Union Update

July 2007

Acrobat format

In this issue:

• PSAC concludes second set of meetings with Treasury Board
• PSAC takes action on AS Compensation Issues
• First Nations Education Workers Look to Join PSAC
• Conciliation needed at the Corps of Commissionaires

PSAC concludes second set of meetings with Treasury Board

The negotiating teams for all five PSAC Treasury Board bargaining units were in negotiations this month.  In addition to bargaining, the teams held a joint meeting on June 9 to share information.   Here’s what happened at each bargaining table:

Your Program and Administrative Services (PA) negotiating team met with Treasury Board from June 5 – 8.  The team made a presentation to the employer on language training and will be tabling language on this issue during the next set of meetings.  A number of articles currently in the collective agreement were signed off as renewed.  These were articles for which neither side had any demands.  Every member of the team had the opportunity to speak to one or more of our demands at the table and to engage with the employer on issues specific to this bargaining unit. 

Your Operational Services (SV) team also met with Treasury Board from June 5 – 7. The Union responded to a number of questions and sought clarification on several items. The parties also traded preliminary thoughts on outstanding classification and apprenticeship issues.  In addition, the parties also signed off on 19 renewable articles on which no demands had been made by either side, and which were not impacted by any new proposals.  A handful of editorial changes were required as a result of the Public Service Modernization Act (PSMA).

Your Technical Services (TC) team met with the employer on June 12 and 13.  The team renewed Articles not in dispute and made editorial changes to bring the language in the TC agreement in line with the new legislation (PSMA).  Your team responded to the employer’s questions and provided further explanations of our demands.  Treasury Board clarified some of their proposals as well.  The team also reviewed the unit’s proposals for Allowances and will be gathering information over the summer in support of these demands.
 
Your Education and Library Science (EB) team, representing teachers, teaching assistants and librarians, met with Treasury Board June 13 – 14. The Union responded to requests for clarification on several items and the parties had some preliminary discussions on outstanding classification issues. In addition, the parties agreed to renew and signed off on 20 articles.  They also agreed to some editorial changes required as a result of the PSMA. 

Your Frontière/Border Services (FB) team met with the Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) for three days beginning June 11.  While no substantive agreements were reached, a number of issues were discussed.  Talks focused primarily on the employer's implementation plan for the arming initiative and the Union’s proposals for ensuring that Border Service Officers (BSOs) and many other PSAC members at CBSA are never forced to work alone.  Alternative Working Arrangements, seniority rights regarding shift or line allocation and vacation scheduling were also discussed.  Our team made it clear to the employer that we are committed to ensuring that our new contract includes language that provides a safer working environment for PSAC members at CBSA.   We also made it clear that we need an objective standard for decision-making to ensure that hours of work scheduling recognizes employee years of service.  Millions of workers across Canada and around the world have seniority rights.  It is time we had them at CBSA.

What about a salary increase?

At this stage, it has been too early for the parties to discuss monetary demands, particularly salary increases.  These issues will become the subject of considerable discussion as negotiations proceed in the months to come.

Agreements expire in June and August

Each of the agreements with Treasury Board have either expired or will do so soon.  PA – June 20, 2007; SV – August 4, 2007, TC – June 21, 2007, EB – June 30, 2007.  Members in the FB unit are currently covered by the PA unit agreement.

While the agreements have expired, the employer may not alter the terms and conditions of your agreement until either a new agreement is signed or the members in the bargaining unit take strike action.

More negotiations have been scheduled

The PA and SV negotiating teams will meet again with Treasury Board the week of October 2, 2007. 

The TC, EB and FB negotiating teams will meet with the employer the week of October 9, 2007.

What to do on your summer vacation

Over the summer, PSAC members will be meeting with their Members of Parliament to talk about defending the quality public services our members provide to Canadians.  They’ll also be talking about bargaining issues such as eliminating regional rates of pay.

Over the summer, MPs can often be found at summer events in your community.  Why not take a minute to remind your MP that your collective agreement is important to you and that you want to be treated fairly at the bargaining table.  Or, join one of the PSAC teams who will be finding out where MPs and candidates for the next federal election stand on issues that are important to you. To get involved, contact your PSAC Regional Office.

Sign up

Now’s the time to sign-up at www.psac-afpc.com to receive Bargaining INFO bulletins electronically.  Encourage other members to sign up and help set up a coordinated communication network in your Local. 

Tentative agreement at the CFIA

Your PSAC negotiating team reached a tentative agreement on June 20 for our members working at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. This is a one-year agreement that includes a salary increase of 2.5% effective January 1, 2007.

The tentative agreement contains changes to reflect new provisions in the Public Service Modernization Act regarding union leave (the replacement of Conciliation Boards with Public Interest Commissions) and a Grievance Article to reflect our ability to file Group and Policy grievances.

The Maternity and Parental Articles were also updated to reflect the improvements gained as a result of the introduction of the changes made in the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan.

There will be a new transitional allowance for members of the Financial Management (FI) Group who have reached the highest level of their salary scale. The allowance will match an allowance provided in the federal public service.

In the near future, the PSAC regional offices will be scheduling ratification vote meetings. Information on where and when your ratification vote meeting is being held will be available to you through your Local, your PSAC regional office and your Component.

If the tentative agreement is ratified, PSAC will begin planning soon for the next round of bargaining, including serving notice to bargain in early September.

PSAC takes action on AS Compensation Issues

On June 7th, PSAC President John Gordon made another appearance before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, this time to address the Committee’s concerns that the government is failing to pay its employees on time.

The Committee had also invited representatives of the Association of Compensation Community, which is a network of 1500 Compensation and Benefits Advisors who work across all government departments. The advisors, members of the PSAC, are currently classified as AS-02s within the PA group. The community is facing significant recruitment and retention problems.

Members of Parliament on the Committee said they have received numerous complaints from federal government employees about problems getting paid. Specifically, employees are pointing to significant delays in being added to the system, upgrade delays during promotion and acting situations, and in receiving payment for overtime.

For more than a year now, the PSAC has been warning the government that it will find itself increasingly incapable of paying its employees on time and accurately. Following the May 2006 AS Roundtable, convened by former President Nycole Turmel, the PSAC released a report recommending immediate action in a number of areas, including classification, recruitment, training and professional certification.

In response to the presentations, the Standing Committee unanimously passed a motion requesting that the Auditor General examine the problem and make recommendations as to how federal public employees can be paid properly and on time.

First Nations Education Workers Look to Join PSAC

PSAC filed a certification application with the Canada Industrial Relations Board to represent 70 teachers, educational assistants, student escorts, counsellors, occupational therapists and speech therapists employed by the Ahkwesashne Mohawk Board of Education in Cornwall, Ontario.

The Ahkwesahsne Mohawk Board of Education (AMBE) presently administers elementary schools in all three Ahkwesahsne Districts: the Ahkwesahsne Mohawk School on Cornwall Island; the Kana'takon School in St. Regis; and, the Tsi Snaihne School in Snye (Quebec). AMBE also provides for students attending Secondary and Post Secondary school off-reserve and for Special Education students.

The next step in the process is for the Labour Board to determine if PSAC has 50%+1 membership support for an automatic certification or if a vote among all bargaining unit members is required to determine whether or not they wish to join PSAC.

PSAC currently represents language teachers, teaching and education assistants, tutor/escorts and administrative assistants who work at Six Nations schools. This is due to a decision by the Public Service Staff Relations Board (PSSRB) that found that they were Treasury Board employees entitled to the same collective agreement entitlements as their counterparts within the federal public service. A successful campaign at the Ahkwesashne Mohawk Board of Education would build upon PSAC's experience in the First Nations education sector.

Conciliation needed at the Corps of Commissionaires

Although the Corps of Commissionaires has received a multi-million dollar contract to provide security services at Health Canada buildings, the Corps is still demanding a wage roll-back from our PSAC member Commissionaires.

Commissionaires working in the Health Canada buildings in Ottawa work an average of 42 hours per week and make around $22,000 a year. Some of these Commissionaires are veterans.

Where are the “higher pay rates, excellent benefit packages and top-notch training” the Corps executive director, Captain Paul Guindon, was talking about to the media on May 28, 2007?

“It’s appalling for the Corps to ask for wage reductions from workers who already deserve a much better salary,” said Ed Cashman, PSAC Executive Regional Vice-President for the National Capital Region.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is trying to negotiate a first collective agreement for them. PSAC believes the Corps should withdraw this unfair demand immediately and offer a fair and reasonable salary increase to its employees.

PSAC has no other choice but to ask for the appointment of a conciliation officer for the negotiations with the Corps of Commissionaires.

Meanwhile, members of other PSAC Locals have pledged their support for their sisters and brothers trying to negotiate a first collective agreement with the Corps of Commissionaires.