Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

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.

Our Program and Administrative Services (PA) negotiating team met with Treasury Board from June 5th to 7th/8th. They 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.

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

Our Technical Services (TC) team met with the employer on June 12 and 13. During that time, 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). We responded to the employer’s questions and provided further explanation of our demands. Treasury Board presented clarification on 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.

Our Education and Library Science (EB) team, representing teachers, teaching assistants, and librarians, met with Treasury Board on June 13 and 14. The Union responded to questions of clarification on several items, and the parties had some preliminary discussion 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.

Our Frontière/Border Services (FB) team met with the Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) for three days the week of June 11th. While there were no substantive agreements 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, and seniority rights regarding shift or line allocation and vacation scheduling. 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 around hours of work scheduling that recognizes employees’ 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 for 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 meet again with Treasury Board the week of October 2, 2007.

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

What you did 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.