Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

The bargaining team would like to welcome two new additions to the team and send our thanks to two members who are departing the team.

Brea Lewis, elected bargaining representative for Alberta has left the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for a new position with the Canadian Border Services Agency. It was a tough decision for Brea, but the new position allows her to relocate her family to her home community as well as advance her career.

Mike Vanson, as alternate bargaining delegate, will replace Brea on the bargaining team. Mike was recently re-elected as the Regional Vice President for Northern Alberta and the North West Territories. Mike resides in Lacombe, Alberta and works as an Animal Health Inspector with the Red Deer District office of CFIA.

Debbie Forsythe, elected bargaining representative for the Atlantic was recently elected as the First National Vice President for the Agriculture Union. This is a full time position of the Component, therefore Debbie has resigned her bargaining position to devote her time and efforts to her new position, that will require relocation to Ottawa.

Gary Paynter as alternate bargaining delegate, will replace Debbie on the bargaining team. Gary is the current President of Local 90004, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and also the Alternate RVP for Western Atlantic and non-Treasury Board Director, Maritimes, PSAC. Gary works as a Plant Programs Inspector in Charlottetown.

A heartfelt thank you to both Brea and Debbie for their hard work with the team to date, and a warm welcome to Mike and Gary, as new additions to the team.

Negotiations will continue with a Bargaining team caucus on September 29 and negotiations with the employer to resume September 30 to October 2 inclusive. The Bargaining team looks forward to your signs and messages of support for the next session. These messages we affix to the wall behind us so that our employer can see them, read the comments, and know that we are there for our members who want a fair and just contract for all.

In solidarity, CFIA Bargaining team

After of full day of negotiations, with the aid of a Federal Conciliator, the Corp. refused to recognize the need for a wage package that reflects the type of work performed by our members. The bargaining team worked very hard to present a package of proposals to the Corp that addressed the wishes of the members and addressed many of the Corps concerns.

At the end of the day the Corp chose to walk away from the table. It is clear to the team that the Corp does not recognize the nature of the work performed by the members and is unwilling to take steps to provide adequate remuneration.

We will be holding an information meeting in the immediate future with the time and location to be announced. Watch the website for that update.

Bargaining Fair Wages

Currently members receive an automatic economic increase on October 31 and an incremental raise on June 3 until the top of the scale is reached.

The employer is proposing:

• A very small economic increase (between 1% and 2%, depending on classification). This means that the employer views the work of an A1 as less valuable than that of an A5 or A T2
• Your June increment will no longer be automatic - rather, it will be based on your performance appraisal

In 2009, the expected wage increase for the average Canadian worker is 3.5% except in Alberta where the expected increase is 4.8%

Canada Post wants to replace a portion of the anticipated increase with an increase to the Individual Performance Incentive (IPI). However, the IPI is not cumulative and — since your base wage rate would increase more slowly — the amount of the IPI would therefore accumulate much more slowly. In other words, this means a lot less money for you in the future.

This also has serious implications for your pension! The IPI is not pensionable. This would mean that the value of your pension would not increase very much. Over time, your base wage rate and your pension would rise very slowly. This proposal puts your retirement earnings in serious jeopardy.

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On Friday Sept 12 the bargaining team met with employer with the aid of a Federal Government appointed conciliator. The team spent the day working with the aid of the conciliator, the result of which was a global offer from the employer.

We will be reviewing the offer this week and responding to the employer with a counter offer at the next round of conciliation scheduled for Friday, September 19th.

Treasury Board: Employer wants 35,000 positions to be deemed essential

Treasury Board departments have submitted proposals for about 35,000 positions that they believe should be deemed essential in the event of a strike. Your union is in the process of reviewing all of these proposals to ensure that your RIGHT to strike, as well as the safety and security of the public, is protected.

The approximate numbers of ESA proposals from the employer per bargaining unit are as follows:

• PA: 22,000
• SV: 3,900
• FB: 8,869

While recognizing the need to ensure the safety and security of Canadians, your union is committed to defending your right to strike and will fight to maintain the strength of one of your most important bargaining leverages. The Essential Services Agreements (ESA) in this round of negotiations are of particular importance. Under the new rules of the Public Service Labour Relations Act (PSLRA), we have one chance to negotiate ESAs that will stay in place for future rounds of negotiations, so we need to get it right in this round.

During the election period, the union will continue its negotiation of ESAs, including bringing disputes to the Public Service Labour Relations Board (PSLRB) if needed. There is no legal restriction on either the employer, the union or the PSLRB that prevents this important work from continuing during a federal election.

Parks Canada: Hearings before the Board

The Parks ESA hearings took place in mid-August at the PSLRB in front of a three-person panel.

Your union argued before the Board that this is not merely a factual case about specific essential service positions but required a legal interpretation of the new legislation and relevant case law to determine whether the recreational services offered by Parks fit the definition of an essential service under the PSLRA. The Board recognized that this was an important precedent-setting legal case.

Your union takes the position that recreational services, such as maintaining and operating camp grounds or interpreting natural and historic sites to visitors, are not essential services and may be suspended during a strike without jeopardizing the safety and security of the public.

We are awaiting the Board’s ruling on this issue before we can finalize the Essential Services Agreement.

Conciliation proceedings are set to begin September 12, 2008, in Vancouver.

Mainland Commissionaires met with their bargaining team & PSAC staff on September 10th

Negotiations between the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the British Columbia Corps of Commissionaires will resume on September 12, 2008, with the assistance of a Conciliation Officer. The Union had filed a notice of dispute on August 21, 2008, following the cancellation of bargaining dates by the employer. The employer had also previously imposed an arbitrary deadline of September 30th to reach an agreement with the Union.

Members of this bargaining unit perform work on behalf of the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) at Library Square and the Vancouver International Airport. These negotiations are for a first collective agreement for this unit.

Last weekend the TB-BC Regional Strike Coordinating Committee met with Local/Branch Presidents from across the province to understand where we are in the negotiations process with Treasury Board. We heard from some of the Member Negotiators from BC. We held workshops to improve our mobilization skills, connect our “Think Public” campaign to collective bargaining, and strengthen our communication structure from the work site level onwards. Most importantly we generated ideas and plans for actions in the future.

Your Region is getting ready for action!

Find out more from your Local/Branch President on how you can help support your bargaining team and/or send a message to your Area Strike Coordinator to find out what is coming up in your area.

Several handouts were distributed to the participants, they are available for download here

• 10 things you need to know about a strike under the PSLRA (pdf)
  
• Collective Bargaining under the PSLRA (pdf)
• Collective Bargaining under the PSLRA (ppt)
• BC Regional Strike Structure (pdf)

Your bargaining team returned to Ottawa this week prepared to resume negotiations with Canada Post with the assistance of a conciliator.

Despite the fact that Canada Post had well over a week to consider the union’s response to its all-or-nothing offer, there was absolutely no movement on the part of the Canada Post’s bargaining team.

Canada Post’s original offer — as communicated to you by your bargaining team on September 2, 2008 — still stands.

That offer was unacceptable then and it is unacceptable now.

Your team remains ready to negotiate, but we are not prepared to bargain away your current entitlements — nor is the team prepared to accept the financial offer tabled by Canada Post.

Your team is now looking to you for your help to send a message to Canada Post.

Over the coming six weeks, team members will be attending local meetings and they will be available to answer any questions that you may have.

Details about these meetings will be posted at your workplace in the near future.

Ottawa—Canada Post Corporation has taken an unreasonable approach to bargaining during the late stages of negotiations and employees will take a strike vote over the coming weeks to protect their rights.

The negotiations started in the spring of 2008, and the union says the employer is refusing to address the workers’ demands.

Richard Des Lauriers, national president of Union of Postal Communications employees (UPCE), a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) noted “we are disappointed with CPC’s stance regarding negotiations. We have always been prepared to reach a fair agreement with Canada Post, one that ensures a strong and vibrant public postal service.”

The main issues at the bargaining table continue to be: protections against unreasonable measurements and surveillance of individual employees, workload-management issues, a fair benefits package, fair wages and bargaining unit protection. Canada Post has previously negotiated similar settlements with other unions.

The PSAC bargaining team tabled a thoughtful and comprehensive offer of settlement last week, but Canada Post remains reluctant to commit to any proposal of substance.

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Dear member,

We are committed to bargaining fairly and getting you the best deal that we can possibly achieve. To that end, the union tabled a comprehensive offer to settle on August 21, 2008. The employer then responded to us on August 27, 2008.

In tabling their response, CPC took an all or nothing approach. In fact they wrote: “no single item or group of items may be considered separately from the rest.” In other words, a package deal, take it or leave it.

Your team was clear - this offer is unacceptable. Despite our best efforts to take a reasonable approach to bargaining, it is further evidence that our proposals were not being taken seriously and, more importantly, that there was no recognition or respect shown for the contributions that you have made over the years.

The team has taken it as far as we could – so now it’s up to you.

Visit the national website for a detailed summary of the most recent offers tabled by your union and by the employer. The table reflects the parties’ positions as of August 29, 2008 and is organized by theme.

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What happens to our negotiations if a federal election is called?

PSAC currently has two weeks of negotiations scheduled for our PA, EB, SV and FB bargaining units; one week in September, one in October. The TC group is in the process of establishing dates for mediation this fall.

It is our intention to proceed with negotiations if an election is called. There are no legal restrictions that would prevent Treasury Board and other Agency employers from bargaining during an election period.

The union also intends to continue its negotiation of Essential Services Agreements, including hearings before the Public Service Labour Relations Board, during the election period, if one is called. There is no legal restriction that prevents the Board from continuing this work during a federal election.

Conducting a strike is prohibited when a federal election takes place. However, if an election is held this fall, this restriction will not affect our negotiations with Treasury Board, Parks Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The government we elect has a direct impact on our negotiations

PSAC members working in the federal public sector aren’t just electing a government, they’re electing their employer.

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With the summer drawing to an end PSAC members in BC were busy keeping bargaining front and centre while enjoying the weather … here are some photos & brief reports.

Throughout the summer members of CEIU Local 20961 are holding payday actions. They plan to continue until a collective agreement is reached.

On August 21, just before the Canada Post bargaining team returned to the table, members of UPCE Local 20101 working at the Main Post Office in Vancouver held a Day of Action barbecue - the day started out with cloudy skies but the blue sky and sun arrived at nooon. Members passed out “Stamp Out Deregulaton” leaflets to the public while members from CUPW, APOC and CUPE all showed their support.

On August 22 a small but spirited group of PSAC Young workers and their supporters came out to Trout Lake Park for some fun and barbeque.

Scroll down or click ‘continue reading’ for more, click on the thumbnails for a larger version, and click the photos to advance the slideshow.

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Your bargaining team, buoyed by membership support from coast to coast tabled a thoughtful and comprehensive offer of settlement with Canada Post this week.

The offer of settlement addresses the key priorities identified by you. They include:

• Monetary proposals to ensure a fair general wage increase
• Improvements in the Cost of Living Clause
• Improvements to the bilingual bonus, travel and meal allowances
• Improvements in medical benefit entitlements - Article 37
• Bargaining Unit Protection – Article 7
• Workload management improvements for those who work in Contact Centres – new language on Preparatory and Wrap Up time
• Pay and benefit entitlements for actual time worked – Article 4 for part-time workers and article 26.08 for all employees who work overtime
• Improvements in grievance language in Article 19
• Stronger anti-harassment language in Article 14
• Adequate funding for child care centres
• Family Related Leave Improvements in a variety of clauses in Article 42
• Protections against unreasonable measurement and surveillance of individual employees – new language
• Improvements in Appendix M dealing with the access to and provision of training for members who have received formal surplus notice

Your team is not prepared to negotiate any concessions and is interested in moving forward towards the goal of workplace fairness. Your team cannot achieve these goals without your help - support your bargaining team actively over the coming weeks! Canada Post is expected to respond to the union’s offer of settlement on Monday, August 25.

Your Bargaining team in front of the wall of member support — left to right: Seth Sazant, Andrew Baranowski, Erna Post, Richard des Lauriers, Hélène Arbique, René Fredeen and Larissa MacFadden.

Over the summer months, your bargaining team has worked hard to make sure that your bargaining proposals have been fairly presented and fully understood by Canada Post. For its part, Canada Post has been reluctant to commit to any proposal of substance, and in fact, applied for conciliation before your team presented detailed financial proposals.

It is clear that Canada Post is not interested in seriously discussing the issues that matter to members. Without a doubt, Canada Post needs to change its approach if it wants to achieve a fair collective agreement that builds true workplace respect by contract expiry. Our contract will expire at the end of the month and, in addition to bargaining a fair wage increase, much work remains to be done.

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Your union is raring to get back to bargaining with Treasury Board with negotiations set to resume in the coming weeks.

The bargaining-session dates for each TB unit are as follows:

• FB – four days September 30 to October 3
• SV – four days September 30 to October 3
• EB – four days October 6 to 9
• PA – four days October 6 to 9
• Future dates to be determined by each team
• TC – The union is still in talks with the employer to establish dates for the TC bargaining unit. The dates will be posted once they are confirmed.

After a year of frustrations at the bargaining table, your union sincerely hopes the employer is now ready to seriously negotiate fair contracts and seriously address the issues of wage parity and contracting out.

Your union is determined to fight for fair wages and for protecting quality public services. We ask for your continued support. Visit this web site regularly for future updates on negotiations.

In June we distributed a list of summer suggestions (pdf) on how you can support your bargaining team and challenged people to check off as many support actions by Labour Day. Well, Labour Day is just three weeks away so take a peek and see (pdf), you probably have done more than you think!

You can check off three of the things today by:

• signing up for the Regional TB bargaining e-info bulletin
• writing to your Member of Parliament regarding the value of public services and the public servants who provide them
• helping get the word out about bargaining and Think Public! at some upcoming summer events by leafleting and gathering public support. Please contact one of our two summer students who are looking for volunteers to help them out until August 30. Ria can be contacted in the Vancouver RO or at rknishikawara@gmail.com and Jade can be contacted at jade.kennedy101@gmail.com or the Victoria RO.

We’ll be back to the bargaining table soon. Make sure your views are heard before then!

Canada Post applied for conciliation on August 6th. With this action, the employer has short-circuited the bargaining process by applying to a third party before the union had the opportunity to present a complete set of proposals.

What does this mean for the membership?

• Your bargaining team will continue to bargain in good faith
• Your bargaining team will ensure that your issues receive a fair hearing and the respect that they deserve

Note that the bargaining dates that were previously established by both parties will be adhered to. While your bargaining team is very displeased with the employer’s tactics, remember: Together we can make a difference.

PSAC/UPCE at Canada Post | Stronger Together

The impact of increased workloads due to restructuring (Bulletin #4) goes far beyond the workplace; it goes to the heart of how members try to balance increasing workloads with family obligations.

At the same time that members face workplace change, they are also coping with increased family demands brought about by cuts to education and to social and health services. Both younger and older UPCE members feel caught between the competing priorities of work and home. Recent research has shown that these ever increasing demands are pushing up stress levels and prompting the increased use of leave and more unplanned absences.

The result is that more and more employees — regardless of their length of service — need to take time off to care for parents and children. Our current agreement is not consistent with respect to these leave provisions. A minimum of two weeks leave without pay to care for pre-school age children is provided for. The minimums are higher for the care of older children but they are subject to operational requirements. Leave for elder care is similarly subject to operational requirements. Our contract should be consistent and provide us with the time that we need in order to care for our children and our parents. To begin to address this inconsistency, the bargaining team has tabled the following language with Canada Post:

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Our collective agreement with Canada Post guarantees extended benefits to our members, including coverage for prescription drugs, physiotherapy and dental care.

Canada Post would have PSAC members believe that our health and insurance benefits under Article 37 of the collective agreement make the employer uncompetitive compared to other companies that do the same work.

Is this true? Not really.

Canada Post’s current benefit costs are similar to the payroll costs of other large employers. The company will realize significant tax savings once changes to the Alberta provincial health plan come into effect in 2009. PSAC/UPCE’s membership represents approximately 4 per cent of Canada Post’s total payroll. This means that the total benefit plan costs of PSAC/UPCE members are not as critical in affecting the company’s bottom line.

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Our national bargaining team met with Canada Post from July 22 to July 25.

Most of the unions’ proposals with the exception of monetary items have been discussed at least once during this week of bargaining. Some priority items such as leave entitlements, bargaining unit work, hours of work, contact centre proposals and staffing have been discussed several times to date.

Canada Post tabled an initial proposal on dental health and vision care. Because PSAC/UPCE and Canada Post will not be discussing monetary items until the next set of bargaining dates in August, these proposals are not complete and will remain confidential until all of the appropriate information has been received and bargained between the parties.

Canada Post also tabled proposals that would fundamentally alter the current bidding and scheduling practices for contact centre workers. These concessionary proposals were immediately rejected by your bargaining team.

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