Tag Archives: groupe EB

PA, EB, TC, SV bargaining: Have your say in the next round of negotiations

PSAC is getting ready for the next round of bargaining for the Program and Administrative Services (PA), Technical Services (TC), Operational Services (SV), and Education and Library Science (EB) groups. As the first step in this process, we need to hear from you.

What would you like to see in your next collective agreement? This is your opportunity to share your ideas with us. Your participation is crucial to our strength as a union.

Send us your proposals

What makes a good bargaining proposal?

We are accepting input until November 15, 2024.

Your component and PSAC will review all proposals and bring them to the next bargaining conference where delegates from locals across the country will prioritize them for negotiations. Talks for the next contracts are expected to begin early next year.

The current collective agreements expire on the following dates:

PA: June 20, 2025
TC: June 21, 2025
SV: August 4, 2025
EB: June 30, 2025

Be sure to keep your contact information up to date to receive all the latest updates.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

$2,500 lump sum payments: Some Treasury Board and agency members experiencing issues

During the last round of negotiations with Treasury Board, PSAC secured a $2,500 pensionable lump sum payment applicable to all members of the EB, PA, SV, and TC bargaining units employed at the time the agreement was signed.

Since then, PSAC has negotiated the same one-time lump sum payment for all members working for Canada Revenue Agency, Parks Canada, Royal Canadian Mint, Canadian Food Inspection Agency and other federal agencies.

It has come to our attention that this payment has been clawed back for some members who were receiving Employment Insurance (EI) benefits at the time when they received the lump sum. This most notably applies to seasonal employees and those who were on parental leave. It may also apply to members who were on leave without pay due to illness or injury and who were receiving EI sickness benefits.

Misinterpretation of the payment

This claw back occurred for some members because Employment and Social Development Canada interpreted the lump sum payment as additional income during the periods when these members were receiving EI benefits.

PSAC’s legal counsel has confirmed this interpretation is not in line with the terms of our collective agreements, which specify that recipients are entitled to the lump sum for the performance of regular duties and responsibilities for periods when they were actively employed, not when they were on leave.

Recently, a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees successfully challenged this interpretation.

The decision of the Social Security Tribunal of Canada found that “the true nature of the employer’s payment … was for services performed before she began her maternity leave and claimed Employment Insurance.” It also ruled that “the Canada Employment Insurance Commission incorrectly identified this money as a signing bonus and allocated it to a week during the [member’s] EI claim.”

What to do if you’ve already been impacted by this

If you have been affected by this issue, it’s crucial to submit a Request for Reconsideration of an Employment Insurance (EI) decision. In Section 3 of the form “Reason for Request for Reconsideration,” please use the following information:

The $2,500 payment was not a ratification bonus. The payment was for performance of duties before I went on leave and started collecting EI benefits. When money is paid for performance of services, the money should be allocated under s. 36(4) of the EI Regulations to the period before my leave began.

There is a time limit of 30 days to request a reconsideration. However, EI allows extensions under certain circumstances. If it’s already been 30 days since you received this decision, you can request an extension by saying you were gathering information about what the payment was for from your union. If you receive a denial on the reconsideration, you have 30 days to appeal to the Tribunal.

Please contact PSAC if you encounter any issues with the appeal process or if you’re uncertain about how to proceed. We are here to assist you through this process and to ensure that your rights are fully respected.

Note for members who have received EI benefits

Some members may not have been notified of this situation yet. If you were receiving EI benefits at the time your collective agreement was ratified or in the months before the lump sum payment was issued, you still may be contacted in the future for repayment.

Review your EI statements, monitor your account, and follow the steps above if you receive the request for repayment.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

EB bargaining: No movement in PIC and mediation

The EB (Education and Library Science) bargaining team was in two days of hearings at the Public Interest Commission (PIC) followed by two days of mediation from Dec. 9 to Dec. 12. Unfortunately, there has been no progress in negotiations, as the employer is deeply entrenched in its own positions. An overview of regressive proposals affecting all core public service bargaining units is available here, while EB-specific proposals are highlighted below.

PSAC is committed to continue pushing for improvements and resisting concessions in the EB collective agreement.

The union is also disappointed that the government, with all the resources at its disposal, refused to provide a PIC submission in both official languages. You can download PSAC’s EB PIC submission in English and French and access the government’s English submission here.

Wage parity with comparable jobs

PSAC has proposed wage adjustments that keep up with the wages of other employees in comparable jobs both outside and inside the federal public service. In many cases, the wages of PSAC members in the EB group are lagging far behind those of other employees in similar positions. For example, elementary and secondary school teachers (ED-EST INAC) working in Indigenous reserves in Ontario are paid up to an average of 7.3% less than teachers working for the province’s school boards. And EB vice-principals are paid up to 22% less than those in Ontario school boards, while EB principals are paid up to 20% less than their counterparts in Ontario school boards.

The employer made an insulting counter-offer of wage adjustments totaling up to just 1% for these EB positions.

New national rate of pay for teachers who work for 12 months (ED-EST)

ED-EST 12-month teachers’ wages differ province-to-province, and the transition to a new national rate of pay has been a long-standing issue. PSAC has proposed a new national rate of pay for these teachers, and a joint committee composed of both employer and union representatives had previously reached an agreement to recommend a national rate of pay that would become the basis for negotiations.

However, the employer simply dismissed the union’s demand and the joint committee’s recommendations and is again offering monetary measures totaling just 1%.

Allowance for union members who teach Indigenous languages

PSAC tabled this proposal in recognition of the need to preserve and promote Indigenous languages. Both the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls call on the Federal government to invest in the preservation and revitalization of Indigenous languages. The Federal government itself has shown commitment to Indigenous languages when it passed the Indigenous Languages Act. The union believes that an allowance for Indigenous language teachers is a step in the right direction.

Unfortunately, the employer has refused to discuss this demand at the negotiating table.

Access to professional development

Currently, the employer is obligated to provide allowances in lieu of salary to employees taking education leave—at a minimum of 50% and up to a maximum of 100% of basic salary. The employer is demanding a concession that allows the employer the option to pay or not pay an allowance and that would bring the minimum allowances down to 0%.

PSAC is pushing back on this concession, arguing that the change will limit access to professional development given the possibility of the employee receiving no allowances in lieu of salary. The union further demands that professional development days be used primarily for academic initiatives rather than departmental training purposes.

Pedagogical break for 12-month teachers (ED-EST)

Recognizing that the workload of 12-month teachers can be very intense, PSAC has proposed that these teachers be given a break with pay annually from July 1 to July 9, including one designated paid holiday. Unlike 10-month teachers, these 12-month teachers do not have a spring break. The union is simply seeking the same benefit for 12-month teachers.

The employer has responded that this would be cost prohibitive, since they would have to hire replacement teachers.

Leave benefits and alternative work arrangements

PSAC is seeking improvements to leave benefits, including for family-related responsibilities, injury-on-duty, and education and career development. The union has also proposed that employees’ requests to work away from the employer’s premises not be unreasonably denied. It is the union’s position that these demands will help address the issue of work-life balance.

The employer has rejected all these demands and has offered no provisions that address work-life balance.

The original version of this article was first posted on the PSAC website.