The Applied Science and Patent Examination Group (SP) Bargaining Team is proud to announce that you have voted in favour of a new collective agreement!
The deal will benefit nearly 10,000 SP members.
Highlights of this tentative agreement include;
- Four-year agreement expiring September 30, 2026;
- Wage increases totaling 12.5% over four years, compounded to 13.14%
- $2500 one-time non-pensionable lump sum allowance to be paid to all employees in the bargaining unit on the date of signing of the collective agreement;
- Classification specific adjustments to address recruitment and retention issues;
- Increases to shift and weekend premiums;
- The time required to receive 4 weeks of annual vacation leave has been reduced from 8 years to 7 years; and
- Specific improvements to 699 leave, bereavement leave, care leave and family-related leave provisions.
The agreement also incorporates new language negotiated at the PIPSC Central Table, which includes:
- New Letter of Agreement for Telework, strengthening the grievance process to address denied telework requests;
- New Leave for Traditional Indigenous Practices; and
- Improvements to Workforce Adjustment provisions.
Once a tentative agreement was reached on September 22, 2023, we held town hall webinars and Lunch and Learn information sessions across the country, reaching thousands of members. Thank you so much for attending these important events!
Implementation
The SP Group expects to sign the collective agreement in December 2023. The agreement will come into effect on the day of signing.
The agreement provides specific timelines and criteria for implementation and retroactivity:
- Implementation within 180 days of signing the Collective Agreement;
- Retroactive pay increases payable to employees will be implemented within one hundred and eighty (180) days after signature of this Agreement where there is no need for manual intervention;
- The prospective elements of compensation increases (such as prospective pay grid restructuring to the AC and MT-01 and MT-02 classifications and other compensation elements such as premiums and allowances) will be implemented within one hundred and eighty (180) days after signature of this Agreement and will not result in retroactive payments.
- Prospective compensation increases and retroactive amounts that require manual intervention will be implemented within four hundred and sixty (460) days after signature of this Agreement.
- Employees in the bargaining unit for whom this Agreement is not fully implemented within one hundred and eighty (180) days after signature of this Agreement will be entitled to a lump sum of two hundred dollars ($200) non-pensionable amount when the outstanding amount owed after one hundred and eighty-one (181) days is greater than five hundred dollars ($500). This amount will be included in their final retroactive payment.
You will find all the information about your new collective agreement in your Ratification Package.
Thank you to our fantastic SP members across the country for supporting our efforts this round. You have been seen, heard, and it had a positive impact on the result!
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In solidarity,
Marcel Beaudoin
Vice-President, SP Group, PIPSC
On behalf of your SP Group Bargaining Team