Canadian Food Inspection Agency Bargaining
September 19, 2012
Dates set for CFIA mediation, Public Interest Commission
After a hiatus of almost 10 months, the CFIA bargaining team will return to the negotiating table in January under the auspices of a Public Service Labour Relations Board mediator.
Dates have also been established for a Public Interest Commission to follow soon afterwards in the event that mediation does not result in a tentative agreement
The mediation process will take place in Ottawa on January 15-17, 2013 and the PIC is set for the week of February 11, 2013.
While the union and the agency have met many times over the last several months to deal with workforce adjustment issues, the parties have not been at the bargaining table since last March.
CFIA unilaterally cancelled a scheduled negotiating session in April that coincided with the dates that the agency had chosen to begin issuing hundreds of layoff notices.
The agency's unilateral action prompted PSAC to refer all outstanding issues to a Public Interest Commission, a form of conciliation under the PSLRA in which a board consisting of a sidesperson representing each party and a mutually agreed upon chairperson hear the parties' submissions and make recommendations for a settlement.
The PIC is required under the legislation to make its recommendations within 30 days of the hearing. Although the recommendations are not binding, they have considerable weight as the parties try to reach a new collective agreement.
Date Modified : 2012/09/19
