Last time we reported on bargaining at Statistical Survey Operations, the negotiations had reached an impasse. Since then, members have only become more passionate about having their issues addressed.
“The members are getting impatient and frustrated,” said Réjean Amyotte, a member of the bargaining team. “The more time goes by, the more solid we become.”
After the PSAC filed for arbitration, the employer filed almost 20 pages of objections. Their position is that many issues, including wage and scheduling rights, simply can’t be addressed in arbitration. In response, the Labour Board scheduled a hearing for the end of March to address the employer’s 131 objections.
“This delay is really starting to build solidarity.”
Members working for Statistical Survey Operations fall under two categories; those who go door to door conducting surveys and those who do it from a call centre. Both groups have filed for arbitration.
Last month, members at the regional office in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, participated in lunch-hour pickets in the days leading up to the Labour Board hearing. Once the hearing started, members mobilized even more.
“On the first day that we picketed, I got a call from the assistant director asking what was going on,” said Amyotte. “So, we certainly have their attention.”
Among the demands is the issue of seniority; our members want the employer to recognize seniority when assigning work hours. As things stand currently, the employer has no obligation to provide a minimum amount of hours.
“During our discussions at the negotiating table, we always presented scenarios on how this could be put into practice,” said Géraldine Fortin, a member of the bargaining team for field employees.
“They make us talk, they make us talk – but they never come back with anything. We’re basically talking to ourselves – there’s no exchange.”
In a recent demonstration in Sherbrooke, Quebec, SSO members sported t-shirts with the slogan, “We believe in seniority”.
Fortin, who has been working for Statistical Survey Operations for 22 years, says she’s been promised the moon since Day 1, and she’s still waiting.
“Why do we stay there?” Fortin asked herself. “It’s not for the salary. It’s not for the work conditions – there aren’t any….”
“We stay there because of the contact with respondants. There’s a social side to our work that is very rewarding.”
For additional information, please consult the SSO bargaining section of the PSAC website.
Psst! If you go to our Flickr page, you’ll find a bunch of photos related to SSO Bargaining! Keep up the good fight!
**One last thing: A big thanks to Krystle Harvey from Local 00383 for some last-minute help with this article! 😉