National Joint Council
Some bargaining demands take a different route to the collective agreement
Negotiations are beginning and you've been asked for bargaining demands. Some things have been bugging you for a while, so you submitted a few ideas.
You can't find glasses for under $300, but there's nothing about increased coverage for eyeware? Your trip down south went into Suzie's mouth last year, but there's no demand about better coverage for orthodontics? That $1,000 for psychological services isn't going to get your family through this crisis, but there's no demand. In fact, there's nothing about health or dental care and your co-workers put in similar demands. Where did they go?
They didn't disappear! Health care, dental, travel, commuting, relocation, isolated posts, foreign service, many occupational health and safety demands simply take a different route.
Health Care
The Public Service Health Care Plan Trust was formed in 2000 by the PSAC, the Treasury Board and the Superannuate Association. The parties agreed the Plan would not be changed for five years, but in 2004 negotiations will begin again. The bargaining demands you submitted have been filed with other PSHCP material and will be reviewed in 2004 when negotiations on the Plan begin again.
Dental
The PSAC has a separate dental plan with Treasury Board, which expires at the end of 2003. The bargaining demands you submitted have been integrated into the demands being put forward in this round of dental negotiations.
National Joint Council
The PSAC is also a party to NJC Directives which form part of TB collective agreements, but are negotiated separately. These include the: Travel Directive, Commuting Assistance Directive, Relocation-IRP Directive, Isolated Posts and Government Housing Directive and eighteen occupational health and safety directives. Every three years or so, these directives are reviewed and a call for demands is circulated to affected members. If, however, a demand is submitted through the collective agreement bargaining cycle, it is forwarded to the appropriate area of PSAC and held until the next cyclical review and incorporated into the demands. No demand is lost or ignored.
NJC, Non-NJC and Arms-length Directives, Plans and Pension Up-Coming Review Cycle - 2003
1- National Joint Council
| Directive Name |
Cyclical Review |
|---|---|
| Commuting assistance directive |
Input date for cyclical review extended to January 1, 2004. |
| Foreign service directives |
Next cyclical review to take place June 1, 2006. The FSD has just been through a thorough review, however, some outstanding items from collective bargaining have been referred by the Executive Committee. |
| Isolated posts and government housing directive |
Next cyclical review to take place April 1, 2006. NJC says input call may be issued in early 2004. |
| Relocation - IRP directive |
The Executive Committee has mandated the Government Travel Committee to explore further relocation issues beginning on, or after Oct. 1, 2003 with any resulting recommendations to be reported to the Executive by April 1, 2004. |
| Travel directive |
This directive took effect on Oct. 1, 2002. There is no indication when a new input call will be made. |
| Occupational Safety and Health • Boiler and pressure vessels directive • Committees and representatives directive • Electrical directive • Elevated work structures directive • Elevating devices directive • First aid directive • First aid allowance directive • Hazardous confined spaces directive • Hazardous substances directive • Materials-handling directive • Motor Vehicle operations directive • Noise control and hearing conservation directive • Personal protective equipment and clothing directive • Pesticides directive • Refusal to work directive • Sanitation directive • Tools and machinery directive • Use and occupancy of buildings directive |
Initial review has been launched of all 18 directives to determine possibilities for simplification in light of changes to the Canada Labour Code and regulations. This process will also serve as preparation for a subsequent substantive review of provisions of some/ all directives. |
The PSAC is also involved in several NJC Committeess (the Employment Equity Committee, the Service-Wide Policy Committee on Occupation Health and Safety, the Communications Committee and the Official Languages Committee) which do not deal with directives but address issues assigned to them by the Executive Committee.
2- Non-NJC or Arms-length
Public Service Health Care Plan ñ The Trust Agreement, which includes the PSHCP Plan Document as Appendix B, expires on March 31, 2005. There is no precise timetable, but the parties expressed their intent to begin renegotiations within a 30-day period following April 1, 2004.
Dental Care Plan ñ The Plan expires at the end of 2003. There has been some discussion with the NJC BA representative (Rudy Loiselle) about holding an initial joint meeting with Treasury Board. This has not been confirmed. The current plan is to exchange demands in Oct. 2003.
Disability Insurance Plan ñ The Plan Board of Management operates under the auspices of the National Joint Council, but there is no NJC directive involved or cyclical revicw process. The federal Disability Insurance Plan is a contract between Treasury Board and the Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada and, following recent decisions on the future governance structure of the Disability Insurance Plan Board of Management by the NJC Executive Committee, the mandate of the Disability Insurance Plan Board of Management will now be restricted to appeals and other specific operational issues. Disability Insurance Plan amendments and/or revisions will now be the domain of either the NJC Executive Committee consultations or the collective bargaining process. Other transitional issues will be discussed by both the Disability Insurance Plan Board of Management and the NJC Executive Committee over the next several months.
The Public Service Pension ñ The Advisory Committee (PSPAC) for the pension plan is not associated in any manner with the NJC and has the following legislated mandate under subsection 41(2)of the Public Service Superannuation Act (PSSA):
(a) review matters respecting the administration, design and funding of the benefits provided under this Act and make recommendations to the Minister about those matters; and
(b) review any other pension-related matters that the Minister may refer to it"
The PSPAC has adopted a process of establishing an annual forward agenda to address issues of concern within this prescribed mandate. The next planning retreat to discuss and adopt the 2003-2004 forward agenda is scheduled for October 29th to 31st, 2003 at St. Sauveur-des-Monts, Quebec.
Date de modification : 2010/02/02
