News release

July 18, 2003 

Statistical Survey Operations provoking a strike  

OTTAWA – Statistical Survey Operations (SSO) is provoking a strike by sticking to its position that its Regional Office Interviewers, members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, are only worth 67 cents.    

“SSO’s first and only wage offer hasn’t changed in months of negotiations,” says PSAC National Executive Vice-President John Gordon.   “That offer amounts to the grand sum of 67 cents an hour over a two-year contract.”  

“To put it into perspective, these Interviewers perform work that is comparable to work performed by CR-4 and CR-5 positions at Statistics Canada itself,” according to Gordon.   “The wage gap between these positions and a Regional Office Interviewer ranges from $6.78 to $8.43 an hour.”  

“The 67-cent offer doesn’t bring them close to their counterparts in the federal public service.   It doesn’t even bring them up to the lowest clerical position in the federal government, a CR-1, which is paid $2.05 an hour more than the Interviewers.   And, with negotiations scheduled to begin with Treasury Board in September, the wage gap will continue to grow.”  

Gordon explains that “a Conciliation Board, which was scheduled to hear presentations from the PSAC and SSO on the issues in dispute, concluded its hearings on day one. When the Board explored the possibility of mediating a settlement, they ran up against the employer’s rigid position on wage increases.   Statistical Survey Operations made it clear that their first offer was not going to change.”  

Now that the hearing is over, the Conciliation Board will file its report with the Chairperson of the Public Service Staff Relations Board.   The Regional Office Interviewers will then be in a legal strike position seven days after the union has been advised that the report has been filed. 

“Our members have been taking strike preparation courses,” indicates Gordon.   “Our regional strike coordinating committees have been up and running for months and we expect activities to escalate in the weeks ahead.”  

“Statistical Survey Operations’ refusal to compromise is not just harming its workers.   It is going to cause grave damage to Statistics Canada’s outstanding reputation for the quality and reliability of its surveys.”  

The Regional Office Interviewers interview members of the public by telephone and gather data from Canadians from coast to coast to coast, including businesses, farmers and families.   The data gathered is used in a wide variety of Statistics Canada surveys and is used to produce economic indicators such as the unemployment rate and the Consumer Price Index.   The PSAC agreement with SSO, which covers approximately 900 Regional Office Interviewers, expired on November 30, 2001 .  

- 30 –

For information:   John Gordon, PSAC National Executive Vice-President                             (613) 560-4310

36-180703