Tag Archives: négos

Treasury Board Bargaining: Employer Agrees to Mediation

Bargaining mediation

PSAC and the Employer returned to extended negotiations from November 1 to November 9, after the Liberal government promised to bring a new mandate to the table. At the end of that bargaining session, PSAC requested mediation. On November 29, PSAC received confirmation that the government had agreed to this mediation.

Dec. 5 update: The Common Issues committee and PA bargaining team will resume negotiations with Treasury Board, with the assistance of a mediator, the week of December 12.

More information will be provided once it becomes available.

A version of this article was originally published on the PSAC website. 

FB Bargaining Team Spends Nine Days in Talks with CBSA

FB Bargaining

Our CIU/PSAC bargaining team for Border Services spent nine days (November 1 to 9) in talks with the CBSA and Treasury Board for a new collective agreement. We reiterated our key issues.

Fair wages: Our proposals seek to achieve wage parity with the broader law enforcement community. We tabled a market adjustment to bring us in line with the RCMP wage grid. The employer’s wage position on the general economic increase is a .75 per year, which will not even keep pace with the rising cost of living.

Retirement reform: We are seeking a commitment from Treasury Board to support the introduction of a retirement regime consistent with other federal law enforcement agencies.

New protections: We need new protections in the context of discipline (PSI and SRI), and against abuse of authority. We also need improved legal indemnification protections. We are demanding contract language to protect against the replacing of officers at land, air and sea port-of-entries with machines. Finally, we are looking for language that protects officers that are unsuccessful in CDT and Firearm Recertification.

Hours of work: Our team is seeking a paid meal period that is on par with other law enforcement agencies, as well as protections against management’s unilateral cancelation of compressed work weeks and telework arrangements. It’s also time for an increase in the shift premium.

Sick leave: We continue to seek improvements to the current sick leave regime. We’ve made some progress over the last session on this issue. The Employer has proposed a Memorandum of Agreement to deal with sick leave, in order to allow for discussion. We have been very clear that any discussion must respect our principles. Our principles with regard to sick leave remain the same – it must be contained in the collective agreement, it must provide for wage replacement, sick leave banks must be preserved and there must be no third party provider.

WFA: So far the government has refused to address our key proposals with regard to the Workforce Adjustment Appendix. Given the stress and turmoil that many PSAC members faced during the four-year period of public sector cuts and layoffs, we want to ensure that WFA operates in a fair, transparent and impartial manner.

Mediation: PSAC has suggested further bargaining with the assistance of a mediator.

For more information concerning FB negotiations, be sure to visit psacunion.ca/fb.

A version of this article was originally published on the PSAC website. 

PA Bargaining: Little Movement from the Employer

PA Bargaining

The PA bargaining team returned to the bargaining table from November 1-9, 2016, only to find the employer’s mandate was largely unchanged.

Some Gains: Our team was pleased to make progress on improved language for bereavement and family related responsibility leave and on disciplinary meetings. The employer also partially addressed both the proposals for an improved allowance for compensation advisors and the harmonization of allowances for our members who work in federal prisons.

Allowances – Falling short: Despite some progress, the employer’s move on each of the allowances falls short of what the union is trying to achieve for members. On other critical proposals, such as changes to the definition of family, union leave, term employees, and contracting out, there has been no response at all.

Sick leave: We continue to seek improvements to the current sick leave regime. We’ve made some progress over the last session on this issue. The Employer has proposed a Memorandum of Agreement to deal with sick leave, in order to allow for discussion. We have been very clear that any discussion must respect our principles. Our principles with regard to sick leave remain the same – it must be contained in the collective agreement, it must provide for wage replacement, sick leave banks must be preserved and there must be no third party provider.

WFA: So far the government has refused to address our key proposals with regard to the Workforce Adjustment Appendix. Given the stress and turmoil that many PSAC members faced during the four-year period of public sector cuts and layoffs, we want to ensure that WFA operates in a fair, transparent and impartial manner.

Mediation: PSAC has suggested further bargaining with the assistance of a mediator.

Please visit psacunion.ca/pa for more updates.

A version of this article was originally published on the PSAC website. 

Treasury Board Bargaining: PSAC Requests Mediation

Bargaining

Contract negotiations have been ongoing for 10 days. While some progress has been achieved, there are still important issues of fairness and improving public services for Canadians that are yet to be resolved. PSAC has requested that a mediator be appointed and that talks resume within two weeks.

PSAC and the Employer returned to extended negotiations from November 1-9, after the Liberal government promised to bring a new mandate to the table. “We’ve gone as far as we can. This government promised to respect public service workers and restore the integrity of the public services Canadians rely on. They have not yet delivered on that promise,” said Robyn Benson, PSAC National President.

A version of this article was originally published on the PSAC website. 

Treasury Board Bargaining Resumes November 1

Bargaining

The five bargaining teams will be back at the table with Treasury Board between November 1 and November 7 to resume negotiations for new collective agreements.

Revised Mandate

Treasury Board has indicated that they have a revised mandate on some of the key issues in this round of bargaining.

Make Good on Your Word Campaign

This comes at a time when PSAC has intensified our public outreach and advertising campaign, Make Good on Your Word, calling on Justin Trudeau to make good on his promise to respect public services and the people who provide them.

“Now is the time for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government to make good on their word and come back to the bargaining table with a Liberal mandate,” said Robyn Benson, PSAC National President. “After 26 months of negotiations, we want a collective agreement.”

PSAC’s Bargaining Priorities

  • Healthier workplaces
  • Strong public services and fair treatment for workers if service delivery changes
  • Wages that keep up with inflation and the job market

Support Your Bargaining Teams on October 31

On October 31, join with PSAC members across the country to support your bargaining teams and deliver a strong message to Prime Minister Trudeau:

  • Dump the Conservative bargaining agenda
  • Start talking to us about real change for a better public service
  • Make good on your word – Canadians are counting on us

Please contact your local, or the closest PSAC regional office, to find out how you can participate. Check out the PSAC website, Facebook, and Twitter (as well as the CIU website, Facebook, and Twitter) for updates.

We will provide a bargaining update shortly after this round of negotiations. Thank you for your ongoing patience and support!

A version of this article was originally published on the PSAC website.