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Parks Canada workers to join over 100,000 PSAC members in strike votes

March 11, 2020

National President Chris Aylward has authorized strike votes for members of the Parks Canada bargaining unit. Parks members will have the opportunity to join 90,000 Treasury Board bargaining members to vote at strike meetings to be held from March 16 to May 7. Strike votes for the 27,000 members of the Canada Revenue Agency bargaining unit are already underway.

A strong strike mandate from members will force the Parks Canada Agency to come back to the bargaining table with a new mandate so that your Parks bargaining team can get a fair settlement quickly.

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.

Source: PSAC

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Granville Island bargaining update

The CMHC Granville Island bargaining team, consisting of Tony Barrow, Sandy Scott, Steven Chen, Verda Cook, and Maxime Thibault-Gingras met with the employer February 18-20 in Vancouver to begin bargaining a new collective agreement. The current collective agreement expires March 31, 2020.

The team tabled a package of non-monetary proposals designed to improve working conditions as well as new collective agreement language requiring management to consult with the union when contracting work out and to demonstrate why contracting work out for special projects is preferable to hiring or training new employees.

The employer tabled a significant amount of non-monetary proposals, many of which were housekeeping items that did not affect the substance of the collective agreement or were legally required.

While the bargaining team was able to agree to over 20 of these proposals, the employer did not accept any of the union’s proposals.

At the end of the session, the team sent a clear message to the employer that during the next round of bargaining, scheduled for April, management must come to the table prepared to address monetary issues, including a fair wage increase.

Approximately 60 members of PSAC/UNE Local 20378 work on Granville Island, performing a wide variety of administrative, maintenance, and public outreach duties.

Source: http://psacbc.com/granville-island-bargaining-update
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Phoenix replacement announcement: PSAC demands answers

March 6, 2020

PSAC National President Chris Aylward made the following statement:

We’re pleased that the pilot to test a Phoenix replacement is finally moving forward. After 4 years of Phoenix nightmares with no end date in sight, it’s high time the development of a new pay system moves ahead.

It’s very disappointing that the government did not consult with its employees and largest union before making this next important decision.

We would like to know why SAP was chosen above the other two vendors. We have not received any information about the three proposals since the vendors were shortlisted many months ago.

It will also be important to determine exactly how the piloting process will work – including information like which departments will be included and how success will be measured.

PSAC members make up the bulk of the government’s compensation staff and they should have an active role in this process.

It’s not clear to us how the government intends to not repeat the mistakes of the past when entire pilot projects are announced without the knowledge of those who do the work, or their union.

Our goal remains to get our members paid correctly and on time, every time. We will work with the government and vendors to make sure that happens.

Source: PSAC

 

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Library of Parliament and House of Commons achieve important wins with new collective agreements

Members working at the Library of Parliament and House of Commons Operational Group and Postal services celebrate important wins with the recent round of negotiations. Both units negotiated increased access to certain leaves and improvements in the workplace.

Summary of the Library of Parliament new agreements:

  • New seniority rights for scheduling
  • Improved Bereavement Leave
  • Improved Family Responsibility Leave
  • Increased access to career advancement measures such as Educational leave
  • New protections against harassment and abuse of authority in the workplace

Summary of the House of Commons Operations and Postal new agreements:

  • The Union successfully defended paid leave for medical and dental appointments
  • Increased access to weekend premiums
  • Expanded Bereavement Leave
  • Hours of work improvements
  • Expanded access to clothing and uniforms
  • Greater access to family related and sick leaves for seasonal and other workers
  • Increased access to taxi vouchers for unscheduled overtime

Importantly, PSAC won an agreement that allows Union Representatives access to the workplace so members can have direct contact with union staff. This win helps set the bar for PSAC to negotiate similar agreements for other bargaining units so that members can engage onsite with PSAC staff.

Source: http://psac-ncr.com/members-library-parliament-house-commons-achieve-important-wins-new-collective-agreements

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Strike votes for Treasury Board bargaining units begin March 16

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.

 

Source: http://psacunion.ca/strike-votes-treasury-board-bargaining-units-begin

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TB bargaining: PSAC heads into mediation

January 14, 2020

PSAC’s bargaining team representing 90,000 federal public service workers in the Program & Administrative Services (PA) unit has agreed to mediation on January 16 and 17.

The session is being convened by the Public Interest Commission (PIC) and will cover both common issues as well as those specific to the PA unit (information for the other Treasury Board units will be forthcoming).

PSAC and the government presented their respective bargaining positions at a PIC hearing on December 4-7.

PSAC will provide an update on the mediation session once it is complete.

What is a Public Interest Commission (PIC)?

Under the law that governs contract negotiations in the federal public service, once impasse is reached at the bargaining table, 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 chairperson also has the option of convening additional talks. The PIC then issues a report with recommendations for settlement. The recommendations are not binding.

Once the PIC releases its report, the union’s bargaining team will meet to discuss the recommendations. Traditionally, following this, PSAC and government representatives have returned to the table to resume negotiations. We expect the PIC reports to be issued in 2020.

Source: PSAC

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UNE 2019 Women’s Conference

The UNE 2019 Women’s Conference is underway!

Click here for the full Conference Program.

Follow the action on social media:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Union.NE.Syndicat.EN

 

 

In solidarity,

Your co-chairs for the Steering Committee for the Women’s Conference:

Hayley Millington, National Equity Representative for Women
Kate Hart, Assistant National Vice-President for Human Rights
Isabelle Beaudoin, Assistant Regional Vice-President, Outside Canada

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Treasury Board bargaining: PSAC strike timeline

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.

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UNE Multiculturalism Day

Each year, our members celebrate our union’s diversity on August 14. We encourage you to take this opportunity to find out more about the rich cultural mosaic that surrounds us in our workplaces and in our communities!