PSAC Union Update for the period October 30 - November 10, 2000
The PSAC has received assurance from Justice Minister Anne McLellan that the principle of equal pay for work of equal value will not be on the table when the Canadian Human Rights Act is reviewed.
This assurance was given to PSAC National President Nycole Turmel when she was advised of the Liberal government's intention to appoint a Task Force to review Section 11 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. Section 11 of the Act states that it is discriminatory to pay women and men differently if they are doing work of equal value in the same establishment.
"There is agreement over the principle of pay equity," says Turmel. "It's not the concept that needs a review, it's the process for implementing pay equity that needs work. McLellan has indicated the review will start from an acceptance of the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. Pay equity is an important pre-requisite to women's economic equality."
The PSAC has already talked to the Minister and put forward some initial suggestions for much-needed changes which include:
* legislation that provides for universal coverage, with no numerical restrictions;
* realistic and mandatory timelines and penalties for failing to meet deadlines for developing pay equity plans and making wage adjustments;
* mandatory gender neutral methods for determining the value of jobs, based on the four existing factors of skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions;
* adequate government funding for education, training, information and enforcement;
* extensive and mandatory union involvement where
workers are unionized.
"We have developed considerable expertise in the area of pay equity as a result of the complaints we have filed and successfully pursued," emphasizes Turmel. "We intend to participate fully in the government's review so that pay equity can finally become a reality for all women covered by the Canadian Human Rights Act."
The new six-year collective agreement for PSAC members at the Saskatoon Airport was signed October 23. The workers, who were on strike for 82 days, returned to work October 4 following the ratification of their agreement.
PSAC/Union of Northern Workers members working for the Government of the Northwest Territories have a new two-year tentative agreement.
If ratified, the agreement will provide for a 3.8% economic increase effective April 1, 2000, and a 2.5% increase effective April 1, 2001. The tentative agreement also provides for:
* improved salary protection adjustments for the more than 500 workers who were affected during the previous classification conversion;
* the introduction of a parental leave article providing a 12-week top up;
* a $500 allowance for the purchase of tools for the trades group;
* the folding of the Correctional Youth workers into the Correctional Officers Appendix which provides them with periodic leave (16 days);
* minor improvements to the Northern Allowance;
* increased overtime on a holiday to double time for all hours worked;
* improved shift premium and standby pay;
* a Memorandum of Understanding to address the union's concerns on the employer's use of casual workers.
If ratified, the new collective agreement will expire March 31, 2002.
Bargaining demands on behalf of PSAC members working in the LS group at the Library of Parliament will be exchanged with the employer on November 15. The current collective agreement expired on June 30, 2000.
The PSAC is awaiting dates for meetings with the conciliation officer to deal with the outstanding bargaining issues for members at the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI)
Negotiations on behalf of PSAC members at the Museum of Science and Technology will resume November 20 and continue through to the 24th. Further sessions are scheduled for November 28 to 30 inclusive, at which time it is anticipated the parties will deal with monetary issues.
Negotiations resumed November 2 on behalf of PSAC members at the Timmins Airport. The Bad Faith Bargaining Complaint filed by the PSAC is still before the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
Thinking of retiring in the near future but you don't want to leave your union behind? Or if you know a PSAC retiree who would like to re-enter the organization, give the Association of Public Service Alliance Retirees (APSAR) a call. APSAR has assisted many retired PSAC members on a number of issues including pay equity cheque problems. For information and membership applications please call (613) 560-4206.
The first of two Regional Bargaining
Conferences for Parks Canada members was held in Calgary, Alberta, on October 28 and 29.
Some 29 delegates and 10 observers, representing 15 different Locals from across Western
Canada and the North reviewed and priorized demands from all Locals. Members from Western
Canada elected to attend the National Bargaining Conference in Cornwall, Ontario from
December 1 to 4, include:
Tables 1 and 5 (Program Administration and Library Science) groups:
Cliff Schmidt, Local 40340, Fort Batoche National Historic Site; (alternates) Wendy
Davis, Local 50353, Winnipeg Service Centre and Denis Mullen, Local 30186, Calgary
Composite; Table 2 (Operational) group: Byrun Shandler, Local Y0105,
Klondike Region; (alternates) Ron Johnston, Local 30117, Banff National
Park, Kevin King, Local 30402, Lake Louise, Ian Hill, Local 20106, Revelstoke National
Park, Andre Paul, Local 40107, Prince Albert National Park, Oscar Pederson, Local 30116,
Elk Island National Park; Table 3 (Technical Services) group: Barbara
Wilson, Local 20723, Gwaii Haanas National Park; (alternates) Doug Martin,
Local 30117, Banff National Park, Robbie van Rumpt, Local Y0105, Klondike Region, Mike
Eder, Local 30115, Jasper National Park.
The Eastern Canada Regional Bargaining Conference was held in Saint John, N.B., November 4 and 5.
In a move to accelerate negotiations that have been dragging for almost a year, the 1,300 members of the PSAC's Nunavut Employees Union (NEU), who work for the Nunavut Government, will be asked to vote in favour of strike action should current contract talks breakdown.
From October 23 to November 9, 2000, the union will organize meetings with members across Nunavut to inform them of the progress of the negotiations and to ask for their support for strike action. The results of the strike vote will be known on November 9.
According to the President of NEU, Doug Workman, a strike vote is seen as the only way to motivate the Nunavut Government to deal seriously with the monetary issues at the bargaining table. "We have been negotiating since December 6, 1999, but the employer does not want to recognize the real costs associated with living in Nunavut. We want our members to get a cost of living allowance that is similar to what federal public service employees living in Nunavut are receiving. We believe this is a fair demand and a way to ensure that the Nunavut Government is able to recruit and to retain its employees."
The parties will resume negotiations during the week of November 13, 2000. In addition to seeking the strong strike mandate before going back to the table, the PSAC will apply for the assistance of a mediator.
The employer's hard line at the Centre Montserrat in Quebec forced some 40 PSAC Local 13100 members to take strike action on October 29.
On October 11, the PSAC bargaining team representatives ended conciliation in light of the employer's attitude, who wants to use these negotiations to cut back on a number of major issues and bring the members back to conditions not unlike the minimal labour standards.
Among other things, the employer is attempting to impose work schedules at will by refusing to guarantee a minimum number of hours per shift or include provisions to eliminate discrimination and harassment. The employer also wants to change the seniority provisions, refuses to increase the vacation leave and the sick leave and wants to resort to contracting-out at any time.
Members have been on the picket line seven days a week since October 29, and the parties have agreed on essential services. The collective agreement expired on November 21, 1999.
Centre Montserrat employees held an information picket on October 1.
It was 18-months in the making but PSAC member John J. McDonald says the Compact Disc he produced of his bilingual millennium song about Canada proved to be well worth it.
The lyrics and music of Northern Nation were written by Brother McDonald, a member of the PSAC's Government Services Union (GSU) Local 70018. With the exception of the instrumental, the vocals were all done by volunteers.
Copies of the CD are available at a cost of $10 from Brother McDonald's promoter Michael Nihmey at (613) 521-7957.
An article in the Vol. 12, No. 19 issue of Union Update (PSAC organizers signing up Commissionaires in B.C.) stated that "the B.C. Corps of Commissionaires are in the throes of forming a partnership with the PSAC". In fact, as the title and the bulk of the article suggest, the PSAC is in the midst of an organizing drive to represent people employed as commissionaires by the B.C. Corps of Commissionaires.