Our collective agreement expires on March 31, 2026. Your OSFI Professional Employees Bargaining Team must soon provide the employer with a Notice to Bargain. Before that, we must choose our dispute-resolution mechanism.
Our choice of dispute resolution mechanism will determine what happens at the end of bargaining if we cannot reach an agreement. The 2 options are:
- arbitration and
- conciliation/strike
Arbitration option
The OSFI Group has historically relied on arbitration, where a neutral third party makes a binding decision. In the event of an impasse at the end of the bargaining process, the arbitration option requires us to give up our right to take job actions, up to and including a legal strike. This option avoids conflict but limits our ability to actively participate. It is best suited for replicating terms and conditions that exist elsewhere in the federal public service.
Conciliation/strike option
In the event of an impasse, you still present your arguments to a neutral third party. They will make recommendations to help resolve disputes, but they are not binding. At the end of this process, the agreement is not final until you vote on it. If you disagree with the terms, you have additional rights. The bargaining team may call for additional votes to determine whether you want to take further actions, which could range from small disruptions to a full legal work stoppage. This route is best suited for more innovative demands that break away from public service patterns.
Your feedback will help the Bargaining Team make a decision. Please take the survey by March 20, 2026. If you have any questions about the dispute resolution process or mechanisms, please contact our bargaining team at osfi_grp_barg_team@pipsc.ca.
We will follow up soon with a full survey to identify what issues are most important to you and our membership in this round of bargaining
Please contact our Bargaining Team if you have questions about our dispute resolution options or this round of bargaining.