NUREG / CNSC Tentative Agreement Summary

Pay

You have not received a raise since 2017.

This deal offers a general economic increase of 7% to your pay through the life of the agreement:

April 1, 2018 - increase to rates of pay: 2.0%

April 1, 2019 - increase to rates of pay: 2.0%

April 1, 2020 - increase to rates of pay: 1.5%

April 1, 2021 - increase to rates of pay: 1.5%

In addition:

April 1, 2018 - wage adjustment of 0.8% applicable to all NUREG classifications and levels;

April 1, 2019 - wage adjustment of 0.2% applicable to all NUREG classifications and levels.

Retroactive pay applies as of April 1, 2018.

Appendix A

No Discrimination

The collective agreement identifies the prohibited grounds of discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act.

The new prohibited ground of “genetic characteristics” was added to the Act in 2017.

We added “genetic characteristics” to the prohibited grounds of discrimination, to maintain consistency with the Canadian Human Rights Act.

This prohibits any requirement to undergo a genetic test or disclose the results of a genetic test as a condition of employment.

Article 6

Hours of Work

The collective agreement requires employees not on leave to work the core hours of 9:00 to 15:15 daily.

We negotiated the elimination of the core hours to enable employees to have greater flexibility with their work hours, and new language which allows employees to work between 06:00 and 18:00, subject to operational requirements.

We also clarified that the normal work week is Monday to Friday.

Memorandum of Agreement # 4 (MOA #4) at the back of the collective agreement has been amended to be consistent with this change.

We also amended paragraph 1 of MOA #4 to require written notice of an Employer initiated change to working hours.

Article 7.01(a) & MOA # 4

Telework

The collective agreement permits employees to work from home at the employee’s request and subject to operational requirements.

We have negotiated a change in terminology to replace “work from home” and “alternate work arrangement” with “telework”, to remove the inference that this provision only applies if employees are working from home.

Article 7.09

Overtime Meal Allowance

Employees who work four (4) or more hours of overtime immediately before or immediately following scheduled hours of work shall be reimbursed for one meal in the amount of $10.50, unless free meals are provided. An additional meal to a maximum of $10.50 is permitted for each three (3) hours thereafter.

We negotiated an increase in the reimbursement to $12.00 to be consistent with the core public service. In addition, the reimbursement is now payable after three (3) hours of overtime immediately before or immediately following scheduled hours of work, and every four (4) hours thereafter.

Article 8.04

Travelling Time

We believe the hardship felt by a member travelling outside their HQ and away from their permanent residence should be better compensated.

The employee is entitled to a maximum payment of 12 hours’ pay at the straight-time rate for additional travel time in excess of 7.5hours period of work and travel, in any day. Or 15 hours’ pay at the straight-time rate when travelling beyond North America.

The same cap applies when the employee travels during a day of rest or on a designated paid holiday (DPH).

We were successful in increasing the twelve (12) hour cap to fifteen (15) hours’ pay at the straight-time rate in any day regardless of where the employee travels and applicable on a normal working day, a day of rest or a DPH.

Article 9.01

Travel Status

Leave

Employees traveling outside their HQ area and who are away from their permanent residence for 40nights/year receive 7.5hours off with pay and an additional 7.5hours off for each additional 20nights that the employee is away (maximum of 80additional nights away).

We were successful in reducing the initial cap from 40 nights to 20 nights/year.

Article 9.06

Leave Without Pay for Care and Nurturing

We argued that the current definition of immediate family is too limited and does not respond to the needs of all families.

The definition has been broadened to include a person who stands in the place of a relative for the employee, whether or not there is any degree of consanguinity between such person and the employee.

Article 14.03

Leave With Pay for Family-Related Responsibilities

We argued that the current definition of immediate family is too limited and does not respond to the needs of all families.

We argued that the limitation to provide time off in the case of an unforeseeable closure of daycare facility was too restrictive and did not include situation when child is too old for day care, but still require special care.

The definition has been broadened to include a person who stands in the place of a relative for the employee, whether or not there is any degree of consanguinity between such person and the employee.

Article 14.04(a)

Bereavement Leave

You are entitled to seven days of Bereavement Leave with Pay following the death of a member of your immediate family.

We argued that the current definition of immediate family is too limited and the entitlement does not respond to the needs of all families.

The definition of immediate family has been broadened to include daughter-in-law and son-in-law and a person who stands in the place of a relative for the employee, whether or not there is any degree of consanguinity (descendant) between such person and the employee.

The Bereavement Leave with Pay for a person who stands in the place of a relative whether or not there is a degree of consanguinity is limited to once in their career in the federal public administration.

Article 15.02

Education Leave

The collective agreement allows employees to be granted up to three (3) years education leave without pay.

The leave will be increased to up to four (4) years without pay.

Article 18.05(a)

Resolution of Problems

We argued that the person who is the subject of a harassment allegation should not be the person hearing the grievance concerning that complaint.

Presently the collective agreement only prevents a person who is the subject of an allegation of sexual harassment from hearing the grievance.

We have negotiated an amendment that prevents a person who is the subject of a complaint from hearing a grievance concerning the complaint.

Article 23.05

Discipline

We maintain that someone who is subject to discipline should be provided the reason(s) in writing if suspended from duty of terminated, and the Institute should be provided notice of the discipline, to ensure the employee can access representation in a timely manner.

We negotiated new language requiring the employer to notify the employee, in writing, of the reason for a suspension or termination. The employer shall make every reasonable effort to provide the notification at the time of the suspension or termination.

In addition, the Employer shall notify the local Institute representative as soon as possible that such suspension or termination has occurred.

Article 25.01

Part-Time Employees

We recognize that part-time employees are often required to work part-time to accommodate personal circumstances and/or family care responsibilities. Our membership survey identified overtime as an area where part-time employees are disadvantaged when compared to full-time employees. Presently the collective agreement only provides part-time employees overtime for working in excess of the weekly hours of full-time employees.

We negotiated an amendment to the part-time overtime provisions, to allow part-time employees to claim overtime when required by the Employer to work:

1. in excess of seven and one-half (7 ½) hours on a regularly scheduled workday
2. on a day of rest

Article 29.04

Scientific Integrity

No provision.

PIPSC was successful during the last round of negotiations to introduce collective agreement protection in some collective agreements for scientific integrity or the Right to Speak via the development of departmental policies in consultation with PIPSC.

We have negotiated new language into the Collective Agreement and a new Memorandum of Agreement appended to the Collective Agreement, to reflect the gains made by other PIPSC Groups during the last round of collective bargaining.

The new provision recognizes that Employees shall have the right to express themselves on science and their research, while respecting the Values and Ethics Code for CNSC, without being designated as an official media spokesperson.

Article 31.06 and MOA # 11

Registration Fees

Currently the Employer may reimburse an employee for payment of membership or registration fees to an organization or governing body when payment of the fees is a requirement for the continuation of the performance of duties for the employee’s position.

We successfully negotiated the replacement of “may” to “shall” reimburse.

32.01

Banked Time

The collective agreement does not permit banked time to be carried over into a subsequent year.

We have negotiated the removal of the carry over prohibition, enabling a maximum of 37.5 hours of banked time to be carried over into a subsequent year.

MOA # 1

Leave for Union Business – Cost Recovery

NUREG representatives are often required to take leave without pay for Union Leave, and subsequently receive reimbursement from the Institute for the time worked on Union business.

In addition to the delays and inconvenience of having to be reimbursed later for unpaid days, these entries can create pay issues for Union representatives under Phoenix.

During negotiations the Employer agreed to a trail period whereby Union Leave was provided with pay for bargaining, and PIPSC reimbursed the Employer directly.

We have successfully negotiated new language in a Memorandum of Agreement, appended to the collective agreement, which enables NUREG representatives to receive Union Leave with pay, and the Employer to be reimbursed directly by PIPSC.

MOA #12