Tag Archives: bargaining

FB group bargaining proceeding to Public Interest Commission to continue fight for a fair contract

The Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB) has appointed a Public Interest Commission (PIC) to advance negotiations for 8,500 members in the FB group.

The appointment of the PIC follows the bargaining team’s declaration of impasse after the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) refused to budge on our key issues – including retirement benefits and wage parity with the broader law enforcement community, job protection, access to telework, and new rights around VSSAs and shift scheduling.

What’s more, CBSA continues to insist on concessions at the table. This includes clawbacks that would see short shift change notices go from 7 days to 48 hours, care and nurturing leave being subjected to operational requirements, and negotiated shift schedules heavily curtailed, negatively impacting our members.

Bargaining began in June 2022 – before the contract expired – and both parties have met almost every month since. Despite this, the employer asked the labour board to deny the declaration of impasse, asking that the bargaining process be further delayed.

We are determined to reach a fair contract that protects our hard-fought gains and provides new rights and protections for PSAC-CIU members.

How does the PIC work?

Under the law that governs contract negotiations in the federal public service, a PIC is established to help the parties reach an agreement once impasse is declared at the bargaining table.

The PIC is a panel of three people — a chairperson appointed by the Labour Board and nominees appointed by the union and the employer. Each side presents briefs to explain their positions on the outstanding issues at a hearing and the PIC issues a report with non-binding recommendations for reaching a settlement.

Once the PIC releases its report, the union will meet to discuss the recommendations at which point the parties typically return to the table to resume negotiations with the employer.

What are the next steps?

The union and employer will nominate their board members and the labour board will set hearing dates. The timeline is largely dependent on availability of all three parties. We will continue to provide updates as things progress. As always, membership support will be the key to getting a fair contract.

Get involved and support bargaining

Everything we do in the workplace to show CBSA we are paying attention to the issues and support our bargaining team – no matter how big or small – makes a difference as we push for a fair contract.

Members of the FB bargaining team are teaming up with Branch Executive members to visit worksites and hold membership meetings across the country.

This is your opportunity to meet the bargaining team, hear a bargaining update, and get materials so you can show your support during this round of bargaining.

Keep your contact information up to date to receive all the latest updates. If you have any questions, please contact your Customs and Immigration Union branch president or visit the CIU and PSAC websites.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

FB group: your rights in the workplace

Yes, you can wear union swag on the job

PSAC-CIU members have the right to wear union materials on the job. This is confirmed by two Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board decisions.

In 2018 the federal labour relations board found Canada Border Services Agency’s arbitrary ban on wearing orange “I support my bargaining team” shoelaces anywhere except boots to be an unfair labour practice and a violation of the collective agreement. The judgment guaranteed members’ rights to wear these shoelaces as hair ties or bracelets, should they choose to do so.

Full decision – 2018 FPSLREB 66, Public Service Alliance of Canada v. Treasury Board (Canada Border Services Agency)

In 2012, the board made a ruling that protected members’ rights to wear red “support the bargaining team” bracelets while on duty and rejected the claim that it was a violation of the uniform policy.

Full decision – 2012 PSLRB 21, Bartlett et al. v. Treasury Board (Canada Border Services Agency)

Know your rights

We have the right to promote and build our union in the workplace, and that includes the virtual workspace. Members have the right to be kept informed and take action during non-work time, before or after shifts and during paid and unpaid breaks and lunch periods.

You have the right to:

Talk about the union. You can talk to co-workers about the union at work, including through virtual meetings, as you would any other subject — and help keep everyone informed about PSAC’s activities.
Share information. You can sign petitions, sign up for events, and share bargaining-related information during non-working time. However, ensure that this is done via personal, non-work email accounts, rather than work email.
Wear the union message. You can wear buttons, lanyards, stickers, t-shirts, shoelaces, epaulettes, velcro patches and name tags and other items that communicate the union’s message.
Use a union virtual background and signature block. You can use a virtual background and signature blocks expressing support for your union and bargaining team (e.g., on Microsoft Teams/Zoom and Outlook).
Attend rallies and mobilization events. You can take part in in-person rallies or other union events during your paid breaks as well as before or after work.

If management interferes with these rights or discourages you from exercising them, alert a CIU Branch steward or executive member or your PSAC regional office right away.

Virtual backgrounds

Video background
Signature block
Social media frame
I support my bargaining team printable poster

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

PSAC-CIU declares impasse in FB bargaining

The PSAC-CIU bargaining team has declared impasse at the bargaining table during talks September 26 and 27 after the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) refused to budge on our key issues and continues to insist on concessions.

Since the outset of bargaining, we have identified key issues for our members to reach a new collective agreement, including:

Economic parity with the broader law-enforcement community;
Protections for our jobs and new protections in the context of CBSA management’s heavy-handed approach to discipline;
Access to telework for our members;
New rights around VSSAs and shift scheduling.

The employer refused to move on these key issues.

We’ve also repeatedly made it clear at the table: If the employer is serious about working towards a fair deal, the Treasury Board President must honour the commitment made during the last round of bargaining and make equitable retirement — 25 and out — a reality for our members.

Throughout bargaining, we’ve pushed for economic increases that match other public safety agencies across the country. This will address outstanding recruitment and retention issues at CBSA.

Shockingly, when discussing wages and allowances, the employer stated that CBSA has “no recruitment or retention problems”. Every FB member from coast to coast to coast knows that CBSA has serious issues attracting and retaining workers. We live it every day through understaffing and lack of resources.

PSAC-represented public safety personnel – from Parole Officers to Fisheries Officers to Enforcement and Wildlife Officers – were recognized by receiving additional wage adjustments in the Treasury Board agreements negotiated earlier this year. But FB members are being told to accept less.

The employer also continues to seek concessions at the table, from clawbacks to shift-change notice and care and nurturing leave, to negotiated shift schedules that would negatively impact our members.

We are committed to negotiating improvements for our members, not steps backwards

We are determined to reach a fair contract, one that protects our hard-fought gains and provides new rights and protections for PSAC-CIU members. We deserve to be treated with respect.

We’ve had enough. Given this lack of progress in negotiations, we have declared impasse, and contacted the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board in an effort to move the process forward.

What’s next?

We will continue to provide updates as things progress. As always, membership support will be the key to getting a fair contract.

Please be sure to keep your contact information up to date to receive all the latest updates about bargaining. If you have any questions, please contact your Customs and Immigration Union branch president or visit the CIU and PSAC websites.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

FB bargaining: PSAC-CIU tables wage demands

Our FB Bargaining Team met with Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Treasury Board June 13-16 to continue talks towards a new collective agreement. After conducting a comprehensive analysis of compensation and working conditions within the law enforcement community, we presented our wage demands.

We have proposed aligning our wage grid with that of the RCMP. Additionally, we have proposed that all employees in the bargaining unit be granted a paid meal period, as is the standard practice across the law enforcement community.

Furthermore, we are seeking improvements with respect to premiums and allowances to address ongoing workplace issues. This includes an increase to the dog handler allowance, and the introduction of a field coaching and plain-clothes allowance. Paid firearm practice time, an escort removal premium, and fitness allowances were also discussed, along with paid membership fees for hearings officers and range fees for armed officers.

Management has not yet responded to our wage proposals.

Team pushes back against technological changes that put our communities at risk

Our team once again pressed the employer to cease the unilateral changes being implemented under the Traveler Modernization Initiative. PSAC-CIU has already initiated legal action against CBSA regarding the changes to ArriveCan and E-Gate. This is union work and CBSA should be consulting appropriately with us.

We also reiterated our proposals regarding workplace harassment. The recent Public Service Employee Survey clearly indicates that CBSA is a toxic workplace where workers frequently experience harassment from management.

Our team suggested several dates for negotiations during the summer. However, the employer refused to bargain in July and August due to the Summer Action Plan. Why this should make it impossible for parties to meet is unclear, and we can only assume the employer is under the belief that our ten bargaining team members’ presence on the frontline is key in resolving CBSA’s inadequate staffing levels. In any case, it is shameful to see the Treasury Board once again needlessly delay the bargaining process.

Next steps

Throughout the summer, our bargaining team will be visiting worksites across Canada to gather input from members and provide face-to-face updates on the bargaining process. Stay tuned for further updates as these plans progress.

We return to the bargaining table in September.

Please be sure to keep your contact information up to date to receive all the latest updates about bargaining. If you have any questions, please contact your branch presidentor yourPSAC regional office.

Attachments: fb_pay_proposal_june_13-15_en_final.pdf

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

FB bargaining: Pushing back against CBSA plan for self-checkout at border

Our FB bargaining team met with the employer May 24-25 for the first bargaining session since the government introduced the 2023 federal budget and Bill C-47, the Budget Implementation Act. It was our first opportunity to oppose the changes outlined in Bill C-47 since we postponed negotiations in April in solidarity with striking Treasury Board and Canada Revenue Agency workers, and last met with the employer March 21-23.

The government is proposing changes in Bill C-47 that put our communities at risk by allowing individuals to enter Canada without speaking to a border services officer. This is reinforced by CBSA’s Traveller Modernization initiative. Our FB bargaining team voiced opposition to proposed changes that would implement self-checkouts at the border.

Self-checkout kiosks at Canada’s borders will make it easier for people intending to commit crimes — including dangerous offenders and individuals who would not be allowed to enter Canada for criminality (including war crimes), as well as individuals engaged in espionage or smuggling people, guns, and drugs — to enter the country, as we know they will not self-identify if given the chance to process their own entry.

PSAC-CIU taking employer before Labour Board

PSAC-CIU will take the employer before the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board for technological changes that have already been introduced by CBSA, including ArriveCAN and eGates.

During negotiations this week, our bargaining team called on Treasury Board and CBSA to halt the rollout of these changes — as well as the border services officer information sessions that management is carrying out related to “border modernization” — until the employer has properly consulted with PSAC-CIU. If they refuse to do so, we will consult our legal counsel about taking legal action against the employer. We will not sit idly by while the government eliminates officers from the front line and puts our communities at risk.

The team also spoke to our proposals concerning anti-racism training and asked CBSA to explain their decision to unilaterally halt the training PSAC-CIU and CBSA had agreed to with no explanation in March.

Next steps

We return to the bargaining table next month and will continue to push the government and CBSA to act responsibly, work with our union, and do the right thing.

Keep your contact information up to date to receive all the latest updates about bargaining. If you have any questions, please contact your branch president or your PSAC regional office.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.