On June 7, 2013 the Minister of Heritage, James Moore, ordered that a vote on the employer’s final offer be imposed on the FB bargaining unit. You will be seeing notices of the vote in your workplaces.
WHO ADMINISTERS THE VOTE?
The Public Service Labour Relations Board is responsible for administering the vote. That means that they set out the process including but not limited to providing notice of the vote, providing the ballot packages, putting a voting procedure in place, and tabulation of the vote. They are also responsible for the determination of any disputes that may arise regarding the conduct of the vote.
WHEN WILL THE VOTE OCCUR?
We have not been advised by the Board when the vote will take place. The Minister has ordered that the vote occur expeditiously. We will continue to update you as we receive more information.
WHY IS OUR UNION CHALLENGING THE MINISTER’S DECISION TO ORDER THE VOTE?
We have launched a legal challenge before the Federal Court of the Minister’s decision to order the vote. Despite our request to the Minister, we were not provided with an opportunity for input and the Minister’s decision is based, in our view, on concerns which are unfounded, such as the threats to safety and security when we are not even in a legal strike position. The forced vote undermines our collective bargaining rights and rejects the process outlined in labour legislation. The Court has recognized the important nature of the issues at hand and has set July 31st as the date to hear our legal challenge.
WHAT IS OUR UNION DOING TO ENSURE A FAIR VOTE?
PSAC and CIU are working vigilantly to ensure that the voter lists are accurate and that everyone who is entitled to vote is able to exercise their right to vote. Given the large numbers of voters and variety of locations in which you work and live this means that we are working to make sure that the Board process takes into account what logistical challenges might prevent any bargaining unit member from exercising their rights. We are also working to ensure that there is integrity in the secret ballot process and that all mechanisms are in place to be able to respond to any concerns that may be identified by you and your local leaders.
It is important to remember that this is the first time that a vote of this type has been administered by the Board and that ensuring that it is done properly is critically important as it sets the standard for any future votes.
WHAT AM I VOTING ON?
You will be voting to either accept or reject the employer’s offer as set out on May 6, 2013. THE VOTE IS NOT A STRIKE VOTE. There is no current talk of a strike and we are not in a legal strike position. Voting no is a vote against CBSA’s latest offer. It also sends a clear signal to CBSA and Treasury Board that the collective bargaining process should be respected.
