Tag Archives: Strike

FB strike votes and strike preparation webinars

Image discussion FB PSAC-AFPC

The FB group will be conducting an electronic strike vote across the country starting June 16. Support your bargaining team at our upcoming strike votes to make sure we can return to the bargaining table in a position to win a fair contract.

Select your region for details:

Please note that more may be scheduled after the 28th. Please prioritizing registering for a session in your region. After attending one of these sessions, you will gain access to information on how to vote. It will involve a 10-15-minute presentation by a member of the bargaining team, followed by an optional Q&A session. You must have your attendance recorded at one of the 10-15 minute presentation portions or your vote will not be counted.

Strike Preparation Webinars

Date Time Language
June 15 7pm – 8:30pm EST English
June 16 12pm – 1:30 EST French
June 17 12pm – 1:30pm EST English
June 21 5:30pm – 7pm EST French

These optional webinars have been set up to give FB members a chance to learn more about strikes, strike preparation, and ask any questions you may have. More may be added to the schedule depending on registrations.

Any questions you may have about strike votes or strike action can be answered at the virtual vote information sessions and strike preparation courses that will take place before you vote. However, to provide you with as much information as possible ahead of time, PSAC has compiled key questions and answers for you.

Related content

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

FB strike votes: Frequently Asked Questions

Image discussion FB PSAC-AFPC

The Border Services (FB) bargaining unit consists of over 9,000 PSAC-CIU members at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), responsible for protecting Canada’s borders and the planning, development, delivery, inspection and control of people and goods entering Canada.

FB members have been without a contract for nearly three years, with our collective agreement having expired in June 2018. At the table, our bargaining team has been fighting for key issues, including parity with other law enforcement personnel across Canada, better protections against harassment and discrimination, and a fair remote work policy for our non-uniformed members.

CBSA’s refusal to budge on these core demands led the FB bargaining team to declare impasse in December. We’ve submitted and presented our dispute to the Public Interest Commission and are awaiting their recommendation. In the meantime, we’re holding a vote seeking a strike mandate from the membership to give our bargaining team the leverage we need to call a strike if necessary.

Any questions you may have about strike votes or strike action can be answered at the virtual vote information sessions and strike preparation courses that will take place before you vote. However, to provide you with as much information as possible ahead of time, PSAC has compiled key questions and answers for you.

Related content

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

FB bargaining team: We need your vote to get the contract we all deserve

Image discussion FB PSAC-AFPC

Like you, we are all CBSA employees. Together, we have over 100 years of diligent service with the federal government. We care deeply about the work that we do, and we care about our coworkers. That’s why we got involved in the union in the first place, and that’s why we’re reaching out to you today about the most important decision we’ll all need to make this round of bargaining.

For over two years, we’ve been in negotiations for a new collective agreement with Treasury Board and CBSA. In the middle of negotiations, Canada and the rest of the world were engulfed by the COVID-19 pandemic. We – PSAC-CIU members at CBSA – have been on the front lines of that pandemic every single day, putting our health at risk to keep Canadians safe and our borders secure. From Programs Officers interpreting Orders in Council and Inland Enforcement Officers conducting removals to BSOs inspecting PPE and everyone in between, we’ve all played a critical part in protecting Canadians.

The importance of our work is undeniable. Public Safety Minister Bill Blair has publicly recognized our work during the pandemic on more than one occasion, while CBSA has frequently commended the work that we do to keep our borders secure.

Unfortunately, this praise seems to simply be empty words, because we haven’t seen that same recognition at the bargaining table.

When we make the case that we deserve parity with other hard-working law enforcement personnel across Canada – from wages to paid meal periods to issues related to firearms and other tools – we are told no. When we raise the dire need for pension reform at CBSA, we see no movement whatsoever from the employer. And with respect to our non-uniformed colleagues, who have been faithfully serving Canadians while working remotely throughout the pandemic, the employer still refuses to negotiate telework provisions into our collective agreement.

We’re also grappling with a toxic workplace at CBSA where we all work under the constant threat of heavy-handed discipline and abuse of authority. That’s why we need new protections in the context of discipline, harassment and whistleblowing in our collective agreement, but our proposals to protect employees have been denied.

Instead, CBSA is pushing for concessions – introducing a 48-hour shift change notice clause (instead of the current seven days), massive changes to scheduling and VSSA protections and changes to family care leave that would make it inaccessible to most of us and at the discretion of managers

The employer wants our jobs to matter more than our families when all they do is treat us like we’re all replaceable. We can’t stand for that, and we believe it’s time to make our stand.

Last month, we made our submissions to the Public Interest Commission, and they’ll provide their recommendations on our outstanding bargaining demands.

➡️  Read the full PIC submission

In the meantime, we’re fed up with the disrespect we’re all being shown by CBSA and the government, and we need to show them we’re ready to stand up to them to get the contract we deserve.

That’s why we – along with the PSAC National President and the CIU National Executive – have made the decision to conduct a vote to seek a strike mandate from the membership.

We’re asking you to vote YES to a strike mandate so that we can send a clear message to CBSA. Your support will give our bargaining team the leverage we need to call a strike if necessary.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be giving you all the details you need about the process, how you can stay informed and take part in the vote. But we wanted to be the first to tell you – directly from the bargaining team – that this is our time to make real and meaningful changes at CBSA.

Stay tuned for more updates. If have any questions, please be sure to follow up with your CIU
Branch President or contact your local PSAC regional office.

We hope you’ll stand in solidarity with us and all CBSA staff so that we can reach a fair agreement with CBSA and Treasury Board. We’re all in this together.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Ross
Newfoundland/Labrador
St. John’s Airport

Joey Dunphy
New Brunswick
Edmunston POE

Claude Bouchard
Quebec Eastern Townships
St Armand POE

Ken Turner
Windsor Ontario
Ambassador Bridge

Frances Baroutoglou
Toronto Postal Operations

Charles Khoury
Headquarters – Ottawa

Mat Ashworth 
Northern Ontario
Rainy River POE

Michael Aessie
Manitoba
Commercial office

Leanne Hughes
British Columbia
Victoria Airport

Related content

This article has also been posted on the PSAC website.

Strike votes for PA, SV, TC & EB bargaining units begin March 16

Union member protesting

PSAC National President Chris Aylward has authorized strike votes for members of the PA, SV, TC and EB bargaining units following the release of the Public Interest Commission (PIC) report last week.

More than 90,000 members of the four bargaining units will have an opportunity to vote at strike meetings to be held from March 16 to May 7, 2020. Strike votes for the 27,000 members of the Canada Revenue Agency bargaining unit are already underway.

“PSAC bargaining teams need a strong strike mandate from members to force Treasury Board to come back to the bargaining table with a new mandate so that we can get a fair settlement quickly,” said Aylward.

Aylward noted that the Public Interest Commission (PIC) report on common issues made it clear that to reach a deal the government will need to offer PSAC members more Phoenix compensation and a wage increase in line with the cost of living. The report also highlighted the need to address compensation gaps and recruitment/retention challenges for those groups that are underpaid relative to comparable groups inside or outside the federal public sector.

The government’s current offer falls short on all fronts. They have yet to table wage increases that would ensure rises in the cost of living are met, and their Phoenix compensation proposal remains meagre and unequal across the public service.

“The threat of a strike will give the employer the nudge it needs to avoid more disruption during their minority government,” said Aylward.

“That’s why we urge all PSAC members to vote yes.”

In the coming weeks members will receive notices of strike vote meetings via email and through your locals and regional offices. The information will also be posted on the front page of the national website, as well on PSAC regional websites.

Please check out the following link if you would like more information on strike votes and strike action. We’ll be adding more information in the days ahead to answer a wide range of questions so make sure to check back.

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

PA, EB, TC & SV bargaining: strike timeline

Bargaining

The Labour Board has set dates for Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearings for four Treasury Board bargaining tables:

Once a hearing has taken place, a PIC report is generally issued within 30 days. After the reports are issued, each bargaining unit will be in a position to strike if members vote to walk off the job. 

The PIC process began when bargaining reached an impasse in May.

In negotiations, the government insisted on a wage cut once inflation is factored in as well as a waiting period of up to 18 months after contract signing for retro pay. At the same time, the government rejected our proposals to improve working conditions by:

  • implementing market adjustments where pay discrepancies exist;
  • providing a full top-up for the new 18-month parental leave option;
  • reducing contracting-out and precarious work in the public service; and
  • better addressing mental health in the workplace.

What is a Public Interest Commission (PIC)?

By law, once impasse is reached, a PIC is established to help the parties reach an agreement. The PIC is a panel of three people – a chairperson appointed by the Labour Board and nominees appointed by the union and management. The union and the employer submit briefs and explain their positions on the outstanding issues at a hearing with the PIC. The PIC then issues a report with recommendations for settlement. The recommendations are not binding.

Once the PIC releases its report, PSAC bargaining teams will reconvene to discuss the recommendations. Typically, PSAC’s teams and government representatives then return to the table to resume negotiations.

Will we strike?

Regardless of which party forms government after the fall federal election, PSAC will continue pressing for a fair deal that addresses members’ demands. However, if PSAC and the government are still unable to reach an agreement after the PIC reports are issued, members will have the opportunity to take a strike vote.  

History has taught us that the best way to avoid strikes is to prepare for one. Therefore, PSAC will ensure that strike training is offered to members in the coming months.

PSAC will also provide updates on the PIC process and other bargaining developments as appropriate.

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