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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
