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Audit Services Group workers vote to strike after latest offer from management

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.

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SSO bargaining: Statistics Canada continues to stall

November 2, 2021

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 

Stay up to date with the latest developments by signing up for our mailing list or visiting our SSO bargaining page.  

Source: SSO bargaining: Statistics Canada continues to stall | Public Service Alliance of Canada (psacunion.ca)

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Common issues: Team focuses on equity, remote work

October 1, 2021

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:

Stay in touch

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.

Source: Common issues: Team focuses on equity, remote work | Public Service Alliance of Canada (psacunion.ca)

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SV Bargaining: team proposes improved working conditions and work-life balance

September 28, 2021

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: 

Stay tuned for updates

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. 

Source: SV Bargaining: team proposes improved working conditions and work-life balance | Public Service Alliance of Canada (psacunion.ca)

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PA bargaining: Team proposes leave improvements, more flexible hours

September 24, 2021

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:

Stay in touch

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.

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EB group: Team discusses expanded leave, flexible work

September 21, 2021

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:  

Stay in touch  

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. 

Source: EB group: Team discusses expanded leave, flexible work | Public Service Alliance of Canada (psacunion.ca)

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TC group: Team discusses flexible work, health and safety

September 17, 2021

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: 

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. 

Source: TC group: Team discusses flexible work, health and safety | Public Service Alliance of Canada (psacunion.ca)

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Labour board approves application to combine SSO bargaining units

July 14, 2021

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.

Sign up to our mailing list, read our frequently asked questions section on SSO bargaining and the merger, or check our SSO page for the latest updates. 

Source: Labour board approves application to combine SSO bargaining units | Public Service Alliance of Canada (psacunion.ca)

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Parks Canada: Members elect bargaining team and set priorities

Passion and commitment were on the agenda at the Parks Canada Agency’s National Virtual Bargaining Conference, held from May 31 to June 2. Delegates from the Union of National Employees (UNE) and the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE) came out of the conference more united than ever after electing their bargaining team and setting priorities for the new round of talks starting this summer.

Meet the Parks Canada Agency bargaining team:

  • Nicolas Angers
  • Alisha Campbell
  • Angela Decker
  • Birch Howard
  • Kassandra McKinnon
  • Omar Murray
  • Daniel Toutant
  • Jaison Van Tine

Alternates

  • Réginald Bernatchez
  • André Miller
  • Denis St-Onge

The bargaining team will be supported by the following PSAC staff:

  • John Eustace, negotiator
  • Djimy Theodore, researcher

Parks Canada Agency members proudly work to offer Canadians the best outdoor experience. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected their work, but they stepped up to guarantee safe access to green spaces across the country. Their essential work in these uncertain times ensured that everyone could keep connecting with Canada’s rich natural and cultural heritage.

At the bargaining conference, members outlined the impact of the pandemic on their work and proposed solutions to improve their working conditions, all of which must be addressed with the agency.

Here is an overview of the key issues discussed at the conference:

Job security

In an agency where seasonal and student jobs are common, achieving job security is a top priority. Under the current system, precarious employment creates a lot of stress and is detrimental to mental health.

PSAC is committed to opposing all forms of precarious employment and ensure that all members have access to indeterminate employment.

Fair wages

 We must secure wage increases that reflect the rising cost of living as well as our members’ skills, professionalism and dedication. 

Many members have also experienced a widening wage gap compared to their private-sector counterparts. We need wage adjustments that keep up with the wages of those doing similar work both within and outside the federal public service.

Remote work

We believe that provisions governing remote work will be most effective if negotiated into collective agreements.

We must also ensure that remote work is free from remote surveillance and unreasonable performance expectations, that employers cover associated expenses and that concerns relating to accommodations, ergonomics and health and safety are addressed.

Contracting out and privatization

Contracting out and privatization of public services increase costs and risk to taxpayers, reduce the quality of services, erode the internal capacity of the public service, create precarious work, and undermine initiatives that address pay equity and systemic racism. 

We must tackle the alarming increase in contracting out of government work, including through temporary staffing agencies. 

Work-life balance

We must also expand leave provisions (e.g. 699 leave, family-responsibilities leave and sick leave) to improve work-life balance, which is especially critical for women, caregivers and those with disabilities. 

We also need to negotiate flexible work options that allow members to shape their workday to match their personal and family responsibilities. 

Violence and harassment

Workplace violence and harassment are a health and safety issue that can have severe physical and psychological consequences for members.

We need to build robust mechanisms to tackle these issues, such as mandatory training and support for members.

Languages rights

Our membership at Parks Canada includes many Indigenous members and several parks are located on traditional Indigenous territories.

In recognition of this, it’s necessary to decolonize our collective agreement. We want the agency to formally recognize Indigenous languages and provide an allowance to members who work in their Indigenous language.

Next steps

Over the next few months, the Parks Canada Agency bargaining team will meet to discuss the bargaining issues prioritized at the National Bargaining Conference and work on a final package of bargaining demands that will be exchanged with the employer. 

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

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Treasury Board bargaining teams set for next round of talks

June 4, 2021

After months of preparation, bargaining teams for the PA, SV, TC and EB groups are now gearing up for their first meetings with the employer in June. They’ll aim to build on the gains negotiated in the last round of negotiations and put forward proposals that reflect the new realities of our post-pandemic workplaces.

This spring, Treasury Board members took part in the first virtual PSAC National Bargaining Conference, where they reviewed and prioritized the bargaining proposals submitted by PSAC members from across the country, and elected their bargaining teams.

At the common issues table, the bargaining team will negotiate proposals that encompass the needs of all federal public service workers employed by Treasury Board, while teams at each table will negotiate improvements specific to their membership. 

Bargaining dates: 

  • Common issues: June 14-15
  • SV group: June 16-17
  • TC group: June 16-17
  • PA group: June 22-23
  • EB group: June 22-23  

To support your elected bargaining team members, we encourage you to download and use your team’s virtual background for all your work meetings and swap out your social media profile picture during National Public Service Week, June 13–19. 

Bargaining graphics:

Over the next few months, we’ll launch some exciting new engagement tools to help you build support for your team. We are also organizing opportunities for members to learn more about the bargaining process and how to engage with colleagues virtually.

Your commitment to Canadians throughout the pandemic has been invaluable, and we’ll continue to fight for a contract that reflects that. Make sure to keep your contact information up to date to receive all the latest updates and stay connected with your PSAC regional office as we prepare to negotiate your next contract.  

Source: Treasury Board bargaining teams set for next round of talks  | Public Service Alliance of Canada (psacunion.ca)