Given that the employer contacted our PSAC Negotiator and indicated that it has a new mandate to return to the bargaining table, our Team is scheduled to meet with Treasury Board/CBSA to recommence negotiations this Wednesday, March 21.
Thanks again to all of the PSAC-CIU members from across the country who have participated in rallies and marches in support of achieving a fair contract. We’ll update as things progress.
On Thursday, March 15, we received the Public Interest Commission (PIC) recommendation concerning our contract dispute with Treasury Board/CBSA. The PIC recommendation is non-binding. It is intended to guide the parties in negotiations and help provide an avenue for the parties to make progress towards an agreement but neither party is obligated to follow the recommendations of the decision.
A large number of CIU and PSAC members rallied today at Toronto Pearson airport, sending a strong message to the employer: As we prepare to return to the bargaining table, it is high time to treat FB members as law enforcement and give them a fair contract. We’re united in solidarity and ready to defend our rights, and we support our bargaining team.
On February 22, CIU and PSAC members rallied in Sault Ste. Marie in support of ongoing national bargaining efforts for members of the FB Group (Border Services). FB members have been without a contract for over 3.5 years, and on Friday they took their message to the CBSA office, and to Liberal MP Terry Sheehan – in person.
PSAC members from coast-to-coast-to-coast who are covered under four of the collective agreements with Treasury Board will be gathering in Ottawa, March 26-29, 2018 to elect bargaining teams and discuss proposals for the upcoming round of bargaining.
“PSAC’s number one priority is getting the best deal for our members,” said PSAC National President Robyn Benson. “We have a democratic process for prioritizing the proposals we bring to the bargaining table. The bargaining conference is a critical step in ensuring our members have their say.”
Over 100,000 federal public service workers are covered under the PA, TC, SV, and EB collective agreements.
How Treasury Board bargaining works
The current collective agreements for the four groups will all expire within the next six months:
PSAC will begin negotiating new collective agreements for all four groups shortly after the March bargaining conference. The chart below briefly outlines the complete process.
A version of this article was first published on the PSAC website.
