Dear AFS members,
Your AFS Bargaining Team met with the employer from April 24 to 26 to continue negotiations to renew our collective agreement.
Over our lunch breaks, we joined our PSAC and UTE colleagues on their picket lines to show our support. Them obtaining fair economic increases is in the clear interests of our members, and it’s the right thing to do.
During this round, we presented our comprehensive wage demands and resolved some non–monetary matters to move our bargaining forward. Our comprehensive wage demands follow below.
The employer has not responded to our telework or pay demands. These key issues must be addressed when we return to the table May 30 to June 1.
To keep up to date on bargaining developments, please provide your non–work email to PIPSC. You can update your information here.
We also encourage our members to join our PIPSC-IPFPC AFS Group/Groupe VFS Facebook group.
In solidarity,
Doug Mason
AFS President, PIPSC
AFS Bargaining Team:
Doug Mason, Chair
Shawn Gillis, Vice-Chair
Allaudin Alibhai
Simon Chiu
Jean Couillard
Pam Kubicz
Mary Lycett
Susanna Moretta
Dan Quinn
Al Ravjiani
Chris Roach
Patrick Tsie8ei (Sioui)
Vance Coulas, Negotiator
AFS Wage Demands
General Economic Increase (GEI)
Inflation is the overriding concern of our members. In 2022 the rate was 6.8%, a 40–year high. Without a meaningful pay increase for all our members, we will be unable to recommend any agreement. With this in mind, the AFS group proposed a general economic increase for all levels, steps and classifications of:
- 7.5% Effective December 22, 2022
- 6.5% Effective December 22, 2023
Market Adjustment
The pandemic has brought significant increases in inflation and competitiveness in the labour market. Our employer has recruitment and retention issues as the pay of comparator positions to our members has increased considerably. As a result of this, the AFS group proposed a Market Adjustment for all steps and levels of all classifications covered by the AFS agreement of:
- 5% Effective December 22, 2022
Periods of Acting (all classifications)
We have countless examples of members being promoted and receiving less pay as a result of being appointed after a break in acting. The AFS Group is proposing to amend the pay notes to include ALL acting for the purposes of pay increments, regardless of breaks in service, when permanently appointed.
AU3 Pay
The AFS Group proposed the addition of a 3% increment to the top of the AU3 pay grid. This corrects the perennial issue with the progression from AU2s to AU3s. The resulting difference between AU3 and AU4 would be in line with the other steps above it.
AC Pay Tables
At the request of our AC members, we proposed changes to reflect the new actuarial exam structure.
This proposal has no cost to the employer.
AU7 Introduction
Increasingly complex tax schemes and structures are eroding Canada’s tax base allowing wealthy Canadians to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. The AFS Group proposed the creation of an AU7 pay table. This would help the employer to recruit and retain the specialists needed to address this workload. This proposal has no cost to the employer.
NU-EMA Pay
As a result of the NU-EMA medical adjudicators joining our group, we proposed appropriate pay scales and allowances to ensure that they are being paid in line with their Treasury Board (TB) counterparts.
PS Pay
We proposed an increase to the Terminable Allowance our psychologists are receiving to align their pay with their TB counterparts. This has a nominal cost to the employer as we have less than ten PS members.
Performance Pay
The AFS Group proposed to change Article 44.08 from “Performance Bonus – Management Group” to “Performance Bonus – Supervisory Duties” as this captures the intent of the clause and provides equal pay for equal work. This also protects performance pay for our MG members should their positions be reclassified.