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Last time we reported on bargaining at Statistical Survey Operations, the negotiations had reached an impasse<\/a>. Since then, members have only become more passionate about having their issues addressed.<\/p>\n \u201cThe members are getting impatient and frustrated,\u201d said R\u00e9jean Amyotte, a member of the bargaining team. \u201cThe more time goes by, the more solid we become.\u201d<\/p>\n After the PSAC filed for arbitration, the employer filed almost 20 pages of objections. Their position is that many issues, including wage and scheduling rights, simply can\u2019t be addressed in arbitration. In response, the Labour Board scheduled a hearing for the end of March to address the employer\u2019s 131 objections.<\/p>\n \u201cThis delay is really starting to build solidarity.\u201d<\/p>\n Members working for Statistical Survey Operations fall under two categories; those who go door to door conducting surveys and those who do it from a call centre. Both groups have filed for arbitration.<\/p>\n Last month, members at the regional office in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, participated in lunch-hour pickets in the days leading up to the Labour Board hearing. Once the hearing started, members\u00a0mobilized\u00a0even more.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the first day that we picketed, I got a call from the assistant director asking what was going on,\u201d said Amyotte. \u201cSo, we certainly have their attention.\u201d<\/p>\n Among the demands is the issue of seniority; our members want the employer to recognize seniority when assigning work hours. As things stand currently, the employer has no obligation to provide a minimum amount of hours.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring our discussions at the negotiating table, we always presented scenarios on how this could be put into practice,\u201d said G\u00e9raldine Fortin, a member of the bargaining team for field employees.<\/p>\n \u201cThey make us talk, they make us talk \u2013 but they never come back with anything. We\u2019re basically talking to ourselves \u2013 there\u2019s no exchange.\u201d<\/p>\n In a recent demonstration in Sherbrooke, Quebec, SSO members sported t-shirts with the slogan, \u201cWe believe in seniority\u201d.<\/p>\n Fortin, who has been working for Statistical Survey Operations for 22 years, says she\u2019s been promised the moon since Day 1, and she\u2019s still waiting.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do we stay there?\u201d Fortin asked herself. \u201cIt\u2019s not for the salary. It\u2019s not for the work conditions \u2013 there\u00a0aren’t\u00a0any\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe stay there because of the contact with respondants. There\u2019s a social side to our work that is very rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n For additional information, please consult the SSO bargaining<\/a> section of the PSAC website.<\/p>\n
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