On May 17, 2017, Brother Jean-Pierre Fortin, the CIU National President, appeared before the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security regarding Bill C-23: An Act respecting the preclearance of persons and goods in Canada and the United States. The submission is available online [PDF document].
Our PSAC/CIU bargaining team for the FB group broke off talks in February after spending three days in mediation with the employer and making no progress on our key priorities. CBSA also continued to push for concessions. Consequently, our Team proceeded to the next step in the process provided for under the law – filing for a Public Interest Commission (PIC). Get more information on the PIC here.
The Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board (PSLREB) contacted the PSAC in April to notify us that the PIC is going forward despite Treasury Board/CBSA asking that the process be delayed by further mediation. Both our union and the Treasury Board have appointed our respective nominees for the Commission. However, once our nominees were appointed we were unable to agree with Treasury Board/CBSA on a Chair of the PIC. As a result, the PSLREB has now appointed one.
The next step is the setting of a hearing date. There are no timelines prescribed in the legislation in terms of getting the PIC set up and for the selection of a date for the hearing. It is up to the PSLREB.
In the meantime, the CIU National Executive and our Bargaining Team continue to consult Branch Presidents across the country in order to identify mobilization activities that will push the Treasury Board and CBSA to finally address our issues concerning parity with other law enforcement agencies. For more information, speak with your CIU Branch President.
Our union and our bargaining team remain committed to achieving a fair contract for CIU/PSAC members in the FB bargaining unit. We’ll be sure to provide updates as things progress.
Download the PDF version of this update (bilingual document).
On May 19, 2017, representatives from organizations across the business sector signed a joint letter, titled Investments in Our Borders, calling upon the federal government to increase CBSA funding and resources to deal with problems demanding urgent attention.
The letter, addressed to several federal ministers and signed by twelve major business sector associations, outlined long-standing cross-border trade problems, such as major delays and shutdowns due to the CBSA’s antiquated IT system. The letter also stressed the negative impact of staffing shortfalls which, combined with technical issues, continue to threaten the efficiency of cross-border commerce between Canada and the USA.
Ultimately, the signatories requested that “the Treasury Board of Canada increase CBSA’s budget as soon as possible to fix CBSA IT issues and add the staff required to help facilitate trade at the border,” highlighting that action is “urgently needed” on the government’s part.
Read the full letter here.
PSAC has been pushing the government to sign four collective agreements by the end of May, but the employer is insisting they won’t be ready until mid-June at the earliest. These agreements, covering over 100,000 workers, were ratified by the membership in votes that concluded in April.
At this time, the final drafts of the agreement for the Program and Administrative Services (PA) Group and the agreement for the Education and Library Science (EB) Group are just about finalized. PSAC has yet to receive the draft agreements covering the Technical Services (TC) and Operational Services (SV) Groups, even though the employer has had months to get the drafts ready. We are committed to reviewing the draft agreements and replying to the employer in less than three days.
These agreements, which took over two and a half years to negotiate, do not go into effect until they are signed. PSAC believes our members, who have also spent the last year dealing with the Phoenix pay system debacle, have waited long enough. We are continuing to pressure the employer to make this a priority and sign these agreements signed as soon as possible.
A version of this article was also published on the PSAC website.
Recently, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has announced a planned change to its part-time policy. CIU has made clear that it is opposed to such changes, and PSAC has indicated at the bargaining table that our position is to improve job and income security for PSAC/CIU members at CBSA. An increase in part-time employment runs contrary to this objective.
Despite this, CBSA has indicated that it will proceed with the implementation of its plan and increase part-time employment at CBSA.
In negotiations, our PSAC-CIU Bargaining Team for the FB group has made proposals to Treasury Board and CBSA concerning shift work, scheduling and part-time work.
The law says that all matters subject to negotiation are frozen until such time as the parties reach a new agreement, are in a legal strike position, or until an arbitration award is issued. This means that our current terms and conditions are frozen. The same rules also apply with respect to changes that could have a direct impact on matters under negotiation or potentially subject to negotiation.
PSAC legal counsel has contacted Treasury Board to request that the CBSA and TB cease from implementing these changes. Should the employer proceed, we will file an unfair labour practice complaint with the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board.
CBSA management cannot do whatever it wants. We will uphold our rights. We will be sure to update as things progress. Please contact your CIU Branch President with any questions.
Download the PDF version of this update (bilingual document).
A version of this article was also published on the PSAC website.
Our PSAC/CIU bargaining team for the FB group broke off talks in February after spending three days in mediation with the employer and making no progress on our key priorities. Also CBSA continued to push concessions.
Consequently, our Team proceeded to the next step in the process provided for under the law – filing for a Public Interest Commission (PIC). Get more information on the PIC process here.
Once the PSAC filed for a PIC with the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board (PSLREB), the Treasury Board responded by indicating that a PIC was premature and that more mediation was required.
Our response was clear: after over two years of talks – including a week and a half session in December and three full days of mediation in February – the parties were indeed at impasse and that it is time to move to the next stage in the process. What’s more, the Treasury Board and CBSA provided no indication that the employer is prepared to address the issues that our Team raised in bargaining with respect to compensation, pension and hours of work (among others matters). Our position was that there should be no further delay.
The PSLREB contacted the union on April 5, 2017 to notify us that the PIC is going forward, and that the next step in setting up a PIC is being set in motion (the appointment of the parties’ nominees). We are now awaiting news from the PSLREB concerning the next step in the process – the naming of the Chair of the PIC.
Unfortunately, there are no timelines prescribed in the legislation in terms of getting the PIC set up and for the selection of a date for the hearing. It is up to the PSLREB.
In the meantime, CIU leadership is consulting with Branch Presidents across the country, along with representatives from our bargaining team, to discuss next steps beyond filing for a PIC – including potential mobilization activities to get the Treasury Board and CBSA to finally address our issues concerning parity with other law enforcement agencies. For more information, speak with your CIU Branch President.
Our union and our bargaining team remain committed to achieving a fair contract for CIU/PSAC members in the FB bargaining unit. We’ll be sure to provide updates as things progress.
Download the PDF version of this update (bilingual document).
Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada working for Treasury Board have accepted new collective agreements that contain no concessions for four bargaining units representing more than 100,000 workers.
The majority of members in the Program and Administrative (PA), Technical Services (TC), Operational Services (SV), and Education and Library Science (EB) bargaining units voted in favour of the new agreements.
“I am proud of our negotiating teams for standing strong during these two long, difficult years at the table,” said Robyn Benson, PSAC National President. “It is through the hard work and commitment of the members of our bargaining teams, along with the support and solidarity from the bargaining unit members, that we were able to reach these agreements.”
With these agreements, PSAC achieved some significant breakthroughs:
The four-year collective agreements, which expire in 2018, provide for across-the-board annual wage increases of 1.25 per cent for each year, plus other wage adjustments made for specific bargaining units and classifications.
The Border Services (FB) group was unable to conclude a tentative agreement and is proceeding to a Public Interest Commission.
For more information on the agreements:
The 2017 National Convention of the Customs and Immigration Union will be held September 29, 30 and October 1, 2017 at the Ottawa Marriott Hotel, 100 Kent Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5R7. Convention Committees will meet on September 26 and 27, 2017 and the National Board of Directors will meet on September 28, 2017.
Please see the full Convention Call page for an overview of the CIU By-Laws that cover convention. You can also download the PDF version of the Convention Call.
We are fast approaching our 18th National Convention. The National Convention, which is the supreme governing body of our Union, is held once every three years and provides an opportunity for all CIU members to become involved in the operation and future of their Union.
As the supreme governing body of the Union, the National Convention provides a forum for delegates, elected by their peers and on a per capita basis according to District Branch membership, to represent their Sisters and Brothers in making decisions that govern both the administration and the policies of this Union for the ensuing three-year period.
The National Convention is also the forum where the Union’s National Executive is elected for its three-year term. The CIU By-Laws (By-Law 8, Section 17) provide an opportunity for all members to submit resolutions, within the prescribed format, dealing with all aspects of the Union.
The Convention Call applies to all Union members in good standing and should be considered as an invitation to participate in the future of this Union.
Also available is the Convention Resolution Form. It should be noted that Convention Resolutions pertaining to collective bargaining must refer only to the procedure of bargaining and not actual bargaining demands. Bargaining demands are sought through a different forum and are referred, through the Component Collective Bargaining Committee, to the Public Service Alliance of Canada. Bargaining demands will not be dealt with at the CIU National Convention.
We look forward to your participation and input and expect to greet some of you in September 2017. Any questions or clarification regarding the foregoing should be directed through your Branch Executive.
Questions about the various tentative agreements for the TC, SV, EB and PA Groups? Click on the following links to get answers to frequently asked questions, or see below for a general FAQ on retro pay.
TC Group tentative agreement FAQ
SV Group tentative agreement FAQ
EB Group tentative agreement FAQ
PA Group tentative agreement FAQ
If a majority of members vote “yes” in the ratification vote, PSAC will meet with the employer to sign your new collective agreement. With the exception of wages, which are retroactive, the new negotiated provisions come into effect on date of signing, unless otherwise specified.
The employer has 150 days from the date of signing to implement the provisions of the new collective agreement, including adjusting rates of pay and issuing retroactive pay.
Increases to allowances are not retroactive. The employer has 150 days after the date of signing to implement the changes and issue payment of the allowances.
Parts of this article was originally published on the PSAC website.
