

Common issues settlement

Alongside negotiations for the PA group, PSAC bargaining teams for the TC, EB and SV groups also joined talks to reach a settlement for Treasury Board issues common to all groups. Some of the key improvements include:

A one-time payment of $500 in recognition of the extended collective agreement implementation deadline and an additional $50 for every subsequent 90-day delay
10 days of paid domestic violence leave
Better language on return to work following a maternity or parental leave, giving more flexibility to parents who wish to change positions within the federal public service.
Improvements to parental leave pay
- Updated language to match the new legislation including a new extended leave option and the sharing of parental leave
- Expanded supplementary allowance for every week an employee is on extended or shared parental leave
- Additional weeks for parents covered under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, when both parents work in the public service.
New memorandum of understanding to explore the issues related to childcare in the public service
Updated and improved language to match the new legislation on compassionate care and caregiving leave
Better language to allow the use of employer facilities for union activities
New memorandum of understanding to protect certain working conditions of civilian members of the RCMP
New memorandum of understanding on mental health in the workplace to support the work of the Centre for Expertise on Mental Health
In the event of workforce adjustment, the education allowance has increased to $17,000
Deletion of Memorandum of Understanding on Supporting Employee Wellness. As a result, sick leave will remain untouched.

Full text and next steps

In the coming days when the final text and full details of the tentative agreement for the PA group and common issues are available, they will be shared with the membership. PA members will shortly thereafter be invited to participate in online ratification votes. Details about the votes will be shared as soon as possible.

The PSAC bargaining team unanimously recommends the ratification of the tentative agreement.

To ensure that you receive all updates and can participate in the ratification process, please ensure that you have either updated your contact information on PSAC’s member portal, or that you create an account if you have not done so already.

Other PSAC bargaining groups

Bargaining dates for the SV group will be announced in the weeks to come. Negotiations for the EB, TC and Canada Revenue Agency groups will resume next week.

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

PA bargaining update: Significant progress made, negotiations extended

8 July 2020

After two weeks of discussions at the bargaining table, significant progress was made on contract negotiations for common issues,  PA group – PSAC’s largest bargaining unit – and Phoenix damages. Negotiations are still ongoing, and both the employer and the union team have decided to extend negotiations this week in order to reach a deal.

PSAC will provide an update to members shortly thereafter.

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

FB bargaining on hold until new employer negotiator is assigned

23 June 2020

Our FB bargaining team met with Canada Border Services Agency/Treasury Board last month in virtual contract talks. Our team was scheduled to meet with them again in July, but the Treasury Board negotiator assigned to the FB bargaining unit is no longer representing the employer.

Consequently, our dates for next month have been postponed while a new negotiator is assigned by Treasury Board. We have notified the employer that our team is prepared to schedule dates during the summer once a new negotiator is assigned. We’ll provide an update once we have more information.

COVID-19: Guidebook on Easing Restrictions on Federal Worksites

22 June 2020

The following message was sent by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s Chief Human Resources Officer.

We are clearly entering a new phase in our country’s efforts to fight the new coronavirus. As recent data shows a flattening of the curve of new COVID-19 infections in multiple jurisdictions across Canada, provinces and territories are announcing plans to ease restrictions and gradually re-open economies.

To guide your organizations’ plans in response to this easing of restrictions, OCHRO, Health Canada and Public Services and Procurement Canada have assembled guidance in the form of a Guidebook for Easing Restrictions: A guide to support a gradual, safe and sustainable easing of COVID-19 restrictions at federal worksites. It has benefited from contributions from a cross-section of deputy colleagues and members of the National Joint Council. Essential excerpts can be accessed here; for your convenience, I am providing direct links to OCHRO’s guidance, PSPC’s guidance and Health Canada’s occupational health tool kit.

Your organizations’ plans will need to be consistent with the same principles that have guided our collective response to the pandemic to date: being informed by the decisions of public health authorities, the direction of provinces and territories, and the local public health situation; putting the physical and psychological health of our employees first; and, preserving the delivery of services and programs.

As you adapt your plans to the particular circumstances of our diverse workforce, your worksites, your partners’ and stakeholders’ needs, and to the nature of your work, I invite you to continue to involve bargaining agent representatives in your planning through your respective Occupational Health and Safety tables.

This unprecedented situation will challenge the public service on all levels for some time, and we will continue to seize this unique opportunity for us to shape the future of our work. For example, employees of all levels will be able to continue working from home as we maximize the contribution of all members of our workforce through new telework collaboration tools and an expanded onsite presence.

I would like to thank you for your ongoing efforts towards a successful and sustainable transition, most recently through the participation of your designated lead planners to ensure a coherent approach in this significant government-wide transition exercise. This is a time for leadership at all levels to shine.