On Wednesday (June 5th) 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. A copy of the PIC’s recommendation can be found at:
http://psac.com/news/2013/bargaining/20130605-e.shtml
We are disappointed with some of the PIC’s recommendations, particularly with respect to wages and issues that we have raised concerning non-uniformed members of the bargaining unit. Having said that the recommendation does address a number of key issues that we’ve raised in bargaining, issues that the employer has yet to adequately address, if at all. The recommendation opens the door for serious discussion concerning a paid, pensionable meal period for union members. It provides protections in the context of the arming initiative that are more in line with what was agreed to in our previous round of bargaining. It provides rights for part-time employees. It provides for union access to CBSA workplaces. None of these things were contained in any of CBSA/Treasury Board’s final offers.
What’s more, despite the position taken by the employer, the Commission suggests in its recommendation that we should be compared with workers employed at other federal law enforcement agencies. Indeed, while the recommendation points out that management has compared FB employees to “airport security personnel”, the Commission also states that “the law enforcement role of these employees, as well as their critical role in defense of
Canada’s borders, means that these employees are more akin to law enforcement occupations than those in security-type roles”.
We have always maintained that we are ready to negotiate. We remain so, and will be reiterating this with the employer in the coming days now that we have received the PIC recommendation. We’ll be sure to update as things progress. For a copy of our submissions to the PIC, and for previous updates, go to:
http://psac.com/bargaining/units/treasury_board/fb-e.shtml.
