Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation

Approximately 200 members work for the Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation in Ottawa.  This bargaining unit also includes members working at the Canada Aviation Museum and the Canada Agriculture Museum.  These members work in a variety of positions including as hosts and guides, clerical and administrative support workers, tradespeople, herdspersons at the Agriculture Museum, program planners and curators.  The unit falls under the Canada Labour Code.

December 14 , 2005

Members at Science and Technology Museum ratify tentative agreement

PSAC members working at the Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation overwhelmingly voted on December 12 in favour of a tentative agreement, which includes the conversion to a new classification plan, with provisions for an average 18.6% increase to the maximum rates of pay.

In addition, members will receive economic increases in line with those negotiated at the Treasury Board tables (2.25% retroactive to April 2004, followed by 2.4% in 2005, 2.5% in 2006 and 2.25% in 2007). As the agreement expires in September 2008, the final economic increase will be pro-rated to reflect that shorter period (2.25% pro-rated to 1.125% for the last six months of the agreement).

Other economic increases include an increase in weekend and shift premiums to $2.00 an hour, a new late-hour premium, $2.00 per hour for all hours worked between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m., and an increase to $18 in standby pay for each eight consecutive hours.

Another major breakthrough in the new collective agreement is in the area of human rights, with a provision adding gender identity and expression to the list of prohibited grounds in the “No Discrimination/Harassment” clause.

Other highlights in the agreement include an improvement in health and safety, where workers, upon request, will now be provided with a taxi chit to get home when they leave work between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m, and improvements to work scheduling and pay administration.

Sept 21, 2005

Negotiations Underway

Negotiations on behalf of PSAC members at Local 70401, Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation, began with the exchange of bargaining proposals July 12-13, 2005 and continued September 6-8, 2005.  Further talks are scheduled for September 26-30, 2005. 

While the collective agreement expired March 31, 2004, the parties agreed to hold off negotiations until work on a new classification plan was near completion.  Now that the classification plan is essentially completed and the work that needed to be done prior to bargaining is done, the negotiations are underway.

Some non-monetary items have been signed off and it is expected that the negotiating team will soon begin work on classification issues.  To date, rates of pay have not been assigned to the various levels within the plan and it is expected that the Employer will attempt to limit the amount of retroactivity available to members.  The union is also concerned about the issue of full salary protection for those who may be negatively affected by the new plan. 

The negotiating team provided a bargaining update at a membership meeting held September 14, 2005.  The negotiating team has committed to ongoing membership meetings throughout the bargaining process.

June 17, 2005

Work force adjustment and your rights

PSAC has negotiated job security language into many of our collective agreements.  As well, we have negotiated extensive procedures and protections in collective agreements for situations where employment could be threatened.Read more (PDF document)