Your AFS Bargaining Team met with the employer July 19 – 21 to continue negotiations to renew our collective agreement. Our next set of bargaining dates are scheduled for September 13 – 15.
The good news is that we reached agreement on a significant number of issues, including several important matters. The bad news is that the same can’t be said for pay. Limited progress was made on pay.
AFS members are professionals. We deserve higher pay.
We have higher educational requirements. We perform more complex work. We are in greater demand in the labour market. We don’t accept that AFS members should accept less than they deserve. And we shouldn’t have to wait for fair treatment.
We are therefore taking steps to mobilize for potential strike activity in case the employer fails to offer our members fair pay within a reasonable time frame.
We have:
- Scheduled 1 more round of bargaining in September to get fair pay
- Formed our AFS National Strike Committee
- Reviewed potential strike actions, from coordinated job actions to a partial, targeted, rotating or full withdrawal of services
- Met with PIPSC President Jennifer Carr to confirm PIPSC support
- Informed the employer of the intention to update our Essential Services Agreement
Your support is critical as we work to get fair pay for professionals, and your AFS bargaining team are grateful to see it. Many members have worn AFS bargaining colours and have shared their pictures. We will post some of these pictures on our AFS Facebook page.
We would also like to remind those who have not yet signed up as members, to do so now. To vote on strike action or on a tentative agreement, members of our bargaining unit must be regular members of the AFS Group. If you have not signed up yet, please complete the online form at member application.
We also encourage our members to join our PIPSC-IPFPC AFS Group/Groupe VFS Facebook group.
In solidarity,
Doug Mason
AFS Group President, PIPSC
AFS Bargaining Status Summary
- Survey Members for Bargaining Demands – completed
- Finalization of Bargaining Demands – completed
Serving of Notice to Bargain – completed - Exchange of Bargaining Demands – completed
- Negotiations to Achieve Tentative Agreement – in progress
- Update Essential Services Agreement – in progress
- Establishment of National Strike Committee – completed
- Identification of Local Strike Captains – if necessary
- Distribution of Strike Manuals to Stewards – if necessary
- Public Interest Commission Report – if necessary
- Membership Strike Vote – if necessary
- Strike Action – if necessary
- Tentative Agreement (TA) – goal
- Bargaining Unit Ratification Vote – after TA Reached