Bargaining teams representing nearly 90,000 federal public service workers were at the bargaining table with Treasury Board (TB) on October 16-17. This week’s sessions involved elected teams from the Program & Administrative Services (PA), Technical Services (TC), Operations Services (SV), and Education & Library Science (EB) groups, whose collective agreements expired this summer.

PSAC’s bargaining teams remained disappointed by the continued lack of response and meaningful engagement by TB negotiators at the table. Similar to PSAC’s experience at the common issues bargaining session on October 10-11, government representatives did not engage substantially with PSAC’s various proposals, and also did not bother to offer counter proposals.

The teams all proposed economic increases of 3.75% per year for the 2018-2020 period. In addition, each team presented wage adjustments and allowances, as well as other proposals at their specific tables.

Specific bargaining proposals at-a-glance

Program & Administrative Services (PA)

Proposals from the PA bargaining team include a Public Safety Allowance for workers at security agencies in constant risk of mental or physical injury, a Primary Responsibility Allowance for Parole Officers, a higher retention bonus for workers having compensation and benefits related duties, and improved working conditions and training for call centre workers.

The PA team also reiterated its proposals to: improve compensation for overtime work, better address family responsibilities, and enhance work-life balance.

• PA Pay Proposal
• MOU: Compensation Advisor Retention
• Article 58: Call Centres
• MOU: Joint Learning Program
• MOU: Occupational Group Structure Review and Classification Reform
• New article/MOU: WP Specific

Technical Services (TC)

The TC bargaining team tabled a comprehensive wage proposal that seeks to expand and roll all current allowances into salary, add two increments to the top of all members’ pay scales, as well as introduce new occupational allowances to help address a substantial pay gap with others who do similar jobs.

Moreover, the TC team reiterated previously tabled proposals around fair job classification, leave improvements, hours of work, and travel time.

• TC Wage Proposal

Education & Library Science (EB)

The bargaining team focused its wage proposals on closing the pay gap between EB members and those working outside government in comparable sectors, such as public school boards and academic libraries. And it followed up on a previously tabled proposal to negotiate a new national rate of pay for 12-month Elementary and Secondary Testing (ED-EST) teachers, which government negotiators have been sitting on for more than four months.

The team also presented new proposals aimed at increasing opportunities for professional development.

• EB Pay Proposal
• Article 23: Education Leave
• Article 33: Performance Review and Employee Files
• Article X: Indemnification

Operational Services (SV)

The SV bargaining team proposed market adjustments (in addition to the economic increases mentioned above) for a wide range of job classifications to eliminate the pay gap between public sector positions and comparable jobs in the private sector, as well as initiatives associated with salary grid restructuring. The team also tabled language proposing improvements to the terms and conditions contained in some of the group-specific appendices.

The team also further discussed measures to protect pay and benefits in situations necessitating a Duty to Accommodate.

• SV Pay and Bargaining Proposals
• New article: Duty to Accommodate

Next bargaining dates

The next bargaining sessions will be held on:

• November 27-29 for table specific proposals
• ​December 4-6 for common issues proposals

PSAC has demanded that government negotiators come to the next set of bargaining meetings ready to respond to our proposals and begin meaningful negotiations.

A version of this article was posted on the PSAC website.

The bargaining team representing the common issues for nearly 80,000 public service workers resumed contract negotiations with Treasury Board (TB) on October 10-11, but left the meetings disappointed and frustrated. TB negotiators have yet to table proposals on a number of issues they previously flagged for discussion, and came to the table with no response to most of PSAC’s proposals, which they have had since June.

Despite the Government’s inaction, PSAC’s bargaining team continued advancing our members’ interests and concerns on a number of key issues. They presented proposals on pay administration and Phoenix-related issues, mental health in the workplace, childcare, and a protocol for negotiating the terms and conditions of work for civilian members of the RCMP who are pay-matched to PSAC bargaining units.

Our Phoenix-related demands include:

• Employees are to be paid on time, and daily interest is to be paid to employees who do not receive their proper pay, based on the Bank of Canada’s daily compounded interest rate.

• No repayments of overpayments are to be made until all the employee’s pay issues have been resolved. Moreover, the repayment schedule will not exceed 10% of the employee’s net pay unless the employee opts for a larger amount.

• Rules around salary and benefit advances, and language providing for accountant and financial management counselling for employees negatively impacted by Phoenix.

PSAC’s bargaining team put Treasury Board on notice that for the next common issues bargaining session scheduled for the first week of December, we expect government negotiators to table the remainder of their proposals, and to finally start negotiating seriously.

This week’s bargaining session included elected teams representing members from the Program & Administrative Services (PA), Technical Services (TC), Operations Services (SV) , and Education & Library Science (EB) groups, whose collective agreements expired this summer.

Bargaining sessions for each specific group will be held on October 16-17.

A version of this article was posted on the PSAC website.