Your Bargaining Team met with the employer between February 21 and 23rd. The negotiation team was disappointed once again, as the employer has not yet presented an updated pay proposal from the woefully inadequate proposal presented last year.
The employer continues to push for significant and radical changes to working conditions and hours of work. The employer made some minor changes to their initially tabled hours of work proposal, however the bargaining team could not consider discuss this in good faith with the continued absence of monetary proposals for those changes. We continue to resist these demands from the employer on the fundamental aspects of your working conditions.
This round, the bargaining team worked diligently to advance non-monetary issues of Scientific Integrity, Employee Wellness, and Maternal and Parental Allowances.
As you may have heard several other bargaining units have reached tentative deals with Treasury Board. The general economic increase seems to be set at 1.25% per year for 4 years. Members should know that while this economic increase appears to be the trend being set, many groups have been able to negotiate further economic restructuring and adjustments that increase pay beyond 1.25% per year. Your bargaining team will assess these settlements and develop strategy to ensure that we get a good deal for our members.
In light of the current pace of negotiations, the team has set up a final bargaining session in March. As always, the intent is to be able to negotiate a fair deal with the employer which maintains our rights and furthers the interest of our priorities. We will keep you informed of further developments, including the growing co-operation this round of bargaining between PIPSC and PSAC on common challenges we are facing from the employer.
Your Bargaining Team