A tentative agreement was reached on August 13, 2024, on behalf of the PIPSC members of the National Gallery of Canada. If ratified by the membership, it will expire on September 30, 2026.
Detailed information, including the full text of the tentative agreement, will be provided in the upcoming weeks once it has been fully translated. In the meantime, here is a summary of improvements according to your listed priorities.
Rates of Pay (General Economic Increases):
- October 1, 2021 – 1.50%
- October 1, 2022 – 4.75%
- October 1, 2023 – 3.50%
- October 1, 2024 – 2.25%
- October 1, 2025 – 2.00%
An employee will receive a service pay increase from 1.25% to 2% annually on the hiring or promotion anniversary date.
All wage increases are retroactive to October 1, 2021.
One-time Pensionable Lump Sum:
- The Employer will provide a one-time lump sum payment of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) for all employees in the bargaining unit upon ratification.
Classification System Letter of Understanding:
- The Parties agree to establish a joint committee during the life of this collective agreement to analyze the implementation of a wage grid with increment steps following the current classification system.
Curatorial Promotions Policy Letter of Understanding:
- The Parties agree to establish a Joint Consultation Committee during the life of this collective agreement to discuss the possibility of creating a Curatorial Promotions Policy.
Limits to Management Rights:
- The agreement provides that Gallery management must now be ‘fair and reasonable’ when exercising discretion.
Professional Development Leave:
- An employee may request language training in one of the official languages. The granting of such a request shall be based on operational needs, including, but not limited to, the availability of resources and the requirements of the employee’s position.
Telework Memorandum of Agreement:
- Under our new agreement, all decisions on particular telework arrangements will be made equitably and transparently.
Other improvements include:
- Employees to now receive an additional Personal Day per year
- Compassionate Care Leave (without pay)
- Domestic Violence Leave
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation added as a Designated Holiday
- Leave for Traditional Indigenous Practices
- Improved flexibility for Leave for Spiritual or Alternative Religious Holidays
- Deletion of Appendix B that suspended the application of 45.10
- Improvements to the Publications and Authorship Article
Next Steps
A ratification package that provides more details of the changes to the collective agreement is being prepared. You will be invited to vote on the tentative deal. If most members vote yes, the Bargaining Team will sign the next contract with the Gallery.
We will host an information session to review the tentative agreement before the ratification vote. Members will have an opportunity to ask questions and have them answered. Dates for the information session and ratification vote will be announced shortly.
Thank you so much for all of your patience during this process.
In solidarity,
Andrea Kunard, NGC Group President
Anabelle Ponka, NGC Group Executive
Christopher Etheridge, NGC Group Executive
Robert Seguin, PIPSC Negotiator
Rukiya Mohamed Nur, PIPSC Negotiator