Collective Bargaining

2020/08/172020/08/19

Ratification votes: What you need to know

PSAC members in the following bargaining units will soon have an opportunity to vote on their respective tentative agreement:

Treasury Board

Canada Revenue Agency

If you are unsure which bargaining unit under Treasury Board you belong in, you can look it up here.

In order to be eligible to vote you must:

have received your personal identification number (PIN)

ensure you are a member in good standing (MIGS), and

attend a 15 minute webinar session.

The voting period will be held between August 24 and September 29. Please follow the steps below to ensure you can vote.

1. Receive your Personal Identification Number (PIN)

For those PSAC members for whom we have no personal email, we will send a letter in the mail containing your PIN to your home address two weeks before the beginning of the voting period. If we have a non-employer, personal e-mail address on file, we will instead send you an email with your PIN two days before the start of the voting period.

Please take a moment to update your contact information and provide us with your personal, non-work email address. You can update your contact information online by logging into the PSAC member portal or create an account if you don’t already have one.

If you have not received your PIN after the voting period begins, please check your junk e-mail folder and if it is not found there contact your PSAC Regional Office.

2. Ensure you are a member in good standing (MIGS)

In some situations, PSAC members cease being members in good standing (MIGS) and lose the right to participate in ratification votes.

If you are on extended leave

If you are on extended leave (e.g., long term disability, maternity or parental leave) and therefore not a member in good standing (MIGS), you can make a request to remain in good standing to the National President via this online form. This will allow you to participate in the ratification vote.

If you have not signed a union card or are unsure that it has been processed

If you have never signed a union card, you will not be able to participate in the ratification process. You can fill out and sign a union card online.

If you are unsure that you have previously signed a card or are unsure that it has been processed, simply fill out a new card online.

Even if you are already a member in good standing, please take a moment to give us your personal, non-work email address. You can update your contact information online right now.

If you have difficulty updating your information, contact your PSAC Regional Office.

3. Register for a webinar

In order to ensure that members are fully informed prior to casting their ballot, the PSAC Constitution requires all members to attend an information session before they vote for a new collective agreement. These 15 minute presentations will be held via online webinar and will allow members to cast their ballot once the presentation is over. Members will also have the opportunity to stay online after the presentation should they want to ask questions regarding the content of the tentative agreement. The dates and times of the webinars will be listed on your PSAC regional website, and you will have to register in advance.

Attendance will be tracked so participation must be done as an individual (i.e. if there are multiple members in the household you must each register separately and log in separately). Only those who registered and attend the full presentation will have their member profile updated on the electronic voting system, enabling them to vote. Voting will then be done online or via telephone.

PSAC is still in the process of organizing webinars. We will email you and update our website once registration is open.

If you have additional questions about voting, or the tentative settlement for your bargaining group, please call your PSAC regional office using the info below.

PSAC Regional Office	E-mail Address	Phone Number
St. John’s	vote2020_STJ@psac-afpc.com	709-702-3348
Halifax	vote2020_HAL@psac-afpc.com	902-417-1374
Moncton	vote2020_MON@psac-afpc.com	506-317-1047
Charlottetown	vote2020_CHA@psac-afpc.com	902-812-1305
Québec	vote2020_QUE@psac-afpc.com	581-316-4396
Montréal	vote2020_MTL@psac-afpc.com	438-315-3107
Gatineau	ncr-vote@psac-afpc.com	613-714-4829
Ottawa	ncr-vote@psac-afpc.com	613-714-4829
Kingston	vote2020_KIN@psac-afpc.com	343-344-3098
Toronto	vote2020_TOR@psac-afpc.com	647-317-1291
London	vote2020_LON@psac-afpc.com	226-636-6047
Sudbury	vote2020_SUD@psac-afpc.com	705-419-2591
Thunder Bay	vote2020_THU@psac-afpc.com	807-333-0892
Winnipeg	vote2020_WIN@psac-afpc.com	431-317-0691
Regina	vote2020_REG@psac-afpc.com	306-757-0522
Saskatoon	vote2020_SAK@psac-afpc.com	306-808-2574
Calgary	vote2020_CAL@psac-afpc.com	403-910-5855
Edmonton	vote2020_EDM@psac-afpc.com	780-306-3126
Vancouver	vote2020_VAN@psac-afpc.com	604-343-3759
Victoria	vote2020_VIC@psac-afpc.com	778-746-1781
Whitehorse	vote2020_WHI@psac-afpc.com	867-457-0055
Yellowknife	vote2020_YEL@psac-afpc.com	867-988-1979
Iqaluit	vote2020_IQA@psac-afpc.com	867-877-1038

2020/08/122020/09/14

Parks Canada resumes bargaining August 24

Following the successful conclusion of bargaining for several Treasury Board bargaining groups, the Parks Canada bargaining team will be returning to the table to negotiate with agency representatives from August 24 to 28.

The union is committed to making progress on the following:

parity with the core public service;
a competitive wage increase;
fair compensation for Park Wardens;
work life balance initiatives, such as improved maternity and parental leave;
fairness for seasonal and term workers.

Stay tuned for updates

PSAC will provide updates on talks as appropriate. Please ensure that you have either updated your contact information on PSAC’s member portal, or that you create an account if you have not done so already.

2020/08/072020/08/19

EB group ratification kit, including the full text of the agreement, now available

On July 23, PSAC’s EB bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with Treasury Board. The bargaining team unanimously recommends ratification of the new agreement.

The ratification kit which includes the full text of the tentative agreement is now available for download.

Members will soon be invited to participate in an online ratification process. Details will be shared as soon as they are available.

Attachments:

2020-07-24_eb_rat_kit_en_final.pdf

2020/07/23

EB group reaches tentative agreement

July 23, 2020

PSAC has reached a tentative agreement that provides increases to wages, no concessions, and improved working conditions for nearly 1,000 members of the Education and Library Science (EB) group under Treasury Board.

In addition to these successful talks, EB members will also be awarded a Phoenix damages settlement to compensate members for the pain and suffering caused by the broken pay system. Please read the update which provides greater detail on the general Phoenix compensation portion of the settlement, as well as the expansion of the claims process for out-of-pocket expenses and for those who suffered major losses because of Phoenix.

EB Group settlement

The PSAC bargaining team successfully secured fair wage increases averaging at 2.11% per year. EB group members would receive the following wage increases:
2018 2019 2020
2.8% 2.2% 1.35%

In addition to these wage increases, the following group-specific wage adjustments and allowances were also secured: 

Implementation of a new, national pay grid for 12-month teachers and instructors.

Other improvements to the EB collective agreement include: 

Increase in maternity related reassignment or leave qualification from 52 to 78 weeks following the birth of a child
A new leave provision for members elected to union leadership
An increase in meal allowance for overtime from $9 to $12
Set timelines for receiving a response to vacation leave requests
Improvements to travel time to pay for up to five hours of compensation for any stop-overs
Language that emphasizes the importance of professional development activities, such as conferences and workshops, for LS members
Commitment from the Employer to consult with the Union in the next review of Treasury Board’s policy on indemnification
Commitment from the Employer to prepare informational material on employees’ injury on duty rights and benefits
Ability for ED-EST ten-month teachers to use their personal leave in 7.5 or 3.75 segments (Article 60)
An MOU for a Joint Committee to address the issues related to teaching time and preparation time for Language Teachers (ED-LAT)
An MOU for a Joint Committee to address the teaching of indigenous languages for 10-month teachers at INAC
Increases to funding for the Joint Learning Program, including a pilot study on health and safety training

Common issues settlement

Two weeks ago, when we obtained a settlement for the PA group, PSAC also reached a settlement for Treasury Board issues common to all groups. Some of the key improvements include:

A one-time payment of $500 in recognition of the extended collective agreement implementation deadline and an additional $50 for every subsequent 90-day delay
Ten days of paid Domestic Violence Leave
Better language on return to work following a Maternity or Parental Leave, giving more flexibility to parents who wish to change positions within the federal public service
Improvements to Parental Leave pay
Updated language to match the new legislation including a new extended leave option and the sharing of Parental Leave
Expanded supplementary allowance for every week an employee is on extended or shared Parental Leave
Additional weeks for parents covered under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, when both parents work in the public service
New Memorandum of Understanding to explore the issues related to childcare in the public service
Updated and improved language to match the new legislation on Compassionate Care and Caregiving Leave
Better language to allow the use of employer facilities for union activities
New Memorandum of Understanding to protect certain working conditions of civilian members of the RCMP
New Memorandum of Understanding on mental health in the workplace to support the work of the Centre for Expertise on Mental Health
In the event of workforce adjustment, the education allowance has increased to $17,000
Deletion of Memorandum of Understanding on Supporting Employee Wellness. As a result, Sick Leave will remain untouched.

Full text and next steps

We will share the final text and full details of the EB group tentative agreement, and common issues agreement, as soon as it becomes available. Shortly thereafter, EB members will be invited to participate in online ratification votes. Details about the votes will be shared as soon as possible.

The PSAC bargaining team unanimously recommends the ratification of the tentative agreement.

To ensure that you receive all updates and can participate in the ratification process, please ensure that you have either updated your contact information on PSAC’s member portal, or that you create an account if you have not done so already.

Source: psacunion.ca/eb-group-reaches-tentative-agreement

2020/07/232020/08/19

PA group ratification kit (full text of agreement) now available

July 23, 2020

On July 9, PSAC’s PA bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with Treasury Board. The bargaining team unanimously recommends ratification of the new agreement.

The ratification kit which includes the full text of the tentative agreement is now available for download.

Members will soon be invited to participate in an online ratification process. Details will be shared as soon as they are available.

Attachment:
2020-07-22_pa_ratification_kit.pdf

Source: http://psacunion.ca/pa-group-ratification-kit-full-text-agreement-now?_ga=2.41449570.1537710897.1595358281-1121130890.1580157739

2020/07/21

TC group reaches tentative agreement

July 21, 2020

PSAC has reached a tentative agreement that provides a fair wage increase, no concessions, and improved working conditions for the nearly 10,000 members in the TC group.

In addition to these successful talks, TC members will also be awarded a Phoenix damages settlement to compensate members for the pain and suffering caused by the broken pay system. Please read the update which provides greater detail on the general Phoenix compensation portion of the settlement, as well as the expansion of the claims process for out-of-pocket expenses and for those who suffered major losses because of Phoenix.

TC group settlement

PSAC’s bargaining team successfully secured fair wage increases averaging at 2.11% per year. TC group members would receive the following wage increases:

2018 2019 2020

2.8% 2.2% 1.35%

In addition to those wage increases, the following group-specific wage adjustments and allowances were also secured: 

EG parity with CFIA: Although we were not able to achieve parity, we have secured a commitment that we can file for arbitration on this issue outside of regular bargaining. We can do so as early as June 2021. We feel that we have very strong arguments to make the case to achieve parity for EG members.
Occupational allowances for the following groups shall increase to $3,534:
Fishery Officers (Appendix Z)
Environment and Wildlife Enforcement Officers (AA)
Labour Affairs Officers (DD)
Measurement Canada Inspectors (EE)
Increase to allowance for Search and Rescue coordinators in a Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (CC) to $5,354; expansion of allowance to supervisors, and to qualified EG and GT hovercraft crew members
Expansion of allowance for Enforcement and Wildlife Officers at Environment Canada to cover GT-06 and GT-07 levels (AA)
Expansion of the $2,500 allowance to cover all EG and TIs working in fleet maintenance facilities (BB) including those at 202 Workshop Depot
Expansion of the allowance for Labour Affairs Officers to cover TI-06 levels (DD)
Expansion of the allowance to TI employees at the Canadian Grain Commission (EE)
Improvement in allowance for certain shore-based positions at the Canadian Coast Guard (W): increase of ~$2,100 to the amounts payable to the GT-06 and GT-07 level and expansion in scope.
Improvement to Transportation of Dangerous Goods allowance, now payable as a monthly allowance of $75 rather than a daily allowance of $3.50.

Other improvements to the TC collective agreement include: 

Several leave improvements including for a person who stands in place of a relative for:
Leave without Pay for the Care of the family
Bereavement Leave
Leave with Pay for Family-Related Responsibilities
An increase in meal allowance for overtime from $10 to $12
Improvements to travel time to pay for up to five hours compensation for any stop-overs
Employees in the Sea Lamprey Control Unit (Appendix I): Improvement in overtime compensation – 1.75X rate will be paid during field season
Increases to funding for the Joint Learning Program, including a pilot study on health and safety training
Memorandum of Understanding for a Joint Study on employee support mechanisms for employees who in the course of their duties are exposed to explicit and disturbing material, and/or potentially threatening situations
Memorandum of Understanding for Joint Review of hours of work and applicability of travel status for Fishery Officers working offshore surveillance at DFO (Appendix C) to make proposals and inform next round of bargaining.
Deletion of language in Appendix K which places limits on when EGs can request vacation
Memorandum of Understanding regarding the Occupational Group Structure (OGS) review

Common issues settlement

Two weeks ago, when we obtained a settlement for the PA group, PSAC also reached a settlement for Treasury Board issues common to all groups. Some of the key improvements include:

A one-time payment of $500 in recognition of the extended collective agreement implementation deadline and an additional $50 for every subsequent 90-day delay
Ten days of paid Domestic Violence Leave
Better language on return to work following a Maternity or Parental Leave, giving more flexibility to parents who wish to change positions within the federal public service
Improvements to Parental Leave pay
Updated language to match the new legislation including a new extended leave option and the sharing of Parental Leave
Expanded supplementary allowance for every week an employee is on extended or shared Parental Leave
Additional weeks for parents covered under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, when both parents work in the public service
New Memorandum of Understanding to explore the issues related to childcare in the public service
Updated and improved language to match the new legislation on Compassionate Care and Caregiving Leave
Better language to allow the use of employer facilities for union activities
New Memorandum of Understanding to protect certain working conditions of civilian members of the RCMP
New Memorandum of Understanding on mental health in the workplace to support the work of the Centre for Expertise on Mental Health
In the event of workforce adjustment, the education allowance has increased to $17,000
Deletion of Memorandum of Understanding on Supporting Employee Wellness. As a result, Sick Leave will remain untouched.

Full text and next steps

We will share the final text and full details of the TC group tentative agreement, and common issues agreement, as soon as it becomes available. Shortly thereafter, TC members will be invited to participate in online ratification votes. Details about the votes will be shared as soon as possible.

The PSAC bargaining team unanimously recommends the ratification of the tentative agreement.

Source: http://psacunion.ca/tc-group-reaches-tentative-agreement

2020/07/15

Bargaining resumes for TC, EB & SV members

July 14, 2020

With the successful conclusion of bargaining for the Program and Administrative Services (PA) group, three more Treasury Board bargaining groups will be returning to their respective tables.

The Technical Services (TC) group and the Education and Library Science (EB) group have both resumed negotiations today and will be in bargaining until July 17. The Operational Services (SV) group will be resuming their negotiations the following week, July 21 to 24.

The TC group is looking for the following contract improvements:

Wage parity with comparable jobs
CFIA comparability for those classified as EGs
Group specific allowances
Fair classification and a new occupational group structure

The EB group is looking for the following contract improvements:

Wage parity with comparable jobs
New national rate of pay for teachers who work for 12 months (ED-EST)
Allowance for union members who teach Indigenous languages
Improvements to professional development

The SV group is looking for the following contract improvements:

Wage adjustments
Improved allowances
Hours of work (move from 40 to 37.5 hours per week – with no loss in total annual pay)
Protections against contracting out
No concessions

Updates for each group will be provided once negotiations for this round wrap up.

Source: http://psacunion.ca/bargaining-resumes-tc-eb-sv-members?_ga=2.44577956.1490531924.1594813664-722671214.1553177201

2020/07/10

Deal reached for Phoenix damages, PA group and common issues

July 9, 2020

In a victory for federal public service workers who have gone above and beyond to support Canadians during this pandemic, PSAC has reached a tentative agreement that provides fair wages, no concessions, and improved working conditions for the 70,000 members of the PA group, and Treasury Board common issues.

Alongside these successful talks, PSAC has also secured proper compensation for Phoenix damages to be paid to PSAC members for the pain and suffering caused by the broken pay system.

Phoenix damages

PSAC successfully negotiated a Phoenix damages settlement that is significantly better than the employer’s deal with other federal bargaining agents. Last year, PSAC rejected the government’s meagre offer of 5 days of cashable leave, which was too little and would have rewarded those who earn more while punishing workers who make less. The current agreement provides PSAC members with a fair and equitable lump sum payment of $2,500.

Unlike the tentative deal for Treasury Board bargaining that must be voted on by PSAC members in the near future, the Phoenix damages agreement required ratification by the PSAC National Board of Directors. The Board voted unanimously in favour of the offer on July 3, 2020.

Please read the following update which provides greater detail on the general Phoenix compensation portion of the settlement, as well as the expansion of the claims process for out-of-pocket expenses and for those who suffered major losses because of Phoenix.

PA Group settlement

The PSAC bargaining team successfully secured fair wage increases averaging at 2.11% per year.

PA group members would receive the following wage increases:

2018 2019 2020
2.8% 2.2% 1.35%

In addition to those wage increases, the following group-specific wage adjustments and allowances were also secured: 

Improved retention allowance expanded for all employees working in compensation operations to $3,500 per year
A new $3,000 annual allowance for armed Fishery Officers
A new Primary Responsibility Allowance of $2,000 per year for parole officers and parole officer supervisors

Other improvements to the PA collective agreement include: 

Increase in maternity related reassignment or leave qualification from 52 to 78 weeks following the birth of a child
Several leave improvements including for a person who stands in place of a relative for:
Leave without pay for the care of the family
Bereavement leave
Leave with pay for family-related responsibilities
A new leave provision for members elected to union leadership
An increase in meal allowance for overtime from $10 to $12
New language to clarify that the Employer shall provide an unpaid meal break of a minimum of thirty (30) minutes per full working day, normally at the mid-point of the working day
Renewal and update of a memorandum of understanding on a Joint Study on the Work Environment for Employees Working in Call Centres
New provision that provides call centre employees with training on crisis intervention and coping
Increases to funding for the Joint Learning Program, including a pilot study on health and safety training
Language that explicitly provides breaks for nursing employees (to nurse or express breast milk)
Memorandum of understanding for a Joint Study on employee support mechanisms for employees who in the course of their duties are exposed to explicit and disturbing material, and/or potentially threatening situations
Joint committee to review the use of Indigenous languages in the federal public service, examine Indigenous language skills in the performance of employee duties and consider the advantages that Indigenous language speakers bring to the public service
Memorandum of understanding regarding Occupational Group Structure (OGS) review

Common issues settlement

Alongside negotiations for the PA group, PSAC bargaining teams for the TC, EB and SV groups also joined talks to reach a settlement for Treasury Board issues common to all groups. Some of the key improvements include:

A one-time payment of $500 in recognition of the extended collective agreement implementation deadline and an additional $50 for every subsequent 90-day delay
10 days of paid domestic violence leave
Better language on return to work following a maternity or parental leave, giving more flexibility to parents who wish to change positions within the federal public service.
Improvements to parental leave pay

Updated language to match the new legislation including a new extended leave option and the sharing of parental leave
Expanded supplementary allowance for every week an employee is on extended or shared parental leave
Additional weeks for parents covered under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, when both parents work in the public service.

New memorandum of understanding to explore the issues related to childcare in the public service
Updated and improved language to match the new legislation on compassionate care and caregiving leave
Better language to allow the use of employer facilities for union activities
New memorandum of understanding to protect certain working conditions of civilian members of the RCMP
New memorandum of understanding on mental health in the workplace to support the work of the Centre for Expertise on Mental Health
In the event of workforce adjustment, the education allowance has increased to $17,000
Deletion of Memorandum of Understanding on Supporting Employee Wellness. As a result, sick leave will remain untouched.

Full text and next steps

In the coming days when the final text and full details of the tentative agreement for the PA group and common issues are available, they will be shared with the membership. PA members will shortly thereafter be invited to participate in online ratification votes. Details about the votes will be shared as soon as possible.

The PSAC bargaining team unanimously recommends the ratification of the tentative agreement.

To ensure that you receive all updates and can participate in the ratification process, please ensure that you have either updated your contact information on the PSAC’s member portal, or that you create an account if you have not done so already.

Other PSAC bargaining groups
Bargaining dates for the SV group will be announced in the weeks to come. Negotiations for the EB, TC and Canada Revenue Agency groups will resume next week.

Source: http://psacunion.ca/deal-reached-for-phoenix-damages-pa-group-common-issues

2020/06/19

Bargaining to resume for 100,000 PSAC members

After months of pressure from PSAC and its members, the federal government has agreed to return to the bargaining table. Negotiations for 70,000 federal public service workers in the PA group – PSAC’s largest bargaining unit – will resume with Treasury Board June 23 to July 3. It will include Treasury Board common issues and Phoenix damages.

Bargaining will also resume for nearly 30,000 PSAC-UTE members at Canada Revenue Agency the week of July 6.

“Elsewhere in Canada, the need to provide stability and fair compensation to public service workers during this pandemic was recognized months ago – provinces, municipalities and large employers across the country have been negotiating and settling contracts,” said PSAC National President Chris Aylward. “It’s high time the federal government did the same for their employees.”

Throughout the pandemic, PSAC members have been on the front lines battling the virus and delivering emergency financial support to millions of Canadians. They continue to provide critical services despite not having a new contract or wage increases in up to four years.

They also continue to endure Phoenix pay issues and have yet to be fairly compensated for their financial hardships.

“The government has clearly listened to the more than 15,000 PSAC members who wrote to them in recent weeks urging Treasury Board to get back to the table,” said Aylward. “It shouldn’t take that kind of pressure to get back to negotiations, but I’m grateful to our members for supporting our bargaining teams in such large numbers.”

“And it’s a welcome change to see the government – during National Public Service Week no less – move from kind words about our members, to action,” added Aylward. “Now they have to show up with a mandate to reach a fair settlement without any more delays.”

Updates for other Treasury Board bargaining units will be coming soon.

2020/06/152020/06/19

Message from the UNE National President on National Public Service Week

Members of the UNE Family,

This week is National Public Service Week (NPSW). Its goal is to “recognize the value of the services rendered by federal public service employees” and to “acknowledge the contribution of federal public service employees to the federal administration.”

Since the COVID-19 outbreak started, our members have been exemplary and stepped up to the plate and made sure federal public services were delivered. Whether our members are performing critical work or working remotely from their homes, they adapted quickly to an unprecedented situation.

Many of our members under federal jurisdiction are still attempting to negotiate a fair and just collective agreement including separate employers members, Treasury Board members at the Program and Administrative Services (PA), Operational Services (SV), Technical Services (TC), and Education and Library Science (EB) bargaining tables, Parks Canada members, and Statistical Survey Operations (SSO) members.

UNE members have been here for Canada during the pandemic, so we expect the Government of Canada to be there for them, if they truly value their workforce, and return to the bargaining table.

Respectfully and in Solidarity,

Kevin King
UNE National President