July 4, 2008
Negotiations for Field Interviewers are underway
Your SSO FI bargaining team met with the employer from June 3 to June 6, 2008, for our first negotiating session since we exchanged proposals in April.
We had in-depth discussions on a number of the union's proposals, including health and safety, technological change and monitoring issues, anti-harassment language, job title change and sick leave with pay. The employer also made presentations on its interpretation of some of the current collective agreement language, including the terms “operational requirements” and “required to work.” (You can find our proposals, as well as the employer's demands, on the PSAC web site.)
Monitoring the work of Field Interviewers
With respect to monitoring, the employer confirmed plans to install recording devices that will monitor the conversation between the interviewer and respondent, allowing the employer to match the recordings to computer keystrokes to ensure data quality, and “in the spirit of training” to improve interviewer performance. A pilot project involving 25 interviewers working on the Canadian Community Health Survey is expected to begin in the Eastern Region in the fall, with a target date for full implementation some time in 2009.
Some data quality monitoring already occurs in the RO bargaining unit and the introduction of monitoring for the Field Interviewers is being communicated to the union at the level of the National Union-Management Consultative Committee. However, your bargaining team is considering whether protective language is required in the technological change article or possibly other articles in the collective agreement.
Anti-harassment language needs updating
As at the RO table, we also discussed the union's proposed anti-harassment language. The language in the collective agreement is out-of-date because it deals only with sexual harassment. The employer's Harassment Prevention Directive in the Employee Handbook does acknowledge personal harassment, but in our opinion, the Directive itself is inadequate, inappropriate and unacceptable for several reasons. For example, the process for dealing with alleged harassment requires the employee to contact only managers, whom the employee may not know or may not feel comfortable with. We are looking to expand the definition of harassment in the collective agreement and ensure that employees who feel they are the subject of harassment are entitled to union representation.
Health and safety is an important issue
The union has a number of proposals on health and safety which would ensure consistent practice across the country with respect to local representation on regional health and safety committees, and also ensure that all of the committees meet a minimum of nine times per year as required by federal labour legislation. We also explained to the employer that interviewers who reside in the North and those who are on the Northern Team need representation to deal with the particular health and safety issues encountered the North.
What's in a name?
Our proposal to change our job title to Data Collection Officer was also discussed. We explained to the employer that the name we have proposed more accurately encompasses the scope of work that we actually perform. We also feel agreement on the new title would demonstrate that the employer understands the large variety of tasks we undertake and respects the value of our contribution.. The employer responded that they believe the word “interviewer” is appropriate. We are not withdrawing the demand; we hope to return to the discussion after the employer has had some time to consider our position.
Joint presentation in July
Finally, we will be meeting on July 3 with the RO team to give the employer's bargaining committees a joint presentation on our demands on the Joint Learning Program and the Social Justice Fund, and to hear an explanation of the pension plan. The employer has declined our invitation to bargain during the summer, so we are now considering dates in September and October.
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Date Modified : 2008/07/30
Public Service Alliance of Canada | 233, Gilmour Street, Ottawa, ONTARIO CANADA, K2P 0P1, Tel.: 1 888 604-7722 (PSAC)