Our PA bargaining team met Treasury Board at the bargaining table this week with renewed determination. Unfortunately, the employer continued to display minimal interest in responding to our proposals.
Treasury Board did signal it is considering some very small movements in response to union demands in certain leave provisions, as well as improved notice provisions in the discipline article. But mostly, the Employer remained focused on sick leave concessions and complained that we had too many demands at the bargaining table.
Our bargaining team reiterated the objective to come to the table every three years or so to improve wages and working conditions and resolve problems. We tabled new language on student employment and reviewed with the employer our proposals on maternity and parental leave.
Treasury Board withdrew its demand to remove the PM-7 wage grid from the collective agreement. Our team understands there are currently no PA members at the PM-7 level, but we cannot be sure that this classification will not be populated in the future.
Work Force Adjustment: We reiterated the need for significant changes to the Workforce Adjustment Appendix in this round of bargaining. Our demands seek to make the rules more transparent and reduce the significant anxiety the process causes workers. We are also looking to preserve and improve public services, enhance protections against involuntary departures and ensure that seniority is recognized.
Sick Leave: We addressed the ongoing sick leave issue this week by stating that we continue to seek either a renewal or improvements to the current sick leave regime. We made it clear that any improvements would need to be contained in the collective agreement. We reiterated that the underlying purpose of a sick leave system is to ensure that workers are not forced to choose between going to work sick or collecting a pay cheque.
We will be back at the table the week of April 11, 2016. Stay informed by visiting psacunion.ca/pa
