PSAC-UNE members of the Audit Services Group, Office of the Auditor General (OAG) (Local 70153), began a job action against their employer on November 26, at midnight :
• 3 years without an economic increase of a patterned settlement with the core public administration • 3 years without the employer willing to give them a designed pay grid, that has the look, feel and application of all other employees at the OAG, and practically every federal public servant • 3 years of contract negotiations without an employer that has a mandate to bargain
A Public Interest Commission (PIC) report was received during the current contract impasse which was favourable to this workforce, 75% of whom are women. A request was made to move their dispute settlement route to binding arbitration. That was denied by their employer, knowing the PIC’s report would be a catalyst for the Audit Services Group to achieve a fair and just collective agreement.
Our request to meet with Karen Hogan, Auditor General of Canada, and Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board Secretariat, for the benefit of our members, was also unanswered.
OAG, get a mandate and return to the table.
UNE proudly represents our 160 PSAC members at the OAG.
PSAC put forward a wage proposal for more than 110,000 federal public service workers that reflects skyrocketing inflation rates across Canada.
The common issues bargaining team proposed a 4.5 per cent wage increase in each year of a three-year agreement during negotiations with Treasury Board in early November.
Inflation rates are at the highest levels seen in more than 18 years, and members deserve a wage increase that keeps up with the rising costs of food, housing, and child care — anything less is a pay cut for federal public service workers. This year, the consumer price index rose 4.7 per cent on a year-over-year basis in October, up from a 4.4 per cent increase in September.
Many employers are recognizing there is a labour shortage and are increasing salaries accordingly to recruit and retain skilled staff. As Canada’s largest employer, Treasury Board needs to take on a leadership role by providing fair wages that recognize the rising cost of living and set the bar for other Canadian employers to help Canadians recover from the pandemic.
Group specific market adjustments, allowances, and grid re-structure proposals were not part of this package and will be submitted separately by the group-specific tables.
Employer refuses to discuss remote work
Treasury Board refused PSAC’s proposal to include remote work provisions in the collective agreement because they feel the inclusion of remote work is unnecessary and language on the right to disconnect is redundant.
Members have flagged work-life balance and the ability to work remotely as key priorities for this round of bargaining. Employees should have a say in when and where they work, and we will continue to push Treasury Board to negotiate terms for remote work and the right to disconnect into our collective agreements where they will be most effective.
New proposals on bilingualism bonus, anti-oppression training, parental leave
PSAC tabled new and revised provisions within the discrimination and sexual harassment articles to ensure our members have access to a fair process. The proposal expands the definition of what is considered harassment to better protect members. It also calls for mandatory training for all employees on the topics of “anti-oppression and discrimination,” and “harassment, sexual harassment, and violence in the workplace.”
Our proposed new training provisions push the employer to appropriately recognize and promote bilingualism in the federal public service, while the proposed increase to the bilingualism bonus aims to improve what is currently offered under the National Joint Council’s Bilingualism Bonus Directive, which has been stagnant for decades.
We also proposed improvements to maternity leave without pay and parental leave without pay to increase the top-up available to employees. We hope this will allow single parents and lowerincome families to better utilize the extended parental benefits option.
Upcoming bargaining dates
The bargaining team meets with the employer again on December 14 and 15, 2021.
The Audit Services Group has voted to give their bargaining team a strong strike mandate after talks collapsed at the bargaining table between PSAC and the Office of the Auditor General of Canada.
PSAC members at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada support the audit work the OAG conducts to ensure that Canada’s federal and territorial governments are accountable and productive. These members perform a wide range of technical, professional, administrative and clerical duties in support of the Office of the Auditor General.
But members of Union of National Employees Local 70153 at OAG have been without a contract since September 2018.
Among the key outstanding issues are achieving a pay grid like almost every other group in the federal public sector, fair economic increases, and maintaining pay parity for certain classifications with non-union workers at OAG who received significant increases.
“PSAC members at the Office of the Auditor General have looked at the numbers and the employer’s latest offer doesn’t add up,” said Alex Silas, Regional Executive Vice-President of PSAC’s National Capital Region.
At the end of June, both the union and the employer presented their proposals before a Public Interest Commission hearing. The PIC report was released on August 25th and the Commission sided with the union’s proposals.
“These workers just want fairness and to get what even the non-union workers at the OAG have received. The Public Interest Commission agrees with what we’re saying, but there’s been no movement from the employer on these key issues,” said Silas.
Despite the recommendations from the Public Interest Commission hearing, management at the OAG has not brought any significant changes to their offer, instead returning to the bargaining table with the same proposals.
“It’s time for OAG management to return to the table and respect the findings of the Public Interest Commission and respect these members and the important work they do,” said Kevin King, President of UNE.
“It’s not an easy thing to vote to strike and this is a first for these members at the Office of the Auditor General. I want to assure these members that PSAC has their back and will support their fight for a fair contract,” added Silas.
The Statistics Survey Operations (SSO) bargaining team made progress on hours of work for SSO members despite frustrating stalling tactics by the employer during negotiations on October 26-27, 2021.
Statistics Canada failed to bring any new proposals to the table even though members have been without a collective agreement since 2018. PSAC submitted two comprehensive packages of bargaining proposals in May and July, and the team still hasn’t received an adequate response from the employer.
Despite the delays by the employer, Statistics Canada and the team had a lengthy discussion about hours of work. The team is advocating for language in the collective agreement that ensures more regular, full-time work hours for SSO members.
PSAC plans to meet with the employer again before the end of the year and expect Statistics Canada to respond to our proposals for significant improvements in working conditions and work hours, including:
Wage parity with the core public service
An allowance to fully cover off personal expenses when working remotely
Better job security and a fair and transparent process around the assignment of work hours
Improved maternity and parental leave benefits
Improved shift premiums for evenings and weekends
Improvements to sick leave, family leave, vacation leave and compassionate care leave
During talks with Treasury Board September 27-29, the common issues team focused on improvements to equity and remote work measures for more than 120,000 federal public service workers.
Throughout this round of bargaining, PSAC aims to negotiate fair collective agreements that recognize the way the pandemic has radically changed work in the federal public service. We’ll continue to focus on the issues that matter most to PSAC members – remote work, technological changes, job security in an uncertain economy, work-life balance and the effects of major inequalities for marginalized groups.
In this session, the bargaining team focused on:
Remote work: To ensure members are treated fairly, provisions governing remote work must become part of the collective agreement. PSAC is proposing measures to ensure accessibility, safety, and flexibility for members seeking remote work arrangements.
Right to disconnect: Despite the advantages of remote work for many members, it can lead to social isolation, as well as making it harder to “turn off” at the end of the workday, which can increase stress and anxiety. PSAC is negotiating for employees to shut off work-related communications outside of normal hours of work, and will not face discipline or reprisals in exercising this right.
Training on Indigenous issues: In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 57th Call to Action, the union is proposing comprehensive education on Indigenous issues for public service workers. In line with the Commission’s recommendation, this would cover the “history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–Crown relations.”
Leave for traditional Indigenous practices: As part of the ongoing reconciliation process, PSAC proposed new specific leave for Indigenous members to pursue traditional cultural practices. This includes paid time off for hunting, fishing and harvesting, among other traditions.
The common issues team returns to the table November 2-4.
PSAC is committed to pushing for a fair deal that addresses the issues raised by members at the National Bargaining Conference, and rejecting any concessionary proposals from the employer.
Show your support
Meet your bargaining team, learn why they got involved in this round of negotiations and show your support with our bargaining graphics:
The Operational Services (SV Group) continued bargaining with Treasury Board on September 21-23, 2021, discussing fair wages, improved working conditions and work-life balance.
The bargaining team proposed several improvements, including:
Fair wages, allowances and premiums by closing the gap between SV members’ wages and those in the private sector while protecting and improving access to overtime, premiums, and allowances.
Improving ships’ crews’ working conditions by addressing issues stemming from time spent at sea. The bargaining team is also pushing to have existing leave policies, such as Family Related Responsibility Leave, altered to make sense for the types of schedules worked by ships’ crews.
Expanding flexible working arrangements to ensure members have access to numerous options to do their work where and when it is possible, all while making sure this doesn’t come at the cost of existing premiums and allowances or a healthy work-life balance.
Strengthening protections against contracting out and finding ways to increase the recruitment and retention of employees in SV positions.
The SV bargaining team returns to the table October 25-28, 2021.
PSAC is committed to negotiating a fair deal that addresses the issues raised by members at the National Bargaining Conference, and rejecting any concessionary proposals from the employer.
Show your support
Meet your SV bargaining team, learn why they got involved in this round of negotiations and show your support by using our virtual background for all your work meetings and swapping out your social media profile picture:
To ensure that you receive all updates, make 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.
The Program and Administrative Services (PA) bargaining team discussed expanding a range of leave options and flexible hours of work during talks with Treasury Board September 21-23.
The bargaining team proposed several improvements, including:
Enhancing sick leave by increasing the amount of sick leave that can be advanced to members as well as limiting when a medical note may be requested, while ensuring the employer covers any associated fees.
Expanding leave for family-related responsibilities by increasing the hours provided. This would be applicable to care for any family member, along with care for children whose daycare or schools have closed. The proposal would also remove the cap of 7.5 hours for legal appointments and specify that the leave can be used to visit a terminally ill family member.
Expanding bereavement leave by increasing the number of days provided in the event of the death of a family member. The proposal would also allow employees to benefit from bereavement leave in the event of a miscarriage and in the event of the death of an aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, sibling-in-law, or a person for whom the employee was on compassionate care leave.
Expanding the possibility for flexible working arrangements by allowing employees to request flexible hours between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Strengthening injury on duty leave by requiring that a certified workers’ compensation authority determines the length of leave rather than individual managers, who do not have the same expertise or impartiality.
The PA team returns to the table October 25-28. The common issues table will meet September 27-29.
PSAC is committed to pushing for a fair deal that addresses the issues raised by members at the National Bargaining Conference, and rejecting any concessionary proposals from the employer.
Show your support
Meet your bargaining team, learn why they got involved in this round of negotiations and show your support with our bargaining graphics:
The Education and Library Science (EB) bargaining team focused on expanding a range of leave options and potential flexible work arrangements during talks with Treasury Board September 14-16.
Expanding leave options
The bargaining team proposed several improvements, including:
Enhancing sick leave by increasing the amount of sick leave that can be advanced to members, and limiting when a medical note may be requested while ensuring the employer covers any associated fees.
Expanding leave for family-related responsibilities by increasing the hours provided. This would be applicable to care for any family member, along with care for children whose daycare or schools have closed. The proposal would also remove the cap of 7.5 hours for legal appointments and specify that the leave can be used to visit a terminally ill family member.
Strengthening injury on duty leave by requiring that a certified workers’ compensation authority determines the length of leave rather than individual managers, who do not have the same expertise or impartiality.
Providing leave for medical appointments to those with chronic medical conditions, since these members may struggle to access time off for medical needs and resort to using vacation leave.
Flexible work arrangements
Treasury Board is exploring non-traditional working hours for employees. PSAC welcomes this initiativeand will ensure that any change to hours of work is implemented fairly, made accessible to as many members as possible, and entirely voluntary. Any change must also respect members’ health and safety and right to disconnect.
The EB team returns to the table November 8-10. The common issues table will meet on September 27-29.
Show your support
Meet your bargaining team, learn why they got involved in this round of negotiations and show your support with our bargaining graphics:
Please be sure to keep your contact information up to date with the member portal to receive all the latest updates as we negotiate your next contract.
The Technical Services (TC) bargaining team met with the Treasury Board September 14-16 to continue negotiations.
Only non-monetary issues were discussed this round. The bargaining team is looking to make progress on these important issues before moving into discussions around wages and other monetary changes.
Some issues the bargaining team is prioritizing include:
Maintaining flexibility for hours of work to ensure members have numerous options to do their work. Members have shown resilience and dedication to their work throughout the pandemic and should have maximum flexibility going forward.
Improving health and safety for all members by including clear language ensuring that the employer is obligated to provide personal protective equipment to employees, and that they also provide proper training for workplace health and safety representatives.
Language protecting members who blow the whistle on wrongdoing. The existing whistleblower system does not adequately protect members who report wrongdoing in the workplace. All members should be protected from reprisals in such situations.
Occupational Group Structure (OGS) because getting a fair and modern classification system is at the root of getting members paid fairly for the work that they do. The OGS is the first step of this process.
The bargaining team expects to meet with the employer again in the fall. They are firmly focused on getting a strong and fair deal for all TC members.
Show your support
Member support through this process is critical to our success. Meet your bargaining team and learn why they got involved in this round of negotiations. And show your support with our bargaining graphics:
Earlier this year, PSAC and the employer submitted a joint application to the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB) to combine the two Statistical Survey Operations (SSO) bargaining units. The FPSLREB approved the application on June 10, 2021, and we are awaiting the official certificate.
The ruling combines the Regional Offices and Field teams into one bargaining unit. The consolidated unit will provide an opportunity to negotiate a better contract for 1,950 SSO members and give us greater strength in numbers.
PSAC met with the employer to continue negotiations for a consolidated collective agreement in May and July. Our next scheduled meeting is August 17-18 and then again in September, though the dates have not yet been confirmed.
