Tag Archives: négos

UPDATED: Bargaining demands Input Call for Border Services (FB) — Deadline extended to January 28

The Public Service Alliance of Canada will soon be approaching the employer to begin negotiations for the renewal of the collective agreement.

During the last round of bargaining, PSAC-CIU achieved important gains at the bargaining table thanks to sustained member engagement. To ensure success this next round, it’s critical that members participate in the process by submitting their bargaining proposals.

Members of the bargaining unit are encouraged to fill out the online form to provide the improvements and changes they would like to see made to the collective agreement.

This form will be open for input until January 28, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. (EST). Members will be prompted to login to access the form.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Common Issues bargaining: All workers deserve fair wages

The cost of living is rising quickly across Canada, and PSAC members — and workers across the country — risk being left behind if we don’t negotiate wages that keep up with inflation. That’s why our common issues bargaining team is pushing for fair wage increases that keep up with rising costs for more than 110,000 PSAC members.

The team met with Treasury Board December 13-15.

Already this year, it costs you 20 per cent more to feed your family than it used to, and the price of essentials we rely on every day is outpacing wages. Grocery bills are set to rise by $966 for a typical family of four next year — the highest increase in 12 years. The price of fuel, hydro and natural gas are on the rise too, with some households paying as much as 20 per cent more to heat their homes this winter.

Inflation is expected to remain high for the next few years, but wages haven’t budged, and our actual purchasing power is quickly shrinking. Now more than ever, we need fair wages, good working conditions and inclusive workplaces — not just for PSAC members, but for all workers.

As Canada’s largest employer, the federal government needs to lead by example and show they’ll be here for everyone — setting the bar with wage increases that don’t leave workers behind. Otherwise, the government risks losing talented and dedicated workers to employers who recognize that in a challenging labour market with soaring inflation, workers deserve better.

PSAC members got us through the pandemic by going above and beyond for Canadians, delivering the services and benefits that millions of people depended on. Failing to increase wages to meet the rapidly rising costs of living would amount to a pay cut for our members that have been here for Canadians when we needed them most.

New provisions to enhance job security

Our common issues bargaining team also discussed new proposals regarding job security. These negotiations come at a critical moment, as the current period of economic uncertainty emphasizes the need for a fairer workforce adjustment (WFA) process.

Workforce adjustment is a situation where the employer decides that the services of one or more indeterminate employees will no longer be needed because of a lack of work, the discontinuance of a function, the relocation of jobs, the closure of an office or work location, or contracting out.

The current WFA process threatens more employees with potential displacement than necessary and forces workers to re-interview for their own jobs, resulting in serious stress and other mental health impacts on affected members.

Our new WFA proposal would ensure a fair and transparent process. It opposes all forms of precarious employment and makes sure all members have timely access to indeterminate employment. We’re also asking the employer to recognize the reality of the changing workplace by offering more opportunities for employment through remote work.

Show your support

Member support throughout the bargaining process is critical to our success. Show your support by using our virtual background for all your video meetings and calls, applying the social media frame to your profile photo, or printing the poster to display in your work area.

Upcoming bargaining dates

The bargaining team meets with the employer again February 1–3, 2022.

Please be sure to keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to receive all the latest updates as we negotiate your next contract.

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

PSAC-CIU members ratify new agreement with CBSA

PSAC-CIU members in the Border Services (FB) bargaining unit have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the tentative agreement with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The FB group represents over 8,500 CBSA employees who have been on the front lines of the pandemic since day one, protecting our borders and keeping Canadians safe.

The new contract is a four-year agreement from 2018-2022 with a total increase in wages of over 8%. The deal includes better protections against excessive discipline in the workplace, a commitment to tackle workplace culture problems, and improvements to leave and other allowances. It also addresses the long-standing issue of meal period compensation for uniformed officers.

“This agreement is a testament to the incredible hard work and dedication of our bargaining team who worked around the clock to reach a deal,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president. “We also couldn’t have done it without the tremendous support and solidarity of our members.”

“Finally – after three years of negotiations – we’ve resolved longstanding issues that will go a long way towards making CBSA a better, safer place to work for our members,” said Mark Weber, CIU national president. “Every action our members took on, and leading up to, our August 6 day of action made this possible. We can all be proud of what we achieved together.”

Next Steps

In the coming weeks, PSAC will meet with Treasury Board and CBSA representatives to sign the new collective agreement. Apart from wage increases, which are retroactive, new contract terms come into effect on the date of signing.

CBSA has 180 days from the date of signing the new collective agreement to implement the new pay rates, provide retro pay for the time elapsed since the expiry of the previous agreement, and provide $500 to all FB members as a penalty for extended implementation timelines.

PSAC-CIU will update FB members when once the collective agreement is signed. Please keep your contact information up to date via the member portal to get the latest news. If you have any other questions, please contact your CIU branch president or your PSAC regional office.

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

FB group: Tentative agreement reached with CBSA/Treasury Board

After more than three years without a contract and unprecedented mobilization by FB members across Canada, the PSAC-CIU bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with Treasury Board and CBSA late Friday, August 6 following a 36-hour, round-the-clock, marathon negotiation session.

There are no concessions in the new tentative agreement. The improvements achieved are the product of the hard work and dedication of both the FB bargaining team and members throughout this round of bargaining.

A full explanation of the new agreement, and a copy of the new language, will be provided over the coming weeks once it has been fully translated. PSAC-CIU’s bargaining team unanimously recommends ratification of the new agreement. If ratified, the settlement will improve FB members’ working conditions in several important ways.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT

Pay and Allowances

Wage settlement details

The total compensation for all FB group members amounts to a minimum compounded increase of 8.08% over the collective agreement’s four-year term. All wage increases are retroactive.

Effective June 21, 2018 – increase to rates of pay: 2.8%
Effective June 21, 2019 – increase to rates of pay: 2.2%
Effective June 21, 2020 – increase to rates of pay: 1.35%
Effective June 21, 2021 – increase to rates of pay: 1.5%

Uniformed member meal period allowance

After years of seeking parity with other uniformed law enforcement personnel, and three Public Interest Commission (PIC) recommendations, the team has finally achieved compensation for meal periods for uniformed members of our group.

A new, pensionable, annual meal period allowance of $5,000 will be paid to all uniformed CBSA employees. This means the agreement, including the allowance, provides for an overall pensionable increase over four years of:

15.07% at the top rate FB-2
14.14% at the top rate FB-3
13.86% at the top rate FB-4
13.38% at the top rate FB-5

Lump sum payout for non-uniformed members

All non-uniformed employees will receive a lump sum payment of $1,000.

Implementation payment

All members of the FB bargaining unit will receive a $500 lump sum payment for late implementation in the last round of negotiations.

There will be a six-month delay in the implementation of new allowances that will be compensated with a lump-sum payment of an equal value.

Pension (25-Out)

In conjunction with the settlement, Treasury Board provided a written commitment to PSAC to resubmit the FB group’s proposal to introduce legislative amendments providing enhanced early retirement benefits under the public service pension plan, and to facilitate an expedited opportunity to bring forward its related business case to the Public Service Pension Advisory Committee.

Discipline

CBSA has committed in writing that all employees have the right to union representation in PSI investigation meetings and provided new protections in the context of employees placed on investigatory suspension.

Grievance procedure

A streamlined grievance procedure, with a reduction in the grievance process from four levels to three levels, which will reduce the time taken to hear grievances.

Workplace culture

Letter of understanding between Treasury Board and PSAC creating a National Joint Committee to tackle workplace culture problems at CBSA.

Article 43 – Leave with pay for family-related responsibilities

Expansion of leave provision to include care of a person who stands in the place of a relative for the employee, regardless of blood-relationship between such person and the employee.

Article 46 – Bereavement leave with pay

Expansion of leave provision to include one-time bereavement leave for a person who stands in the place of a relative for the employee, regardless of the blood relationship between such person and the employee.

Article 53 – Domestic violence leave (NEW)

Up to 75 hours of annual leave for employees who are subject to domestic violence.

Appendix C – Workforce adjustment

Increase in education allowance from $15,000 to $17,000 for indeterminate employees who are laid off during the workforce adjustment process.

Article 30 – Designated paid holidays

Inclusion of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation per the legislated change.

Article 40 – Parental leave without pay

For parents covered by EI and the QPIP, the introduction of extended parental leave without pay for up to 86 weeks, with no impact on the five-year limit in Article 41.

Additional week under the EI Act

If both parents work in the public service and they have divided the full 40 weeks of parental leave, one of the two parents can receive an additional week.

Additional weeks under the QPIP

If both adoptive parents work in the public service and they have divided the full 37 weeks of adoption leave, one of the two parents can receive two additional weeks. If both biological parents work in the public service and they take all 32 weeks of parental leave, as well as the five weeks of paternity leave, one of the two parents can receive two additional weeks.

Change in the number of weeks of parental leave with allowance

New maximum of 57 weeks of parental leave per couple with a 93 per cent top-up. This will allow for the inclusion of five paternity weeks, under the QPIP, where both parents work in the public service and the inclusion of five or eight new weeks of parental leave under the Employment Insurance Act, where both parents work in the public service.

Under the EI Act – Parental allowance for extended leave

Parents covered by EI over the new extended leave period will be eligible for a supplementary allowance equivalent to 55.8 per cent of their weekly rate of pay.

Repayment formula

Addition of Schedule V of the Act, which allows mobility between the core administration and 26 other separate agencies, including the Canada Revenue Agency, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Parks Canada and the National Research Council, without an obligation to repay allowances. This change gives more flexibility to parents who wish to change positions within the federal public service.

New Article 42 – Compassionate care and caregiving leave

New caregiving leave provisions include the three types of leave provided for under EI:

- Compassionate Care Benefits
- Family Caregiver Benefits for Children
- Family Caregiver Benefits for Adults

The leave is for the same duration as stipulated in EI and includes the applicable waiting period. Leave granted under this clause shall count towards severance pay, vacation leave and pay increments.

This agreement was the product of great solidarity and perseverance on the part of our FB members. We can all be proud of what we achieved together. The FB bargaining team unanimously recommends ratification of the tentative agreement.

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

CBSA employees secure deal with government hours after strike action at Canada’s borders

After an intense final round of negotiations that lasted more than 36 hours, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) reached a tentative agreement with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) late Friday, August 6.

“We are relieved that CBSA and the government finally stepped up to address the most important issues for our members to avoid a prolonged labour dispute,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president. “The agreement is a testament to the incredible hard work and dedication of our bargaining team who worked through the night to reach a deal.”

“We also couldn’t have done it without the tremendous support of our members, who put intense pressure on the government at every airport and border crossing across the country today.”

The agreement means an immediate end to work-to-rule strike action that had begun Friday, August 6 and ensures the flow of border traffic will return to normal as the government prepares to welcome fully vaccinated U.S. travellers on Monday, August 9.

“CBSA employees have been on the front lines of the pandemic since day one, protecting our borders and keeping Canadians safe. But they weren’t receiving the support they needed from the government,” said Mark Weber, CIU national president. “Finally – after three years of negotiations – we’ve resolved longstanding issues that will go a long way towards making CBSA a better, safer place to work for our members.”

Negotiations between PSAC-CIU and CBSA began in January 2019 but reached an impasse in December 2020. In May 2021, the union presented arguments at Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearings and a PIC report was issued in July with non-binding recommendations. Following national strike votes throughout June and July, PSAC-CIU announced an overwhelming strike mandate at the end of July and issued an official strike notice on August 3. Work-to-rule action began across the country August 6 at 6 a.m. EDT.

Highlights of the tentative agreement include:

A four-year agreement from 2018-2021 with an average annual increase of over 2% per year;
Better protections against excessive discipline in the workplace;
The creation of a National Joint Committee to tackle workplace culture problems at CBSA;
A paid meal allowance for uniformed members, similar to what most Canadian law enforcement agencies provide;
A commitment letter to advance the work toward the introduction of early retirement benefits for CBSA employees;
A better grievance-handling process;
Domestic violence leave;
Other leave and allowance improvements.

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.